Birth

Charles was born on 9th July 1828 and baptised on 16th August. The name Hazelton does not appear in the parish register, implying that his parents were married   We know however that they were not and in his later life Charles always gave Hazelton as his second name on official documents e.g. birth and marriage certificates.

He had an older sister, Elizabeth  and brother George who would have been 4 and 2 when Charles was born. It is also likely that some of his half siblings, in particular Alfred and Susannah, who would have been 16 and 14, would also probably have been living with them.

Childhood

By 1836 when Charles was 8, a brother,  Richard, and two sisters, Emma and Louisa had been added to the family.  However tragedy struck that year as George died having been drowned in the Thames,  leaving  Charles as Elizabeth and James' eldest son. The final two brothers, Frederick and Thomas, were born in 1838 and 1840.

1841 Census

The 1841 census gives us a snapshot of the family living in Greenhithe.

James Barham,	55	Male	Painter
Elizabeth Barham	46	Female
Elizabeth Barham	17	Female
Charles Barham	12	Male
Richard Barham	11	Male
Emma Barham	8	Female
Louisa Barham	6	Female
Frederick Barham	3	Male
Thomas Barham	1	Male

The census has much less detail than later ones, but it does show that all Charles' half siblings had left home and with one exception are to be found living nearby - James and Mary Ann in Sutton-at Hone, William in Greenhithe itself and Susannnah in Swanscombe. The exception is Alfred, although it is almost certain that he was living nearby as five years later it is he who is the informant on his father's death certificate.

For the next section of Charles' life see Father's Death