CHARLES YOUELL 1837-1903
This is the third and final part to the Youell trilogy. I have previously written about William Youell, the grandfather, Jane Youell, the granddaughter and now it is the turn of Charles Youell, the son and the father.
Charles Youell was born in Hales Norfolk in 1837, son of William and Eliza Youell nee Hall. Shortly after his birth the family moved to Wanlip, Leicestershire and remained there for the next ten years or so, before the family moved to Bermondsey London in 1851/52.
Charles enlisted to the Military, the 1st Battalion Rifle Brigade in 1861 and is found at Aldershot barracks for the 1861 census.
Forces War Records 
His military career must have been short lived as at the time of Charles' marriage on 9th March 1864 to Emily Williams in Llandyrnog, both state that they are working 'in service.'
Within 6 months their first child, a daughter Eliza Youell was born. A son, Charles William Youell was born on 5th December 1866 at Holywell in Flintshire. Another daughter . Mary Ann Emily Swingler Youell was born on 1st December 1868, by this time the family had moved to Birkenhead in Cheshire. Her baptism entry, at St Peters Church in Liverpool on 1st Jan 1869, Charles give his occupation as ? agent.
At the time of the 1871 census, the family are living at 52 Peel Street, Tranmere, in the borough of Birkenhead. Charles gives his occupation as a 'Coal Agent.'
On 27th August 1871 another daughter, Maria, was born and she was baptised at the Parish Church of St Peter, Liverpool, the family however still living in Tranmere.
https://www.lan-opc.org.uk/Liverpool/Liverpool-Central/stpeter/index.html
Their last child and youngest daughter, Jane, was born in 1874 and was the subject of last weeks theme, 'Tragedy'. You may recall a newspaper transcription, from 1895, where the family history suggested:-
"Youell originally resided in Birkenhead and was a guard on the London and North Western Railway. His many travels took him to Abergele, Flintshire, N Wales and at a village within a few miles of this place he met Emily Williams the daughter of a respectable tradesman. Friendship quickly developed into affection and within a short time he had made her his wife. This was thirty years ago. Mr and Mrs Youell took up their abode in Mold, and here two of the children a daughter and a son were born, four years later the family left for Birkenhead and here they remained for some years, three more children being born to them at this place. Business necessity caused Mr Youell to remove to London and fifteen years ago he came to town and took up his abode at 41 Delaford Rd, where he has remained ever since."
So whilst the information in relation to where Charles lived, is consistant with the information on various documents, the occupation cited in the article is not. The other factor is what made Charles and his family move to London 15 years prior to this article in 1880. Certainly in the 1881 census Charles and his family are living at 41 Delaford Rd Bermondsey.
Charles Booth poverty map notebooks indicate that Delaford Rd is:- all part of the Bermondsey New Estate, all two storied houses, mostly with 2 families, rents 13/6 to 14 shillings a week, slate roof, bar windows to ground floor iron rail round narrow front. Some go to Bermondsey and the City the majority work on the railway or gas works. Windows and curtains clean, small backs. Wives don't work but the daughters often do at Peak Freans biscuit works. Clean broad streets, a crowd of children were coming out of the Bd school at the S.E end of Verney Road, all well fed and well shod, clean faces, all but one with a hat. No houses to be let. It is difficult to get a house here.
In the 1881 census, Charles continues to give his occupation as a 'coal agent' and indeed his eldest daughter is working- as a dressmaker. So it would be easy to assume that the family moved from Cheshire to London, possibly to be closer to Charles' wider family, they certainly appear to be living in a more comfortable area of London.
However a more in depth search shows that Charles Youell appears on the Criminal Registers and was imprisoned on 5th Jan 1880 for embezzlement.
Charles pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 9 months and 1 days imprisonment with hard labour at HM Prison, Chester Castle.
www.tripadvisor.com photo taken by Ian D
However the 'embezzlement' of monies wasn't the full story as desertion of his wife and children and an elopment with an already married woman were also part of this crime's story.
The Huddersfield Chronicle of 18th Dec 1879 reported:
The Chester Courant on 24th Dec 1879 gave a more indepth report of the crime, which I have transcribed below, editing some of the repetition of the crime details.
Embezzlement by a Coal Agent
At the Birkenhead Police Court, on Wednesday, before Mr C J Preston, stipendiary magistrate, a respectable looking man named Charles Youell was brought up by warrant charged with embezzling £130 belonging to the Wigan and Whiston Coal Company. A warrant had been issued against the prisoner for having deserted his wife and four children, who had become chargeable to the Birkenhead guardians. Mr Moore appeared for the prosecution, and stated that the prisoner was engaged by the Wigan and Whiston Coal Company, at the beginning of May 1878, as the clerk and agent for the Birkenhead depot of the company, in Abbey Street, his salary being 30shillings a week. Some time ago suspicion fell upon the prisoner that he had been tampering with the accounts, and on the 20th October last, Mr Brittan, the manager of the company, visited Birkenhead, for the purpose of investigating the books. The result of the examination was that Mr Brittan discovered that several accounts had been paid to the prisoner, who had not accounted for the money. Upon being questioned , the prisoner said he had lost between £35 and £36 in a bag at Christmas last, and that he intended to make up his deficiencies. On the day after the investigation the prisoner called upon several of the company’s customers, who paid him various sums. Having obtained the money, the prisoner deserted his wife and five children, and eloped with a married woman, who left behind her four children. The prisoner’s wife and children had become chargeable to the Birkenhead Guardians, and the relieving officer held a warrant for his apprehension. The prisoner was apprehended at Hull on Sunday morning. Mr Moore then called several witnesses to support the charge of embezzlement.- Mr Duffin, wife of William Duffin, a coal dealer at New Ferry, stated that her husband dealt with the company. She paid the prisoner £10 on 21st October last. Mr Thomas, coal dealer, Chester Street, said he paid the prisoner £6 on the same date. Richard Robinson of New Ferry Lane deposed to paying the prisoner £4 1sh 6d on the 8th July last. ……
…… Detective Officer Moore stated that the prisoner had been given into his custody at Hull on Sunday last. He said he was sorry for what he had done and that he had intended to go to Africa. As to the woman he eloped with, he stated she was not in Hull. Matthew Newhouse, Richard Cottam and Thomas Foster also proved that they had paid to the prisoner various amounts of money, which he had not accounted for the company. The prisoner, who had nothing to say in his defence, was committed for trial for embezzlement. The charge against the accused for deserting his wife and children was not proceeded with, but it was stated that the name of the woman he eloped with was ‘Marrett’, she lived in Lower Tranmere and that she deserted her four children and decamped with the prisoner whilst her husband was away at the Isle of Wight on the account of ill health. When questioned in court, the prisoner refused to tell the whereabouts of the woman to her husband.
Another newspaper report in the Manchester Evening News on 7th Jan 1880 suggests that Charles Youell was of 'gentlemanly appearance.'
Which brings me to the theme of 'character', Charles Youell gave the impression of an upstanding man, a job which involved trust and money and yet in reality he was a man who stole from his employers, deserted his wife and children, inclusive of a 5 year old, Jane, to the Poor Law and Workhouse, whilst he endeavoured to elope with a married woman to a far off land, a somewhat elaborate plan which in reality was more likely to have been a plan to set up as 'husband and wife' in a neutral town to restart a life together. Whilst any charges related to desertion were dropped it was commented upon, in the statement that the offence was one 'of an aggravated nature.'
"Business necessity caused Mr Youell to remove to London and fifteen years ago he came to town and took up his abode at 41 Delaford Rd, where he has remained ever since."
This was the comment made in the report of the murder of Jane Youell, however it would appear that Charles Youell moved to London post his spell in prison, to commence a new life in an area where his history would have been unknown. fortunately he took his wife, Emily and family with him.
The 1881 census returns that the Youell family began taking in 'Boarders' once they had moved to Bermondsey. In this years census it shows Joseph Seddon, a telegraphist, living with them.
In 1891, Charles is working as a Flag Makers Agent and his brother in law, John Williams, an engine driver and Jack Cheesman, a waiter are living with the family.
As we know, from the newspapers at the time of Jane's murder in 1895, Charles was working as a nightwatchman and their lodger, was Joseph Canning.
After that tragedy, Charles, Emily and their unmarried son, Charles, a head porter for the railway, were living at 25 Hawkstone Rd Rotherhithe, a boundary road of Southwark Park.
Charles senior died in 1903 and was buried in a Paupers Grave on 10th October 1903 in Southwark.
Emily outlived her husband by 15 years. She is found living alone in 1911, in 2 roomed accomodation at 89 Abbeyfield Rd, Southwark, her son Charles finally getting married in 1904 a year after his father's death, in 1911 he and his young family are living in 3 rooms at the same address as his mother. Emily died in 1919 and was buried at Newnham. The timing of this marriage makes me wonder about the nature of Charles and Eliza's marriage and whether he remained in the parental home as some sort of protection for his mother. This is supposition of course.
As for Mrs Marrett, the 'other woman', I have been unable to pinpoint who she was or where she ended up.
A quick update on Charles and Emily's children.
Eliza Youell married Frank Westcott, who became Frank Youell, the stepson of Charles' father William via his second marriage to Sarah Westcott nee Hall in 1899. Emily and Frank had 2 children, Frank Ernest and Emily May.
As indicated in the post Charles William, married the year following his fathers death, aged 38 to Elizabeth Florence Glass. They had 6 children.
Mary Ann Emily Swingler Youell married Albert Edward Smith in 1893, I believe the couple had 2 children.
Maria Youell married Edward Charles Naylor in 1890. I believe they had 2 children.
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