Robert Cocker Rowland Biggin

Robert Cocker Rowland Biggin, known as Rowland, was born in Dore on 4th November 1896, and baptised in Christ Church, Dore, on 30 th July 1899. He was the seventh child of Thomas Biggin and his wife Selina, neé Lowe. He attended Dore School from July 1901 until April 1905. By the time of the 1911 census, the family was living on Townhead Road – probably in the cottage in Barker’s Row where they were living during the War. Rowland, aged 14, was working as a domestic gardener, like his father Thomas.

Rowland attested at Pontefract on 4th December 1915. He was posted to the 11th (Reserve) Battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment on 21st January 1916 as a Private (Regimental Number 24062). Records show that, when he enlisted, he was 19 years and 1 month old, and only 5’ 2” tall; he was still working as a gardener.

On 26th May 1916, Rowland was posted to the 8th Battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment in France. It was not long before he was killed in action: according to his Casualty Form (Army form B 103), he was reported missing on 16th July 1916, and not reported as dead until 4th October, but his date of death is given as 1st July 1916.

He was still only 19, and had served in the Army for only 217 days. The Dore and Totley Parochial Magazine states that he was buried in France, ‘in the vast graveyard at Albert’, but the Commonwealth War Grave Commission records that he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, which bears the names of those who died in the Somme sector and who have no known grave.

Rowland was posthumously awarded the Victory and British War Medals. He was commemorated in a Memorial service held at Christ Church, Dore, at 3 o’clock on Sunday 29th October 1916.