Rectory Lane Cemetery, Berkhamsted

Mary Osborn

Relatives

Charles Osborn — husband

Charles Osborn

1840 –22/12/1914

A carpenter and joiner

Relatives

David Osborn — brother

Mary Osborn — wife

Albert Osborn — son

• Melanie Hilton

Unmarked grave Charles Osborn (1840-1914)

Charles was born in 1840 in Northchurch, the son of James Osborn, a carpenter and wheelwright, and his wife Ann.

He became a carpenter and in 1861 was living at Gossoms Cottage, Northchurch.

Charles married Mary Ann Timson (born in Berkhamsted) in Islington parish church 29 December 1862. They both gave their address as 24, Camden Street.

They moved to Berkhamsted where Charles Thomas (1863), Albert William (1867), Ernest Alfred (1869) and Frederick John (1870) were born.

In 1871 they were living in Park Street.

Joseph (1872), David A (1874), Walter G (1876) were all born in Berkhamsted but by 1880, when Percival Egbert was born, the family had moved to London and were living in Silver Street (now The Mount), Hampstead. Remarkably all eight sons lived until well into late middle age.

This was a poor, but not slum, area of Hampstead and the inhabitants, whose houses still  survive in The Mount, could never have imagined the prices their homes fetch today (average £1.6m).

By 1891 they had moved to 114, Heath Street in the heart of Hampstead. Charles was a joiner, as was son Ernest. Frederick was a bricklayer, David a pork butcher’s assistant, Walter a baker’s boy and Percival was at school. Mary Ann was a dressmaker and Jane Delderfield from Aldbury was living with them and was employed as her assistant.

They were still at the same address ten years later, but only Percival was still at home.

It is not known when Charles and Mary Ann moved back to Berkhamsted as at the time of the 1911 census they were visiting son Ernest and his family in Willesden. It was noted on the return that Charles, aged 70, was “incapacitated”.

Charles died 22 December 1914 at 10, Cowper Road, aged 74. He left £1149 (Over £112,000 in 2024). Mary Ann survived him until 1935. Aged 95 that year she was interviewed in a local paper and was considered the town’s oldest inhabitant.

Their son Albert is buried in this cemetery, as is Charles’s older brother David.