Robert ARCHIBALD was born and christened in Skipton in 1801. The only birth of a Robert ARCHIBALD of this era in Yorkshire recorded on IGI was born 6 Jun 1801 in Skipton and this matches with his entry in the 1851 census. His baptismal record identifies his father as Henry ARCHIBALD, 'a travelling Scotchman' from Musselburgh and Mary SAGAR of Askrigg a small farming village in rural Wenslaydale where her father was the Parish Clerk.
Robert married Harriet FIRTH in Halifax on 23 June 1822 and they are recorded as having eight children. Another child, Robert who died aged 2 in Askrigg, was likely a ninth.
They likely started married life at Hebden Bridge where their second child Firth was born. Hebden Bridge is just outside Heptonstall where their first two children were both christened. Heptonstall was a growing textile community to the west of Halifax. In the late 1820's the family moved to Askrigg where Robert's mother's family had lived. The remainder of their children were born in Askrigg.
Robert was described as a plasterer in the 1841, 1851 and 1871 censuses and on Elizabeth's wedding certificate of 1854. Robert's mother's step-mother, Mary was the widow of a plasterer in Askrigg called William PRATT. Perhaps this is why the family moved to Askrigg, and how he came to plastering. But more likely is a FIRTH family connection. A Thomas FIRTH living near Harriet's mother Hannah FIRTH is by profession a plasterer.
Between 1843 and 1851, the family moved to Blackburn and were living at 15 Friday Street a few doors down from Robert's brother Henry. Their daughter Mary Ann married Joseph GRIME in Blackburn in 1847, which may have precipitated the move or alternatively the move enabled the couple meeting.
A trade directory of 1854 gives Robert and Henry ARCHIBALD as proprietors of a beer house on Friday Street. It's possible that he employed his son-in-law Joseph WHALLEY, husband of his daughter Harriet, at the beerhouse.
Harriet died in 1857, and in 1861 Robert ARCHIBALD was a widower living at 4 Lower Audley St, Blackburn. In 1871, he had moved next door to No. 6 and was living with his youngest son's family.
Robert died of bronchitis on 14 May 1872 aged 70 years with an estimated estate worth under £100. He was buried in Whalley New Road Cemetery.