COLCHESTER, Charles Edward
Charles Edward Colchester was born at Pimlico, London on 2 February `848 and baptised at St Peter's church, Ipswich on 23 July 1848, son of Edmund Colchester (1819-7 March 1857), surgeon of Hill Top, West Bromwich, and his wife Emily Dobson (1820-1885), second daughter of Edward Dobson of Ipswich, who married at St Peter's Church, Ipswich on 29 April 1845, and was a grandson of Charles Cornwell Colchester. His 37-year-old father died at Denmark Hill, Camberwell in 1857, and in 1861 Charles was a 13-year-old, living at 1 Denmark Hill, Camberwell, with his 73-year-old grandfather (John, an error for Charles) Cornwell Colchester, a broker, and Charles's 47-year-old unmarried daughter Mary, who was born at Ipswich, and they kept two Suffolk born staff. A partner in Colchester's & Woolner, Russia brokers, 1867-1870 until the partnership of Charles Cornwell Colchester, Charles Bye Colchester, Henry Sparrow Colchester, Charles Edward Colchester and Thomas Scarman, Russia brokers of South Sea House, City was dissolved in September 1870. In 1871, a 23-year-old, still living at Denmark Hill with his 83-year-old grandfather, with Charles's daughter-in-law, 50-year-old Emily, and two siblings Cecil Conway 18 and Emily Jane Esther 15, both born in Surrey. In 1873, he inherited a substantial sum from his uncle, Charles Bye Colchester and in 1876 was the sole inheritor from Charles Cornwell Colchester and, being more interested in art than in business, he retired to Ventnor, Isle of Wight. In 1881, a 33-year-old artist, living on Newport Road, Ventnor with his 24-year-old sister Emma and kept two indoor servants. In 1879, he exhibited at the Ipswich Fine Art Society two paintings, 'Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep' and 'The Lady of Shallot' and in 1883 as a member from 2 Altott's Villas, Ventnor, two watercolours 'At the Foot of the Down' and 'Hill Side, Ventnor' and was a regular annual exhibitor. He married on the Isle of Wight on 28 December 1885, Clara Elizabeth Sutton (1857-1925), but they had no issue. Charles Edward Colchester, of 'Sea Lawn', Ventor, died at Stirling House, Manor Road, Bournemouth, Hampshire on 28 July 1902. Hester (1822-1902), the widow of Charles Bye Colchester of 'Harcourt', Derby Road, Bournemouth, who died on 6 October 1902, left Clara a half share of her estate.