Pestell

Charles Pestell was born in Apr 1898 in New House, Melverley, Shropshire. He worked as a labourer for the Great Western Railway. He married Florence May Griffiths in 1930 in Shrewsbury and they enjoyed nearly nine years of marriage before his untimely death in 1938. Florence died in 1985.

Charles’ parents were Arthur George Pestell, born 1871 in Southoe, Huntingdonshire and Martha née Pugh of Melverley. Charles had four siblings: Edith, Henrietta, Arthur and Alfred. In 1901, the family lived at 5 Spring Cottages in Shrewsbury (recently vacated by Eleanor Cheshire when she entered the workhouse). By 1911, Arthur Senior was a lodger at 68 Mount Street, Bala, Merionethshire, Wales. This was likely because he was working as a general labourer with the railway company; presumably he encouraged his son Charles into that line of work. At that time, Martha was living with her children at 14 St Johns Row, St Michaels Street, Shrewsbury.

Living with the Pestell family was “nurse child” Viva Charles-Baird, just a few months old in 1911. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a nurse child as: “A child cared for by a nurse, especially a wet nurse; a foster-child. Also (euphemistic): an illegitimate child.” Viva’s immigration to Quebec in 1924 was via the ship Minedosa, paid for by Dr Barnardos. Money in possession belonging to passenger was recorded as “Nil”. She was destined to the care of Mr & Mrs Hobday, 538 Jarvis Street, Toronto, Ontario. Her nearest relative was Mr C Pestell, foster-father of 6 Wingfield Gardens, Ditherington, Shropshire. It is likely that this was Arthur Pestell’s brother Charles, born 1877. It certainly appears that she was cared for by the Pestell family for many years. Viva married Allan Clifford Watson in 1944 in Ontario and they had one child. Viva died on 1 Mar 1977 in Ontario.

Arthur Pestell’s parents were George Pestell (born 1851) and Mary Ann West of Clifton Bedfordshire, a rag sorter for a paper maker. The Pestells were agricultural labourers in Southoe Huntingdonshire for decades, descended from Richard Pestell, a shoemaker born in 1806 in Hartford Huntingdonshire and Maria Widnall of Shoreditch in Middlesex.