Location of Grave:
Highland Road Cemetery (See map)
O/S: SZ 658 988.
JOHN ROBARTS, V.C.
GUNNER
ROYAL NAVY
MEDAL WON: CRIMEA, 29 MAY 1855.
GAZETTED: 24 FEBRUARY 1857.
BORN: CHACEWATER, CORNWALL, 1820.
DIED: SOUTHSEA, 17 OCTOBER 1888.
MEDAL: NOT PUBLICLY HELD.
Details of the Award
On 29 May 1855 in the Sea of Azov, Crimea, Gunner Robarts of HMS Ardent with two lieutenants (C.W. Buckley and H.T. Burgoyne), one from HMS Miranda and the other from HMS Swallow, volunteered to land on a beach where the Russian army were in strength. They were out of covering gunshot range of the ships offshore and met considerable enemy opposition, but managed to set fire to corn stores and ammunition dumps and destroy enemy equipment before embarking again.
Naval Career
John Robarts joined the Navy as a Boy Seaman in 1842 and served on HMS Wellesley where he was awarded the China Medal. He was on board HMS Ardent from 1851-1856 as a Gunner (having attended a gunnery course at HMS Excellent). Robarts went on to serve on HMS Orion (1860), HMS Asia (1864-66), HMS Revenge (1868-69), HMS Royal Alfred (1869-71) and was promoted Chief Gunner in 1870. He saw further service on board HMS Pembroke (1871-75) before leaving the sea and taking up several posts on shore in Portsmouth, Cornwall and London.
Family History
Robarts was born in 1820 at Chasewater in Cornwall. He married Anne Emma Victoria (nee Butts) at Chelsea in September 1861. She was three years his junior and was born in India. They had three sons, John, Thomas and William Cecil. In the 1881 Census he is recorded as living at Providence House, 4 Park Lane, Southsea where he died of heart disease, aged 68 in 1888.
Further Information
He was decorated by Queen Victoria on 26th June 1857 at the first investiture.
His medals and pension records show his surname is Roberts until a correction in the ledgers which show where, when and dates he received his VC pension [PRO/PMG 16/17 (1) 2] when it was changed to read Robarts.
His funeral service was conducted by Rev H Lindsay Young of St John's Vicarage, Prince George Street, Portsea. His widow and sons John and William attended the funeral and Israel Harding VC acted as one of the pall bearers.
A painting of the VC action, by Lars William Desanges which shows Robarts and the two Lieutenants winning their VCs was on loan to the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich until 1993, but has been returned to the owner, of whom we have no further knowledge.
The two Lieutenants who won the Victoria Cross with him were Lieutenant Buckley who died and is buried on the island of Madiera and the second is Lieutenant Burgoyne who, as Captain and Commanding Officer died at sea with the loss of HMS Captain in the Bay of Biscay in 1870.
