Charles Henry Wagstaff
- Family History
- Military History
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Charles Henry was born in 1893 in Gringley on the Hill and was baptised in Holy Trinity Church, Gainsborough, on 2 September 1893. He was the son of Lucy Wagstaff, the unmarried daughter of George and Ann Louisa Wagstaff. George and Ann Louisa (née King) both originated from Essex and were married in 1860 (reg. Lexden, Essex). According to the 1911 Census they had been married for 50 years and had had 11 children of whom only nine were still living at the time of the census. Their daughter Lucy had been born in Essex (Hawthorn Green Lane) about 1869. At the time of the 1901 Census Charles (7) was living with his grandparents, George and Ann Louisa at Marsh Lane, Walkeringham. George was a hay cutter and presser. Also in the household were two of George and Ann's children; Thomas Wagstaff (25, b. Essex) also a haycutter and presser, and Ada (13, b. Walkeringham). The same year Lucy Wagstaff was acting as housekeeper for her widowed brother, William (40, b. Essex) and his young family at Warp Farm Cottage, Laughton, Lincolnshire, although by 1911 it appears that she was again living with her parents who were now living at Gringley-on-the-Hill. At the time of the 1911 census Charles was a horseman on Sloswicks Farm (part of the Welbeck Estate) working for the farmer Thomas Arthur. In 1917, just a few months before he was killed, Charles married Ada Elizabeth Knight (reg. Worksop). Ada was born in Worksop in 1894 and at the time of the 1911 Census had been acting as housekeeper to her widowed father, Charles Knight, who was working as a horseman and living at Ox Pastures Farm, Whitwell. After Charles' death Ada remarried (Mills) and lived at Ox Pastures, Whitwell, Mansfield. Charles' mother probably died in 1914 aged 45 (reg. East Retford).
Charles enlisted at Gainsborough and at first served with the Lincolnshire Regiment with service number 9174. He later transferred to the Machine Gun Corps. He died of wounds in 59th (Northern) General Hospital, St-Omer, on 5 October 1917 and is buried at Longuenesse (St Omer) Souvenir Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais, France (grave ref IV.E.27). CWGC - History of Longuenesse (St Omer) Souvenir Cemetery (extract): 'St. Omer was the General Headquarters of the British Expeditionary Force from October 1914 to March 1916. Lord Roberts died there in November 1914. The town was a considerable hospital centre with the 4th, 10th, 7th Canadian, 9th Canadian and New Zealand Stationary Hospitals, the 7th, 58th (Scottish) and 59th (Northern) General Hospitals, and the 17th, 18th and 1st and 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Stations all stationed there at some time during the war. St. Omer suffered air raids in November 1917 and May 1918, with serious loss of life. The cemetery takes its names from the triangular cemetery of the St. Omer garrison, properly called the Souvenir Cemetery (Cimetiere du Souvenir Francais) which is located next to the War Cemetery.' (www.cwgc.org)
Charles is buried in the same grave as 17944 Private D McArthur, Highland Light Infantry, who was killed on 6 October 1917. CWGC: 'Son of Lucy Wagstaff, of Gringley-on-the-Hill, Doncaster; husband of Ada E. Mills (formerly Wagstaff, nee Knight), of Ox Pastures, Whitwell, Mansfield.' Registers of Soldiers' Effects: his widow Ada was his legatee. WW1 Pension Ledgers Index Cards: named his widow Ada, residence Mansfield Additional source, ‘Gringley a Tribute to the 24 ‘ published July 2014 by the Gringley History Club. www.gohistory.org.uk (Courtesy of Alan Hickman)
