Robert Lendrem was the third son of George Robert Lendrem and Jane Wigham.
Born in Barnard Castle he seems to have worked in the mill with his brother William. William went on to become a weaver, but Robert left the mill and worked as a general labourer.
The Teesdale Mercury records that Robert recovered the body of a man who drowned in the Gentleman's Hole in the River Tees.
At thirty years old, Robert married late to Mary Jane (1869-1950) the daughter of a mill worker in 1888. They set up home in Barnard Castle in 100 Peels Yard - a few doors away from his father in 94 Peels Yard.
Their first child Robert - 1889-1892 - died in infancy. But their second, Jane Lendrem (1890-1966) and third, William Lendrem (1891-1968) went on to have full lives. See later.
By 1901 Robert had moved with Jane and William to Gateshead on Bridge Street leading down to the Tyne. At this time Bridge Street was a notorious slum area with massively overcrowded tenements that were cleared later in the century.
Robert is working as a general labourer and most of the neighbours are involved in some kind of manual labour. They include bricklayers, wireworkers, shipyard workers, general dealers and a baker.
The couple had two more children Wilfred (1899-1900) and Charlotte (1903-1903) while living in Gateshead. Both died in infancy.
Robert Lendrem did not live much longer - he died in 1910 - but his wife Mary Jane lived another 40 years - she died in 1950.
