Alfred Roberts
| Alfred Roberts | |
|---|---|
| Born |
18 April 1892 Ringstead, Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom |
| Died | 10 February 1970 (aged 77) Grantham, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Grocer |
| Known for | Grantham Alderman and Mayor, and father of Margaret Thatcher |
| Spouse(s) | Beatrice Ethel Stephenson (m. 1917–1960; her death) Cecily Miriam Hubbard (m. 1965–1970; his death) |
| Children | Muriel and Margaret |
| Relatives |
Mark Thatcher (grandson) Carol Thatcher (granddaughter) |
Alfred Roberts (18 April 1892 – 10 February 1970) was an English grocer, local preacher, and politician. He served as an alderman of Grantham (1943–1952) and Mayor of Grantham (1945–1946). His daughter, Margaret Thatcher, later became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Roberts was born in Ringstead, Northamptonshire. He was the fifth of seven children. His father was Benjamin Ebenezer Roberts (1857–1925), from a Ringstead family, and his mother was Ellen Smith (1857–1935), whose own mother, Catherine Sullivan, was born at Kenmare in Ireland. Ellen's eldest two known siblings were also born in Ireland and her twin brothers in England in 1852. The gap in age between Alfred's aunt Mary and his uncles of around nine years coincides with the Great Famine and it more than likely meant that other siblings perished through starvation or associated diseases. His grandparents possibly left Kenmare between 1849–51 and like two million more came destitute to England. This and the family's hard times may have much to do with the reticence to acknowledge his being part Irish to his daughters.
Roberts' bad eyesight meant he could not enter the family trade of shoemaking. He left school at thirteen in order to help support his family and is listed in the 1911 census as living as a boarder in Oundle, Northamptonshire, and working as a grocer's assistant. He later moved to Grantham, Lincolnshire, where he gained a job as an apprentice in a greengrocers; he had originally wanted to become a teacher. When the First World War broke out in 1914, Roberts, "a deeply patriotic man", applied to enlist in the army six times but was rejected because of his poor eyesight.
Four years after moving to Grantham, Roberts met Beatrice Ethel Stephenson (1888–1960) through the Finkin Street Methodist Church, which he attended every Sunday. They married in Grantham on 28 May 1917 and had two daughters, both born in Grantham: Muriel Cullen (1921–2004) and Margaret (1925–2013). In 1919, they bought the grocery shop; and, in 1923, Roberts opened a second shop.
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