Charles Edward Raynham, my grandfather was born on Saturday 1 October 1898, at 74 Bancroft Road, Mile End, London, the second of nine children born to Robert Charles Raynham and Mary Ann. This address was next door to his father's scrap metal business; today this area of Bancroft Road appears to be occupied by an annex of the Royal London Hospital.

Bancroft Road, extracted from an Old Ordnance Survey 1894 map [1] can be clearly seen below, note its closeness to the Mile End Workhouse. Additionally his birth certificate extract can be as well.

The photo below is a typical terrace house currently located in Bancroft road today, it is possibly of the type where Charles was born. Although being owned by a landlord back in the Victorian era its condition would not be as that of today, where owner-occupier is the norm.

Little is known of his childhood but it reasonable to assume that he would have assisted his father and older brother, Robert Richard R5 in the family scrap metal business. He was known to have been a choirboy at St Mary's Sunday school and received a presentation bible in 1911, around the age of 12 years. The inscription inside the cover says:

"Presented to Charles Raynham
Class II St. Mary Sunday School
1911 George Hanks, Rector"

Charles relationship with his older brother was thought to be poor, with no love lost between them. George Albert Raynham R9 their youngest brother felt that this was possibly due to the need to provide support in their father's business. Robert Richard Raynham had also enlisted in the Royal Navy and served as a stoker, losing both eldest sons may have been instrumental in creating the difficulties between the two brothers.

What is clear that Charles and his family had no contact with his siblings throughout Charles's remaining life. There was one exception when in 1963; I came across Robert Richard Raynham's son Robert Arnold Raynham R30. We both worked for Tate and Lyle, he as a staff engineer and myself an 18-year-old apprentice.

It would be another 18 years in 1991 before I contacted him for family history purposes.

Charles was married twice, the first to Catherine Lilian Ada Coram on Sunday 21st January 1923, at St. Dunstan's Parish Church, Stepney London. Witnesses at the wedding according to the marriage certificate were Charles John Coram and Lilian Coram. Below is a contemporary map of 1916, which locates Cadiz Street the address given at the time of their marriage, marked by the X. The photo is of the imposing tower of the church.

Charles was 24 years of age at marriage and gave his occupation as Royal Navy seaman. Catherine was born in 1900 and was 22 years when she got married; it would seem that she was five months pregnant, a copy of their marriage certificate is shown below.

They're first child Charles George Raynham R2 being born on Sunday 20 May 1923.

Charles Edward Raynham lived a long and apparently eventful life; he saw service in the 1st World War when he served on the battleship HMS Bellerophon . His service on this ship is documented from the 30 April 1917 to the 20 February 1920.

Prior to service with HMS Bellerophon Charles appears to have commissioned a painting of himself, below is a photographic copy of the painting. His age is estimated to be 17 years and therefore the painting is dated around 1915/16.

The "Certificate of the Service of Charles Edward Raynham in the Royal Navy" see below provides details of his physical aracteristics including his height and colourings.

HMS Bellerophon , a battleship was launched on the 27 July 1907 and was built at Portsmouth Dockyard. She saw action at the Battle of Jutland , 31 May 1916, a photo of the ship is shown below.

Research has unearthed one reference to HMS Bellerophon when her captain, E. F. Bruen provides a small comment that a cruiser was on fire to the north east of the Bellerophon on the night of the Battle of Jutland , 31 May 1916. [2]

For his service during World War One Charles was given at least two medals, on the edge of both medals was the inscription "J.64885 C. E. Raynham ABRN". One was a bronze and the other a silver George V 1914 - 1918; no ribbons had survived. Both medals were left to his daughter Iris and were photographed, see below.

In addition Charles also served on HMS Royal Oak , another battleship, from 30 August 1921 to 13 January 1922 and 24 March 1922 to 2 October 1922. All other periods of service were on shore base ships including HMS Pembroke , Vivid and Columbine . [3]

Much of the information on Charles's Royal Navy service has been extracted from his "Certificate of Service" and held by myself. Charles continued in service until 8 March 1926, leaving the Royal Navy but was on reserve till 8 March 1933.

He appears not to have served his seven days reserve service in 1929; this may be due to the birth of his only daughter Iris Catherine R28 on Tuesday 9 July 1929. The birth of Iris, to whom he gave his presentation bible of 1911, would have followed the early death of the second son Henry Robert John Raynham R56 in 1927.

The two children, Charles and Iris were photographed in a portrait photo in 1937, Charles would have been about 14 and Iris 8 years of age, this would have been taken shortly after their mother's death, see below.

Charles, the father was known to be living at 52 Stayners Road, Mile End as evidenced by his Post Office Savings Bank pass book, which was opened with a deposit of ?5 2s 11d on the 3 March 1920 about ?110 today. This money almost certainly came from his months of service with the Royal Navy. His surviving driving licence has entries from April 1937 to April 1963; his address in 1937 was given as 51 Emmott Street , Stepney.

However it is clear that he was driving vehicles before 1937, as he received road safety certificates during his working life; the earliest for the year ending 1932.

Memories from Dad and his sister Iris state that the family lived at variety of rented addresses in Stepney such as Eastfield Street in 1923, Taylors Place in 1924, 16 Turners Road in 1925 as well as Emmott Street in 1932. The illustration below locates the first two of the streets from an Old Ordnance Survey 1914 map. [4]

By 1936 he was a widower having suffered the loss of Catherine in that year, having contacted tuberculosis. She was only 36 years of age at death a photograph of Catherine below shows her at a TB hospital at Carshalton, Surrey around the time of her death in 1936.

A copy of Catherine's death certificate is featured below.

Charles later married his wife's younger sister Eliza Elizabeth Coram in 1942; she was born in Stepney in 1909. For many years they lived at 1a Little Ilford Lane, Manor Park London E12, a two-bedroom end terrace Victorian house.

During his employed life he worked for the Co-operative Wholesale Society Ltd , retiring in the 1960s from his position of foreman.

In 1967 they celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary with a family party held in the Three Rabbits , a public house in Manor Park. Below shows Charles and Eliza together at the celebrations.

Eliza died on Saturday 8 December 1973 at their home in Little Ilford Lane; she died from pneumonia, which appears to have brought on heart failure.

Charles continued to live at Manor Park until a few days before his death when he went to 36 Waterbeach Road, Dagenham Essex; the home of his son and daughter in law, Charles George Raynham R2 and Annie Lilian Raynham . However shortly after arriving he collapsed and death was confirmed on his arrival at Oldchurch Hospital, Romford Essex.

Death was from a combination of lung cancer, bronchitis and emphysema. He was aged 79 years at the time of his death on Friday 24 February 1978. An extract from the Raynham Tree  showing Charles and his family is illustrated below, with copies of their respective death certificates.