Charles James Kew was born on 30 July 1871 in Massachusetts, U.S.A., a British subject by parentage. He was the son of James and Keziah Kew née Ives. His father was a compositor.
On 22 January 1883 he was admitted to the Beethoven Street School, Paddington, London, having previously attended the Holy Trinity School, Paddington and was living with his widowed mother at 104 Sixth Avenue, Queens Park, London.
In June 1886 he was appointed as a telegraph messenger in Paddington and in May 1890 was promoted to the grade of postman. In the 1891 census he was shown as aged 19 years and a postman living at 48 Ilbert Street, Kensal Town, London.
On 26 September 1892 he married Jane Nicholas (b.circa 1867) at St Peter's Church, Paddington and in the marriage register he is shown as aged 21 years, a bachelor and a postman, living at 26 Edbrooke Road, Paddington, whilst his wife was described as aged 24 years and a spinster also residing at 26 Edbrooke Road, the daughter of John Nicholas, a gentleman.
In May 1894 he was regraded as a sorter in the General Post Office (G.P.O.). The 1901 census shows him as aged 29 years and a G.P.O. sorter, still living at 26 Edbrooke Road, together with his wife and his cousin, Amelia A. Taylor, aged 14 years.
When he completed his 1911 census return form he described himself as aged 39 years and a G.P.O. letter sorter living in a ten roomed property at 'Glenmaye', Westcliff, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, together with his wife and Ethel Jessie Cutter who was shown as aged 30 years, a single female companion.
He was one of the first people to join the Royal Defence Corps which was formed in 1916 and his service number was 14. He was serving in his regiment's Administrative Centre as a Regimental Quartermaster Serjeant when he died on 8 May 1919 at 23 Courtfield Gardens, Earls Court, London. His death was registered as aged 47 years in the 2nd quarter of 1919 in the Kensington Registration District, London. His death certificate gave the cause of death as acute abdominal pain and heart failure on active service. He was buried in Plot 96, Grave 7, in the Hanwell (Kensington and Chelsea) Cemetery, 31 Uxbridge Road, London, W7 3PP and he is commemorated there on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's Screen Wall.
On 20 June 1919 his widow was sent his £172-9s-7d Royal Mail gratuity for his 28 years and 7 months service with the Post Office. Probate records confirm that his address had been 11 Salterford Road, Tooting, Surrey (now Greater London) and that when probate was granted to his widow on 5 July 1919 his effects totalled £269-13s-6d. By 3 January 1920 his widow was sent his army effects of £9-11s-9d plus his £23-0s-0d war gratuity.
He is shown as 'Kew, C. J.' on the Western Postal District war memorial at Mount Pleasant, London, WC1. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, on the A Street Near You website, on the Royal British Legion's Every One Remembered website and on page 210 of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's Book of Remembrance 1914-1920.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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