Muchty Remembers

Born: 24 December 1896. 15 High Street, Leven, Fife.

Son of Robert Christie, Ceres, and Jessie Black, Largo.

Naval Number: R/209

Rank: Able Seaman

Regiment: Drake Battalion, Royal naval Division, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.

Died: Died in France 23 April 1917. Aged not known. (21)

Buried: No known grave. Commemorated on Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 1.

War Memorial. Church Plaque. Church Roll. Photograph.

 

Robert Christie was the 11th of 13 children of Robert Christie, born 1865, Ceres, a baker, and Jessie Black, born 1865, Largo.

In 1891 Robert senior was a baker living in Bridgend, Ceres, with his wife and four children, who had been born in Kemback and Kilconquhar, the youngest Andrew, just 10 months old. He was back at Kilconquhar until 1897, when the family moved to Leven, where Robert was born at 15 High Street. A year later they were living at Largo and in 1899 moved back to Ceres, where four more children were born.

In 1901 Robert senior was a baker at Bridgend Ceres. Two sons, Walter, born 1898, and Harry, born 1899, died young. Robert senior died about 1909.

In 1911 Robert senior's widow, Jessie Black Christie was living in Crosshills, Auchtermuchty, with 8 of her surviving 11 children. William, the eldest son was a labourer; two daughters were linen weavers and bleachers. Young Robert, 14 years old, was a bleacher, but Andrew, now 19 was away from Auchtermuchty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jessie Black, born 1865 Largo, was the eldest daughter of Jean Kilgour or Black, born Markinch, 1836. In 1881 Jessie was living in Dura Den Hamlet working at the flax mill, where she prepared flax. Her brother Andrew Adamson was a flax bundler and his sister Isabella was a flax spinner. Jessie married Robert Christie on 12 January 1886 at Kemback, close to Dura Den. Robert Christie senior was the son of George Christie, born 1835, Ceres, a coal merchant in 1881 and 1891 living at 13 Derby Street, Dundee, and Euphemia, born 1831, Falkland. Robert senior was the third of four children. George Christie was the eldest son of Robert Christie, born 1810, Ceres, a farm labourer, and Elizabeth, born 1806, Ceres. In 1851 George with his two brothers, William and David, were handloom weavers in Ceres.

 

Robert Christie was called up and enlisted in the Royal Naval Volunteer reserve on 30 September 1916, aged almost 20, a year after his elder brother Andrew Christie had been killed in France. He was drafted away from the sea into the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on 16 December 1916, as a Rangemaker. He joined the 8th Entrenching Battalion on 6 January 1917 and the Drake Battalion on 3 March 1917.

Robert Christie was discharged dead on 23 April 1917.

 

By 1917 the widowed Jessie Black Christie was living in Bow Road, Auchtermuchty.

 

Robert Christie was the younger brother of Andrew Christie, who died in 1915.

 

"TOLL OF WAR - The number of Auchtermuchty fallen heroes condemned to grow. Mrs Christis, Bow Road, has received official intimation that her son, Robert, was killed on 23rd April. This is the second son that Mrs Christis has lost in the war, Andrew being killed at Loos in September 1915. A third son is on active service in France." Fife News. 19 May 1917.