Born in Leyton and brought up in south-west Essex William work in a farm as a cowman prior to joining the army where he initially served in the Essex Regiment. He was killed in action in France while serving with the Gloucestershire Regiment in 1917. His mother was a Widford resident at the end of the war. His brother Eric was killed when his ship was unk in 1916.
ROBINSON, William Hansell*
Private, 2/4 Gloucestershire Regiment, aged 20
William Hansell Robinson was born in 1896 in Leyton, the second of ten known children of William Hansell Robinson (1867-1911) and Kate Elia Theobald (1872-1952). His parents had married in 1892.
William’s siblings were Elsie Kate Robinson (born 24th July 1893 to 28th May 1958), Jessie Frances Robinson (3rd December 1894 to 1954), Eric Francis Henry Robinson (2nd July 1898 to 5th June 1916), Clifford Arthur George Robinson (born 23rd April 1900 to 5th June 1986), Ivy Irene Robinson (born 16th October 1903 to 11th July 1986), Maisie Violet Robinson (17th February 1905 to 1943), Lawrence Victor Robinson (8th June 1906 to 18th June 1973), Leslie Robinson (born 1908), Gladys Irene D. Robinson (born 8th May 1910 to 1999), and Phyllis Robinson (11th August 1911 to 2009).
In 1898 William’s family was living in Walthamstow and two years later they were living in Chingford.
In 1901 the census found four year-old William living with his parents and three siblings at 255 Marks Road in Romford. At the time his father was a 36 year-old house painter.
Three years later the family was resident at Noak Hill, Romford.
In 1911 14 year-old William was living with his parents and seven siblings at Paternoster Row, Romford. William was a cowman on a farm, his siblings were all at school and their father was a painter.
Sadly William’s father was to die later that year, aged 43. He was buried at St. Thomas’s Church in Noak Hill on 17th July 1911.
By 1913 William’s mother was living in Widford, presumably with her children.
On 23rd November 1915 William’s mother remarried, to Edwin Andrew Harris, at Chelmsford Register Office. The couple had a daughter Elfreda Maud Harris (25th October 1913 to 1935).
During the First World War William served as Private 1841 in the Essex Regiment, enlisting at Romford, before transferring as a Private to the Gloucestershire Regiment where he was given the service numbers 6315 and then 202284 in the 2/4 (City of Bristol) Battalion.
He was killed in action on 25th November 1917, aged 20. He was buried at Sunken Road, Cemetery, Fampoux, France in grave II.A.3. His mother chose the following words to be inscribed on his headstone: ”Not gone from memory. Not gone from love. But gone to a father’s home from above.”
William was entitled to the Victory and British Medals.
At the time of his death William’s mother was resident at 5 Spains Croft, Widford.
William’s brother Eric had been killed on 5th June 1916 when his ship, H.M.S. Hampshire was sunk after hitting a mine.
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