The Chest of E.E. Caswell – Page 2 – Family History Adventures

I Am Your Ever Lovely Son Willie

William Hedley Charlton (born 21 June 1872, Broom Hill, Durham) was Esther’s older brother. He was by all accounts the apple of his mother’s eye, whereas Esther was reported to be a daddy’s girl. This certainly looks to be the case when you look at their respective gravestones. Esther is buried with her father in St. Ebba’s Church, Ebchester. Whereas, Margaret and William are buried in Hamsterley Church yard.

He died at the young age of 29 years (1 September 1902, Station Hotel, Ebchester). According to his death certificate the cause of death was:

Tubercular Disease of Kidney – 6 years
Angloid Diseased Liver, Kidney and Bowel – 1 year

Death Certificate - William Hedley Charlton — Death Certificate – William Hedley Charlton

At least once during his illness, his mother Margaret sent William to Whitby to convalesce. This letter was in Esther’s chest, it was sent to his mother from Whitby.

Letter from William Charlton to his mother (p1)

Letter from William Charlton to his mother (p2)

I have transcribed the letter but there are a couple of words that I can’t quite decipher.

Whitby

Dear Mother

I received your most welcome, welcome letter. I am still in bed, my back is sore. This place is what I call a butter and bread shop, you get things very spareling here. I had my best dinner to day roast lamb. I am bad with the loose bowels I have twice made a bit of a mess. She *** like that. My meat is all cold when I get it. I have found fault***, but no change. I should have a different set away for 3 quit u what I am getting. So you can talk to Mrs Jackson about it, at 6 o’clock in the morning I get butter and bread and a tea warm up.

a small piece of bacon (drawn) and butter and bread at 9 o’clock dinner time 2 potatoes sad and back boiled meat. tea butter at 4 supper, bovril? and a little cold fish. I think the bill if fare is not a very app**** one. So mother if you think I should stop another week I will and if not send Mary Ann on Monday and she will have to bring a cab with her she will get one at Tynemouth.

So dear Mother I will do what you say. I think I have no more to say Mother with my best love with my best love to you and Lizzie? Matron sent best respects.

I am your ever lovely son Willie

There is no date on the letter but the fact that he describes his loose bowels makes me suspect that it was in the final year of his life. It is an incredibly sad letter, especially as we now know that he was dying at the time of his writing it.

Rule of Three

Within the documents in the chest is a curious thing called ‘The Rule of Three’. I have looked it up, and it seems to some from ‘A new and complete system of arithmetick: composed for the use of the Citizens of the United States by Nicholas Pike and Nathaniel Lord. It is available to read at https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=fxNRAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en_GB&pg=GBS.PP1 This version was published on the 1st January 1816. It starts with the words:

Be it remembered, that on the seventh day of November, in the thirty-fourth year of the Independence of the United States of America, Thomas and Andrews of the said district, have deposited in this office, the title of a book, the right whereof they claim as proprietors, in the words following, to wit: “A new and complete system of Arithmetic’.

According to the book:

The Rule of Three

If more require more, or less require less, the question belongs to the Rule of Three Direct.
But if more require less, or less require more, it belongs to the Rule of Three Inverse.

Rule of Three transcribed as it was written – spelling included!

Rule of Three

The Rule is called the Rule of Three, beause in it there are three numbers given, to find a fourth

Rule._1 Observer that of thee three given numbers two are suposed and on the other lies a demand._*

2 The number on which the demand lies, must always be the third term of the stating; of the other two, you will find one of the same kind, make it the first, consequently the remaining number will be the second or middle term, and of the same kind with what is required.

3 Reduce each number to its lowest denomination, and the first and third to the same name;

4 Consider whether more of less than the middle term be required; if more make the less extreme, the division; if less the greater exterm and the product of the other two terms the dividend: divide and the quotiend will be the answer in the same name as the second number.

On the reverse of ‘The Rule of Three’ is the costings for groceries ‘Bought of William Charlton’. What is odd about it is the first costing is from 1840 and the one underneath is from 1834. There is no date on the document to indicate when it was actually written. I wonder why he has a copy a book ‘for Citizens of the United States’? Maybe it was sent to him by his brother John. I also wonder if he understood what he was transcribing? It means nothing to me! He certainly seems to ave been an astute businessman, so must have had a head for figures.

I looked up what bohea was and according to Wikipedia – Wuyi tea, formerly known by the trade name “Bohea” in English, is a category of black and oolong teas grown in the Wuyi Mountains of northern Fujian, China.

I have transcribed both documents and it can be downloaded here Rule of Three transcription.

William Charlton’s Complete Diary.

Esther Caswell’s (nee Charlton) father William, started his ‘black’ diary on February 10th 1876 and finishes on the 24th June 1884. This evening I finished scanning in the complete diary. One day I will transcribe it, but till then, here is the complete diary. It is a wonderful record of farming life in the late 1800’s.

http://familyhistoryhunter.co.uk/William_Charltons_Diary.pdf (9MB)

Page 3 of William Charlton’s Diary

	Date
1876	Feb
	10	At Shotley Bridge with Copland and at Medomsley Shop with the Horse Stormy
Fri	11	At Medomsley with Copland and the Tythe rent gatherer
S	12	At home stormy
S	13	At Coal Burns with Jame Mews and Green Sids
M	14	At Medomsley with Mr Lister from the station. Stormy.
Tu	15	At Medomsley and Leadgate got summons from the Countess of Derwentwater
Wed	16	At Shotley for the Sommons for Jackson and Leadbitter
	17	At Medomsley and at Home
	18	At Hedley for my fathers x at Broom Hill
	19	At the sale and at home Stage House
S	20	At Chopwell to see Bolam
M	21	At the Sale at Castledean
Tu	22	At Leadgate and Consett with M Copland and home
W	23	At Home Layon manure
Th	24	At Alendale for cement and at home.
F	25	At Home very Stormy
S	26	To Consett and Dickinson got stones out the field 26 Load
S	27	In home
M	28	At Home Leading stones very wet in the afternoon
T	29	At Home Leading stones very fine

Discovery!!

This is an image of the inside front cover and first page of the diary. It actually solves a little bit of a mystery! In the lower left hand corner there is the address of a John Charlton. This is actually William’s older brother, I knew that his family had moved to the US – but didn’t know where – until I received the diary. What a discovery!!

Margaret Charlton (nee Hedley) d1907

One of the most numerous document types in the chest are Funeral Cards. Sometimes there are more than one copy of the same card, I can only assume that they were made by a member of the family and they had a few spares.

This first one is for Esther’s mother – Margaret Charlton (nee Hedley). Her Funeral card reads as follows.

Front: In Loving Memory

Inside left:

Her toils are o’er, her work is done,
And she is fully blest,
She fought the fight, the victory won,
And entered into rest.

Robert Jackson Printer, Consett

Inside right:

IN LOVING MEMORY
OF
MARGARET

Widow of the late William Charlton, of Station Hotel, Ebchester,

Who died Sept. 30th, 1907,

AGED 74 YEARS

Interment at Christ Church, Hamsterley,
Oct. 4th at 4 p.m.

Mary Ann and Esther Elizabeth Charlton

Esther Elizabeth’s father had been married before (To Elizabeth Braban) and had had a daughter also called Esther Elizabeth who sadly died aged only one year. This funeral card remembers both of the children from this first marriage.

In Affectionate Remembrance at
MARY ANN CHARLTON
Who died Jan. 2nd 1860, Aged 7 Years.

Esther Elizabeth Charlton
Who died Oct. 19, 1858, Aged 1 Year.
____________________________________
Ere sin could blight, or sorrow fade,
Death came with timely care,
These opening buds between conveyed,
And bade them blossom there.

Thomas Wilson d 1886

This is the funeral card of a Mr Thomas Wilson who died on the 7th May 1886. He resided at Broomhill, Ebchester.

I don’t know of any family connections to him but I did find him on the 1881 census:

This reveals that he was a farmer at Broomhill. This is interesting because William Charlton (Esther’s Grandfather) had been a farmer at Broomhill – as shown in the 1851 census:

Perhaps they rented the same piece of land from the Duke of Northumberland? Perhaps his name will come up when I investigate the diaries more….

Incidentally, according to the 1881 census – both Esther and her brother William were born at Broomhill – although the family were not living there in either 1871 or 1881

So there is cerainly a strong family connection with Broomhill!

Margaretta Caswell 1908-1914

This beautiful little girl is Margaretta Caswell, she is the daughter of Esther Elizabeth Charlton and Frederick Henderson Caswell. She was born on the 2nd June 1908, in Villa Real Hospital, Leadgate, Co. Durham. Which seems quite unusual as most of her siblings are believed to have been born at home. A large portrait used to hang in the home of Esther – Balfour House, Medomsley Road, Consett – but alas it is no longer in the possession of the family.

She died on the 17th January 1914, my mum believes that the cause was diptheria, but she isn’t sure so I am going to have to investigate. Diptheria is an upper respiratory tract infection which typically affects the nose and throat. Today all of my children hve been vaccinated to help prevent them from contracting this devastating disease, but back in Margaretta’s time there was no such prevention available.

She was buried on the 21st January, 1914 in Medomsley churchyard, Consett. Esther had seven children in total (including a set of twins). Margaretta was the only one not to survive to adulthood.

This was her funeral card:

Within the chest is a tiny band of black ribbon with the initial ‘M’ threaded onto it. I have discovered that it is most likely an Edwardian mourning wrist band. I imagine that Esther had it made after the death of her precious daughter, so that she would always be with her.

Victorian Christmas Card

This is quite an unusual Christmas card. It is addresses to Madge – who ‘could’ be Margaret Charlton nee Hedley (Esther’s mother). From an Aunt Mary – Not entirely sure.

However, what makes it somewhat unique is that it is an envelope marked:

Safe Custody

Martins Bank Ltd 18 Oct 1951, Consett

Although I do suspect that the two were not paired together initially.

Inside the Christmas card is a lovely verse:

To Madge

A Happy Christmas

Gladness be with you
And sunshine o’er you
Love light the pathway
That stretches before you.

From Aunt Mary

Slipped into the card is a photograph of a grave and a tiny slip of newspaper which reads:

Our darling child has gone to sleep,
Her little head is free from pain,
And now for her we mourn and weep
On earth she’ll never wake again.

Ever remembered by her loving father and mother.

Unfortunately, I don’t really know anything about Aunt Mary or her lost daughter – but I shall endeavor to try to find out.