Charles Harold Wise’s grandfather was Charles Henry Weise, a Prussian-born sailor who married Mary Ellen Renwick in Sunderland in 1872.  They had several children including William Gustov Weise (born Sunderland about 1880).  In 1881 they lived in Hope St, Sunderland.  By 1891 they’d moved to D’Arcy Street.  By 1901 Charles had died and William was a draper’s clerk.

In 1903 William Gustov Weise married Eliza Jane Sargent (nee Hallam).  She was born in Southwell c1866 and had later moved to Newark.  She worked as a draperess, first in Newark then in Halifax.  She married George Henry Sargent in South Shields in 1893 but he died in 1898.  In 1901 she’d being staying with her widowed mother in Bowbridge Road, Newark.

In 1911 William and Eliza were living in Dogsthorpe Rd, Hallam Hohme, and Peterborough.  He was a ‘traveller in chemical manure’.   They had a daughter (Jane Gusto) who died in infancy in 1904. They also had 2 sons:

• Raoul Hallam Weise, born North Shields 1906
• Charles Harold Weise, born Peterborough c1908

The middle name is listed as both Gustov and Gusto (and various other mis-spellings).  From the 1900s the surname is sometimes is listed as Wise, rather than Weise.

By 1926 they’d moved to Foston when William, who worked as a ‘traveller’ was charged after the Spalding Motor Company paid him £10/2/6 to fix a car which subsequently broke down and had to be towed to Peterborough.

He set up as a haulage contractor with his elder son – ‘W&R Wise of Foston’.  But in 1930 Raoul published a notice that he was no longer a partner in the firm.  Raoul went on to marry twice and died in Lancaster in 1989 (aged 83).

In 1931 William was imprisoned for 3 months with hard labour for indecent assault.

His wife Eliza died in Foston in 1941.

In 1945 William (‘retired clerk of North Road House, Foston’) was charged with 4 counts of indecent assault against boys under 16 (one was 12, the others 13).  The boys, all from Newark, had been invited to his house on Sundays for treats.

Charles Harold Wise

In 1933 Charles married Rose Marion Holland in Norfolk.  They had 2 children.

In World War 2 Charles was in the RAF.  In Oct 1940 he was based at RAF Lindholme, East of Doncaster and Rose was living at 83 Craithie Rd, Doncaster.  He flew (pilot or crew) with 50 Sqn, which operated Hampden bombers.

On the night of 5/6th Oct 1940 his bomber was lost during a raid on Cologne and he was reported missing in action.