b: 1916
d: 1988
The Story of Robert Laidler, 1879–1922
Robert Laidler’s story is one of family, hard work and life in industrial Sunderland. Born in Monkwearmouth, Robert became a skilled blacksmith, working amongst the shipyards and quaysides of the River Wear — an industry that shaped the lives of so many local families.
His life took him through marriage, fatherhood, loss and a second family, before ending tragically at just 43 years of age following an accident at the shipyard in 1922.
In this story, we look beyond the dates and records to discover the man behind them — the places he called home, the work he did, the family he loved, and the Sunderland community in which his life unfolded.
Every family has a story, and Robert’s is another small piece of the history of the families who lived and worked along the River Wear.
- 1916 – Birth, York, Yorkshire, England
- 1988 – Death, York, Yorkshire, England
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| PARENT (M) George Whitaker | |||
| Birth | 1916 | York, Yorkshire, England | |
| Death | 1988 | York, Yorkshire, England | |
| Marriage | 1945 | to Dorothy Ashworth at York, Yorkshire, England | |
| Father | ? | ||
| Mother | ? | ||
| PARENT (F) Dorothy Ashworth | |||
| Birth | 1919 | Leeds, Yorkshire, England | |
| Death | 2004 | York, Yorkshire, England | |
| Marriage | 1945 | to George Whitaker at York, Yorkshire, England | |
| Father | William Ashworth | ||
| Mother | Edith Barker | ||
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