CFHS code : AL204
Parish : St Andrew the Less
Inscription : WILLIAM CHARTER several lines indecipherable July 12 1888 aged 2[3]
Monument : Headstone (broken)
Above information amended from Cambridge Family History Society Survey
Monument
We have not found this monument so have been unable to check the inscription.
Inscription
William Charter (1812 -1886)
William was born in Guilden Morden, the son of Thomas and Lydia Charter. He was baptised in Bassingbourn, on 7 October 1819 and married Ann Goodchild on 4 August 1838 in Baldock. He worked as a servant (1841), ‘animal charcoal burner (sic)’ (1851) and brewer (at least 1861 onwards). William and Ann had at least eight children: Charles (1839-1905), Jabez (1842-), Maria (1845-1872), Thomas (1847-), William Goodchild (1849-1919), George (1852-), Sarah Ann (1855-1917) and Ellen (1865-1888). The family moved around the country and the children were born in various location in the South East (Buckingham, Batcome, Hertfordshire, Deptford, Baldock). In 1861 the family were liviing in Baldock, and had moved to 2 Walnut Tree Lane, Cambridge by 1871 and he was working as a brewer. In 1881, William and Ann were living at 60 Holland Park Mews, Kensington with their son William who was a coachman. William (Snr) was documented as an unemployed brewer by then. He is believed to have died at Mill Road in December 1886, and had returned to Cambridge to possibly live with daughter Sarah and son in law William Starte.
Ellen Charter (1865 – 12 July 1888)
Ellen was the youngest daughter of Wililam and Ann, and was born in Baldock. Aged 15 she was living with her elder brother Charles in Baldock, and was working as a dressmaker (1881), but subsequently lived at Mill Road with her sister Sarah and brother in law William Starte. Ellen was a Sunday School teacher with the Mill Road Mission Hall and died whilst on a Sunday School treat. There was an outing to Mr. Dawson’s farm in Stapleford, and whilst playing with the children she ‘suddenly fell and shortly afterwards, expired at the house of Mr. Dawson’. The inquest heard that Ellen had fallen, and had got to her feet before falling again. Dr Ezra Harle performed the autopsy and found that she had very congested lungs, and ‘the bronchial tubes were very much inflamed’. The doctor told the inquest that ‘in that weak state she was only fit to be in bed….if she had been under a doctor she would not have been out. She must have had wonderful powers of endurance, being in pain all the time’. Dr Harle said that ‘the cause of death was syncope, due to an over effusion of blood on the brain, brought on by excitment and over-running’ and a verdict of death by natural causes was returned. Ellen’s funeral was held on 16 July and ‘was largely attended by the children of the deceased’s Sunday school and friends’.
Ann Charter (née Goodchild) (1817-1883) died at Mill Road, Cambridge aged 66 years old. She was buried in the St. Andrew the Less area of Mill Road Cemetery on 29 December 1883, and might have been buried in the same grave as her husband and daughter.
Sources:
Ancestry
Newspaper archives
Parish burial records transcribed by CFHS
by Claire Martinsen
[If you have any information about this family, please contact us at Friendsofmillroadcemetery@gmail.com]