Charles William Lewis was born on 2 November 1884, a twin child of Charles Lewis (1855-1926 and Elizabeth Ann Lewis née Prior (b.1848). His twin sister was Elizabeth Beatrice Lewis (1884-1973) and their births were registered in the 4th quarter of 1884 in the Marylebone Registration District, Middlesex (now Greater London). On 4 December 1884 both he and his sister were baptised in St Mary's Church, Marylebone, where the baptismal register confirms their date of birth, that their family was living at 66 Baker Street, Marylebone and that their father was a jeweller's porter.
In the 1891 census he was shown as aged 6 years and a scholar, living at 60 Miles Buildings, Carlisle Street, Marylebone, London, with his parents and his twin sister who was also listed as a scholar. His father was described as a jeweller's plate cleaner.
Having attended the Capland Street School (now the Gateway Academy), Lisson Grove, on 26 June 1893 he was admitted into the Bell Street School, Marylebone, where the admission register shows his address as 5 Miles Buildings, Carlisle Street.
When the 1901 census was undertaken he was shown as aged 16 years and a telegraph messenger, residing at 5 Miles Buildings, Carlisle Street, with his parents, his sister, a cousin called George Simmonds who was aged 10 years and a schoolboy, together with a male boarder. His father was described as a jeweller's assistant.
On 27 December 1903 he married Florence Elizabeth Hodson (1885-1971) in Christ Church, Albany Street, St Pancras, London. The marriage register shows him as aged 21 years (but he was in fact only 19-years-old), a bachelor and a postman, living at 61 Clarence Gardens, St Pancras, whilst his wife was described as aged 21 years (she was only 18-years-old), a spinster, residing at 117 Stanhope Street, St Pancras, the daughter of Richard Hodson, a waiter. They were to have two children: Elizabeth Beatrice Ellen Lewis (1904-1952) and Charles William Frederick Lewis (1907-1986). When their daughter was baptised on 17 July 1904 at Christ Church, the baptismal register shows the family living at 89 Miles Buildings and when their son was baptised on 1 March 1908 they were residing at 74 Miles Buildings.
When he completed his 1911 census return form he described himself as aged 26 years and a G.P.O. postman, living in three rooms in 30 Osborne Road, Cricklewood, Willesden Green, Middlesex (now Greater London), with his wife and their two children.
It would appear that he had a child, Noel Ernest Woonacott Lewis (1914-1974), out of wedlock with Gertrude Lavinia Woonacott (1890-1981) who, when baptised on 25 January 1914 at Holy Trinity Church, Paddington, he was shown as living at 2 Cleveland Gardens, Paddington.
When he enlisted as a Gunner in the Royal Regiment of Artillery (Royal Garrison Artillery), service number 96605, on 11 December 1915, his attestation papers show that he was aged 31 years and 2 months, a postman, living at 49 Caversham Road, Kentish Town, London and that he was separated from his wife. He was placed in the Army Reserve and on 18 June 1916 he was mobilised and joined the British Expedition Force on 11 August 1916 in his regiment's No.136 Siege Battery. Against his wishes, his separated wife obtained a compulsory deduction of 6 pence per day from his army pay which was sent as a maintenance payment for her and their two children.
On 4 March 1917, suffering from pleurisy, he was admitted to No.1 Canadian General Hospital and was repatriated to England on 16 March 1917 being based at the regiment's depot in Ripon, Yorkshire. He was reposted on 13 August 1917 to the British Expedition Force, serving in his regiment's No.281 Siege Battery where he received a gun shot wound that penetrated his chest causing compound fractures to his ribs. He died, aged 32 years, on 2 September 1917 from these wounds in the No.3 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station, Remy Siding near Lijssenthoek, Belgium. His body was buried in Plot 18, Row F, Grave 10, in the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Boescheepseweg 35a, 8970 Poperinge, Belgium.
Probate records confirm that his address had been 49 Caversham Road, Kentish Town and that probate was granted on 18 October 1917 to Gertrude Lavinia Wonnacott, a spinster. His effects totalled £224. On 31 January 1918 his army effects totalling £2-16s-2d were sent to Gertrude L. Wonnacott who was also sent his £4-10s-0d war gratuity on 19 November 1919.
Although a weekly pension of £1-2s-11d was sent to his wife with effect from 11 March 1918 (this increased to £1-4s-8d from 1 May 1918) and that she was also sent in May 1919 the 'Next of Kin Memorial Plaque and Scroll' to her home at 17D Peabody Buildings, Herbrand Street, London, WC1, she was not sent his posthumously awarded British War Medal 1914-1918 and Victory Medal as these were sent on 1 October 1921 to Miss Gertrude Lavinia Wonnacott at 123 Gloucester Road, Regents Park, London, NW1.
He is shown as 'LEWIS, C. W.' on the Western Postal District war memorial in Mount Pleasant, London, WC1. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website, on the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery website, on the A Street Near You website, on the Royal British Legion's Every One Remembered website and on page 224 of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's Book of Remembrance 1914-1920.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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