Charles William Nelson BROWN CONSTABLE (1869-1912)

Charles William Nelson Brown Constable (1869-1912) was the cousin of Mela Brown Constable (fiancée of Cyril Sladden).

Charles Brown Constable was born in India on 7th October 1869, the only child of Charles Laurence Brown Constable, a Captain in the Bengal Staff Corps, and his wife, Eliza Ann (née McBrien).  He was baptized at Cachar, Bengal, on 19th October 1869.  His father, who was a half-brother of Mela’s father, died in Cheltenham in 1870 when Charles Junior was only a year old.

According to his obituary in Cheltenham Chronicle, Charles was educated at Wellington and was for many years an officer of the Edinburgh Royal Garrison Artillery, but then settled in Cheltenham where he had many sporting friends and other members of the Brown Constable family lived.  While at Wellington he gained his Rugby football colours and, on coming to Cheltenham, joined the Town club and played forward for one season.  He was also a good Association forward and, in later years, was a very keen motorist.

Charles married Fanny Blanche Janet Allies, daughter of the late William Hartshorne Allies, at Alfrick near Worcester in 1891.  They had one daughter, Miriam Bay (1892-1981).  They were living at 5 Bays Hill Terrace, Cheltenham, at the time.  By 1911 they lived at Ivy Cottage, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham.

Charles died at Ivy Cottage on 3rd February 1912, aged 42.  His obituary stated that the cause of death was “an affection of the heart, brought on whilst on service in the South African War, from which he was invalided home.”  A letter written by Mela on 21st April 1918 reveals that her Uncle Harry (her father’s full brother) inherited as although Charles’ father was one of four sons by the first marriage, he was the only one to have a child, and he now died at a young age leaving just a daughter.