Charles Henry Mortimore / Mortimer was born in Devon in 1841. He was the son of George Mortimore and Harriet. His father was a journeyman – handmade papermaker.
The family later moved to Cheddar, and on leaving school Charles served his 7 year apprenticeship at the Wookey Hole Paper Mills in Somerset, he then travelled the country from one paper mill to another.
Charles Henry married Mary Ann Clark in Wells, Somerset in 1860, the following year they were living with Mary Ann`s parents Thomas and Hannah, they had a daughter Agnes who was just 3 months old.
By 1863 they were in Wales where their son George Henry was born at Afonwen .
The family moved to Bersham where Charles Henry was employed at H.M. Greville and sons, Turkey Paper Mills. Their son Albert was born in 1879 followed by another three children born in Little Vownog.
They had previously moved around a lot as they also had children that had been born in Buckinghamshire, Somerset, Kent and Northamptonshire .
Charles was elected to the Wrexham Rural District Council in the early 1890’s (representing Esculsham below). He also served on the Wrexham Board of Guardians. Sadly, their daughter Rose, died of Diphtheria in August 1892, she was aged 11 months.
In March 1894 Charles Henry Greville, the owner of the Turkey Paper Mills in Bersham, died and Charles Henry Mortimore was one of the four pallbearers at his funeral.
Charles Henry remained at the Turkey Paper Mills along with three of his sons until the mills were totally destroyed by fire on 26 March 1897. After the fire two of the sons who had been working with him at the mills then took up different occupations in Wrexham whilst another son decided to stay in the industry and went to work at another paper mill in the south of England.
Their daughter Edith had married William Williams in 1895; he was a police officer in Gresford.
Mary Ann died at the Police Station in October 1899 and was buried on 17 October, her husband Charles Henry died at the Royal Infirmary, Liverpool within a short time and was buried on the 26 October with Mary Ann. They were both aged 58.
Also buried with his parents is Albert who was the youngest child. In 1901 he was with his sister Edith and her husband William Williams in Gresford, he was a commission agent. There was also a visitor, Bessie Morris a domestic waitress aged 21 who had been born in Knighton, Radnorshire.
Early in 1902 Albert married Bessie Alice A Morris in the Atcham district. Bessie was the daughter of Richard and Charlotte Morris, The couple went to live in Marchwiel , but a tragic report was printed on the 24st December 1904 in the Chester Courant.
MARCHWIEL. MARRIED PAIR DIE TOGETHER—The deaths occurred at Marchwiel near Wrexham, of Mr. Bert Mortimer, commission agent, and his wife under painful circumstances. Both were young and had only been recently married. The cause of death is typhoid fever. They were buried together at Wrexham Cemetery. Mr. Mortimer was 26 years of age and his wife 24. They leave three young: children behind, two of them being twins about four months old. Great sympathy is felt for the members of the family in their double bereavement.
They were both were buried on 21 December 1904 with Alberts parents in Wrexham.
Grave ref: Wrexham Cemetery D-03998
Researched by Annette Edwards. January 2020. The family photo has kindly been provided by Carl Mortimer, Gt Gt Grandson of Charles Henry Mortimer. Grave photograph – Graham Lloyd.
