CHARLES WELLS GREENSLADE
The White Ensign
Charles Wells Greenslade was born in Woodmansterne, Surrey on 1 July 1898 (GRO reference: Sep 1898 Croydon 2a 319) the son of Frederick George and Frances Maria Greenslade, née Charles. His parents had married in St. Nicholas Church, Deptford, London, on 8 July 1894. Frederick’s profession was recorded as ‘Lunatic Attendant’. Note: On 22 September 1883 Charles’ father, a ‘Carman’ aged 18, had previously married Frances Susannah Dalton, aged 17. They had two children together but divorced on 18 May 1892.
|
CHARLES WELLS GREENSLADE AND HIS HALF SIBLINGS |
||
| Name | Born – Died | Notes |
| Mary Elizabeth (Minnie) | Born: 4 December 1883 Rotherhithe Died: 7 March 1963 Camberwell |
|
| Frederick George | Born: 22 October 1887 Southwark Died: 4 February 1889 Newington |
|
|
CHARLES WELLS GREENSLADE AND FULL SIBLINGS |
||
| Winifred Eleanor | Born: 3 December 1894 Merstham, Surrey Died: March 1975 Bromley |
|
| Freda Elizabeth | Born: 10 June 1896 Woodmansterne, Surrey Died: 13 June 1989 Surrey South East |
|
| Charles Wells | Born: 1 July 1898 Woodmansterne, Surrey Died: 15 July 1930 Bromley, Kent |
Buried in grave K688 Epsom Cemetery on 23 July 1930 |
| Frederick William | Born: 1 March 1905, Ewell Died: 4 May 1993 Oxford |
Baptised St. Mary’s Ewell 9 July 1905 |
| John Leonard | Born: 24 August 1906 Died: 1 November 1940 |
Baptised St. Mary’s Ewell 10 March 1907.
Buried in grave K688 Epsom Cemetery on 1 November 1940 |
Charles was baptised on 15 April 1899 at St. John’s Church, Coulsdon. His father was described as an ‘Attendant’. They lived at ‘Laurel Cottage, Smitham Bottom’.
The 1901 census records two-year-old Charles living at 1 Maybank Villas, Woodmansterne. Also recorded were his 33 year-old-mother Frances, shown as head of the family, sisters Winifred aged 6 and Freda aged 4, and boarder Arthur Scott aged 16, a ‘Railway Porter’. I have been unable to find Charles’ father in the 1901 census.
On 1 May 1905, whilst living in Chessington Road, West Ewell, Charles was admitted to Ewell Boys’ School, but did not stay for long, leaving Ewell 28 days later on 29 May 1905. Presumably he transferred to Pound Lane School, Epsom.
By 1911 Charles aged 12, recorded as a ‘School Newsboy’ working for a ‘Newsagent’, was living at ‘Stoke’ 8 Upper Court Road, Epsom. His 43 year-old-mother was again recorded as head of the family. Her five children were all still living. Also recorded were Winifred aged 16, a ‘Shop assistant’, Freda aged 14, an ‘apprentice dressmaker’, Frederick aged 6 and John aged 4.
On a separate 1911 census form, along with many other asylum workers, Charles’ father was recorded as the Chief Night Watch Attendant on the Male Lunatics’ ward in the Epileptic Colony, London County Council Asylum.
On 20 November 1913, at the age of 15, Charles joined the Royal Navy (RN). He was 5 feet 3½ inches tall, had a chest measurement of 33 inches, brown hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion. Throughout his 8 years 7 months in the RN Charles served on various ships and land bases.
On 21 March 1915, with the rank of ‘Signal Boy’, he was posted to HMS Warrior, a Warrior-class armoured cruiser, launched on 25 November 1905. On 1 January 1916 he was promoted to the rank of ‘Ordinary Signalman’. His service aboard HMS Warrior would probably have been his most memorable as it fought in the largest naval battle of the Great War, the Battle of Jutland, 31 May to 1 June 1916. HMS Warrior was badly damaged in the battle but despite this, was able to withdraw and was then taken into tow. Although some of the crew had been killed, 743 men were taken off before she sank at 8-25a.m. on 1 June 1916.
HMS Warrior
© IWM SP 355
Charles survived and managed to salvage the ship’s White Ensign. He placed it in St. Barnabas Church for safe keeping until he returned to ‘claim it’. The 20 June 1916 edition of the Daily Mirror carried a picture of him holding the flag outside St. Barnabas Church.
Daily Mirror 20 June 1916
The Epsom Advertiser dated 23 June 1916 also made reference to the White Ensign having been placed in St. Barnabas Church.
Epsom Advertiser 23 June 1916
Charles left the RN on 27 June 1922. He and his parents were recorded as living at 58 Upper Court Road, Epsom in 1923.
After Charles married Hilda Rivers Knight in late 1925, the couple moved to the ground floor of 59 St Mary’s Road, Peckham. They had two daughters, Beryl May Greenslade, whose birth was registered in Epsom in the March quarter of 1926 and Mary Elizabeth Greenslade (known as MEG) born on 2 February 1930, registered in the Camberwell registration district.
Charles Wells Greenslade holding his daughter Beryl May c.1928
Image courtesy of Carolyn Browning ©2021
Charles died in Farnborough Hospital from food poisoning on 15 July 1930 and was buried in grave K688 in Epsom Cemetery on 23 July. Cemetery records tell us that he was an ‘Omnibus Conductor’.
On 20 October 1917 Charles’ father Frederick, aged 51 years 11 months, attested in Kingston into the RAMC and worked at Woolwich. Aged 66, he died on 22 March 1932 and was buried in grave K688 in Epsom Cemetery on 26 March.
Also buried in the family grave, K688, is Charles’ brother John Leonard who was killed on 25 October 1940 when German bombers attacked RAF Montrose.
The Greenslade family grave in Epsom Cemetery
Photographs by Roger Morgan © 2018
Charles’ granddaughter Carolyn Browning tells us that her grandmother Hilda (Charles’ wife) kept the White Ensign for many years, but inevitably it became a ‘little moth eaten’. In the 1970s the family sold it, via Christie’s Auctioneers, for £1,000.
Researched and written by Clive Gilbert
with help from Hazel Ballan,
with thanks to Carolyn Browning. November 2020.