Robert Crosby was the third child of Mary Crosby, born August 16th, 1808 and christened November 27th 1808 at Bishop Middleham, Co. Durham.
Robert married Mary ?, although a record of their marriage has not been found. Records of christenings of their children begin in 1832 at Dalton-le Dale.
At the time of the 1841 census Robert, described as a cartman, was visiting his sister Elizabeth Earnshaw (nee Crosby) at Dawdon Hall, Seaham. Robert's wife Mary was living at New Cassop at the time of the census with 2 children - Robert (7) & Jane (4). Mary was described as a publican.
In 1851 Robert was farming in New Cassop Colliery village, Co. Durham and he and Mary had a daughter, Margaret (14) (called Jane in previous census) & a ‘nurse child’ George 'Crosby' aged 4 & born at Cassop living with them. [No record of a birth for this George Crosby could be found, but there was a George Baird born at the appropriate time & place – a George Baird is found with the family in the next census.] Their 17 year old son Robert was an apprentice butcher living with John Picken, butcher, & family at nearby Coxhoe.
By 1861 Robert, still a cartman, and the family lived at Front Row, Cassop. Son George was not recorded at home but their other son Robert, aged 27, was present at this time & was a butcher. Daughter Margaret had married Robert Jackson in 1853. Also visiting was William Nisbet (25) from Scotland who was a member of the Society of Physicians & Surgeons. There was also a servant boarding with them called George Baird (14). George continued his close relationship with the Crosbys, & even after his marriage, he & his wife Ann were living next door to them in 1871.
In 1871 Robert (63) was a farmer of 50 acres & a cartman, still living at Cassop. With him were Mary (70) and grand daughter Mary Jackson (16) & grandson Robert Jackson (14) who were children of daughter Margaret. Also present was another grandson, Benjamin Brown Crosby, aged 4, son of Robert Crosby, the butcher, who had married Mary A Brown in 1866. Benjamin's parents were living in Sherburn at the time of the census, next door to Mary Brown's parents, Dorothy & Benjamin Brown, a retired butcher.
There is a death recorded for Mary Crosby in April-June 1875, aged 73, at Durham.
In 1881 widowed Robert (listed as Robt. Orsby in Ancestry index!) continued to live at Front St & was now a farmer of 7 acres. He had a 22 year old farm servant living with him, John Stephenson. George Baird was still living close by & was now a green grocer.
Robert (85) was a retired farmer by 1891 & was living at Esh, Langley Park, with his daughter Margaret (56) and her husband Robert Jackson (60), a coalminer, and their family.
There is a death recorded for Robert Crosby in Jan-March 1897, aged 91, at Durham.
The children of Robert Crosby and Mary were:
c.4.3.1 Robert Crosby born 1832 Dawdon Hall, christened July 25th, 1832 at St Andrew's, Dalton-le-Dale, buried July 30th, 1832
c.4.3.2 Robert Crosby born 1834 at Dawdon Hall, christened February 25th,
1834 at St Andrew's, Dalton-le-Dale, Co Durham
c.4.3.3 Dinah Margaret Jane Crosby born 1836 at Seaham Harbour, christened December
12th, 1836 at St Andrew's, Dalton-le-Dale, Co Durham