Charles James Howard Hall was born on 23 January 1893, the son of Charles James Hall (b. circa 1870) and Sarah Hall (b. circa 1870). His birth was registered in the 1st quarter of 1893 in the Marylebone Registration District, London. On 26 January 1893 he was baptised in St Mark's Church, Marylebone Road, Westminster. London, where in the baptismal register his family were shown as living at 12 Hanover Place, Regent's Park, London and that his father was a gentleman's servant.
In the March 1901 census he was shown a Chas J. H. Hall, aged 8 years and living in a four roomed property at River Cottages, Stanwell, Staines, Middlesex, (now Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey, with his parents, his sister Alice M. Hall, aged 12 years, his paternal widower grandfather George K. Hall, aged 72 years and a gardener, together with a male boarder. His father was described as a carpenter.
In August 1910 he was appointed as an Assistant Postman in the London Postal Service.
When his father completed his April 1911 census return form he was listed as Charles James Howard Hall, aged 18 years and a telegraph messenger living in a two roomed property at 32 Park Road, Upper Baker Street, Regent's Park, with his parents, together with a 10-year-old female nurse child. His father described himself as a 'window cleaner and odd work', working on his own account.
In May 1913 he was promoted to Postman at the London Western District Office.
In April 1915 he enlisted as Rifleman in the 9th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s Rifles), service number 4601.
He married Elizabeth Frances Mason in the 1st quarter of 1916 in the Marylebone Registration District.
He died of wounds, aged 23 years, on 2 July 1916 and was buried in Plot 1, Row C, Grave 8 in the Couin British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Following his death, his son was born on 4 December 1916 and was named by his widow as Charles James Howard Hall (1916-1991). His widow went on to remarry and become Mrs Elizabeth F. Turner living at 4 Charles Lane, St John’s Wood. Also on 4 December 1916 his army effects totalling £1-12-4d were sent to his widow, who was also sent his £4-10s-0d war gratuity on 2 September 1919. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
He is shown as 'HALL, C. J. H.' 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 page 158 of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's Book of Remembrance 1914-1920 on the A Street Near You website, on the London WW1 Memorial website and on the Royal British Legion's Everyone Remembered website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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