Charles Dunlop was born in 1867, the only child of Edwin and Elizabeth SQUIRES and he is our direct ancestor.

Sadly his mother died in 1874 when Charles was only 6 years old, and his father remarried the following year to Emma PIPE (nee BALDOCK).

Charles left England when only in his late teens and, when we think about how he journeyed around the world at such a young age and in the era when global travel wasn't the 'norm', we can only imagine what an adventure he must have had.

There are many 'stories' that we've heard from around the family, maybe you have heard them too or, indeed, have more that you could share with us?

Here are some we have collected:

• It is said that Charles did not get on with his stepmother Emma, and that in his late teens, around the mid 1880s, he was taken to Southampton docks and put on a ship. Apparently he had gold sovereigns sewn into the hem of his coat.
  
  It is also said that he went with a cousin who didn't return but settled in New Zealand.
  [There is a record of a C Squires leaving Liverpool on the "City of Richmond" and arriving in New York on 28 October 1887]
  
  
• Charles was at Bristol University.


• He travelled throughout America, on the Wild West Stagecoaches, and was even saved from a flood in Canada by a China man.


• He went gold prospecting in South Africa and Australia.


• He was an Army cook in New Zealand.


• Another rumour was that money left to Charles and his father Edwin was put in a bank which went bust and they only received back 1s for every £1.


• When Charles had come to the end of his service in South Africa's Boer War his senior officer asked him to go back to Australia and work for him on a sheep station.
  
  We have heard one story that after the Boer War Charles, Jane and the family went to live in Wales but returned as Jane didn't like living there.
  
  Another story is that it wasn't Wales, but New South Wales in Australia!
  
  However, it is also said that Jane didn't go at all!


• Around 1897 Charles went to work in a factory (we believe it to be a cycle factory) in Paris, taking his wife Jane and young daughters, Ethel, Kitty (and Mabel?) with him.
  
  It is said that the family they stayed with wanted to adopt Ethel his eldest daughter.
  
  Again Jane didn't like Paris so they came home.

Can you, or other family members, recall any memories of Charles?

• Marjorie (granddaughter) as a young girl recalls memories of Charles being a hawker and having a van laden with goods.


• Audrey (granddaughter) remembers going to Chandos Street where Charles lived with his son, and he would be listening to an Indian News Programme on the radio.

Charles was born in Rugby Road, Milverton on 7 July 1867, and was baptised on the 18 September at Leamington Priors, Warwick.

Between 1875 and 1881 Charles attended Portland House School in Leamington as a weekly border. This seemed to coincide with Charles' father, Edwin, marrying Emma PIPE in 1875, a year after the death of his mother Elizabeth.

From the original school receipts we can see that Charles was taught in music and the piano as well as art, French and Latin. He also played cricket and interestingly one invoice itemises a 'pane of glass'; maybe the two are connected!

Charles married Jane TAYLOR of Coventry at the Holy Trinity Parish Church on 2 February, 1891.

• 1891-1963      Ethel
• 1894-1965      Katherine Amy
• 1896-1968      Mabel
• 1898-1983      Charlotte
• 1902-1982      Vera
• 1904-1955      Maud Mona
• 1906-1984      Jane (Jean) Elizabeth
• 1908-1940      Hilda May
• 1914-2011      Percy Dunlop
• 1912-1994      Charles Dunlop Foden

Charles joined the Warwickshire Imperial Yeomanry Volunteer Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment on 17 January 1900.

Alongside Charles and the Battalion was 'Private Jack' a Manchester terrier, who transferred his allegiance to the Volunteer Company from the Boers in Victoria West, Cape Colony.

He marched with the company throughout the campaign and despite dogs not being allowed on the transport going home, he somehow managed to arrive at Southampton with the Battalion on the "Tagus".

He did however have to serve 3 months quarantine. It is said that he was smuggled on board underneath an army uniform.

Jack was presented with a miniature medal with five clasps for the actions for which he had borne his part.

Coventry Herald and Free Press, 15 April 1892.

The report continues by giving the individual results and Pvte. C. D. Squires is listed as having scored only 23, the lowest of the 20 participants.

Jane died in 1929 aged 58 years, and was buried on 2 May at London Road Cemetery, Coventry.