Name
Charlie James Beacon
17 October 1882
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
49378 second number 46745
12th Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
St Leonard's Church Lychgate (Survivors), Sandridge
Pre War
Charlie James Beacon was the first son born to George Beacon and Sarah nee Pearce on 17th October 1882, the birth was registered in Eastbourne, England.
Charlie James was baptised on 24 December 1882 at St. Pauls, Chichester, Sussex .
In the 1891 census Charlie is recorded as being a scholar , living with his parents - George a cabinet maker and his mother Sarah, an upholsterer and two younger siblings Frank aged 5 and Elsie aged 1 year at 4 Bretland Terrace in Rusthall New Town near Speldhurst, Kent.
By 1901 the family had moved to St. Albans , and Charlie aged 18 still living with his parents at 5 Lower Dagnall Street ,St. Albans, along with his siblings which now included younger brothers Frederick and Percy. Charlie was a cabinet maker like George his father.
Perhaps the family had moved back closer to his mother Sarah’s parents as she has been born in Lemsford , close to St. Albans
On 26th December 1908, Charlie married Edith Amy Turnbull in St. Leonards Church, Sandridge. Edith who had been born in Hartlepool, County Durham, yet had moved with her family to Tunbridge Wells by 1901.
In 1910 Charlie is recorded as living at 27A Cumberland road, Hanwell and the couple have son Eric George born on 20th March 1910, whose birth is registered in Hanwell.
The couple bring Eric to be baptised at St. Leonards Church Sandridge on 15th May 1910.
Yet by 1911 the family of three are living at 'Eastleigh', Totteridge Avenue in High Wycombe, Charlie working as a cabinet maker in the furniture trade.
A second son Ronald Albert was born on 3rd September 1914 in High Wycombe – during the first months of the Great War.
Wartime Service
On his medal card at the end of the war his service number is 46745 with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps.
Yet he had previously served with the 12th Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry with service number 49378
Additional Information
Further research on Charlie after the War ended show him living at 73 Plynlimmon Road in Hastings with his wife Edith and 3 sons. His second son Ronald Albert was born in 1914 – just before the outbreak of war. His third son Kenneth David T was born in1920, after his return . In the 1921 census he is settled in Hasting as 73 Plynlimmon Road , working again as a cabinet maker, with his wife and 3 sons . The electoral roll notes Charlie as an absent voter in 1919 and state his regiment to be the 12th Kings Own Light infantry. However Edith, his wife dies in 1932 in St. Albans so the family had returned to Hertfordshire prior to her death. Charlie remarries two years later aged 50. His new wife is Winifred Rose Winter .Their marriage is registered in Kingston , Surrey and by 1939 the couple are living in Sandridge at 15 Spencer Place, a few doors away from this father and mother Sandridge , as they live at 5, Sandridge Place . Charlie’s occupation on the 1939 register is listed as Carpenter / Joiner. One son, Eric is living with Charlie and Winifred, at this time and also his mother-in-law. A record of death in 1938 reveal the death of his youngest son Kenneth aged 17 years. Ronald Albert the middle son is living in Birmingham working as an electrical engineer and later marries Betty Bawden. Charlie would have been aware of this brother Percy death in 1943, as his father attended the funeral in Oake – Taunton ( see Percy Beacon on HAW). Charlie’s death is recorded in St. Albans in 1964.
Acknowledgments
Sarah Burns
