Part of the Earley family tree
Family background
Charles John Earley was born at “Sandhill Gate” (now Sandleheath) near Fordingbridge, Hampshire on 6 February 1842, and baptised at Fordingbridge parish church on 15 May 1842. He was the third child of John Earley (c.1819–c.1909), a turnpike gatekeeper and his wife, Elizabeth née Halliday (1814–1889).
At the time of Charles’s birth, John Earley was the turnpike gate keeper at Sandhill Gate, but by the time of the birth of Charles’s brother, George, in 1849 the family had moved to Picket Post, near Ringwood, where John was now the gatekeeper. The family did not stay at Picket Post for long, and by 1854 John was now gatekeeper at Leigh, near Wimborne Minster in Dorset. By 1861, John had ceased employment as a gatekeeper and the family were living at Longham Street in Hampreston, where both Charles and his father were working as agricultural labourers.
Marriage and children
On 4 October 1866, Charles (aged 24) married 22-year old Martha Rose (from West Grimstead, near Salisbury) at the District Registry Office for Alderbury (in the St Edmund parish of Salisbury).
By the time of the marriage, Martha Rose already had two sons: Charles Mursell Rose, born 23 May 1863, and William George, born 6 January 1865. At his birth, William was registered with the surname “Rose”, but when he was baptised at St John’s Church, West Grimstead on 15 November 1871, his father was recorded as Charles Earley.
Charles and Martha had a further nine children, all born at West Grimstead:
Sidney John Earley, born 26 July 1867, baptised at Burley 15 October 1867
Alfred George Earley, born 17 August 1869, baptised at West Grimstead 15 November 1871
Harry William Earley, born 22 June 1871, baptised 15 November 1871
Edward Earley, born 9 March 1874, baptised 14 May 1874
Elizabeth Jane, born 29 February 1876, baptised 25 May 1876
Tom Earley, born 24 August 1878, baptised 18 December 1878
Martha Kate Earley, born 15 April 1881, baptised 26 May 1881
Frank Earley, born 15 April 1884, baptised 22 May 1884
Emmeline Mary Earley, born 20 July 1887, baptised 21 December 1887
It appears that Martha and Charles may have fallen out with the vicar of West Grimstead; as a consequence they were married at the Registry Office in Alderbury, Sidney was not baptised there, while William and Alfred were not baptised until they were 6 and 2 years old respectively.
At the 1871 census, Martha and Charles (now a dairyman) were living in West Grimstead, where they were to remain for the rest of their lives, with various members of their family, as children were born and later moved out of the family home.
At the 1911 and 1921 censuses, Charles and Martha were living on their own at West Grimstead; Charles’s occupation was recorded as “retired dairyman”.
Charles died at West Grimstead on 2 January 1924, aged 81. The cause of death was “morbus cordis” (Heart failure).