Alfred Owen Roberts 1883-1966

Helper to his Licensed Victualler father, then Boarding House Keeper. Born Menai Bridge

Maggie- think hard and write down anything your Mum of your grandad revealed about him. Consult siblings?

1883. Alfred Owen was born Bangor Jun 11b 533 - b.c. purchased 26/1/2017 - 18/5/1883, mother Mary Owen , a Cook . Birthplace Tanybont ? Menai Bridge.

1886. Alfred Owen gains a stepfather: Charles Roberts , a mariner, married his mother, Mary Owen, Bangor Jun 1886 -FMP. Might need to buy this . Think Charles Roberts was likely a widower- a seeming married daughter, Mary Pritchard, born 1875, in 1901C . Also 2 children 1880 & 1882 who were likely his . Details not on FMP, Ancestry, FS or IGI

Have not found any children from this union

Thus Alfred Owen became Alfred Owen Roberts

1891C. Alfred Roberts, 7, is living with his mother & 2 siblings at TynCaern , Llandysilio, Menai Bridge . His step father likely at sea

Mary	Roberts	Wife	Married	Female	37	1854	Housekeeper	Menai Bridge, Anglesey, Wales
Hugh	Roberts	Son	-	Male	11	1880	-	Menai Bridge, Anglesey, Wales
Maggie	Roberts	Daughter	-	Female	9	1882	-	Menai Bridge, Anglesey, Wales
Alfred	Roberts	Son	-	Male	7	1884	-	Menai Bridge, Anglesey, Wales

Hugh Roberts 1880 was certainly a son of his step father -he is in the 1881C. I suspect Maggie J Roberts, 1882, was too: their mother died in 1883

5 Hugh Roberts born Bangor 1880

3 Margaret Jane Roberts born Bangor 1882, and one Margaret Jane Owen born Bangor 1882

 

1891-1901. His mother, Mary Roberts, dies . Likely Bangor

1901C. Alfred O Roberts, 17, is living with his remarried father at Victoria Vaults, Bangor Street, Port Dinorwic, Llanfair is Gaer

Charles	Roberts	Head	Married	Male	52	1849	Lincensed Victuller	Bangor, Caernarvonshire, Wales
Margaret E	Roberts	Wife	Married	Female	30	1871	-	Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Margaret J	Roberts	Daughter	Single	Female	19	1882	-	Anglesey, Wales
Alfred O	Roberts	Son	Single	Male	17	1884	-	Anglesey, Wales
Mary A	Roberts	Niece	Single	Female	33	1868	-	Bangor, Caernarvonshire, Wales
Mary E	Prichard	Daughter	Married	Female	26	1875	-	Anglesey, Wales

1901-1911- His father- or rather stepfather- dies

1911C. Alfred O Roberts, 27, licence victualler assistant, is living with his stepmother in 11 rooms at Victoria Vaults, Bangor Street, Port Dinorwic, Llanfair is Gaer

Margaret E	Roberts	Head	Widow	Female	Lisence Victualler	40	1871	Liverpool
George	Roberts	Son	-	Male	School	5	1906	Carnarvon Port Dinorwic
Alfred O	Roberts	Stepson	Single	Male	Employed In Trade	27	1884	Anglesey Menai Bridge
Margaret J	Roberts	Stepdaughter	Widow	Female	-	29	1882	Anglesey Menai Bridge
Gwladys	Roberts	Granddaughter	-	Female	-	1	1910	Port Dinorwic
Catherine A	Pritchard	Servant	Single	Female	General Servant Domestic	43	1868	Bangor

 

1912. Alfred Owen Roberts, 27, married Catherine Ellen Williams, 28, on 27/11/1912 in Bangor. His 'father' Charles Roberts, hers John Williams -FMP

1912. It was at this time that he entered the Menai Branch of the Anglesea Grand Lodge- initiated 2/10/1912 and 'raised' 2/1/1913: he a Licensed Victualler residence Bangor. - Ancestry. He paid his dues up until 1921- when records available to Ancestry end

1915. Mary Roberts was born 8/12/1915. Bangor . An only child

Taid - ~ late 1920s??

Alfred thus obviously a mason. How old here? Apparently not unusual to take a photo of a Master being initiated. Where/ from whom did it come ?- presumably in the possessions of his daughter Mair.

Analysis

1. He is the Worshipful Master of his- Anglesea- lodge. This is the highest honour a lodge can confer on any of it's members. We know this because he is wearing the apron of a Worshipful Master (or Past Master). However, more importantly, his collar is the Worshipful Master's Collar. We know this because at the base of the collar is attached the square. This is the jewel of the current Worshipful Master of a lodge.

2. He is also a Past Master of, either this lodge, or another lodge. We know this because he is wearing a Past Masters Jewel on his collar.

3. At the time of the photograph he was not an officer of the Provincial Grand Lodge or of the Grand Lodge of England. If he were, then he would be wearing an apron depicting that rank.

4. I suspect that the photograph was taken on his installation night. Many lodges wear black or white tie on installation nights. He is holding the Worshipful Masters Gavel and I think that the book will either be the minute book of the lodge, or the attendance register.

5. As an aside, the white gloves worn by Freemasons are supposed to depict purity of life and actions. There is a passage in Count Tolstoy's War and Peace: "the newly obligated brother was invested with a white apron, received a trowel and 3 pairs of white gloves. Two for himself and one pair for the lady he most esteemed, after which the Master explained their symbolic meaning".

6. The gauntlets he is wearing are also the gauntlets of the Worshipful Master of the lodge. You know this by the square depicted on their side.

7. If you can enlarge the photograph around the gauntlet I think you will see the name of the lodge woven into the gauntlet around the square: from examining the original photo through a magnifying glass - he was Grand Master of Anglesey Lodge .

When did he become a boarding house keeper?

1939 Register . Owen Alfred Roberts, born 18/5/1883, boarding house keeper, is living 42 College Road Bangor

Catherine E	Roberts	08 Sep 1884	Female	Housework	-	229	2
	Owen Alfred	Roberts	18 May 1883	Male	Boarding Housekeeper	-	229	1
	John Crackston	Clachrie	04 Jun 1902	Male	Commercial Traveller (Biscuit)	-	229	3
	William	Allan	11 Jan 1914	Male	Commercial Traveller Cycle Motor Radio Accressioners	-	229	4
	Audrey George	Lyddall	02 Oct 1893	Unknown	Civil Servant Po Engineering ?

1949. His wife, Catherine Ellen Roberts, dies

Towards the end of his life he moved to Aberdeen to live with his married daughter, Mary Raeburn

1966. Alfred Owen Roberts, 83, was buried 25/10/1966 in Llanfair Is Gaer , Caernarvonshire- FMP. But actually died Aberdeen Southern District on 16/10/1966 at 30 Morningfield Road, Aberdeen . Certificate gives his father as Charles Roberts, hotelkeeper, and his mother as Mary Owen . He died of carcinoma of the stomach

Index

 

Margaret Jane Owen/ Roberts born Bangor Mar1882. She in 1911C above, seemingly widowed and with a daughter Gladwys

In 1881C, 2 census entries for young Hugh with parents Hugh and Mary Owen, but dofb of Mary >4 years out from 1891C.