Charles "Fiddler" Williams
 

Called "Fiddler" because he played the violin.

Born 18 April 1863 at Woodmancote, North Cerney. Father William Williams, husbandman, mother Ann Williams formerly Mealing.

baptism 17 May 1863, at North Cerney Parish Church
Charles, son of William & Ann Williams. Woodmancote, Gloucestershire. Father: labourer.

1871 living in Woodmancote, North Cerney, Glos. with parents and siblings Emma, Elizabeth, Sarah.

1881
still in Woodmancote, aged 17 working as ag lab, with widowed father, sisters Emma and Sarah, and Emma's newly born illegitimate daughter Fanny.

26 Apr 1884 married Ellen Purvey at North Cerney.

1891 Charles is now 28 working as a porter at North Cerney House. He and his wife have children Charles, Josephine and Florence and are living at 8 The Village, Rendcombe, Gloucestershire.

1901
Charles 37, indoor servant is with Ellen and their children Charles, Florence, Herbert, Angus [my grandfather] and Caroline. Their eldest daughter Josephine was killed by a runaway horse and cart the previous year.

1906 Charles' wife Ellen died.

3 Aug 1907 at Cirencester Register Office, Charles married his second wife, Katherine Isenschmidt (whose father Jacob was briefly suspected of being Jack the Ripper - but that's another story!)

1911
Still at 8, Rendcombe, Cirencester, Gloucestershire.
Charles Williams general servant in mansion is with wife Katherine and his younger children Herbert, Angus, Edna and Doris (all borne by Ellen).

Whit Monday 1913 Charles and others rang a peal of 5040 changes - composed of 10 six-scores of Grandsire and 32 six-scores of St Dunstan's Doubles, each called differently . Time 2 hours 57 minutes. A plaque recording this feat is in Rendcomb church.

Rendcomb Park house was put up for sale in 1913, so Charles would definitely have lost his job by then.

By 1919 he'd moved to Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.

22 August 1924
Charles died at 85 Bicester Road, Aylesbury. Death cert describes him as a labourer.

Oops for forgetting and double oops for not responding sooner! I've amended it now.

Thanks Marg!

Very interesting reading about Jacob Isenschmidt. Have you seen a photo of him Nell?

Yes I have 2 pics from a book about Jack the Ripper, one when he was taken into Colney Hatch asylum and one afterwards. He looks rough, trampy and deranged in the first, and more civilised and kindly in the second.