Name Index    HOME  
Albert Ernest Roberts                       1870-1937
Albert was born on 12 March 1870, the son of Albert James Roberts and Ellen Wace, at Wadhurst, Sussex.
  When Albert was in his early 20's, he migrated to Canada, and eventually to a place called Red Deer, in Alberta.   In November 1894 Albert purchased just over 260 acres of land from the Canadian Pacific Railway close to the settlement of Red Deer.   He paid $3.00 an acre for the land at Red Deer River Valley, which was a good place for grain growing, dairy farming and ranching.   Prior to European settlement, the area that Albert choose to start his new life was inhabited by several different Tribes and later by fur traders.   Red Deer was a tiny area next to the Red Deer River after which the town was named.   It lay mid way between Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta.
  After 2 or 3 years of building up his new home Albert returned to England to find a bride to take back to Canada.   He discovered Olive Luck, and convinced her to marry him, and settle in Canada.   Olive would have only been 14 or 15 when Albert had emigrated so it is unlikely that any marriage arrangements would have been made prior to him leaving.
  It must be assumed that the newlyweds sailed for Canada shortly after the marriage.   Olive would have taken some home comforts with her, but she would not have been prepared for the life that awaited her. The settlement would have been pretty isolated compared with her former home, and with much less than a quarter of the population of her home town perhaps very quiet too. We must remember that most of the inhabitants of Red Deer at that time would have been from all over Europe as well as the Canadian Natives so it would have been very different to a quiet Sussex village!   Sometime  around  the  October  or  November  of 		  1898 Olive found herself to be carrying her first child.   We know from later events that she had the baby 145 kilometers away in the town of Calgary.   It would have been a long trek, even by train, so this journey must have been planned beforehand.   Red Deer was extremely primitive in those days, even the larger houses would probably have been without running water.   Most women who had emigrated with their families would have had to rough it, taking their chances with childbirth and the help of the local women.   Olive would have been one of the luckier ones as far as everyday life was concerned.   Her husband had purchased a large amount of land and would have employed servants to help with the upkeep of it and the home he had built they would have been able to afford a Midwife and Doctor to attend the birth but because Olive traveled such a distance to have the baby it must suggest that the prospective parents considered it the safer option to have the baby in a more established town.
  Olive gave birth to her son, Harold Luck Roberts, on 28 July 1899.   She died from complications on 2 August 1899, ending the dream they had planned to have forever.
  Albert returned home. On the 1901 census he is living with his father in Speldhurst. I have yet to find out what became of his son, Harold, though it is quite possible that he did not survive much longer than his mother. He does not seem to appear on the Canadian or British Census for 1901.
  Also in Speldhurst on the first of April 1901 was a Miss Dorothy Ann Nesfield.   A 27 year old from Marylebone who was living with her mother Frances and her sister Margaret, 29.   Her father Arthur had died when Dorothy was just 2.   Albert and Dorothy were married and moved to Tunbridge Wells.

Olive Maude Luck                             1876-1899           (1st Wife)
Olive was born on 11 October 1876, the daughter of Frederick George Luck and Fanny Elizabeth Walker, at Wadhurst, Sussex. On their first birth, both she and the baby died.
I have identified the following children.
Harold Luck Born 28 Jul 1899   Red Deer, Alberta, Canada  

Birth of Parents
Albert Ernest Roberts b: 12 Mar 1870               Wadhurst, Sussex       1870 1Q Ticehurst 2b 101
son of Albert James Roberts and Ellen Wace

Olive Maude Luck b: 11 Oct 1876         Wadhurst, Sussex       1876 4Q Ticehurst 2b 98
daughter of Frederick George Luck and Fanny Elizabeth Walker
Marriage
27 Jul 1898
Albert Ernest Roberts (28)
Olive Maude Luck (21) 		Parish Church of Wadhurst,       1898 3Q Ticehurst 2b 216
Bachelor, Gentleman of Tidebrook, Father: Albert J. Roberts, Clerk in Holy Orders
Spinster of Wadhurst, Father: Frederick George Luck, Deceased
By Banns, Wit: Earnest J. Luck, Norah M. Luck, Edith Luck, by W. May, Vicar of Brenchley

The Times, Friday, Jul 29, 1898                         MARRIAGES
  ROBERTS : LUCK - On the 27th July, at the parish church, Wadhurst, by Rev. W. May, Vicar of Bronchley, assisted by Rev. G. MacLean, Vicar of the parish, and Rev. Arthur Wace and Rev. A. J. Roberts, father of the bridegroom, Albert Ernest Roberts, of Red Deer, Canada, to Olive Maud, daughter of the late F. G. Luck, of The Olives, Wadhurst.



Read the complete details of the wedding
The Sussex Express, Saturday, Jul 30, 1898

The wedding of Albert Ernest Roberts and Olive Maude Luck, 27 July 1898
Place Cursor on a face to display person's name, click to go to their web page.

Children
Harold Luck Roberts b: 28 Jul 1899               Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
son of Albert Ernest Roberts and Olive Maude Luck

Death
Olive Maude (Luck) Roberts Died 2 Aug 1899               Red Deer, Alberta, Canada

The Sussex Express, Saturday, Aug 5, 1899
Sudden death of Mrs A. E. Roberts
nee Miss Olive Luck.
  A few days since a telegram from Calgary British North America announced the birth of a son to Mr. and Mrs Roberts and that all was well, the good news giving great satisfaction to all at The Olives, the Vicarage of Tidebrook and to their many friends in the neighbourhood.   On Wednesday evening however quite a gloom was cast over the Parish by the very sad news that the happy Bride of just a year ago had passed away quite suddenly.   Sympathy with the sorrowing friends in their bereavement is widespread throughout the neighbourhood.
    The Sussex Express, Saturday, Aug 12, 1899
  The Misses Luck wish to express their thanks to all those in Wadhurst and neighbourhood who have shown so much kind sympathy for them in their trouble.

  Olive had died on the 2nd of August.   After giving birth to her son Harold Luck Roberts on the 28th July 1899 (the day after her first wedding Anniversary) she had contracted Septicemia probably as a direct consequence of unhygienic conditions or complications of the birth.   She had lived for a further 6 days before succumbing.   She was buried in Union cemetery, Calgary.   Her headstone reads "Olive Maude Roberts October 11th, 1876 - August 2nd, 1899. The Eternal God is thy refuge."

1901 Census RG13-751 1 April 1901 Speldhurst, Kent
Oaklands
Albert J. Roberts (Widower)
Ellen C. (Dau) (s)
Albert E. (Son)(W)
Selina B. (Sister)(s)
Plus 4 Servants 		Age 72
Age 32
Age 31
Age 75 		Living on own means
Living on own means
Living on own means
Living on own means 		St Martin's
Tidebrook
Tidebrook
St Martin's 		London
Sussex
Sussex
London 		abt 1827
abt 1869
12 Mar 1870
abt 1825




1901 Census RG13-751 1 April 1901 Speldhurst, Kent
Shadwell
Fanny C. Nesfield (Widow)
Margaret (Dau) (s)
Dorothy A. (Dau)(s)
Plus 3 Servants 		Age 57
Age 29
Age 27 		Living on own means Marylebone
Marylebone
Marylebone 		London
London
London 		abt 1843
abt 1871
abt 1873


Dorothy Ann Nesfield                             1873-1962                     (2nd Wife)
Dorothy was born about 1873, the daughter of Arthur Markham Nesfield and Frances C. Powell, in London.
I have identified the following children:
Prudence Avila Born abt 1904   Tonbridge, Kent Married Raymond Bosanquet
John Christopher Nesfield Born abt 1906   Tonbridge, Kent Married Anne Cecil Kershaw
Charles Wace Born 18 Jun 1908   Tonbridge, Kent Married Felicity Elizabeth Roberts
Anthony C. Born abt 1912   Tonbridge, Kent  

Birth of New Wife
Dorothy Ann Nesfield b: abt 1873         London
daughter of Arthur Markham Nesfield and Frances C. Powell
Marriage
abt 1901
Albert Ernest Roberts
Dorothy Ann Nesfield 		        Tunbridge Wells       1901 4Q Tunbridge 2a 1519

Children
Prudence Avila Roberts b: abt 1904         Kent             1904 1Q Tunbridge 2a 854
son of Albert Ernest Roberts and Dorothy Ann Nesfield
John Christopher Nesfield Roberts b: abt 1906         Kent             1906 3Q Tonbridge 2a 863
son of Albert Ernest Roberts and Dorothy Ann Nesfield
Charles Wace Roberts b: 18 Jun 1908         Kent             1908 3Q Tonbridge 2a 1863
son of Albert Ernest Roberts and Dorothy Ann Nesfield

1911 Census RG14-353 3 April 1911 Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Hollin House, Molyneux Park, Court Road   (11 Rooms)
Albert Ernest Roberts
Dorothy Ann (Wife)
Prudence Avila (Dau)
John Christopher Nesfield (Son)
Charles Wace (son)
Plus 4 Servants 		Age 41
Age 37
Age 7
Age 4
Age 2 		Underwriter at Lloyds Tidebrook
Marylebone
Wood Tunbridge Wells
Tunbridge Wells
Tunbridge Wells 		Sussex
London
Kent
Kent
Kent 		12 Mar 1870
abt 1873
abt 1904
abt 1906
abt 1908
Dorothy had Three children, and all are still living.

Anthony C. Roberts b: abt 1912         Kent             1912 2Q Tonbridge 2a 1605
son of Albert Ernest Roberts and Dorothy Ann Nesfield

Death
Albert Ernest Roberts 22 Dec 1937           Nice, France

The Times, Friday, Dec 24, 1937                         Death
  ROBERTS - On Dec 22, 1937, at Nice South, of France, Albert Ernest Roberts, (Member of Lloyd's), of Hollyhurst, Burwash Common, and Treanlaur, County Mayo. Funeral Private.
LONDON   31 May 1938                         Probate
ROBERTS, Albert Ernest - of Hollyhurst, Burwash Common, Sussex, and Effingham House, Arundle-street, London W.C.2, died 22 December 1937, at Hotel Westminster, Nice, France. Probate London 31 May, to Owen Markham Powell solicitor, and John Christopher Nesfield Roberts and Charles Wace Roberts, underwriters.   Effects £110,583 10s. 6d.

Death
Dorothy Ann (Nesfield) Roberts Died 22 July 1962, Age 87,       1962 3Q Battle 5h 11

LONDON   18 Dec 1962                         Probate
ROBERTS, Dorothy Ann, of Coopers Farm, Wartling, Sussex, widow, died 22 July 1962, at Ticehurst House, Ticehurst, Wadhurst, Sussex, Probate London 18 December, to Prudence Avila Bosanquet, married woman, and John Christopher Nesfield Roberts, Lloyds Underwriter.   Effects £42,516 6s.

SPECIAL THANKS  to Emma Richardson, of the Wadhurst History Society, and their publication, "Victorian Wadhurst: Glimpses of Our Past", and also Timothy Wace Roberts and other descendants of Albert E. and George A. Roberts, for many of the details provided above.