Robert Sheehy was born in 1877 in Hampstead, a son of John Sheehy (b.circa 1827 and Maria Sheehy (b.circa 1842). On 2 December 1877 he was baptised in Christ Church, Hampstead, where in the baptismal register his family surname was recorded as Shea, that they lived in Hampstead and that his father was a labourer.
In the 1881 census he is shown as Robert Sheehy, aged 3 years and living at Ambrose Cottages, Hampstead, Middlesex (now Greater London), with his parents and two siblings: Edward Sheehy (b.circa 1874) and Elizabeth Sheehy (1874-1958) who were both listed as scholars whilst his father was described as a general labourer.
The 1901 census shows his place of birth as Hampstead, North End, aged 23 years and a British Museum duster, living at 4 The Village, Hampstead, with his widowed mother, Maria, and elder sister, Elizabeth, together with his brother-in-law, Christopher Shepherd who was a carter on a farm and his 18-month-old daughter Maude Shepherd.
He married Ellen Mary Swain (1883-1970) the 4th quarter of 1906 in the Thanet Registration District, Kent and they had one child, Robert Arthur Sheehy (1907-1978).
He enlisted in the 2nd Battalion, Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex) Regiment, his service number was G/13729 and entered France on 14 December 1915. At some point he was transferred to the 880th Area Employment Company of the Labour Corps with a service number of 408820. He died, aged 41 years, from an illness on 23 April 1918 and is buried in Plot 29, Row L, Grave 3 in the Etaples Military Cemetery, Etaples, France. His widow was sent his army effects totalling £8-10s-8d on 25 June 1918 and a £13-0s-0d war gratuity on 7 January 1920. He was posthumously awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is shown as 'R. SHEEHY. PRIVATE. MIDDLESEX REGIMENT' on the Christ Church WW1 memorial outside Christ Church, Hampstead Square, London, NW3, as 'SHEEHY. R.' on the WW1 tablet inside Christ Church, Hampstead Square, London, NW3 and as 'R. SHEEHY' on the British Museum war memorial at Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3DD. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website, on the London WW1 memorial website, on the A Street Near You website and on the Royal British Legion's Everyone Remembered website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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