Robert Feasey
Robert Cross was born on 3rd September 1905, his mother, Elizabeth Riches, was a fifteen-year-old domestic servant living and working in Seaham Harbour. On 14th August 1911 Robert Cross was enrolled into the Garden Street Infant School on Villiers Street in Sunderland, his ‘Parent or Guardian’ is listed as Frederick Feasey, a 38-year-old cutter and grinder living at 7 Chipchase Street, Sunderland.
In 1913 Elizabeth married Frederick in Sunderland, The 1921 census shows the family living at 37 Stoney Lane, Southwick, Sunderland. Frederick Sr is not listed, but Robert Feasey is shown as a fifteen year old ‘rivet heater’ working at Swan Hunter’s Southwick yard, however, like many of the volunteers, the census finds him ‘unemployed’. Robert eventually found work out of the area, he moved to Ossett, in West Yorkshire and worked as a belt operator below ground at the Old Roundwood Colliery, in Ossett. It was here that he joined the Yorkshire Miners Union.
Robert Cross Feasey was enlisted into the British Battalion on 26th December 1936, as a single man he gives his mother’s address of 16 Bell Street, Millfield, Sunderland. Robert was allocated to Kit Conway’s No.3 Company and fought with this company at the Battle of Jarama. On 26th February Robert was shot in the chest, the bullet pierced his lung, which meant he spent a long time in various hospitals. On his recovery he was allocated work in various hospitals; spending most of this time at the Valdeganga convalescent home, which was about 25km North of the International Brigade base at Albecete. Robert was eventually repatriated in September 1938 at the time that the International Brigades were being withdrawn from the fighting lines.
Compiled by Tony Fox
Solidarity Park 