First World War Memorial, St Margaret’s Church, Oxford

Charles William JONES (1887–1919)

© Images & Voices,
Oxfordshire County Council

Charles William Jones was born in Oxford in 1887. His father was Robert Jones (born in Bishopsgate, London in c.1856) and his mother was Amelia Davis (born at Little Billing, Northamptonshire on 22 December 1857, the daughter of the slater William Jones, and baptised there on 14 February 1858).

On 16 June 1885 at Little Billing Church, Robert Jones (29), described as a coachman of Hornchurch, married Amelia Davis (27), described as a domestic servant of Little Billing. They moved to Oxford, where they had six children:

• Charles William Jones (born in Oxford in 1887 and baptised at Little Billing on 7 August)
• Gladys Elizabeth Jones (born in Oxford in 1889 and baptised at Little Billing on 25 August).
• Alice Mary Jones (born in Oxford on 5 July 1891 and baptised at SS Philip & James Church on 30 August)
• Annie Amelia Jones (born in Oxford on 12 August 1893 and baptised at SS Philip & James Church on 17 September)
• Elsie Florence Jones (born in Oxford on 22 December 1895 and baptised at SS Philip & James Church on 1 March 1896)
• Robert Alexander (Alick) Jones (born in Oxford on 14 December 1898 and baptised at Holywell Church on 12 February 1899).

Charles’s father was a cab (or fly) proprietor at the time of the 1891 census, when the family were living at 7 Norham Garden Mews, Fyfield Road, Oxford and Charles was three years old. By the time their daughter Annie was baptised in September 1893, they had moved to 46 Hayfield Road (then in SS Philip & James parish, but in St Margaret’s parish from 1896).

At the time of the baptism of their youngest child Alick in February 1899, Charles’s parents were living at the livery stables at 49a Holywell Street (whose site is now occupied by part of Hertford College’s north quad), where Charles’s father worked as a coachman. Charles (13) was still living at these stable at the time of the 1901 census with his father Robert (44), his mother Amelia (43), and his five siblings Gladys (11), Alice (9), Annie (7), Elsie (5), and Robert Alexander (3).

In about 1910 Charles’s parents moved back to 46 Hayfield Road.

At the time of the 1911 census Charles (21), described as a college servant by trade, was a Private in the Royal Army Medical Corps (Territorial Force) and spent census night at the Royal Victoria Hospital near Netley, Southampton. Meanwhile his father Robert (54) was still working as a cab driver and living at 46 Hayfield Road with his wife Amelia (53) and three of their children: Alice (19), who was a housemaid; Elsie (15), who was a dressmaker; and Alick (12), who was still at school. Charles's other two sisters were in service away from home: Gladys (23) was working in London as a housemaid for a woolbroker who lived at 53 Holland Park Avenue, and Annie Amelia (17) was a general servant in the household of a clergyman at Edgeworth, Cirencester.

In the First World War Charles William Jones served as a Private in the 2nd/4th Battalion of the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (Service No. 203381). He died of pneumonia in France at the age of 31 more than three months after the armistice on 21 February 1919: he would have been in one of the three hospitals or the Q.M.A.A.C. convalescent depot which remained open at Etaples for another ten months after the war ceased. He is buried at the Etaples Military Cemetery (LXXII.C.13), and his family paid for the additional inscription DEARLY LOVED SON AND BROTHER FOR EVER IN OUR THOUGHTS / JESU MERCY on his headstone.

He is remembered on the war memorial outside St Margaret’s Church in north Oxford.