{"id":16436,"date":"2021-04-15T20:53:53","date_gmt":"2021-04-15T19:53:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/marthamnorfolk.co.uk\/?page_id=16436"},"modified":"2026-04-21T13:11:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T12:11:18","slug":"william-robert-kirkland","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/marthamnorfolk.co.uk\/?page_id=16436","title":{"rendered":"William & Robert Kirkland of Martham"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

William Kirkland (1848-1937)
Robert Burns Kirkland (1899-1975)
Including Kirkland Drapers Shop, White Street, Martham <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

William Kirkland was born in about 1848 at Barr, Ayrshire, Scotland and his parents were William & Ann Kirkland. He grew up with his parents living at Gregg towards Craig Malloch, Scotland but by the time he was 22 he had moved to Norwich and was already employed as a draper whilst lodging at 42 St Miles Street, Norwich in 1871 and at Pottergate Street, Norwich in 1881.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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William married Lydia Brown on 27th<\/sup> September 1890 at Gorleston-on-Sea and by the following year they were living at No1 Stone Houses,<\/a><\/em> Black Street<\/a><\/em>, Martham – shown left. William worked for himself as a draper.  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

William & Lydia had the following children who were all born and baptised at Martham.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. William who was born and died in 1891 aged only two months.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Annie was born on 1st<\/sup> February 1892 and baptised on 10th<\/sup> April 1892.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Jessie was born on 9th<\/sup> July 1893 and baptised on 6th<\/sup> August 1893.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Lydia was born on 2nd<\/sup> February 1895 and baptised on 31st<\/sup> March 1895. Married George Fowler in India in 1922.  Emigrated to Canada and died there on 3rd<\/sup> June 1933, aged 38.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. William was born in 1896 and baptised on 3rd<\/sup> September 1896. He died on 31st<\/sup> March 1930, aged 33.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Henry was born on 20th<\/sup> September 1897 and baptised on 31st<\/sup> October 1897. He died on 8th<\/sup> July 1913 when he drowned at Bawdsey, aged 15.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Robert Burns Kirkland who was born on 25th<\/sup> January 1899 and baptised on 9th<\/sup> April 1899. He went on to run the drapers store started by his father. See below.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. John was born on 20th<\/sup> March 1901 and baptised on 21st<\/sup> July 1901.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Edward Charles Brown Kirkland was born in 1902 and baptised on 14th<\/sup> December 1902. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. James was born on 5th<\/sup> May 1905 and baptised on 4th<\/sup> June 1905.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  11. Ena Louise Brown Kirkland was born on 28th<\/sup> April 1908 and was baptised on 1st<\/sup> May 1908 but died during the same month.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    The census return of 1901 tells us that William and Lydia had moved to Selwyn House<\/a><\/em>, 28 The Green<\/a><\/em> but Lydia died there in 1910 and she was buried at St Mary the Virgin<\/a><\/em> at a family plot at section H, plot C7. William used the bay window at Selwyn House<\/a><\/em> as a display point for the clothes he sold at his shop and he still lived there in 1911 according to the census. This arrangement continued through to at least 1921 when Kelly\u2019s Directory<\/a><\/em> listed him as being a draper at The Green<\/a><\/em>, Martham.  William died on 27th<\/sup> December 1937 and was buried in the same grave as his wife, Lydia, at St Mary\u2019s<\/a><\/em> section H, plot C7.<\/p>\n\n\n

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    Kirkland burial plot at St Mary the Virgin,<\/a> section H, plot C7<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Robert Burns Kirkland (1899-1975)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Born at Martham in 1899, by the mid 1920\u2019s Robert had joined his father in their drapers business. He represented the family firm \u2018on the road\u2019 as a commercial traveller in 1924 when he married Madeline Mary Jane Page. Robert & Madeline went on to have at least three children who were all born and baptised at Martham:<\/p>\n\n\n\n