Charles Prince Stratfield

Charles Prince Stratfield - born 19 May 1847 in Tring, Hertfordshire.

Charles Prince Stratfield was another family member that had various changes to his surname. He was also recorded as Stratful, Stratfold, Stratford and Stratfull.

We do not know where the unusual "Prince" christian name came from, it may have been the name of a barge he was born on and/or his father was working on. It may have been from his mothers side of the family, his mother's maiden name was Brooks. The name was used on two other occasions for Prince Charles Stratfull (b. 1901 d. 1940) and Charles Prince Stratfull (b. 1901 d. 1901).

Charles Prince Stratfield was first recorded as a boat man on 16 April 1870 at the age of 22 years at Astrope, Puttenham, Herts., this was on the Aylesbury Arm of the Grand Junction Canal. George had followed his father (William Stratford) and his brother (George Brooks) in to canal work.

He was noted as Charles Stratfull when he married Louisa Oakley on 28 February 1870 at Puttenham Parish Church, Herts.

Charles seems to have worked the boats till about 1905 when he is recorded as a lock keeper, at the moment we do not know at which locks, may be it was Whilton Lock. He remained a lock keeper until his death from acute pneumonia on 23 November 1910 at Whilton Lock, Whilton, Northamptonshire at age 64 years. So, he probably had about a 40 year working life on the Grand Junction Canal.

As a boatman he was noted at various points along the canal system. In 1873 he was at Boxmoor (which is near Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire), in 1877 he was at Startops End, Marsworth and in 1887 at the Gamnel Wharf in Tring, Hertfordshire.

Louisa Stratfull his widow died from carcinoma of the uterus, secondary growth in liver and exhaustion on 25 March 1916 at Whilton Lock having out-lived her husband by 5 years.