James Robert Fordham - Uncle Bob the policeman

James Robert Fordham - known as Robert or Bob - was born on 12th February 1874 in Ailsworth, Peterborough, Northamptonshire, son of George and Alice Fordham (nee Anker).

As a boy he worked at Burleigh House, Stamford as a gardeners assistant and stable boy.

He got a job as a gardener in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, before joining the Metropolitan Police.

On 17th August 1899 he married Harriet Sarah Wren (she became known as Hetty), in Holy Trinity Church, City of Westminster - at which time he was living in the parish of St Mark, Whitechapel and she was living at 100A Lillington Street. 

Harriet is given on the wedding certificate as aged 25, the daughter of Frederick William Wren, a Grocer.  The witnesses at the wedding were George Gdward Fordham (brother), Madeline Fordham (sister) and Frederick Wren (Harriet's father).

Robert and Harriet had seven children:

1. Robert
2. Gladys
3. Florence
4. Edith
5. Grace

Robert was widowed and moved back to Barnack, Peterborough, where in 1922 he remarried Margaret Olive Cox.

Robert died on 4th March 1957 and is buried in Barnack Cemetery.

I managed to track down Bob's daughter Edith aged 90 plus still living in Streatham in the early 1990s.

His nephew Edward Alan Fordham (my grandfather Felix) wrote:

"Bob or Robert.  Worked as a youth at Burleigh House Stamford, came to London, joined police force.  retired as Chief Inspector of Clapham.  Lived in a 'grotty shack' in Union Street, Clapham. no bathroom, used tin bath in front of kitchen range, their children played in the street 'raggy' clothes and hair.  Wife's name was Hetty, always wore aprom and slaved at home, died in a London Hospital from bronchial pnuemonia [or somewhat].  Bob moved back to old parents home at Barnack, married a quite good class woman with money in later life.  Bob had about 5 or 6 children by first marriage.  One of the sons became deputy Borough Engineer of Wandsworth another was a lay reader in non conformist religion."