Robert Edward Burch

A Deck Hand with H.M. Drifter Eyrie. Robert died on 2nd of September 1914 at the age of 50. 

Robert was born at Ipswich in 1863, a son of Samuel. In 1871 he lived with his grandmother at 97 Tower Terrace, Ipswich.  

On 10 September 1885 Ernest married Charlotte Patience Mills at Saint Margaret's Church, Lowestoft. Both Ernest and Charlotte were living at Lowestoft and Ernest worked as a fisherman. By 1901 they were living at 37 Alma Road, Lowestoft.

Robert joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 10 August 1914. He died when H. M. Drifter Eyrie struck a mine in the North Sea. 

The Irish Times of Thursday 3 September 1914, page 6, has:

BLOWN UP BY MINES

News reached Lowestoft yesterday that the steam drifter Eyrie has been blown up by a sunken mine in the North Sea. Of the crew of eleven six were drowned. The disaster happened early yesterday, the vessel sinking in three minutes. The drowned included Thomas Scarll, William Slater, and Robert Burch, all belonging to Lowestoft. The Eyrie recently saved the crew of a Danish steamer sunk by a mine in the vicinity. 

Robert's son, Robert Nathanial, served in the Royal Naval Reserve and died in 1917.