Robert Timbers was born around 1873 in Surrey and was the son of Joseph Timbers (1834) and Eliza Pym. In 1881 he was aged 8, was at school and was living at 2 Park Road, Kingston-upon-Thames. In 1891, still at Park Road, he was working as a printer compositor. In 1901 he was aged 28, still working as a printer compositor, and living at Bellevue, New Clifton Road, Kingston with his parents. He married in 1903.