Charles Norman was the eldest child of Arthur Brown and his wife Elizabeth Ann nee Roe.
Arthur was born in Nottingham as was his wife, Elizabeth. Elizabeth was the daughter of James and Mary Roe; her birth was registered in 1873 (J/F/M Radford). Arthur and Elizabeth were married in 1896 (J/A/S Nottingham) and had five children: Charles Norman b. 20 December 1896 (birth registered 1897 J/F/M Nottingham), Harold b. 1898, Agnes b. 13 February 1900 (J/F/M Nottingham), Emily b. abt 1900 and Lucie b. 11 December 1903 (birth registered 1904 J/F/M Nottingham).
In 1901 Arthur (27), an overlooker, and Elizabeth (29) were living at 1 Alfred Terrace, Bridlington Street, St Ann's, with their three children, Charles (4), Harold (2) and Agnes (1). Also in the household were Charles Roe (25), a leather dresser, and his wife Nelly Roe (21); Charles was probably Elizabeth's brother but he and his wife were described as boarders. Arthur and Elizabeth subsequently had two more daughters, Emily and Lucie.
Charles' mother, Elizabeth, died in 1908 (A/M/J Nottingham) aged 35.
Charles joined TS Exmouth, a training ship, on 18 May 1910 at the age of 13 and was discharged in May 1912 to the Royal Navy (HMS Impregnable). (For TS Exmouth see 'extra information')
In 1911 when Charles was still at TS Exmouth, his siblings, Harold (12) a grocer's errand boy, Agnes (11), Emily (9) and Lucie (7) were living at 22 Nettham (or Mettham) Street, Lenton, Nottingham, with their maternal grandparents, James Roe (59) a registration clerk (political) and Mary (62). Also in the household was the children's aunt, Sarah Ann Roe (35) a lace mender.
The children's father, Arthur Brown, has not been traced after 1901.
Charles' grandmother, Mary Roe, was notified of her grandson's death in 1916, she was still living at 22 Nettham/Mettham Street, Lenton.
Mary Roe died in 1928 (Jun Nottingham) aged 80 and her husband James Roe died in 1934 (Sep Nottingham) aged 82.
Of Charles' siblings:
Harold has not yet been traced after 1911.
Agnes appears to have married Frank U Richardson in 1919 (O/N/D Nottingham) and secondly John A Holtby in 1936 (J/F/M Patrington Yorkshire East Riding). There is a record of the death of an Agnes Holtby, b. 13 February 1900, in 1971 (Dec Hull Yorkshire East Riding) at the age of 71.
Emily has not yet been traced after 1911.
Lucie Brown, a dairy clerk, appears on the 1939 England & Wales register at 8 Highfield Street, Nottingham. Her date of birth was given as 11 December 1903, she was single and her surname 'Brown' was officially altered to 'Holtby'. Also in the household was Eva Dyer (b. 23 November 1884), single, a lace joiner. There is a record of the marriage of a Lucie Brown to John A Holtby in 1977 (A/M/J Hull Yorkshire East Riding); this was six years after the death of Agnes Holtby. Lucie Hotlby (b. 11 December 1903) died in 1987 (Mar Hull Humberside) aged 83.