The Family History of Michael STRAND of Leicester, UK Email: mikeleics@hotmail.com
1849
Charles STRAND was the
second and last son of Richard and Sarah STRAND (nee Brown). His
elder brother William was born 21st December 1847, with Charles
almost 2 years later, on 11 October 1849 at Preston by Wingham,
Kent.
Charles was baptized at St. Mildred's Parish Church, Preston by Wingham, exactly one month later, on Sunday 11 November 1849 by the Minister, G. P. Marriott.
Just a few months after Charles was born his father
became seriously ill. He was only 14 months old when his father
died of Consumption. Life was extremely hard for Sarah and her
family. In the 1851 census, she is the Head of the Household,
occupation, "pauper".
1874
St. Peter & St. Paul Parish Church Dymchurch (c.1950)
Charles too had a fairly short first marriage of just 11 years, to Kate BOULDING. They were married at St. Peter & St. Paul Parish Church in Dymchurch on 4 April 1874. Kate was one of seven daughters of Mercy (nee EDWARDS) and the late Richard BOULDING, a shepherd from the remote settlement of Orgarswick, nr Dymchurch.
In those eleven years of marriage Charles & Kate
had four children; Sidney Richard in April 1876, Edith Kate 1878,
Emily Louise late in 1881, and Ernest Charles in October 1883.
Ernest never really knew his mother; he was just 20 months old
when she died. The 1881 census shows the couple with their two
children at that time, living at 34 St. Peters Place, Canterbury.
A Kent Trade Directory of 1912 shows Charles still at this address..
1888
With his eldest child still only 11 years of age, Charles married again. He was a widower for just under 3 years. Phoebe SILK was a single woman, some 12 years younger than himself. They married at St. Dunstans Parish Church, Canterbury on 31 March 1888.
From the various records it would seem that Charles worked as a Grocer's Warehouseman all his life. For many years he lived with both his families in St. Peters Place, Canterbury, no's 31 and 34 (both standing in 1993).
St.Peter's Place, like large parts of Canterbury in the 1800's, was subject to regular flooding. In the early to mid 1800's the water supply in Canterbury was sourced in three ways; a spring at the top of St. Martin's Hill, from the Water Company who pumped directly from the polluted River Stour, and from a number of wells. When the polluted river inundated the area, many of the wells were declared unfit. Kate STRAND may possibly have been infected from a polluted well, resulting in her premature death at 35 years of age from Diarrhoea, Exhaustion and Syncope. She died at the home of her mother-in-law, Sarah BEDMAN at 12 Castle Green, Sandgate, Folkestone, on 13 June 1885.
Six years later, the 1891 census show Charles still at number 34 St. Peters Place, but now with wife Phoebe together with her first child, Lilian aged 2 years. They were to have two more daughters, Ethel in 1892 and Kathleen in 1898.
Another view of Canterbury, close to St.Peter's Place is a 'picture postcard' view of St. Dunstan's Street after a heavy snowfall in c.1909.
Canterbury was served by a vast range of shops by the mid 1800's. There were several grocers, one of the largest being Theobalds & Coopers, equivalent to today's supermarket. At the present time it is not known where Charles Strand was employed as a grocer's warehouseman..
By 1915, Charles and Phoebe had moved to 57 Havelock Street, on the other side of Canterbury.
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| Charles & Phoebe (c.1924) | Havelock Street, Canterbury (1996) |
It was whilst living at Havelock Street, with his daughter and son-in-law, Ethel and Edward Knight, that Phoebe died in 1919. It was also where Charles made his last Will and testament, dated 17 December 1923.
Charles saw all of his seven children marry; Sidney in 1899 to Isabell STEDALL, Emily to Frederick KEELER and Ernest to Rose GROWNS both in 1905, Edith in 1911 to George HOMEWOOD, Ethel in 1916 to Edward KNIGHT, Lilian the following year to Alfred JONES and lastly, Kathleen to Sydney CHANDLER in 1920.
1905 proved an eventful year for Charles with two
weddings and a funeral. Charles was at the side of his mother
Sarah BEDMAN, at 17 Wincheap, Canterbury. when she died on 12
February 1905 aged 77. It seems possible that Sarah may have been
comforting her sister-in-law who had lost her husband James STRAND,
on Boxing day the previous year.
1932
Charles was 82 when he too died on 18th January 1932, from a)Senile decay, b)Bronchitis. His death was notified to the Registrar by son, Sidney Richard who was present at the death.
2 High Street, Canterbury (1996)
In his Will, everything was to be divided equally between his children:- Sidney Richard Strand, Ernest Charles Strand, Edith Kate Homewood, Emily Louise Keeeler, Ethel Knight and Kathleen Chandler. The gross value of his Estate was £342.0s.0d. The Will was witnessed by Alfred Divers, company director & A.J.Dweis?(Hanamon Thomas Dweis) commercial clerk. In addition to the signature of Charles, it also bears the signatures of S.R. Strand, E.A. Knight, plus two other names not readable. It is interesting that daughter Lilian is not mentioned - she was still alive at the time Charles made his Will in 1915; she married in 1917! Had they perhaps quarreled and Charles disinherited her ?
At the time of his death, Charles was at 2 High Street, Canterbury, the building previously known as the Chekers of Hope Inn, made famous in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
In 1996, No.2 High Street was occupied by Olivers
shoe shop.
Updated 20 December 1997