Chapter 10 - The Charleys of North Devon

Chapter 10

The Charleys of North Devon

In 1964 the writer was in correspondence with Thomas Lerwell Charley of Combe Park, Lynton, N. Devon, then aged 84. He knew little of family history except that he was of Irish descent, and that a Hugh Charley came over from Belfast and founded the family in North Devon several centuries ago.

She also corresponded with Mrs. Caroline Charley (70) of Homeside, Kentisburyford, North Devon, the widow of Sergeant Frederick George Charley who was killed in Jerusalem in 1917, aged 19 years. She recalled that a Charley is supposed to have gone over to Australia sheep farming and was not heard of again. It is probable that this was Philip Charley, born in North Moulton, in 1822 who emigrated to Australia after 1854. (See later in this chapter; also the Charleys of Australia.)

The Charleys in North Devon have a crest which denotes a unicorn. This may be confused with a saker’s head and cornflower in its beak which is the Belfast Charley crest. The two are similar. Mrs. Caroline Charley has a silver table spoon given by her mother-in-law. It is dated 1761 and engraved “I.C.” which she thinks is Izis Charley, the wife of Hugh Charley. Such spoons were given by Izis to each of her children and were again handed down to different families. These Charleys were all of the Protestant faith.

They farmed land in Combe Martin and Kentisbury. It is known that they ‘made up and spent fortunes,’ chiefly through the unwise use of alcohol, and the suggestion was made by Mrs. Charley that Philip Charley, referred to above, was disowned by the family because of his drinking habits and subsequently emigrated to Australia.

Thomas Lerwell Charley’s brother John Turner Charley, then 70 years of age farmed near Barnstaple.

In 1964 Bob Charley of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, the second son of Philip Charley and grandson of Philip of North Moulton, North Devon, was in England on holiday. He saw Thomas Lerwell Charley and Mrs. Caroline Charley and confirmed the details given above.

The following are the names of the early churchwardens in Combe Martin Parish Church, North Devon:

1699	John Charley	1714	Richard Charley
1729	Richard Charley	1730	Richard Charley
1814	John Charley	1815	John Charley
1820	John Charley	1822	John Charley

 It is interesting to note the repetition of the names John and Richard which were often used by the family in Northern Ireland and Chorley. It is known, from the deeds, that Nutcombe Farm, Combe Martin, another Charley home, was in the Charley family before 1699.

There is a Charley family vault in the churchyard. The following is the inscription:

"How many pompous words are often spread
To number up the virtues of the dead
Vain use of praise since all mankind must know
The Judgement Day alone must plainly show.”

In 1936 Mrs. Jessie Mary Charley, née Paramore, widow of General Charley who died in 1909, late of the 60^th King’s Royal Rifles, was living at Coulsworthy where the family had lived for years. Mrs. Charley died in 1959 aged 96.

This farm passed to Lieutenant Commander Jack Charley who, when he wrote in 1924, was Commander Her Majesties Ship Queen Elizabeth. He died in 1960.

A John Charley writing in 1924 from Park Royal Hotel, Leinster Gardens, W.2, said he was a Jamaican Charley connected with those in North Devon. He remembered a John Charley going to Jamaica from Belfast but he was drowned while duck shooting.

He said their crest was a dove with an olive branch in its beak. It occurs to me this also is a mistake. The Charley crest used in Chorley and Belfast is a saker’s head with a cornflower in its beak. These two might easily be confused. This John had a brother James Charley who lived in London. They also had an uncle and grand uncle James Charley. This John said he married a distant cousin whose mother was a Charley.

A Frank Charley, son of Richard Charley of Kinkerswell, South Devon, stated in 1936 that he was one of the Combe Martin Charleys. He had been manager of Lloyds Bank at Honiton, Basingstoke, Calne, and Devizes. He confirmed that the Devonshire Charleys came from Belfast. He was brought up by his aunt near Barnstaple: there were two Miss Charleys there who ran a girls’ school. This was confirmed by Mrs. Caroline Charley.

The write met Mrs. Charley Richards in 1935 living at Northwood, Middlesex. She was connected with the Devon Charleys and her husband had to assume the name of Charley Richards for legal reasons. She could give little information.

From records of the Chorley family gathered by Lt. Colonel Robin Charley of Belfast it is known that a Hugh Chorley married Izis Watts at Bradford on November 17, 1668. It might be that this Hugh was the one who left Ulster and settled in North Devon. The first Charley church warden recorded in Combe Martin Parish church is John, dated 1699. He could be the son of Hugh; furthermore the spoon marked I.C. 1761 in the possession of Mrs. Caroline Charley, might have associations with Izis, the wife of Hugh. This can only be surmised. However, there was a Will Charley who married Jane May on 6 Nov 1628 at Barnstaple, Devon and a John Charly there in 1653.

In 1954 Robin Charley of Belfast corresponded with Captain John Paramore Charley RN (see above) then living at Reading. The following are extracts from the Captain’s letter:

“My father, John Crang Charley, (his mother was a Crang of North Devon) had an elder sister but no brother. His mother died at his birth in 1837 and his father died a couple of years later. The grandparents being dead, these two orphans were brought up by their Charley great-grandparents whom they deeply loved, at Coulsworthy, near Combe Martin, North  Devon. My father, aged 16, was given a commission by the Duke of Cambridge and was sent out to India as an Ensign in the 56^th Foot, and within a year or so he transferred to the 60^th King’s Royal Rifles. He loved his regiment and his life in India, spending nearly all his service there, for being a bachelor he managed to transfer from one battalion to another on relief thus benefitting himself and those officers who did not want to go. A very good horseman, riding in many a race, enjoying pig-sticking, playing polo and a very good shot, spending much time in Kashmir in this pursuit. He was with Roberts at Kandahar. He had brief spells at the Depot at Winchester, his name appearing on the tablet near to Bull’s on the Winchester Cathedral Memorial. He volunteered for the South African War but being too old was not accepted. On retirement in about 1887 he was made a Major General, much to his annoyance. He married Jessie Mary Paramore, daughter of the Rev. John Huxtable Paramore, and I resulted in 1890, having previously had a sister who predeceased me. Thus I am an ‘only’ and having no family myself, our branch will soon die out. My father died in 1909 (I was 19), having been severely ill for 2 or 3 years with cancer of the throat. Thus I had little chance of learning much about our family. My mother had an uncle, by marriage, William Chorley, whom I, as a small boy well remember kept his own pack of harriers at Quarme, near Dulverton, Somerset. I went to Cheltenham College junior school, Teighmore, in 1902 intending to go on to Cheltondale and so into the Army, but within 6 months or so a holiday chum was thinking of going into the navy. Thus I thought I would have a go too. He got in and to my surprise so did I. I had no previous connection in any way with the navy nor had any of my forebears so far as I am aware.

The only other Charleys I know of are in the West Indies. It was a cousin of my father, one Richard, who went to Jamaica with the proverbial £5 note. That may have been about 1870. He alternately made and lost, owing to weather, a fortune in sugar, etc. By his first wife he had two sons and when she died he married again, a local woman, and reared a second family. I gather the first family was unfairly treated with regard to its rightful inheritance, and I think one of them, a man of about my own age, lives at Highbury, London, N. He also is a John. Of the second family I have met Harold Joce and he seems prosperous in Jamaica.”

In August, 1965 the writer discovered the following facts from the Marriage Registers at Somerset House:

Date August 28, 1854.

Philip Charley, bachelor, coach painter, son of James Charley (late) tallow melter, Catherine Thompson, spinster, daughter of William Thompson, chair maker, St. Mary Haggerston Middlesex Parish Church.

This is the marriage record of Philip Charley who emigrated to Australia. See Chapter 11.

In May, 1965 the author was in North Devon and met the Charleys mentioned before, with whom she had already corresponded. Thomas Lerwell Charley said that Hugh Charley “a warrior” came over from Belfast many centuries ago and was given extensive land along the coast from Combe Martin to Lynton. It was a gift for services rendered to the Crown. This is interesting as it is known that the Charley coming from Belfast to Berkeley Castle (see Chapter 8) was given residence there because of some personal service rendered to the family of Fitzharding who, in the reign of Elizabeth I had been deputy Lords of Ireland. Can there be any connection? Thomas spoke of extensive farming activities by the family and of fortunes made and lost. He remembered stag hunting as a popular sport and also the wildness of the navvies who were camping in the district while building the Barnstaple and Lynton railway. The “Fox and Goose” at Parracombe was the scene of a fight between “Devon Tom,” the ringleader of the gang, and Police Sergeant Endacott who challenged a trial of strength and won. There was no more trouble. Mrs. Clara Endacott, the Sergeant’s widow, of Myrtle Cottage, North Moulton, 90 years old, was a Miss Charley, daughter of Robert Charley of Fremington, near Barnstaple and she recounted this story.

It appears that the title deed to Coulsworthy Farm, the original home of the Charleys, is dated 1571, though the present house was not built until the time of George IV. Nutcombe Farm nearby is older.

Mrs. Jessica Charley, the widow of General John Charley, the last Charley owner of Coulsworthy was an enterprising lady who for more than half a century sold the water of St. John’s spring at Coulsworthy, it being thought to resemble both in composition and therapeutic effect the water of Evian-les-Bains. Mrs. Charley developed an extensive trade until a tax on table water was imposed and the fine bottling shed and grotto over the mill had no further use. The spring continues to flow. The bottling shed has been turned into an up-to-date dwelling house. Thousands of empty bottles lie around.

Rene Charley, the author, stayed in 1965 at Kentisfordbury with Mrs. Caroline Charley, née Smallbridge, whose youth was spent at Nutcombe Farm. After the death of her husband Sergeant Frederick Charley at Jerusalem in 1917 she lived there with her parents-in-law and has farmed ever since. It is due to her knowledge of past family lore that much of the information gathered during her visit was collected.

Her brother-in-law Jack Turner Charley lives at Preston Farm, Kentisfordbury, near Barnstaple. He confirmed much of this information and provided an old document giving Charley baptisms and burials going back to 1676. The names Richard and John appear frequently. These were taken from Kentisfordbury Church. The first in the ‘Burials’ list is Hugh Charley, May 16, 1716.