Robert Bestford was the son of George and Jane Bestford. He was baptised on 11^th June 1865 at St. Giles Parish Church, Birtley, Northumberland.

The 1871 Census records Robert aged 7 and living in Birtley with his parents and siblings. His father George was a coal miner. Both he and his wife Jane were 46. Robert had a sister Mary who was 17, and four brothers, William (15), George (13), Joseph (10), and Anthony (5). William and George were both working as coal miners.

Ten years on, the 1881 Census recorded Robert Bestford aged 17 and no longer living at home with his parents. He was a boarder at Hopewell House, Humshaugh, Northumberland. The Census describes Robert as a teacher. His hosts at Hopewell House were William J. Edwards, a schoolmaster, and his wife Hannah Edwards, a schoolmistress.  A school in Humshaugh had been built in 1833. Future records indicate that Robert Bestford did not pursue a teaching career on a long-term basis.

In 1885 Robert Bestford married Phyllis Woodman.

The 1891 Census records Robert (27) and Phyllis (29) living at 3 Noble Drive, Bellingham. Robert was now working as a railway guard. Robert and Phyllis had a two-year old daughter, Mary Jane Bestford.

Robert worked at Redesmouth, and then became Station Master at Tarset owned by the North British Railway. Tarset station was situated half a mile south-west of the hamlet of Lanehead. The station had a platform with a siding and goods dock. There was a two-ton crane on the dock and the station was able to cope with most sorts of goods including vehicles and livestock.

In 1900  Robert became the Station Master at Chollerford, Northumberland.  The 1901 Census recorded Robert (37) and Phyllis (39) living at the Station House at Chollerford. They now had five children:- Mary Jane Bestford (12), Matthew Wilkinson Bestford (8), Robert J. Bestford (6), Florence M. Bestfrord (3), and George Ernest Bestford (1).

Chollerford Station was opened in 1858 by the North British Railway. It was situated on the east side of the Military Road at the end of Chollerford Bridge over the River North Tyne. There were two loops in front of the platform and three sidings, two running diagonally behind the platform and the third running parallel with the line. The siding at the south-west end of the platform served a cattle dock and the goods shed, which had an awning over the platform. The goods yard had a two-ton crane.

Robert and Phyllis’s son George Ernest Bestford sadly died in 1907 aged 7.

The 1911 Census records Robert (47) and Phyllis (49) still at Chollerford Station House. Robert was still Station Master at Chollerford. Living in the station house with them were Mary Bestford (27), Matthew Wilkinson Bestford (18), Robert J. Bestford (16), and Florence M. Bestford (13). Matthew was working as a gardener and Robert as an apprentice joiner. 

Ten years later, the 1921 Census recorded that Robert Bestford  (57) was Station Master at Humshaugh Station. Humshaugh Station was simply the renamed station at Chollerford. This renaming had taken place on 1^st August 1919 in order to avoid confusion with Chollerton, the previous station on the line. Robert and Phyllis still had two of their children living with them at the Station House. They were Robert John Bestford (27), who was working as a joiner at Woolley Sanatorium, in the employ of W. Armstrong of Blaydon, and Florence Mary Bestford (24).

Robert Bestford retired as Station Master at Humshaugh in July 1928. The Newcastle Journal of 16^th November 1928 reported as follows: 

“A large public gathering assembled at Humshaugh to pay a well merited compliment to Mr. Robert Bestford, retired Station Master. The Rev. J. H. Davies, Vicar of Humshaugh, presided. Mr. G. H. Waddilove, of Brunton Hall, referred to his associations with Mr. Bestford , who first came to Chollerford  Station in 1886, and had continued in railway service for 42 years. Part of this time was spent at Redesmouth and as Station Master at Tarset, whence he returned to Chollerford as Station Master in 1900, remaining there until his retirement last July. He first asked Mr. Bestford to accept on behalf of Mrs. Bestford an illuminated timepiece with an expression of sympathy with her in her long illness.. He then presented Mr. Bestford with an inscribed gold watch and albert as a token of public esteem with an assurance of their good wishes. Mr. Bestford, responding, thanked Mr. Waddilove for the kind things he had said. He was grateful for the handsome gifts which, apart from their value, would always be held dear by them as reminding them of their friends at Humshaugh.”

Phyllis Bestford died in 1932. 

Robert Bestford died on 15^th July 1935 at River Brae, Humshaugh. He was buried in the graveyard at St. Peter’s Church, Humshaugh. 

Ancestry

Robert Bestford’s parents were George and Jane Bestford. George was baptised on 16^th June 1825 at St. Giles Parish Church, Birtley, Northumberland. His parents (Robert Bestford’s grandparents) were William (a labourer) and Ann Besford. William Besford married Ann Dodds at St. Bartholomew’s Parish Church, Kirkwhelpington on 1^st April 1815. It should be noted that all of William and Ann’s children were recorded with the surname Bestford, although William’s surname at both baptism and marriage was recorded as Besford. The spellings are in effect interchangeable and immaterial!

William Besford was the son of George and Mary Besford (Robert Bestford’s great-grandparents) of Birtley. William was baptised on 25^th August 1793 at St. Giles Parish Church, Birtley. George Besford was the son of John Besford (1717-1788) and his wife Mary Besford (née Felton). John and Mary were thus Robert Bestford’s great-great grandparents. Robert’s ancestry can therefore be traced back to the marriage of his 4x great grandparents James Besford and Margaret Robson at Rothbury in 1679.