Charles (Charlie) Kent was born on the 6th July 1899 at 87 Cleveland Street, South Shields and baptised on 30th July 1899 at St. Hilda’s Church, South Shields. His parents, Charles and Margaret Jane (nee Lane), were married on 1st August 1898 at St Stephen's Church, South Shields, their witnesses were Henry Wouldhave and Elizabeth Brown Hunter.

His parents, Charles and Margaret Jane were both born in 1869, his father was born on the 26th December in East Boldon; and his mother was born on the 6th September in South Shields. Previous to their marriage Charles was residing at 32 & 34 Frederick Street, as a boarder and working as a Stone Mason. Margaret Jane was living with her parents at 83 Livingstone Street.

In 1901 the family were residing at 114 Morton Street; Charlie, was almost two-years-old, and had a baby sister named Annie, born March 1901. When Annie was only 9-months-old, she died suffering from Broncho pneumonia in December 1901. The father was still working as a Stone Mason and the mother was busy caring for her son Charlie, as well as cooking and other household duties. In September 1902, Margaret gave birth to twin boys, Alexander and William, but sadly, William died in December 1902. The surviving twin, Alexander, died in January 1904. Their daughter Lilian, was born in December 1903 and sadly died in June 1904. Margaret gave birth to their last child, William in 1905, and sadly for Margaret, he didn’t live long and died in March 1906. Margaret was now left with their first child, Charlie, and her husband Charles left to care for.

The following year brought more sadness when Margaret's husband, Charles, died on the 5th September, 1907 at 7 Military Road, South Shields, he was only 37 years-old. His cause of death was Phthisis Pulmonalis (otherwise known as TB) for which there was no cure back then. He was buried in St Stephen’s Churchyard on the 7th September and would have joined his children who were also interred there.

On the 12th January 1911, Margaret married John Jones in St Stephen’s Church; they were both residing in 85 Livingstone Street; John was aged 54, and working as a Mariner and Margaret was aged 40. Charlie was now 12-years-old, and still living with his mother at 85 Livingstone Street, South Shields when the census was held that April. Also living with them were John’s daughters from his previous marriage, Nella and Jesse, both were 9-years-old and Eveline Jones aged 17. Eveline was working as a Domestic Servant in 1911.

With WW1 impending on 4th August 1914, some of Charlie’s friends, workmates and relations had enlisted in the services. Charlie was still young and only aged 15 that year, but enlisted when he reached the age requirement.

His Royal Navy service record gives information on Charlie, his service number was J88480; on enlistment he was working as a miner; details of his description: he was 5' 4" tall with a 36" chest, he had auburn hair, grey eyes, a fresh complexion and with distinguishing marks of a Cross and Sword "In Memory of my Father" over right forearm, and "Chas Kent" on left forearm.

His first day of service during hostilities in the Royal Navy was the 7th May 1918, he was rated as an Ordinary Seaman aboard Victory 1 until the 18th October 1918. Charlie was then transferred to the Cleopatra which he joined the very next day, 19th October 1918 and left on the 30th June 1919. He re-joined Victory 1 on the 1st July 1919 and was demobbed on the 13th August, six weeks later when he was 20 years-old.

The Cleopatra was assigned to the 7th Light Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet in August 1918 as squadron flagship, and served in that capacity through to the end of World War I in November 1918 and until March 1919. After leaving the 7th Light Cruiser Squadron in March 1919, Cleopatra re-joined the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron in April 1919 and served in the Baltic Sea from 1919 to 1920 during the British campaign there against Bolshevik and German forces during the Russian Civil War. After returning to the United Kingdom, she recommissioned in October 1920 to serve in the Atlantic Fleet. She was decommissioned in 1921.

After the war had ended, Charlie married Amelia Mary Young at St Mary’s Church, Tyne Dock, South Shields, on the 25th August 1923 when he was 24 years old. They had three children, their first child, a son named Edward was born in 1924 in Albany Street; sister Eileen Mary was born in 1927 and their youngest, Margaret Amelia was born in 1929. Charlie and his family were now living at 340 South Eldon Street with Amelia’s parents living at eight doors away at 356.

At this point in time there was uncertainty at St Hilda’s pit and in June 1927 a total of 1,800 men and boys received a fortnight's notice, and on 25th June their contracts were terminated. Short time had been in operation since the middle of May and the pit suffered through the long stoppages and disputes in 1925 and 1926. The national stoppage prolonged the local dispute until December 1926, a total of 15 months covered by stoppages. These men and boys were out of work, the result of closing down of the St Hilda Colliery for an indefinite period.

One of Charlie’s main interests was sport, he coached his colliery football teams and also had a boxing gym on 'The Ash' at Templetown, South Shields. One sport associated with it was boxing, and there were a couple of clubs on the site. Charlie had taken up boxing while in the Navy and rented and converted a building on the 'Ash', five-minutes from where he lived. A very close friend, Donova Clapham (married to Amelia’s sister) helped with converting the building into a boxing gym, the upstairs contained a boxing ring, some punch balls and gym equipment etc. Charlie could often be found there training boys and young men, teaching them all he knew from learning how to box. His dream came true in making one or two good boxers.

Charlie had an accident down the pit which made things a lot harder for his wife Amelia, as they had children to cloth and feed by then. Fortunately, it didn’t take him long to be back on his feet, in the meantime the boxing gym had to be closed as he wasn’t fit enough to keep it going.

On the 26th October 1927, Charlie signed up on his first ship in the Merchant Navy after leaving St Hilda’s Colliery in South Shields. His father-in-law was a Mariner and still going to sea and this may have given Charlie the thought to try out a new career. His first ship was the Alfriston ship number 144602, on the 24th September 1927; the Ascot ship number 115818, on the 9th November 1927 and the Murie S ship number 145513, on the 23rd November 1927. It appears he didn’t go to sea for long as he is working at Westoe Colliery in the early 1930s when he was offered a Colliery house in Tadema Road. With the added advantage of the seafront close by, there were also allotments to rent near to his house to grow his own vegetables and this became one of Charlie’s other interests.

When his children were young, Charlie and his two friends became popular in the local pub and called themselves 'The Three Aces'; he played the drums and they played accordions. His wife Amelia would often sing with a local choir and on occasions sang in the local pub.

During WW2, Charlie and his family were living in 19 Tadema Road in September 1939. Charlie served in the Local Defence Volunteers from the 7th February 1941 to 31st December 1945. His son enlisted in the RAF and served in 220 Squadron. Just when life in general after the war was getting back to normal, his wife Amelia passed away on the 20th June 1953, aged 54, cause of death was ovarian cancer. They had been married for 29 years.

Three years later, Charlie married Mary (Minnie) Ellen Curry in South Shields, on the 31st March 1956 at South Shields Register Office. Charlie’s mother Margaret Jane passed away on the 12th March 1959, at the age of 89, at 3 Westholme, Oakleigh Gardens at Cleadon.

His wife Minnie passed away on the 20th January 1984 in South Shields, at the age of 79. They had been married 27 years. Charles Kent died on the 13th October 1988 at Beech Street residential home in Jarrow, aged 89 and was cremated at South Shields Crematorium.

Research : Cynthia Kent