A teenage soldier the regiment, his regiment had been posted via Guernsey from its base in Scotland and it was there that Bob was born, in Inverarity in rural Forfarshire, now Angus. His father was a farmer. However, Bob's mother seems to have died young, which may explain his taking the Queen's shilling and result in a complete change in the direction of his life. His performance in a Scots team winning the premier Irish trophy of the time led to him probably being bought out of service and spending the rest of his days in Belfast. He was said to be a good header of the ball, have a strong shot, be a free-kick specialist and the penalty-taker and as such he had plenty of suitors from the English game. But all were knocked back. Instead he married in 1900 and remained living in Belfast, working officially as a clerk in 1901, as a Mill Clerk in 1911 and presumably continuing until retirement. And he died still in his adopted city in 1953 just past his eighty-third birthday, is buried in a newly-restored grave in Knockbreda Cemetery, with his wife, Armagh-born Mary Ann "Minnie" Flannigan, and two others but seemingly childless.