In 1871 Robert Archibald FORREST was recorded as being 13 and a creeler in a cotton factory living at 16 Cross Field Street, Blackburn with his parents.

In fact Robert's birth was recorded as 21 Jan 1860 at his christening, which implies that he was, in fact, 11 in 1871.

There was an economic benefit of turning 14 in a cotton town in the 19th century and it is possible that Robert's father was accelerating his son's age to take advantage of the better wages that could be earner by an older boy. The Factory Act of 1844 reduced the hours of work for children between eight and thirteen years of age to six and a half hours a day, either in the morning or afternoon, no child being allowed to work in both on the same day, except on alternate days, and then only for ten hours. Young persons and women were to have the same hours, i.e. not more than twelve for the first five days of the week (with one and a half out for meals), and nine on Saturday. Certificates of age were to be granted in future only by surgeons appointed for the purpose. Accidents causing death or bodily injury were to be reported to these surgeons, who were to investigate their cause and report the result to the inspector. The factory was to be thoroughly washed with lime every fourteen months. A Register was likewise to be kept; in which were to be entered the names of all children and young persons employed, the dates of the lime-washing, and some other particulars. Certificates of school attendance were to be obtained in the case of children.

A creeler was responsible for making sure there was a constant supply of fresh bobbins for the cotton emerging from the card frames.

In 1878, in a deep trade slump, Lancashire cotton masters proposed a 10% wage cut. Weavers’ leaders counter-offered short-time working instead. Talks collapsed and a district-wide strike began on 17 Apr 1878. After a failed conciliation meeting on 14 May, tensions spiked and rioting followed in Blackburn and Darwen, including the burning of a mill-owner's home. During the strike between 120,000 and 130,000 operatives across North/East Lancashire were idle, choking off wages and local trade. Hunger relief committees formed with contemporary reports noting thousands of school meals daily and the ever-present threat of the workhouse.

During the strike, in June 1878, a Robert FORREST was brought before Blackburn Police Court charged with throwing corrosive fluid as part of an altercation at a public house in Blackburn. He was joined in the dock by William Henry LONGWORTH, William HOWARTH, John LIVESEY, James BURY and Richard HACKING. Robert was identified as 'the captain of the lot'. FORREST and HAWORTH were committed for trial at the Lancaster Assizes.

The strike ended after nine weeks with the workers accepting the 10% pay cut, however conditions worsened further that winter with a further 5% reduction.

A Robert FORREST married Ellen RILEY in 1880, and he is lodging with her family in 1881. Robert was a cotton spinner and she was a cotton weaver. Ellen died at the Blackburn infirmary, aged 23.

Robert married Catherine "Kate" Ann PICKUP in 1886. They appear together in the 1891, 1901 and 1911 censuses. The 1911 census (which incorrectly named them FOSTER despite Robert signing his name as Robert FORREST) recorded that they had been married for 25 years and had had no children.

The misspelling of his name may have continued at his death in Q3 1922 - a few weeks after Kate's in Q2 1922 - where the death register records the death of Robert FORRESTER, born aged 62 in Burnley. While this would be unusual, there are no other Robert FORREST deaths in Lancashire that fit half as well.