Third Generation

4. Charles William REGESTER was born on 25 November 1840 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. Immigrated: from England in 1880 . He died on 15 June 1921 at the age of 80 in Lakewood, R.I.. He was a Silver Chaser, Gorham Mfg. Co.. Charles was buried in Locust Grove Cemetery, Elmwood Ave., Providence. In the 1861 Census, Charles William, 20, a silver chaser, his wife, Harriet, 18, and their 3 month old son Ernest William were living at 22 (? -- illegible) Ct. 1, Ebenezer Street, St. Philips, Sheffield, Yorkshire. They were living with his father and mother: William Regester, 43, a steel burnisher, his wife Charlotte, 42, son Edward, 12, and son Walter, 7.

The family moved from Sheffield before 1871 to Birmingham and apparently, from the birth places of the children, moved back and forth among Birmingham, Ecclesall Brielow (next to Sheffield), and Kings Norton (not sure where this is), according to records researched by John Register. At the time of the 1871 Census, they were living at 214 Great Colinole St. in St. Thomas (District 8), Birmingham. They were apparently living at Laburnum Place, Bull Street, Harborne (near Birmingham) in 1873. A city directory lists Charles as living there in 1876 and working as a silver chaser.

The 1881 Census of England and Wales lists family as living at 183 Alexandra Road, Heeley, Yorkshire, England. All of the family down to Joseph had a birthplace of Heeley, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, while the younger children had no birthplace listed. Sheffield, England, is in Yorkshire -- West Riding (WRY).

Charles left for America toward the end of August 1881, arriving in New York September 9th, 1881. At that point he had 10 children. His wife and children followed him to America on the Arizona, arriving in New York City on 2 May 1882 (the listing of them on castlegarden.org has their ages off by 2 years in almost all cases).

He began work at Gorham on September 14, 1881, having arrived in New York September 9th from England. He was probably the William Regester, clerk, age 41, who arrived on that date on the City of Brussels He initially boarded at 22 Howell Street, Providence.

He was naturalized at the Court of Common Pleas, Providence, on 27 Jun 1888, probably just before a trip back to England.

Apparently, Charles made several trips back to England after settling in America. A Charles W. Regester arrived in the United States on August 27, 1888, from Liverpool and Queenstown, England, on the Etruria. He was 49 at the time and born in Yorkshire. He is also shown as arriving in Boston in August 1904 on the ship Cretic, noting that he took out citizenship papers here in 1888.

In 1900 he worked at desk #41 at Gorham and was paid $17 per week. On March 9, 1901, he was transferred from the chasing room to the less demanding room of production chasers. He went on the pension roll from Gorham at $25, later raised to $30 per month. He died on July 15, 1922, according to Gorham records.

He later resided at 25 (15?) Pleasant Street, Cranston, where he had a small greenhouse. He grew flowers as a hobby and took second prize in a 1896 Providence flower show.

Charles retired at age 68 from Gorham Manufacturing Company, where he was assistant foreman in the chasing department. After his retirement it was his custom to spend the winter in Los Angeles with two of his daughters, Mrs. Clara A. Smith and Mrs. Jeffrey R. Munroe. His summers he spent with Mrs. William F. Bischoff, Jefferson Street, Lakewood. He suffered two strokes on the train from Los Angeles and died at his daughter's home in Lakewood.

At the time of his death, he had three surviving daughters, five sons, 30 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren. The sons were Ernest W., Joseph H., Douglas (all of Providence), Arthur J. of Shawomet, and Horace V. of Niagara Falls. Another son, Charles, had died the previous October in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The funeral was held at Trinity Episcopal Church in Pawtuxet, Rhode Island, with burial in Locust Grove Cemetery in Providence.

Regesters buried in Locust Grove Cemetery on Elmwood Avenue include Charles W (1922), Eva (1899), Harriet E. (1899), Laura E. (1909), and Sarah L. (1898).

Loose end: A Florence M. Regester married Tom Hilton May 22, 1907, in Providence. Where does she fit in the Regester family? Harriet Mildred OLDALE and Charles William REGESTER were married about 1860 in Sheffield, England.⁵

5. Harriet Mildred OLDALE was born on 16 September 1842 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. She died on 17 December 1899 at the age of 57 in Auburn, Cranston, RI. She was buried in Locust Grove Cemetery, Elmwood Ave., Providence. Listed: Charles W. Regester and Bridget Regan as kin at death. Harriet M. or Harriet E.?

There's some confusion on her birthdate. One Internet source lists it as September 16, 1842. Another as October 16, 1841. The 1851 Census lists her as age 7 and in school (birthdate of 1844?). RI VR lists it as October 16, 1842. The family Bible lists her birthdate as September 16, 1843, and that's what I'm using.

Children were:

2	i.	Ernest William REGESTER.
	ii.	Joseph Henry REGESTER was born on 29 January 1863 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. He died on 14 December 1938 at the age of 75. He worked at Gorham from September 22, 1887 as a polisher and remained with Gorham until sometime before 1924. He advanced in salary from $9 a week to $42 a week over that period. Listed on Gorham records as born in England January 29, 1863. He lived at 96 Oakland Avenue, Cranston, before 1924. He lived at 591 Elmwood Avenue, Providence/Cranston, at the time of the 1930 Census. His obituary says he was an interior decorator for the past 25 years. International Genealogical Index carries erroneous info that he was born March 12, 1858, in England and married Bertha Steere about 1879 in England, unless that was another Joseph H. Regester. According to the 1900 Census, he came to America in 1882.
	iii.	Arthur John REGESTER was born on 26 May 1864 in Birmingham, England. He died on 13 May 1930 at the age of 65 in Elm Street, Shawomet, R.I.. He was buried on 16 May 1930 in Oakland Cemetery. He worked for Gorham Manufacturing Company from July 16, 1894, to August 21, 1901. The 1890 Providence City Directory lists him as living at 253 Thurber's Ave. He is listed in the Providence City Directory as a baker in 1905 and as a manager in 1909. In 1909 his office was listed as manufacturing at 256 Weston, Rm. 33, home 15 Foster, Providence. The 1920 Census lists Arthur J. Regester, age 54, living in Warwick, RI.
	iv.	Christina Harriet REGESTER was born on 25 March 1867 in Ecclesall Briewlow, Yorkshire, England. She died on 28 March 1946 at the age of 79 in Los Angeles, CA.
	v.	Clara Alice REGESTER was born in November 1869 in St. Asaph, Birmingham, England. She died on 22 March 1936 at the age of 66 in Acadia, CA. In the 1871 UK Census, she was living with her parents at 214 Great Colinole St., St. Thomas (District 8), Birmingham, England At the time of the 1930 Census, she was living with her son Walter and his family at 938 Sunset Road in Pasadena, CA (also called 938 West Duarte Road). According to her obituary, she had been living there since 1904.
	vi.	Charles Alfred REGESTER was born in January 1873 in Birmingham, Warwick, England. He died in 1921 at the age of 48 in Grand Rapids, Kent Co., MI. According to the 1900 Census, he was a silver chaser, and he came to America in 1879 (2 years before his father, when he was 6 years old?). The Census gives his birthdate as 1873, not 1871. He graduated from Rhode Island School of Design in 1893 and worked for Gorham Manufacturing Co., as did other members of the family. In the 1920 Census, her parents were living in Grand Rapids and were supervisors in a funeral home.
	vii.	Mona Emily REGESTER was born in June 1872 or 1873 in Kings Norton, Warwickshire, England.⁶ She died in 1913 at the age of 41 in Los Angeles, CA.⁶
	viii.	Lilly Ethel REGESTER was born on 1 September 1876 in Kings Norton, Warwickshire, England. She died in 1964 at the age of 88 in RI. She was buried in Cemetery WK142, Warwick, RI.
	ix.	Horace Valentine REGESTER was born on 14 February 1878 in Ecclesall Brielow, Yorkshire, England. He died on 27 March 1955 at the age of 77 in Alameda, CA. He was hired as a polisher at Gorham October 5, 1903, and left the company in March 1910. He moved to Meriden, CT, about 1912 and was living at Niagara Falls when his father died. The 1900 Census notes that he moved to the US in 1881. His wife, Anna L., was born in 1879 in Scotland of a father born in NY and a mother born in Scotland.
	x.	Douglas REGESTER was born about 1880 in Ecclesall Brielow, Yorkshire, England. He died on 7 November 1954 at the age of 74 in Providence, RI. He was a silversmith. They lived at 25 Algonquin St. in Providence in the 1930 Census. Both daughters were living at home and employed as stenographers.
	xi.	Laura E. REGESTER was born in 1884 in Providence, RI. She died on 10 May 1909 at the age of 25 in Providence, RI. She was buried in Locust Grove Cemetery, Elmwood Ave., Providence. Providence Evening Bulletin - May 11, 1909: WOMAN IS BRUTALLY KILLED NEAR CEMETERY Mrs. Laura E. Regester, 32 Years Old, Found Dead Off Reservoir Avenue - Body Shockingly Maltreated - Had Just Left Dressmaker's, Where She Tried on Dress to be Worn on Day of Wedding - Divorced from First Husband Four Years Ago - Cries Heard at House Nearby. Laura E. Regester, 32 years old, when returning from being fitted for a wedding dress in preparation for her marriage on the 12th of next month, was waylaid and murdered last night behind the Jewish Cemetery on Reservoir Avenue, almost within sight of her father's home. The body was found at an early hour this morning, and bore evidences of the perpetrator of the crime having been actuated by horribly brutal vengefulness. The throat bore the imprint of fingers, indicated that the woman had been strangled, there were marks of vicious blows on eyes, nose, and forehead, and further examination showed that the body had been fiendishly cut and mutilated. The victim of the crime was the daughter of Charles W. Regester, a Gorham Company employee, and she kept house for her father at 15 Pleasant Street, just over the boundary in the town of Cranston. She also worked in the factory of the D. & W. Fuse Co. She was the divorced wife of Ernest Allen, a jeweler, the decree separating them having been granted four years ago. She was engaged to marry Charles Douglass, a jeweler who lives on Dudley street in this city (Providence). The police have been unable to ascertain anything concerning the whereabouts of Ernest Allen, the divorced husband. Charles Douglass is employed by A. A. Greene & Co., manufacturing jewelers at 94 Point Street. He went to work at the usual time this morning, but later left there, saying that Mrs. Regester's folks had sent for him to go out to the house on Pleasant Street. The police say he had not appeared at the house up to early this afternoon. She left her father's home last evening at 7:40 o'clock to visit a dressmaker on Public Street who had been engaged to make her wedding gown. The body was found at 7:15 this morning by Joseph Rosen, an employee of Sherwood Ice Company. The sight that met his eyes was too much for him and without stopping to investigate he ran to the nearest telephone and called up his foreman, William Lowrey, who on the ground within a few moments. POLICE RUSH TO SCENE He in turn notified the police of the Seventh Precinct, and Capt. Peter B. Cannon, Inspector Armstrong, Sgt. Duffy, Mounted Patrolman Edward Maguire, Patrolmen Shea, Carmody and Gilloughly, all of the Potter Avenue station, who rushed to the scene. She visited Mary Hondo, who lives with her sister-in-law, Mr. August Hondo of 674 Public street. Her sister-in-law, Mrs. Emma Regester, wife of Horace W. Regester, saw her board a Reservoir Avenue car, which was waiting at the city line at 7:40 o'clock last evening. She got off the car at the corner of Earl street, near the junction of Reservoir Avenue and Elmwood avenue, where she was to meet a girl, whose name is not known, and which whom she was to have gone to dressmaker. She reached Miss Hondo's house about 8 o'clock and was there for nearly two hours trying on her wedding dress. Miss Hondo says Mrs. Regester left about 9:45, saying he was going straight home and had just time enough to get the 10:20 Reservoir avenue car. WAS ALONE, SAYS CARMAN Conductor William Wells of the car which reaches the Reservoir avenue end of the line at 9:41, says he is sure she rode out to the terminus with him and got off there. He said she was alone. Harry C. Whitman, motorman on this car, who says he knows Mrs. Regester personally, also says she was a passenger on that car. Until last Christmas Mrs. Regester was employed as a saleswoman at Kirby's 5 and 10 cent store on Westminister Street, where she was held in high respect by all her companions. Miss Lena Greene, who is at present assistant floor manager in the store, worked at the same counter with Mrs. Regester, and she said this morning that she was a reserved, companionable and lovable woman. Mrs. Regester confided in Miss Greene and told her that she secured a divorce from her husband on account of his treatment of her. MADE MANY FRIENDS Miss Greene said Mrs. Regester worked on the counter with her in the store at Christmas time 1907. She was a good sales-girl and made many friends. Miss Greene said Mrs. Register had many acquaintances who came into the store and she always seemed cheerful. At that time she boarded with a woman on Public street, but Miss Greene did not know her name. Mrs. Regester said she divorced her husband but was going with another man. Mrs. Regester came into the store occasionally after that and at one time showed a ring indicating her engagement to the second man, but Miss Greene did not know this man's name. The last time Mrs. Regester cme in was last week. At that time she was well dressed and was in her usual spirits. From another source it was learned that, although Mrs. Regester secured a divorce from her husband nearly four years ago, he still continued to see her, and the week before last Christmas had visited her at the Westminister street store. She informed him, however, at each of their interviews that she would have nothing to do with him and that she was engaged to be married to another man.
	xii.	Florence REGESTER was born about 1886 in Providence, Providence Co., Rhode Island. She died on 30 August 1913 at the age of 27 in St. Clair Heights, Wayne Co., MI.