Introduction
Charles Wakely lost his mother at the age of ten and his father at the age of twenty. By the age of twenty-two, he was working as a railway packer at Hardington. He later embarked on a career as a contractor involved in rail and road construction, which took him from Cornwall to London. The nature of his work and his use of a pseudonym, “Charles Smith,” make it difficult to trace him through the records. He died after April 1911.
Birth
Charles was born at Hardington in 1838, the third of seven children born to John and Anne Wakely. The civil registration index recorded his name as “Charles George Wakely,” while the Hardington baptism register recorded it as “Charles Weakly.”
Death of parents
His mother, Anne, died on 31 October 1848, at the age of 37, following a premature labour.[1] His father, John, met a tragic end on 1 March 1859 after falling into a lime kiln.[2]
Occupations
Charles was a farm labourer by the age of twelve.
By April 1861, he was a railway packer living at Lyatts Cottages in the household of his brother, John.
Marriage
The next phase of his life is unclear. He appears to have married a woman from Cornwall named Mary Ann, who was about fourteen years older than him, and they had a daughter, Maud, who was born around 1862 at Falmouth. However, no record of their marriage or Maud’s birth has been found.
Married life
The family lived in a various locations. In April 1861, they lived in Church Street, Wiveliscombe, and Charles worked as a labourer. By April 1881, they had moved to Poplar, where they lived at 76 Brunswick Street, and Charles worked as a foreman contractor. By April 1891, they had moved to 40 Blarett Street, Greenwich, and Charles worked as a foreman for J Ard & Sons. By March 1901, they lived at Mary Cottages, Sunninghill, Berkshire, and Charles worked as a foreman in public works road construction.
Use of the name Smith
During part of this time, Charles used the surname “Smith,” although the reason for this remains unclear.
Adopted son
Charles’s married sister, Elizabeth Park, died on 15 November 1873 due to complications during childbirth and bronchitis.[3] Her husband, Thomas Park, allowed Charles and Mary Ann to adopt their youngest son, Charles William Park, who later pursued a career similar to Charles’s.
Death of Mary Ann
Mary Ann died sometime between 1901 and 1911.
Later life
After Mary Ann’s death, Charles moved in with his daughter, Maud. In April 1911, he was living with her family at The Old Prince of Wales, Canal Side, Havelock Road, Norwood.
He probably died before June 1921.
References
[1] Death certificate of Anne Wakely.
[2] Sherborne Mercury, 8 March 1859, p.6; Pulman’s Weekly News and Advertiser, 8 March 1859, p.2
[3] Death certificate of Elizabeth Park.