By charlton, on June 2nd, 2010  During our recent trip to England we spent our first day in Durham searching through St. Cuthbert’s Churchyard trying to do what my Grandfather had failed to do when he visited the site in 1953. He had returned from Canada to the city of his youth for one last time, trying to locate and pay respect to his first wife’s grave. She had died suddenly while they were visiting his parents at 26 Western Hill. It was a blow that neither my grandfather nor my father who was only six years old ever fully recovered from.
The churchyard today is in pretty rough shape. It is largely overgrown with many stinging nettles but was dominated during out visit with these pretty little yellow buttercup type flowers. The ground is very uneven with many of the graves fallen in upon themselves. Many of the stones are damaged, leaning badly or knocked over so we knew our work was cut out for us. What chance had we of finding a marker for Helen Charlton?
All we had to go on was a photo I once saw of the burial site. I remembered from the photo that has long since disappeared that the grave was beside a wrought iron fence. Still, so much time had past. The burial and the photo were from 1919. There was no guarantee that the fence would still be there, or the stone for that matter. The only thing to do was comb the entire churchyard. We knew it would take some time.
We were also looking out for My great grandparents who we knew were also buried in the churchyard.
Continue reading St. Cuthbert’s Churchyard, Durham UK
By charlton, on February 27th, 2010 An Exposition of The Epistle to the Hebrews
by The Rev. Andrew Murray
——————-
Special thanks to Tony Tremblett of Vancouver for sending me this wonderful gift and remarkable family artifact.
Tony recently wrote to me:
“I have in my possession a book with a note written and signed by Rev Robert Charlton of Arcola Saskatchewan. He writes about his candidacy for ministry with the Methodist Conference in Regina, Saskatchewan, and about his immigration to Canada from England on September 19, 1906. …The book itself is in poor condition but the note says he bought it in Montreal the day after he arrived in Canada.”
Robert Charlton
Arcola
Sask.
Sept 19th 1906
The above date – is the date when I arrived in Canada from my home in England. 26 Western Hill Durham City.
At the Methodist Conference in Regina the following year – June 1907 I was accepted by the Conference as a Candidate for the Ministry. I was ordained at Moose Jaw in 1912 – and “accepted into full connection” -
The book was purchased in Montreal at the Methodist Book Room the day after I arrived in Canada.
This entry is made in the office of the Church in Shawinigan Falls Que. July 16 195?
Robt. Charlton
 
Note: The date in the inscription looks like 1957, however Rev. Charlton died in 1956, the year I was born. Could the date be 1951? - John
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By charlton, on December 5th, 2009 
A rare photo (perhaps the only one) of my mother’s first and second husbands. Bill (left) and Wendell met each other at Palm Plaza in Daytona Beach. Photograph by Della Charlton.
By charlton, on October 18th, 2009 
William Charlton was born at Burnt House, Chester le Street, County Durham in 1855. The youngest of two boys listed in the 1861 census, his birth predated his parent’s marriage by 3 years. His mother Eleanor died in 1863, the same year that William went to work at the Edmondsley Pit Coal Mine. He was eight years old at the time.
Continue reading William Browell Charlton
By charlton, on October 18th, 2009 
William Browell Charlton was born on July 20, 1913 in Macklin, Saskatchewan to Rev. Robert Charlton and Helen Lottie Good. He married Della Jean Connell on May 21, 1941 in Alexandria, Ontario.
William and Della had the following children:
- Robert Gerald (Bob) Charlton
- William James (Jim) Charlton
- John Delbert Charlton
By charlton, on October 18th, 2009 
Transcripts:
1841 Census, Gateshead District
Family Number: 45028.4
1841 Census, Gateshead Township, New Row (HO107/296/12 folio 7)
John Charlton, 55, Labourer, N
Dorothy Charlton, 55, Y
Robert Charlton, 25, Coal Miner, Y
Thomas Charlton, 15, Coal Miner, Y
Dorothy Charlton, 15, Y
Source: Durham Records Online
Continue reading Thomas Charlton
By charlton, on October 18th, 2009 
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.
Continue reading Robert Charlton
By charlton, on October 18th, 2009 Transcripts:
1841 Census, Gateshead District
Family Number: 45028.4
1841 Census, Gateshead Township, New Row (HO107/296/12 folio 7)
John Charlton, 55, Labourer, N
Dorothy Charlton, 55, Y
Robert Charlton, 25, Coal Miner, Y
Thomas Charlton, 15, Coal Miner, Y
Dorothy Charlton, 15, Y
Source: Durham Records Online
1851 Census, Chester le Street District
Family Number: 15817.5
Waldridge 1851 Census, Waldridge Fell
John Charlton, Head, married, 68, Husbandman, born Lamesley, Durham
Dorothy Charlton, Wife, married, 65, born Northumberland
Robert Charlton, Son, 36, Coal Miner, born Lamesley, Durham
Thomas Charlton, Son, 29, Coal Miner, born Lamesley, Durham
Source: Durham Records Online
By charlton, on October 17th, 2009 Transcripts:
1841 Census, Chester le Street District
Family Number: 12259.4
Plawsworth, Plawsworth Village
Thomas Nixon, 60, Agricultural Labourer
Mary Nixon, 45
Ruth Nixon, 20
Martha Nixon, 11
Ellen Nixon, 9
July 24, 1848 Parish Record of Marriage – Eleanor Nixon and Thomas Charlton
He, Thomas Charlton, is listed as a 36 year old Bachelor, a coal miner from Waldridge, father John was a farmer. She, Eleanor Nixon, is listed as a 23 year old Spinster from Plawsworth, father Thomas was also a farmer. Eleanor was actually 26 at the time. The error is understandable given everything that was going on that day. They were married on a Thursday in the presence of the Parish clerk and perhaps a relative of the clerk. She was very, very pregnant. In fact, she gave birth that day to twin girls, Mary and Dorothy. These however were not her first children. She already had two boys, Thomas (when she was 16) and my great grandfather William when she was 23). If the boys had been present at the marriage, and with her going into labour, this would have no doubt been a hectic day at the chapel.
Source: Parish Record, St. Mary’s & St. Cuthbert’s Parish, Chester le Street, Durham County, UK.
Continue reading Eleanor Charlton (nee Nixon)
By charlton, on October 17th, 2009 Transcripts:
1841 Census, Gateshead District
Family Number: 45028.4
1841 Census, Gateshead Township, New Row (HO107/296/12 folio 7)
John Charlton, 55, Labourer, N
Dorothy Charlton, 55, Y
Robert Charlton, 25, Coal Miner, Y
Thomas Charlton, 15, Coal Miner, Y
Dorothy Charlton, 15, Y
Source: Durham Records Online
Continue reading Dorothy Charlton (maiden name unkown)
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During our recent trip to England we spent our first day in Durham searching through St. Cuthbert’s Churchyard trying to do what my Grandfather had failed to do when he visited the site in 1953. He had returned from Canada to the city of his youth for one last time, trying to locate and pay respect to his first wife’s grave. She had died suddenly while they were visiting his parents at 26 Western Hill. It was a blow that neither my grandfather nor my father who was only six years old ever fully recovered from.
