Charles Edward Sheldon, Sr.

According to family legend, Charles Edward Snr., in an effort to find work, left England with his son, Charles jnr., and daughter, Alice Amelia; unfortunately for his wife and children who remained in England their situation deteriorated to the point of entering the Cannock Union Workhouse c.1891. (source: 1891 Census) It is also said that Lavinia had a job in the Cannock Union Workhouse as a seamstress, and she took the younger children there with her during the day and they returned to their cottage (? 27 Fallowfield, Cannock) in the evenings, this is the story my Dad Albert told us always.

Charles snr. and Alice Amelia may have ended up in the USA. My Dad had always said also that Alice married an Organmaker, who was a Mormon, so that would appear to fit with her being in the USA

However, Charles jnr. does not appear to have left England with his father; according to an 1892 school admission record for Charles jnr. on to the Royal Navy training ship HMS Indefatigable, Charles jnr. had been living in a Boys Home in Cannock, before moving to the training ship, and later the Barque Elvira in 1896. Although Lavinia is named as Charles jnr.'s mother, living in the Cannock Union Workhouse, Charles snr. was not named, and described only as "deserted". Source: FindMyPast.co.uk

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Charles occupation, gardener and seedsman, is taken from the 1881 British Census. Source: Familysearch.org

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In 1871, Charles snr. was a General Servant; it is not known for whom. Source: 1871 Census

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In 1888, Charles Sheldon of Cannock was fined 5s, including costs, for neglecting to send his children regularly to school under the Education Act; the charges were brought by the Cannock School Board. There do not appear to have been any other Charles Sheldons with children living in Cannock at this time.

Source: BritishNewspaperArchive.co.uk, 23 Nov. 1888, Lichfield Mercury

In 1890, "Charles Sheldon, gardener, Stafford Road", was sentenced to three weeks with hard labour for failing to take his family out of the Cannock Workhouse. Source: 19 Apr. 1890, Cannock Chase Courier, BritishNewspaperArchive.co.uk

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In the 1901 Census, Lavinia Sheldon nee Granger gives her marital status as "Married", implying that Charles snr. was still alive at the time.

In Lavinia Sheldon nee Granger's 1906 death record she is listed as a Widow; taken together with the above 1901 Census, this narrows Charles Edward Sheldon snr.'s date of death down to between 1901 and 1906. (Source: GRO.gov.uk, Lavinia Sheldon, Deaths Sep 1906, Age: 56, District: Walsall, Vol.: 6b, Page: 419)

It is possible that Charles snr. died after 31 Jan. 1903 as Charles is not described as deceased in Laura Sheldon's marriage record to Thomas Reddington. (Source: GRO.gov.uk, Thomas Reddington and Laura Sheldon, Marriages Mar 1903, District: Stafford, Vol.: 6b, Pg.: 29)