Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
William Grieves Charlton, was the eldest of 6 children and had a half-brother from his mother’s previous marriage. His father George Charlton born 1867 at Seaton Burn, Northumberland, married in 1892, widow Dinah Smith of Seaton Delaval, born May 4th 1864, who had a son Thomas Charles Smith aged 4 years.
George and Dinah had 6 children of their own. William Grieves Charlton was born at Medomsley, County Durham, in 1893, George 1895 at Dudley, Northumberland as was John George, December 15th 1897 and Dixon, January 22nd 1901, where George and step-son Thomas (13) were employed at the colliery as a coal miner and trapper respectively. By the time Reuben and Norman were born, December 6th 1903 and March 13th 1906 they had moved to Killingworth, Northumberland and in 1911 they occupied 3 rooms at 100, Beaumont Terrace, Westerhope. George Charlton and Thomas (23) worked as hewers, William and George Charlton as putters and John Charlton (13) as a pony driver, Dixon, Reuben and Norman, 11, 8 and 5 although of school age are not listed as such in the census.
William Grieves Charlton must have trained with the Territorial Force prior to WW1 as he was enlisted at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, assigned as Private 4827, 9th (Queen’s Royal) Lancers, Household Cavalry and Cavalry of the Line, and departed to the front 17 days after the declaration of war, August 21st 1914 attached to the 2nd Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division which fought in both a mounted and dismounted role participating in 1914 at Mons, La Cateau, and Aisne, Ypres in 1915 and on the Somme in 1916, Arras and Cambrais 1917 and Amiens 1918.
Private 4827 William Grieves Charlton 9th (Queen’s Royal) Lancers died of wounds sustained in battle on the Somme, February 19th 1916 and interred at Calais Southern Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France, Plot B, Row 3, Grave 11. He was 23 years of age and single.
George Charlton received all monies due to his son from the Army, a pension of 5 shillings a week as of November 6th 1918 and his awards of the 1914 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to him at 20, Beaumont Terrace, Westerhope, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland.
His half-brother, Dinah Charlton’s only surviving child from her first marriage, serving as Gunner T.C.S. Charlton had been killed in action in 1915 on the Ypres salient in Belgium.
Dinah Smith-Charlton nee Grieves died aged 74 years in 1938, Northumberland South, her death was preceded by that of George Charlton in 1932 at Castle Ward, aged 63 years, he was interred at Ashington, Northumberland.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
William Grieves Charlton is remembered at Whorlton on W53.01
