Charles appears in electoral listings from 1948 to 1974. He lived with his mother until he died in 1988. This fact leads me to believe Charles may have suffered from an injury or illness that kept him housebound.

Charles Woodhouse Oxborough

Born: 16 NOV 1923 in Byker, Northumberland County, England

Father: John Richard Oxborough (1895 to 1965)
Mother: Isabella Ann Addy (1898 to 1988)

Spouse: None

Married: None

Children: None

Died: 27 JAN 1988 in Walkergate, Northumberland County, England

Probate:

Timeline:

1948 Walkergate, Northumberland County, England
1953 Walkergate, Northumberland County, England
1965 Death of father, John
1966 Walkergate, Northumberland County, England
1974 Walkergate, Northumberland County, England
1977 Death of brother, James
1988 Death and Burial

Occupation: unknown

Records:

England & Wales, Birth Index: 1916-2005
Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Electoral Registers, 1741-1974
England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1861-1941

Variations of Surname: none

The Naming Process:

Charles was named after his grandfather, Charles Oxborough, and his grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Woodhouse. He shares this name with his father’s brother.

In England, it was a common practice to name a child after a family member. The Genealogy.com website shows how this process was typically done:

The first son was named after the father’s father.
The second son was named after the mother’s father.
The third son was named after the father.
The fourth son was named after the father’s eldest brother.
The first daughter was named after the mother’s mother.
The second daughter was named after the father’s mother.
The third daughter was named after the mother.
The fourth daughter was named after the mother’s eldest sister.

In this case, John and Isabella named the children this way:

James William Oxborough was named after his father’s eldest brother.
Charles Woodhouse Oxborough was named after his father’s youngest brother.
John Richard Oxborough was named after his father.
Mary Elizabeth Oxborough was named after her father’s mother.
Joseph Addy Oxborough was named after his mother’s father.
Norman Oxborough was named after an unknown relative.

Electoral Registers:

Charles’ entry on the 1939 England and Wales Register was blocked out. This action was taken to protect the privacy of living individuals. If a person was born less than 100 years ago and death could not be verified, the record was deemed to be for a currently living person.

I was able to find Charles and his family in Ancestry.com’s database, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Electoral Registers, 1741-1974. The first listing that Charles appeared in was for the year 1948. He was living with his parents at 6 Christopher Road.

After Charles’ father died, his mother moved to 7 Lowfield Terrace in Newcastle Upon Tyne. The 1974 electoral listing shows that Charles was still living with his mother at this address.

As a wife did not appear in any of these listings, I believe Charles never married. The fact that he lived in the family home until his death may indicate that he suffered from a debilitating injury or illness that kept him housebound.

Notes:

The surname, Oxborough, originated in Norfolk County, England. It appears in church registers as early as the mid-16th century. As the world population grew, these Oxborough ancestors moved to other counties in England. By the late 19th century, some had immigrated to Canada and Australia.

Creating Your Family Tree:

Interested in building a great family tree? Remember these important steps:

Look in your photo albums. You may have old pictures that your parents or grandparents gave you. Or, ask them for copies of photos that they have in their possession. Many people will write names and dates on the backs of photographs. Letters, diaries, and family bibles are also excellent sources for vital records.

Talk to your older relatives to find out about your ancestry. They may relate stories about an ancestor that you can add to your family tree. Family history is usually not found in newspapers. It is more of a verbal memory passed down from generation to generation.

Find the right family tree builder that suits your needs. You can choose one that has a paid subscription like Ancestry.com. There are also free sites like FamilySearch.org.

When you start building your family tree, add documentation to your ancestor’s profile. Records should include birth, marriage, death, census, military, city, and county directory listings. Any information that you can find will help create a life story about your ancestors.

If you have a unique surname, you may find databases on the internet that are useful in your search. I use SurnameDB.com for my English surnames. There are other websites on the internet for countries like Italy and Germany.

Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” As you create your family tree, you would start with one individual and go “back into time.” You would add their parents, grandparents, and so on. There are also family trees that go “forward into time.” Many of these family trees start with a famous person, such as a president or royalty. They would then move forward into the present time. The purpose of this type of pedigree is to establish a person’s bloodline with that famous person.

There is no limit on how big your family tree can grow. The blank canvas is there for you to use. Cherish your family history, and it will be there for generations to come!