Robert Charles Jessop does not
feature in Chailey’s parish magazine despite the fact that he was born in the village about 1899. He appears on the 1901 census as a one year old infant living with his parents, siblings and two uncles
at Hunts Cottage, Chailey. The household comprised William Jessop (head, married,
aged 31, working as an agricultural labourer), his wife Margaret A Jessop (aged 30) and their three children: Esther Margaret
(aged seven), Albert William (aged four) and Robert. Also staying at the house
were William’s brothers John Jessop (aged 28) and Joseph Jessop (aged 26). Both
men are recorded as being agricultural labourers. Elsewhere in the village, a
22 year old George Jessop was boarding at South Common and working as a bricklayer and it is possible that he was another
brother of William’s.
Robert was living at Lindfield
at the time of his enlistment and enlisted at Brighton. This must have been after September 1st 1916 because Soldiers
Died in the Great War notes that he was first sent to the 18th Training Reserve Battalion at Seaford in Sussex
where he was given the number 13/55715. This battalion had its origins as the
15th (Reserve) Battalion of The King’s Royal Rifle Corps before it had been re-designated as the 18th TRB.
Robert Jessop transferred to the
Rifle Brigade (where he became 46285 Rifleman Robert Charles Jessop) and was posted to the 1st Battalion (4th Division). He was killed in action on 23rd April 1918. He is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, France and on the Horsted Keynes memorial in Sussex. The Commonwealth War Graves’ Commission’s Debt of Honour Register provides
the additional information that he was the son of William and Margaret Alice Jessop of Freshfield Crossways, Horsted Keynes.
Sources and Acknowledgements
- 1901 Census of England and Wales
- Soldiers Died in The Great War
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Debt of Honour Register
- The Long, Long Trail
- Michelle Young for the photograph of Robert Jessop's name on the Loos Memorial
