McKimm, Robert
Ex-Rifleman
No. 18/63, Royal Irish Rifles, transferred to (32739), East Lancashire Regiment, transferred to (614826), Labour Corps, transferred to (3/25599), Royal Irish Rifles
Died on Wednesday 22 November 1922 (aged 52)
Buried:
Newtownards (Movilla) Cemetery, Co Down
Commemorated:
Newtownards and District War Memorial
Brother of Ex-Rifleman David McKimm (No. 1806)
Brother of Private James McKimm (No. M2/193481)
BIOGRAPHY
The name Robert McKimm is listed on Newtownards and District War Memorial and in the booklet produced for the Unveiling and Dedication Ceremony held on Saturday 26 May 1934 he is described as a Rifleman in the Royal Irish Rifles. The organising committee of the day decided to include the names of ex-servicemen who died up to that date from what they considered to be war related causes, whether as a result of wounds or disease.
In some records his surname is spelt McKim.
Robert McKimm was born on 22 March 1870 in Wallace’s Street No. 2, Newtownards and he was a son of William and Margaret McKimm (nee Henry, sometimes Henery) who were married on 15 February 1864.
The McKimm family lived at 2 Wallace’s Street, Newtownards and in Greenwell Street, Newtownards
William McKimm was a weaver and he and Margaret had at least twelve children:
Ann Jane (born 1 September 1864 in Wallace’s Deed, Newtownards)
David (born 4 April 1868 in Wallace’s Street No. 2, Newtownards)
Robert (born 22 March 1870 in Wallace’s Street No. 2, Newtownards)
Thomas (born 18 January 1872 in Wallace’s Street No. 2, Newtownards)
William (born 16 August 1873 in Wallace’s Street, Newtownards)
Samuel (born 13 July 1876 in Wallace’s Street, Newtownards)
Margaret (born 24 January 1880 in Wallace’s Street, Newtownards)
James (born 23 August 1881 in Wallace’s Street, Newtownards)
Sarah (born 16 January 1883 in Wallace’s Street, Newtownards; died of scarlatina 25 January 1883)
Alexander (born 6 September 1884 in Wallace’s Street, Newtownards)
Alice (born 25 April 1886 in Wallace’s Street, Newtownards)
Charles (born 23 February 1889 in Wallace’s Street, Newtownards)
On 4 April 1893 Robert McKimm (a soldier) and Martha McWhinney (sometimes Mawhinney, daughter of Andrew McWhinney, a flesher who lived in Newtownards) were married in Second Newtownards Presbyterian Church and they had at least nine children including:
Rachel (born 26 October 1894 in Movilla Street, Newtownards)
Robert (born 24 January 1897 in Movilla Street, Newtownards)
Edward Martin (born 9 March 1902 in Windmill Row, Newtownards)
Maggie Eleanor (born 1 June 1906 in Windmill Row, Newtownards)
Martha Anna (born 8 April 1909 in Windmill Row, Newtownards)
Andrew (born 19 November 1911 in Windmill Row, Newtownards)
Mary Jane (born 23 January 1914 in Windmill Row, Newtownards)
The children were baptised in Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church Newtownards.
The McKimm family lived at 4 Windmill Row, Newtownards and Robert McKimm worked as a labourer before re-enlisting.
Robert McKimm was 45 when he enlisted in May 1915 and during his Army career he served with the Royal Irish Rifles (No. 18/63), the East Lancashire Regiment (No. 32739) and the Labour Corps (No. 614826) before returning to the Royal Irish Rifles (No. 3/25599).
Robert McKimm was 52 when he died at home (4 Windmill Road, Newtownards) on 22 November 1922. His son Robert and his widow Martha and family placed two separate death notices in the 25 November 1922 edition of the Newtownards Chronicle and they described his funeral which was scheduled for 3.00 pm that afternoon as a ‘military funeral’. The following year Martha placed an Our Heroes – In Memoriam notice in the Newtownards Chronicle and it contained the verse:
Oh happy day that fixed my choice
On Thee my Saviour and my God
He is gone to the Lord who redeemed him
It was Jesus who called him away;
He is gone to the loved ones in glory,
From night to the splendour of day.