Private Robert Bagshaw
Robert Bagshaw was born on 28 December 1884 at Moss Side, Manchester, England, the second of two children of hotel-keeper Nathaniel Bagshaw and his wife Alice Rebecca (nee Salmon). Following Nathaniel's death, on 25 March 1901 Alice married book-keeper Andrew Magowan in Belfast, the family living at Upper Newtownards Road.
Robert joined the Northern Bank on 17 May 1900, working as a clerk at Head Office, Royal Avenue and Shaftesbury Square, Belfast. By the time of the 1911 Census he was living with his mother, step-father and sister at 113 Eglantine Avenue, Belfast.
On 25 November 1915 Bagshaw enlisted in the North Irish Horse (No.1989 – later Corps of Hussars No.71657). He embarked for France in 1916 or early 1917, where he was posted to one of the squadrons of the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment.
Bagshaw remained with the regiment throughout the war. On 3 March 1919 he was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.
After the war Bagshaw resumed work for the Northern Bank. On 8 May 1933 he married Mary Graham at Cloughwater Presbyterian Church (she died just six years later). He retired from the Northern Bank on 31 January 1941.
By 1959 Bagshaw was living at 101 Eglantine Avenue, Belfast, and 28 Station Road, Portstewart. He died at Station Road on 25 November that year.
The image and some of the information above is sourced from Gavin Bamford's site honouring the officials of the Northern Bank and Belfast Bank who served during the two World Wars and in more recent conflicts. northernbankwarmemorials.blogspot.com.au