William Roberts 1862-1942

Photo of William Roberts, about 1938. William Roberts, about 1938.

Contents

Birth
Career
Marriage
Children
Residence
Literature
Death



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Birth

William Roberts was born in 1862 in Italy. His father, James Roberts, was working in the Italian Alps as the general manager of the Pestarena Gold Mine.

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Marriage

The former Methodist Chapel at Bolingey. The former Methodist Chapel at Bolingey.

On 15th November 1886 William Roberts was married to Annie Matilda Stephens at the Methodist Chapel at Bolingey near Perranporth in Cornwall.


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Children

Norma Roberts (1888)
Margarita T. Roberts (1889)
Thomasine Roberts (1890)
Thomas Stephens Roberts (1892)


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Residence

The Roberts' properties. The Roberts' properties, with Bella Vista at top right.

Towards the end of the 19th century William Roberts made a property investment in the form of two villas which he had built near the top of Perranporth in Tywarnhayle Road. These possessed extensive views over both the town and the sands; hence his name for the one in which he chose to live himself: 'Bella Vista'.


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Career

William Roberts, like his father, became a manager of mines producing various metalliferous ores. He did so both in Cornwall and overseas. In about 1930 he was at the Avino silver mine near Durango in Mexico.


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Literature

William Roberts was the author of a book: 'Reminiscences of Perranporth from the year 1833'. It was published in July 1939 by Oscar Blackford. Included in the many anecdotes recounted in that work is the following -

Let me draw attention to that area of moorland lying between Perranporth and the village of Bolingey. It is scarcely conceivable from its present aspect that in former days it was a large sheet of water with certain high tidal seas flowing into it and that boats plied between the two places. In the winter seasons it was resorted to by wild fowl which bred there very largely amongst the flourishing 'goss' and rushes.

There are four or five houses at Hendrawna in the vicinity of the present Great Western Railway station just below the site of which used to be a favourite well of water supplying the few houses; this was also the landing spot for passengers by boat. When my late father was paying his attentions to a young woman of that place (who afterwards became my mother) he was returning home to Perranporth one moonlight night when he observed what was apparently a flock of wild duck alight at the well site. Early the following morning he took boat and gun and by good luck managed to bag six of the ducks. When he went to see his lady love that evening his prospective father-in-law remarked that his ducks had not come home as usual and my father gathered that he had bagged the old gentleman's domestic ducks. Whether he confessed to this, or not, I do not know but the incident was related to me by my maternal grandfather himself.

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Death

William Roberts died from heart disease aged 79 years on 26th February 1942 in Perranporth. His villa was offered to the council as housing for London children taking refuge from the Blitz. Although afterwards having fallen into disrepair, it is now (2013) restored and maintained in a condition close to its 1898 origin. It has, however, been renamed Perran Court. The houses adjoining Bella Vista were divided into rental appartments.

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Last modified: 2013 November 4th.