Charles Thomas Paine (1869 – 1936)

Charles Thomas Paine was born in 1869 in St Pancras in London, the son of William and Sarah Rachel, nee Catts, Paine. William and Sarah had married on 23 December 1866 at St Paul in Hammersmith.

In the 1871 census Charles was recorded living with his parents and brother William in Jeffrey Street in St Pancras. William was a piano forte small work maker. His mother Sarah died in 1876 in Pancras. Charles’s father William remarried on 30 September 1877 at All Saints in Camden Town to Mary Ann Gilby. A few years later in the 1881 census Charles was recorded with his father William, his step mother Mary Ann, brothers William and Frederick and sisters Sarah and Edith at 3 Sussex Terrace in St Pancras.

By the time of the 1891 census Charles had moved to Newbury and he was recorded as a boarder at 9 Park Street. His brother William was also a boarder at the same house. Charles was a piano forte tuner and repairer while William was an organ and piano forte tuner.

Charles married Ellen Elizabeth Easter on 21 August 1897 at All Saints, Writtle in Essex. Ellen was born on 1 October 1871 in Hatfield Peverel in Essex.

In the 1901 census Charles and Ellen were living in Clifton House in Newbury along with son Cyril Charles aged 2. Charles was recorded as a piano forte tuner. Ten years later in the 1911 census the family were living at 35 Berkeley Road in Newbury with Charles now a piano and organ tuner.

Charles was recorded at 36 Berkeley Road in Newbury in the 1921 census. His occupation was piano and organ tuner and repairer. He was working for A Cary who was based at 47 & 48 Northbrook Street. Ellen and Cyril were not recorded at 36 Berkeley Road and cannot be found elsewhere in the 1921 census.

Charles died on 28 January 1936 aged 66 at Royal Berks Hospital in Reading while still living at 36 Berkeley Road. and he was buried at Newtown Road Cemetery on 1 February. He left a will and probate was granted on 7 May 1936 at London to his son Cyril Charles Paine. The value of the estate was £1,014 17s 11d.

An article appeared in the Newbury Weekly News after his death. It mentioned he had been a tuner and repairer of organs and pianos for 48 years working for Alphonse Cary Ltd. He was a keen gardener and had been a member of Newbury and District gardener’s association and also allotment holder’s association. During WW1 he had served in the home defence corps and then helped in the manufacturer of munitions in Manchester. He had been in hospital for just over a fortnight, he had two accidents within a year, the last being in October. He had not worked since a few days before Christmas.

Ellen continued to live in Newbury after the death of Charles. In September 1939 when the national register was compiled she was recorded at 36 Berkeley Road, and she was helping out in the Womens Voluntary Service. She died on 2 September 1969 in Newbury and was cremated on 8 September.

Charles’s father William Paine and stepmother Mary Ann Paine were buried at Newtown Road Cemetery on 1 May 1925 and 31 December 1927 respectively.

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