The neat thing about the 1911 Census of England & Wales is that it was the first census completed by the heads of each household. So it was that William Browell Charlton recorded by his own hand the presence of his family at 26 Western Hill on the night of April 2nd, 1911.
Interestingly, he did not do a very good job of filling out the form, however his errors only serve to highlight the bonds of family as existed within him. He starts by calling himself “Husband” although the form asks for him to label himself “Head”. This may have been a tip of the hat (or more) to the suffragette sympathies that served as a backdrop to this first self-reporting government survey.
More serious is the inclusion of his only son Robert, age 29, unmarried and living in Canada at Wesley College in Winnipeg, Manitoba at the time. Clearly he did not want to leave Robert out of any account of his family. This was done in spite of instructions to the contrary at the top of the form.
The line devoted to his wife Mary may help to explain his devotion to his son and two daughters and illuminates with cold numerical indifference the cost of the couple’s union. Nine children born alive, three still alive, six dead. That is four more siblings than I had previously been aware of and six more than my Grandfather (Robert in this census report) ever mentioned.
Here is the report:
- William Browell Charlton – Husband – 55 – Married 35 Years – Occupation: Colliery Enginemen’s Union Agent, Trades Union, Born: Durham, Chester le Street
- Mary Charlton – Wife – 55 – Married 35 Years – Children Born Alive (9) – Children Still Living (3) – Children who have died (6) – Occupation: Mother – Born: Durham, Low Moorsley
- Amelia Browell Charlton – Daughter – 24 – Unmarried – Occupation: Assist in Home duties – Born: Durham, Usworth
- Mary Isabell Charlton – Daughter – 21 – Unmarried – Occupation: Assist in Home duties – Born: Durham, Usworth
- Robert Charlton – Son – 29 – Unmarried – In Canada. Wesley College Winnipeg Man – Born: Durham, Langley Moor
