"Paddy" Roberts,entertainer

[OrganicJohn]

Rootschatters who are old enough may remember Paddy Roberts whose  recordings were played quite a lot on the radio in the 1950s. He was slightly risque but could not have been too risque to have been played on the radio in the 1950s! His style was rather in the mould of Noel Coward. According to my mother he was related to my grandfather Sidney Spratt (1874--1952). According too Wikipedia Paddy Roberts (real name John Godfrey Owen Roberts) was born in South Africa in 1910. He qualified as a lawyer in South Africa but joined the RAF during the war, stayed in England to pursue his stage and recording career and died in 1975. My grandfather`s sister Frances Mary Spratt married John Roberts in London in 1898 and they had a son John Lewis Roberts b.1901. I have tried unsuccessfully  to find a South African connection for John Roberts snr. He was a lapidary (polisher of gemstones). His profession suggests a possible connection with South Africa (diamonds?) John Roberts snr. had a brother William b.1879 who was also a lapidary.

[1pds]

I notice there's a Wiki page about him:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddy_Roberts_(songwriter)

And some recordings on YouTube.

 

[ShaunJ]

He  married Sylvia Norah Shephard in 1937 in Hendon. The marriage certificate should  tell you his father's name and occupation

[OrganicJohn]

Thanks for the imformation Shaun.It seems I was completely on the wrong track!Sylvia Norah Shephard was my Dad`s cousin so that is the family connection!I had recently looked up Sylvia Shephard who my father remembered with some affection and who I thought died quite young.I was surprised to find that she had married in 1937 and although I had found her husband I had never imagined that he was "Paddy" Roberts.I was unable to find a death for Sylvia.One reference to Paddy suggested that he was gay which was not a great surprise and at that time it would have been quite normal for a gay person to marry;someone of the opposite sex of course! I do not think they had any children ;of course Sylvia might have died soon after their marriage.I am still quite interested in the Mr.Roberts on the maternal side of my family who was a lapidary.

[ShaunJ]

Sylvia Norah Roberts (nee Shephard) died 7 December 1962.

There is a death announcement in The Times for 11 December 1962, page 1, which mentions their two sons.

He married again in 1963. I'm not mentioning names of relatives who may still be living but the information is in the public domain.

[ShaunJ]

The Ballad of Bethnal Green is such a clever song.

"Then one fine day in the month of May she found her big romance
He was smart and sleek, with a scar on his cheek
And a pair of drainpipe pants
And she thought ‘with you, I could be so true,
Through all the years to come’
For she loved the gay abandoned way
He chewed his chewing-gum. "

[ShaunJ]

Something odd happened here and I ended up with a duplicated post - would the mods please delete this particular reply

[lyn1945]

Hi ShaunJ
I know this thread is over a year old, but I hope you will see it and be able to help me. Regarding your post about Sylvia Norah Roberts, I have not been able to find the death notice for her, which you mentioned was in the Times. I am researching a friend's tree and Sylvia is her 1st cousin once removed. I would like to be able to show her the death notice, and wondered if you might be able to give the link.
Thank you for your help, Lyn

[ShaunJ]

Hi Lyn and welcome to Rootschat. Do you have access to The Times Digital Archive? If not you may be able to get free online access via membership of a public library or a higher education institution.

If you do have access, search for "Sylvia Norah" on 11 December 1962.

If not, we can bat a few messages to and fro until you are able to use our personal message facility (I think you need to make two more posts to enable that).