Charlie Wyatt
1877 – 1978
Plymtree, Devon
Charlie Wyatt was born in 1877 in the quiet village of Plymtree, Devon, the youngest son of John Wyatt and Louisa Bartlett. He grew up in a bustling household, surrounded by his older siblings—George, Cora, Frank, William, and Henry. In the 1881 census, a three-year-old Charlie appears nestled into the rhythm of rural Devon life, part of a large and lively family.
By the age of 14, Charlie’s life had already taken a turn toward responsibility. In 1891, he was employed as a groom in a grand household known as Holbrook, run by the Finch family in the parish of Countisbury. The Finches, listed as “living on own means,” clearly enjoyed some wealth—they employed four live-in servants. Charlie was the youngest among them, likely learning the habits and etiquette of the upper class from the stableyard up.
At 22, Charlie had moved far from Devon. By 1901, he was living in Romford, Essex, working as a Breadmaker and Baker’s Assistant. His household companions included George and Jessie Bartlett, possibly relatives of his mother—Bartlett being her maiden name—though their exact connection remains to be confirmed. It may have been in Essex that Charlie first crossed paths with Ada, his future wife. However, in 1901 she was only nine, making it more likely their meeting came later.
By 1911, Charlie had relocated once again, this time to Willesden, London, where he lived with his brothers George and Arthur John. The Wyatt brothers had established a bakery business, Wyatt Bros., and employed a young assistant named Marie. It was during these years in London that Charlie met Ada, who was working as a Domestic Servant. Though the details of their courtship remain a mystery, their bond was strong enough that they married in April 1921. Charlie was 44, Ada was 29.
In 1921 Charlie was working as a Poultry Farmer in Teignmouth, Devon he is the head of a residence that appears to have doubled as a boarding house or small hotel. It was a vibrant home, shared with Ada’s brother George Albert (listed as a visitor), members of the Doche family (spelling uncertain), and even two entertainers, suggesting a cheerful and unconventional environment.
In 1922, Charlie and Ada welcomed their first child, Irene Helena. Six years later, in 1928, they were blessed again with the birth of Joan Kathleen Cora.
By the outbreak of World War II, in 1939, the Wyatt family had settled into a house called Woodlands, back in Devon. Charlie was now the proprietor of a petrol filling station, embracing a quieter, entrepreneurial life after years of moving and working.
In his later years, Charlie spent time in Pontefract, staying with his daughter Joan and her family during the 1960s and 70s. His granddaughter Julie remembers him fondly, sitting in an armchair in the kitchen, walking to pick her up from infant school when she was just five, and bringing home big boxes full of tobacco leaves for his beloved pipe. These quiet, everyday moments painted the picture of a kind and steady presence in his family’s life. His long journey came to a peaceful close in 1973, at the remarkable age of 96.
Vogel Ancestry 