Charles in 1891
In the 1891 census, Charles Frederick is listed as a grocer’s apprentice, living with his parents Thomas and Lucy in Pontefract. So far, we have not checked to see if there an indentiture of apprenticeship on record, but this would be worth following up. If apprenticed at the age of 16, this would be dated around 1890-91. He was definitely apprenticed by the time of the census in 1891, which was in early April.
Charles and scandal
When he was about 20, Charles was involved in a scandal. The facts are a little hazy but the family story is that he had an affair with a woman called Louisa and she said that he had fathered her child, who was named Ada Strangward. Ronald Strangward, my second cousin remembers that they were married but my mother thinks that they were not but both agree that Fred disappeared and was never heard of again. The woman Louisa, was detested by Lucy Strangward and was "of apparently very loose morals,", according to another of my second cousins, Phil Rushton, who remembers overhearing conversations about the scandal.
Louisa went into Pontefract Workhouse) to have the baby and then left it there, "to shame the Strangward name," she said. Lucy, although doubting whether the child was her grand-daughter, could not be completely sure and so felt that it was better to be on the safe side. She took the baby out of the workhouse and brought her up as her own daughter.
Obviously, this is only one side of the story and has been handed down via word of mouth. Facts are just beginning to emerge that hint there is more to the story. Louisa and Fred were married in 1894, nearly two years before Ada's birth and Ada was registered as Ada Strangward. Her birth certificate shows:
Ada Strangward, girl, born Pontefract Workhouse, Tanshelf, 25th April 1896.
Father: Charles Frederick Strangward
Mother Louisa Strangward, formerly Watson
Birth registered by Louisa Strangward, mother, 2nd June 1896.
So, did Fred run off and leave his wife? What provoked him? Was he actually the villain of the piece?My mother remembers that he disappeared around the turn of the century and was apparently never heard from again. However, she remembers that her mother, Annie Elizabeth Strangward, was close to Charles Frederick. This is strange as Annie was only about 3 when Charles is thought to have gone away...
No-one knows where Fred went. Australia and Canada are options. Australia seems a bit unlikely as all the Strangwards in Australia have been quite well traced and are descended from Robert West Strangward who emigrated much earlier in the 19th century. The search continues..
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