Charles Arthur Dingwall was born on the 23rd November 1852, in London, Middlesex, England, the eldest son of Charles and Julia Blanche Dingwall (née Drew). His father was a wine merchant and Charles followed him into that occupation, before becoming a successful brewer and director of The Chicago Breweries Ltd., The Debenture Corporation Ltd., and The Royal Breweries, Brentford, Ltd. He was also the Chairman and Managing Director of Portal Dingwall & Norris, a very prominent City of London-based wine & spirits shipping company, which later absorbed a number of other companies to found United Rum Merchants. He was also a strong supporter of The Southwark Diocesan Society.
He married Frances Kathleen Danvers in Caterham, Surrey, England, on the 12th November 1879, and they lived at 'Shepley House', Carshalton, Surrey, England. They had seven children, five daughters, Kathleen Mary Danvers, Hilda Rochfort, Eileen Grace and Alice Sheelah, and Dulce Fordyce, and two sons, Charles Frederick and Juland Patrick.
Charles Dingwall was a frequent trans-Atlantic traveller, and in the spring of 1915, he had reason to travel to Chicago, Illinois, in connection with his business. For this purpose, he booked a return saloon passage on the Lusitania, and boarded the liner at Liverpool on the 17th April. On his arrival at New York City on the 24th April, he travelled on to Chicago, staying at the Auditorium Hotel. For his return to his home in England, he arrived at the liner’s berth in New York harbour on the morning of 1st May 1915 and having boarded, with ticket number D1346, he was escorted to his room, D22, which was the personal responsibility of First Class Bedroom Steward William Fletcher, who came from Wallasey, in Cheshire, on the opposite bank of the River Mersey from Liverpool.
He had his last sight of New York just after mid-day as the liner began her delayed sailing out of the harbour and out into the Atlantic Ocean. Six days later, he was killed after she was torpedoed and sunk twelve miles off the coast of southern Ireland and only hours away from her Liverpool destination. As his body was never recovered and identified afterwards, he has no known grave. He was aged 62 years.
Bedroom Steward William Fletcher, who had looked after Charles Dingwall in room D22, did survive the sinking, however, and eventually made it back to his Wallasey home.
On 9th July 1915, administration of Charles Dingwall’s estate was granted jointly to his widow and his son, by then Captain Charles Frederick Dingwall of The East Surrey Regiment. Mr. Dingwall left effects to the value of £133,168-10s-10d, (£133,168.54p), proving that he must have been a most successful businessman.
There used to be a large wooden plaque in memory of Charles and Frances Dingwall from their children and grandchildren in the foyer of the War Memorial Hospital in Carshalton. The hospital was built in the 1920’s to the memory of local men who served in the Great War, but was closed in 2005, and has since been redeveloped for residential accommodation. It is not known whether or not the plaque has survived. Above two photographs of the couple and three of the local area – Shepley House in Strawberry Lane, All Saints Church in Carshalton circa. 1900, and the White Bridge over the River Wandle at Shepley House - was written: -
The bed in this room
is endowed to the everlasting
memory of
CHARLES ARTHUR DINGWALL
AND HIS WIFE FRANCES KATHLEEN
by their devoted and grateful
children and grandchildren
They lived for many years at Shepley House, Carshalton and
were always mindful
of the Sick & Needy
and the welfare
of the Parish
Underneath the photographs were the names of the children and grandchildren. Presumably, the plaque was originally placed in a private room in the hospital.
Frances Dingwall lived until February 1935, almost 20 years after her husband, when she died aged 76 years.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Surrey England Church of England Marriages and Banns 1754 – 1937, 1861 Census of England and Wales, 1871 Census of England and Wales, 1881 Census of England and Wales, 1891 Census of England and Wales, 1901 Census of England and Wales, Cambridge University Alumni 1261 – 1900, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, UK Incoming Passenger Lists 1878 – 1960, Cunard Records, Probate Records, Scotland National Probate Index 1876 – 1936, Surrey Advertiser, PRO BT 100/345, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, David Ayling, Charles Dallmeyer, Lawrence Evans, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.