Biography
Robert Charlton was born November 12, 1882 at 143 Front Street, North Brancepeth Colliery, Brandon, County Durham. By age 18, he was an apprentice carpenter living with his parents in the Village of Station Road, Houghton le Spring.
He commenced his studies for the ministry in 1902, under the Home Mission Board of the Wesleyan Church in England at Castleton Hall in Castleton, Derbyshire and then Cliff College at Curbar, Derbyshire. The latter remains a Methodist College to this day. In 1906 he immigrated to Canada and by 1907 was “Received on Trial” at Ebeneezer. Between 1908 and 1911 he attended Wesley College, Winnipeg and was “Ordained” in 1912 at Moose Jaw..
He married Helen Lottie Good on August 7, 1912 in Fillmore, Saskatchewan. Their first child, William Browell Charlton was born in Macklin, Saskatchewan on July 20th, 1913. Macklin Methodist was his first church. They stayed at Maklin unitl the following year when they moved to Lemberg, Saskatchewan to take over the Union church there. The posting at Lemberg saw the birth of their second child, Robert Charlton on April 11, 1918.
In 1919 the family moved to Newcastle upon Tyne, England where the Reverend and Mrs. Charlton took charge of the Newcastle Wesleyan Mission at Westgate Hall. While on a brief vacation to visit his parents William and Mary Charlton at 26 Western Hill in Durham, Helen succumbed to heart failure (mitral regurgitation). It was the Ides of March.
Following the sudden death of his first wife in 1920, Rev. Charlton returned with Deaconess Francis Smurthwaite – his second wife, and the two boys to minister to the Davidson Church in Davidson, Saskatchewan between 1921 and 1925. Between 1926 and 1930 he was Minister of the Milestone United Church, Milestone Saskatchewan.
In 1931 the family moved to Shawinigan Falls, Quebec where he became Minister of Trinity United Church. Here they stayed through his retirement in 1951, Mrs. Charlton’s death in 1953 and up until his death on March 28th, 1956. Even after he retired he continued working, providing part time ministry to the congregation in Lake Megantic, near the Quebec/Maine border.
Sources for the above include reports by family members, most notably W. B. Charlton, birth and census documents as shown below plus files from the United Church Archives at Victoria College, Toronto. Most notable of the latter are minutes from the Montreal – Ottawa Conference 1956.
Robert Charlton and Helen Lottie Good had the following children:
- William Browell (Bill) Charlton was born on July 20, 1913 in Macklin, Saskatchewan. He married Della Jean Connell on May 21, 1941 in Alexandria, Ontario.
- Robert (Bert) Charlton was born April 11, 1918 in Lemberg, Saskatchewan.
Although Robert had two older brothers, John and William, it is unclear if he ever knew about them as they both died before he was born and he never mentioned them. Playing a much larger role in his life were his two sisters Minnie and Isabel.
Transcripts:
Birth Certificate 1882
| Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth
Pursuant to the Births and deaths Registration Act 1953 |
||||||||||
| Registration District Durham | ||||||||||
| 1882. Birth in the Sub-District of Saint Oswald in the County of Durham | ||||||||||
| No. | When and where born | Name, if any | Sex | Name, and surname of father | Name, surname and maiden surname of mother | Occupation of father | Signature, description, and residence of informant | When Registered | Signature of registrar | Name entered after registration |
| 139 | Twelfth November 1888. 143 Front Street, North Brancepeth Colliery, Brandon. Brandon and Byshottles. UD. | Robert | Boy | William Charlton | Mary Charlton formerly Green | Brakesman at Colliery | M. Charlton Mother 143 Front Street, North Brancepeth Colliery, Brandon | Twenty Seventh December 1882 | Anthony William Pattison Deputy Registrar | - |
1891 Census, Durham District
Family Number: 62295.9
Brandon & Byshottles 1891 Census, Littleburn Colliery Village, Office Street
(RG12/4097/folio 39)
William Charlton, Head, married, 36, Engineman, born Chester-le-Street, Durham
Mary Charlton, Wife, married, 36, born Moorsley, Durham
Robert Charlton, son, 9, born Boyne, Durham
Amelia B. Charlton, daughter, 5, born Usworth, Durham
Isabel Charlton, daughter, 1, born Usworth, Durham
Source: Durham Records Online
1901 Census, Durham County
Village of Station Road, Parish of St. Nickolas, Urban District of Hetton le Hole, Parlimentary Division of Houghton le Spring
(RG14/4696/folio 34)
William B. Charlton, Head, married, 46, Stationary Engineman, born Chester-le-Street, Durham
Mary Charlton, Wife, married, 46, born Moorsley, Durham
Robert Charlton, son, 18, Apprentice Joiner, born Boyne, Durham
Amelia Charlton, daughter, 14, born Usworth, Durham
Mary (sic) Charlton, daughter, 11, born Usworth, Durham
Source: www.1901census.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
1912 Wedding Registry
This Certifies that Robert Charlton of Maklin Sask. and Helen Lottie Good of Fillmore, Sask. were united in Marriage according to the ordinance of God, and the laws of Saskatchewan at Fillmore on the Seventh of August in the Year of our Lord (1912.)
By Charles Endicott Methodist Minister
Witnesses:
Hector McLean
Gertrude Good
Not the official registry but a keepsake handed down through the family.
