Rectory Lane Cemetery, Berkhamsted

Charles Edward Seagrave

20/10/1876 –17/11/1950

Wife of Charlotte Seagrave; moved with her to work as furniture dealer with wife's family

Relatives

Charlotte Seagrave (767) — wife

• Jane Beaty

Charles Edward SEAGRAVE

Charles Edward SEAGRAVE was born on 20^th October 1876 and baptised, along with his elder sister Edith Victoria a couple of weeks later. His parents were John William SEAGRAVE, a butcher, and his wife Lydia. They lived in Islington.

Within five years the family had moved a little further out to 66 Sandbrook Road, Stoke Newington and Charles had a couple of younger brothers.

On 28^th July 1901, when Charles Edward was 24, he married Charlotte WRIGHT, the daughter of a butcher, at the Weslyan Methodist Church in Shoreditch. He gave his address as 37 Cropley Street.

At this point Charles seems to have been “adopted” as a nephew by Charlotte’s uncle, Joseph NORTH. Joseph and his wife Charlotte had no children of their own and took a particular interest in the young couple. Joseph NORTH was running a furniture business at 258 High Street in Berkhamsted and seems to have encouraged the couple to join him in the town.

By 1908 Charles and Charlotte had moved to Berkhamsted, set up home at 225 High Street and Charles was working for James NORTH as a second-hand furniture dealer.

The couple had three children, Ethel Lydia, born in 1905, Charles Edward Joseph, born 1908 and Alice Lilian, born 1911.

In 1912, a year after Alice was born, Charles took over the premises of Joseph NORTH at 258 High Street. He lived there until at least 1939, running the furniture business. Meanwhile Joseph went up in the world to better things, becoming an auctioneer, a property developer and one of the wealthiest people in the town.

Charles’ business grew over the years as he developed it and took on upholstery as well as furniture dealing.

Charles’ wife Charlotte died in 1925, leaving three young children. Her death was followed only a month later by James NORTH’s wife. So Charles and his sponsor both found themselves widowed. Their wives were buried together in the same cemetery plot.

Eleven years later Charles acted as the Executor for the affairs of Joseph NORTH when he died in 1936.

Charles continued running his business from 258 High Street for many more years. In 1939 he was still living there with his two unmarried daughters Ethel and Alice, but by the time he died he had moved a few doors along to 286 High Street.

Charles died in West Herts Hospital, Hemel on 17^th November 1950. He had lived as a widower for 25 years. He is buried in Plot number 767 alongside both his wife and James and Charlotte NORTH, the couple who had done so much for his family.

Probate calendar – of 286 High Street, Berkhamsted granted to his son Charles Edward Joseph SEAGRAVE, office executive and daughter Ethel Lydia SEAGRAVE, spinster. Effects £9,252. A considerable sum in 1950.

Charlotte Seagrave (767)

01/12/1879 –07/09/1925

Niece of Charlotte North, moved to Berkhamsted with husband to set up in business

Relatives

Charles Edward Seagrave — husband

Charlotte North — other

• Jane Beaty

Plot 767

Charlotte SEAGRAVE

On Boxing Day 1880, there was a mass baptism of sixteen children at St Mary’s Church, Islington. Two of these children were Charlotte WRIGHT and her 3-week-old brother Charles Henry. Charlotte was barely a year old, having been born on 1st December 1879.

The children’s parents were Charles and Emily WRIGHT, living in Dame Street, Islington, a butcher and his young wife, only 18 when Charlotte was born. Interestingly, Charles was born in Hawridge, Bucks where he was part of a large family, so had moved from the Chilterns into London.

Charlotte was named after her aunt, her father’s eldest sister who had married Joseph NORTH in 1873. This was to be an important relationship in Charlotte’s life.

Charlotte’s baby brother died within months of his baptism, but Charlotte thrived. She was joined by five siblings over the next fifteen years. By 1891, when Charlotte was 11, the family had moved to shop premises at 275 New North Road in Islington and even had a couple of servants living in their household. The butchery business was clearly doing well since one of the servants was also described as a butcher’s assistant. Ten years later, shortly before Charlotte left the household her father reported that he was a shopkeeper as well as a butcher and that he was now an employer.

On 28^th July 1901, when Charlotte was 21, she married Charles Edward SEAGRAVE, a butcher like her father, at the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Shoreditch. The witnesses at their wedding were Charlotte’s mother Emily WRIGHT and her uncle Joseph NORTH.

At the suggestion of Charlotte’s uncle Joseph NORTH and his wife, Charlotte, the couple moved to Berkhamsted and were sponsored in a new business venture, eventually taking over and running Joseph’s furniture business. The two couples became firmly established as business partners and friends. One can imagine that the two Charlottes had much in common as they watched their husbands building successful businesses.

Charlotte and Charles had three children – Ethel Lydia, born in 1905, Charles Edward Joseph, born 1907 and Alice Lilian, born 1911.

Sadly, the two Charlottes died within a month of each other, the niece first on 7^th September 1925, aged only 45 and her aunt a few weeks later on 3^rd October. They are buried in the same grave at Plot Number 767.

Probate calendar – of 258 High Street, Berkhamsted, 2^nd October 1925, granted to her husband Charles Edward Seagrave, furniture dealer and Walter Sydney Seagrave, butcher. Effects £1,265

Charlotte’s two daughters never married and remained living with their father at least until 1939 at 258 High Street. Her son stayed in the area, married and had children. He lived to be 87.