Robert was born in May 1897 to William and Ann Loynes. The 1911 Census shows him as having an older sister, Meggie, a younger sister, Florrie, and younger bothers, Henry and Douglas. According to a family member he was one of 8 children, which suggests that William and Ann had more children after 1911.  

He married Mary Eleanor, who, according to the family was from Sedbergh and was a scullery maid at Sledwick. They had a son, Raymond, and a daughter, Joan.  

The 10 February 1915 edition of the Teesdale Mercury contains a report on a Coroner's investigation held at The Swan, Bridge-end, Low Startforth, into the death of a Henry Loynes aged 13 from 'valvular disease of the heart' and pneumonia. There is no mention of any family members in the article because Henry had been taken into care by a Miss Stobart, who had rented a house and engaged Jane Ann Hodgson, a widow, for the purpose of looking after him. Could this be Robert's younger brother?