Charlotte Dengate
KEY DATES:
Birth: 1838, Hawkhurst, Kent
Died: 6 April 1917, Wittersham, Kent
Burial: 10 April 1917, Wittersham Cemetery, Kent
BIOGRAPHY:
Charlotte Dengate was born in Hawkhurst in 1838, the second child of eleven children to Charles and Celia Dengate. Soon after Charlotte's birth, the family moved to the Hollington / Baldslow area on the outskirts of Hastings where Charles worked, as did many in the family, as a journeyman (paid by the day) miller. The 1841 census shows Charlotte as a three year old living with her sisters and parents in Baldslow windmill. The family soon moved on to Salehurst, followed by Lamberhurst.
The 1851 census shows Charlotte as a 13 year-old living at home on the High Street in Lamberhurst with her siblings and parents. Having finished her schooling, her occupation was listed as 'at home'.
The family then had a brief, but tragic period in Bodiam. On the 25 April 1855 Charlotte's 9 year-old brother Charles drowned in the mill stream where their father Charles worked as a journeyman miller. He was buried in Bodiam Churchyard.
Bodiam Watermill, c.1900
In 1858 Charlotte, aged 20 years, had an illegitimate daughter, Catherine Dengate. She was baptised in St John the Baptist Church, Wittersham on 21 December 1858. Charlotte's occupation was listed as a Smith Woman.
Catherine Dengate (Kitty)
The 1891 census shows Charlotte staying at 11 Mansfield Road in Nottingham with her daughter Catherine and Catherine's husband William Harper, a bookseller and newsagent. Also staying with the family is Charlotte's niece Florence Nellie Weston.
By 1901 Charlotte is living back in Wittersham as a baker and grocer.
In the 1950s a collection of memories were recorded by the residents of Wittersham, and several remembered Charlotte Dengate being renowned for her bread pudding. She worked from Dengate Cottage on The Street, Wittersham1. They could also remember Charlotte's cat having taken a liking to the warm bread pudding and was often found asleep on it while on display in the window.
Dengate Cottage, Wittersham, 2002
Charlotte Dengate died of a heart condition on 6 April 1917 in Wittersham, aged 79 years. She died somewhere in The Street, Wittersham - probably her home of Dengate Cottage. Her daughter Catherine was present at the death. She was buried 10 April in the unconsecrated section of Wittersham Cemetery (she was likely a non-conformist). No headstone exists to mark her grave.
CENSUS:
LINKS:
Grateful thanks to John Dines for the photograph of Bodiam Watermill and to David Gibbon for the photo of Kitty Dengate.
1 The exact history of Dengate Cottage is at this stage unclear. There are references to it on the 1871 census and the 1838 Tithe map of Wittersham.
© Copyright N. Goodwin MMII