Archibald Robert Caskie was born in Stratford Essex in February 1885 to Lanarkshire born Archibald Caskie, a plumber, and his Essex born wife Frances. He was the oldest of at least 3 children.
in 1911, Archibald was still single and living with his parents in East Ham, Essex and was a house painter.
However, in October 1913, he married Minnie Groves in Hartlepool. Exactly why Hartlepool is not apparent as Minnie was from Ford End Essex and no other references to Hartlepool are made apart from one on a navy document of an address in Brenda St Hartlepool. The couple must have briefly lived in the town.
in 1916, after Achibald's death on HMS Natal, which exploded in the Cromarty Firth in December 1915, a son was born. He was named Archibald Robert Natal Caskie, obviously after the ship on which the father he never met had been killed. His birth was registered in Chelmsford Essex.
