Seventh Generation

73. 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?

Charles William REGESTER and Harriet Mildred OLDALE were married about 1860 in Sheffield, England.⁵ Harriet Mildred OLDALE, daughter of Joseph Arthur OLDALE and Harriett GOODWIN, 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.

Charles William REGESTER and Harriet Mildred OLDALE had the following children: