Robert Henry Harvey – Royal Army Medical Corps

Private Robert Henry Harvey – Royal Army Medical Corps

Robert Henry Harvey was born in 1887 in Swansea, the son of William Harvey and Esther Ann Northey, who married in 1885 in Swansea. His childhood unfolded in the working‑class streets of Caepistill Street and Powell Street, where the Harvey family lived among general labourers, steel‑works stokers, and extended relatives typical of Swansea’s industrial neighbourhoods.

Family Life

1891 Census

The 1891 Census records the Harvey household at 4 Caepistill Street, Swansea, where William Harvey, aged 33 and born in Cornwall, worked as a General Labourer. His wife Esther A., aged 27, managed the home. Their children present were Robert H., 4, attending school, and Richard T., 2. The census shows a small but growing family in the early years of its life in Swansea.

1901 Census

By the 1901 Census, the family had moved to 21 Powell Street, Swansea. William H., now 45, continued as a General Labourer, and Esther Ann, aged 37, remained at home. Their children present were Robert H., 14; Richard F., 12; William P., 7; Trevor S., 4; and Margaret E., 2. Also living with them were relatives Robert White, 50, and Hilda E. White, 3. The household reflects a typical Swansea family of the period, combining labouring work with extended kinship support.

In 1907, Robert married Mary Jane Chelley, establishing his own household shortly before the First World War.

1911 Census

The 1911 Census records Robert and his young family at 30 Earl Street, Swansea. Robert H., aged 25, was employed as a Labourer, and his wife Mary J., aged 21, managed the home. Their children present were William J., 3, and Richard H., 4 months. The census shows a young family beginning its life together in the industrial heart of Swansea.

Service Papers

Military Service

In 1914, Robert Henry Harvey enlisted as a Private in the Royal Army Medical Corps. The RAMC provided medical support to the British Army, staffing field hospitals, ambulance units, and casualty stations. Men like Robert were responsible for assisting with first aid, stretcher‑bearing, and the care of wounded soldiers both at home and abroad.

Robert’s service was short‑lived: he was discharged in 1915, recorded as unfit for further duty.

Robert Henry Harvey
Cwmgelli Cemetery, Swansea
credit - findagrave

Death and Burial

Robert died on Armistice Day, 11 November 1918, a date marked across the world as the end of the First World War. He was laid to rest at Cwmgelli Cemetery, where he is commemorated among Swansea’s wartime burials.