Robert Pike
Mayor of Oxford 1872/3
Robert Pike (1803–1885) was born at Chudleigh, Devon.
Pike became an accountant and had settled in Oxford by 1832, when in Jackson’s Oxford Journal he is described as being “of this city” at the time of his marriage to Marianne Osborne, the third daughter of Mr John Osborne, late of Leigh in Essex, at St Mary’s Church, Cheltenham.
The couple lived initially in the parish of St Cross, where their son Frederick was baptised on 12 May 1833.
Their second child, Emily Mary, was baptised at St Mary Magdalen Church on 24 July 1839, and in Robson’s Directory of that year Pike is listed as an accountant at 4 St John Street. The 1841 census shows him living there with his wife Marianne and their daughter: Frederick was probably away at school.
By 1851 Pike had moved to 2 St Aldate’s Street in St Martin’s parish and is described in the census as an auctioneer and estate agent. He and his wife have two servants and a student lodger from Christ Church, and both the children were away from home. In 1861 Emily, aged 21, was living with her parents.
In 1865 Pike retired to Grosvenor Lodge, 5 Norham Gardens, then in St Paul’s parish. He was the first occupier of this house, which was designed by William Wilkinson. In 1871 he and his wife had four servants, including a 17-year-old page, and at the time of the census his son Frederick was paying a visit with his wife and five children.
Pike was elected to represent the Town Council on the West Ward. In 1872 he was elected Mayor of Oxford for 1872/3 and hence became a Justice of the Peace. He resigned as a councillor when he was made an Alderman in 1877.
The 1881 census shows Alderman Pike at the age of 78 at his home at 5 Norham Gardens with his wife Marianne (71) and three servants. His “occupation” is described as “Bank shares”.
Pike resigned from the council in 1882 because of ill-health, and died at the age of 81 on 3 May 1885 at Norham Gardens. He had a private funeral at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery. His widow died at the age of 78 on 15 March 1888.
See also:
- Jackson’s Oxford Journal, 9 May 1885, p. 5d (obituary)
- 1841 Census: Oxford (St Mary Magdalen), 891/11/17
- 1851 Census: Oxford (St Martin), 1728/114
- 1861 Census: Oxford (St Martin), 893/6
- 1871 Census: Oxford (St Paul), 1436/88
- 1881 Census: Oxford (St Giles), 1499/137