Chapter 14 - The Charleys of the United States of America and Canada

 Chapter 14

The Charleys of the United States of America and Canada

One day in early 1956, Robin Charley from Northern Ireland had to visit an American Military Attaché at the Embassy in London. Being early for his appointment and having some time to wait, he noticed a large number of U.S.A. telephone directories on the library shelves. From these directories he recorded the names and addresses of 42 Charleys. A little while later he was staying with Jack Charley of the North Devon Charleys who was then retired from the Royal Navy and living in Bradfield, Berkshire. Between them they drafted a short letter and sent it to 37 of the American names (five were from the same addresses). Eight replies were received although several were combined ones replying for various addresses and one letter was returned to sender. One reply said “ …..being of Russian descent our family name was a long one – very difficult to pronounce, and it was changed to Charley” another said “my father is of Greek extraction, born in Greece in 1889. His true name is Peter Dionis Evalgelakas, which he changed to Peter Charley upon attaining U.S. citizenship in 1909.”

One family by the name of Charley were living at Eagle Point, Oregon in 1942. They were descended from a William who was a bugler in the American Civil War: he had brothers George and Jess who also served in that war.

Another Charley family were living at Portland, Oregon. They originated from a Peter G. Charley b. 1831, d. 1876 the son of George B. Charley. They were living at Coridon, Harrison County, Indiana where Peter’s son John Edward was born on 19^th Jul, 1863.

At Spokane, Washington in 1956 lived Roy Charley who was born at Protection, Kansas on 12^th December, 1884. His father George, of Coridon, Indiana was born 17^th October, 1838 and left home while still quite young. George went west to the mining country and died 4^th January 1909. He had a younger brother Joe who was living at Kellogg, Idaho in 1916 but who has since died. Roy Charley is obviously a connection of the Oregon Charleys.

Michael Francis Charley was President of the Standard Pharmacal Company Chicago in 1956. His grandfather John came to La Salle, Illinois about 1850 from Co. Roscommon, Ireland. He was tall and husky and had a cousin John Charley who also came from Ireland. This other John was a little short stocky fellow.

Some letters were received from Mrs. Ada Charley Wood of Billings, Montana. Her great grandfather was Robert Charley of Belfast who was born in 1804 and who married Maria Hall in London. They went to Wisconsin U.S.A. in 1845/46. His grandson Maurice Robert lived in a substantial property at Minot, North Dakota and his great grandson Roy James Charley was living in this house in 1956. The first Robert Charley from Belfast was a tall man, six feet or more, very straight and slim, with high forehead, straight hair, piercing blue eyes and a sharp pointed nose.

Pedigrees of the American Charleys are to be found in Appendices IX, X, XI and XII.

Walter Robert Matthew Charley, JP, the third son of John Stouppe Charley, DL, J.P, of Finaghy House, was born 2^nd July, 1859 and settled at Pine Lake, Alberta Canada. At the age of 40 in 1899, he married Mary Simpson, the lovely sixteen year old daughter of the local Canadian Member of Parliament. They lived in a split log cottage at the little settlement on the edge of the Pine Lake. It was a very happy but childless marriage. They retired to England where he died on 21^st May, 1930. She died there on 10^th December, 1955. Walter Charley was a great upholder in Canada of the local Church of England Church and the cricket team. It was a settlement of English and Irish “gentry” although they lived very frugally in extreme pioneer conditions.