Charles Thomas ‘Charlie’ Jeffery was born in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States of America, on the 13th May 1876, the son of Thomas Buckland and Catherine Elizabeth Jeffrey (née Wray). His father was a machinist, who became an inventor and industrialist. The family moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin, while Charlie was a child.
In 1897, Thomas B. Jeffrey built his first prototype motor car. He was a founding partner in Gormully & Jeffrey, a bicycle manufacturing company, and in 1900, he sold his stake in the company to the American Bicycle Company, to finance his desire to design and build motor cars. The company was the second largest manufacturer of bicycles in the United States of America in 1900.
On the 3rd November 1900, Charlie married Catherine “Kate” T. Richardson in Manhattan, New York City, and the couple would have two daughters.
Charlie had worked with his father in Gormully & Jeffrey, and went to work with him in this new venture. In 1902, The Thomas B. Jeffrey Company was established in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The first model of motor car built by the company was called the “Rambler”, of which there were 1,350 sales in 1903!
In 1901, Charlie had designed two prototype motor cars, with radical innovations for that time – steering wheels and front-mounted engines; however, his father initially rejected these designs, preferring to stay with the established under-seat fitted engines, and tillers, which were the normal steering devices in early motor cars. However, by 1904, Charlie’s ideas were incorporated into new models of the company’s motor cars, resulting in about 2,700 sales in 1905! As well as Charlie’s radical ideas, the company was the second automobile manufacturer to build their vehicles on assembly lines.
In April 1910, Charlie’s father died while visiting Pompeii, Italy, and in June the company was incorporated, with Charlie becoming the president of the company, and his younger brother, Harold, being appointed vice-president and treasurer. The company was expanding and looking to increase their sales by selling their models in Europe, therefore Charlie made frequent crossed the Atlantic Ocean to further these ambitions.
He had been in England in March 1915, arriving back in New York City on board the
Minnehaha on the 16th April; however, his business hadn’t concluded so he made plans to return to England within a matter of weeks. Having returned to Kenosha, presumably to consult with his brother and others in the company, about the business the company was trying secure in Europe, he decided to book as a saloon passenger on the
Lusitania, sailing from New York City on the 1st May.
He left Kenosha and travelled to New York City. When he boarded the vessel, (with ticket number 20608), he was allocated room B44, which was under the personal jurisdiction of First Class Bedroom Steward James Grant who came from Liverpool.
Six days later, when the ship was torpedoed, he was undecided as to the best course of action for his survival and while he was trying to make up his mind, he spied second cabin passenger Patrick Jones, a London reporter, in the process of trying to take a photograph of the sinking vessel. This is described in the book The Last Voyage of the Lusitania by Adolph and Mary Hoehling: -
Charlie T. Jeffrey a Kenosha, Wisconsin automobile manufacturer, spied Jones on the starboard side of B Deck. His arm wrapped around a stanchion, he balanced himself further with a foot against the rail. He was taking pictures as fast as he could load and focus his camera.
“You'd better get off this boat!” Jeffrey shouted.
"These'll be the greatest pictures ever!” replied Jones, not pausing to look at the other man.
Jeffrey thought it “the coolest thing” he would ever see, then hastened along the deck.
“The coolest thing” or not, Patrick Jones did not survive, nor did his camera or photographs, which undoubtedly would have been
the greatest pictures ever.
Charlie Jeffery was still on the stern end of the Lusitania when she went down and he was washed into the sea. Fortunately, he was plucked from out of the water and landed at Queenstown, where he was taken to the Queen's Hotel, to recover from his ordeal.
His room mate in the hotel was fellow saloon passenger James H. Brooks, who was travelling from Chicago. Charlie Jeffery and James Brooks, (despite the latter being a teetotaller), proceeded to down a whole bottle of Irish whisky in response to their ordeal. The Hoehlings stated that: -
It coated life with a pleasant glaze.
On Saturday 8th May, the two of them toured the temporary mortuaries in the town, searching for the body of American millionaire Alfred Vanderbilt and although they did not find it, they did positively identify the body of impresario Charles Frohman.
Charlie Jeffery eventually made it to England, and although booked to return on the 19th May, on board the
Lapland, he waited until the 16th June when he boarded the Adriatic at Liverpool. He was aged 38 years at the time of his ordeal. Bedroom Steward Grant also survived the sinking and eventually made it back to Liverpool.
In 1915, the Thomas B. Jeffrey Company decided to change the name of their automotive branding from “Rambler” to “Jeffrey”, in honour if Thomas B. Jeffrey, the founder of the company, and then in August 1916, the entire company was sold to Charles W. Nash, who had formerly been the president of General Motors. Nash made an initial down payment of $500,000, but the total sale amounted to $5,000,000. This allowed Charlie Jeffrey, his brother, Harold, and a number of other executives to retire as very wealthy men.
Charlie and his family moved to Merion Station, Pennsylvania, where he developed other business interests, and build up a very valuable collection of rare books, maps, and autographs. The family resided at 41. Lapsley Road, Merion Station.
On the 10th November 1935, Charlie Jeffrey died at his home of chronic myocarditis and cirrhosis of the liver, aged 59 years. He remains were buried at Green Ridge Cemetery, Kenosha, Wisconsin. After his death, his family sold by auction his extensive collection of rare books, maps, and autographs.
New York Extracted Marriage Index 1866 – 1937, Pennsylvania Death Certificates 1906 – 1967, 1880 U.S. Federal Census, 1900 U.S. Federal Census, 1905 Wisconsin State Census, 1910 U.S. Federal Census, 1920 U.S. Federal Census, 1930 U.S. Federal Census, U.S. Passport Applications 1795 – 1925, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, U.S. World War I Draft Registration Cards 1917 – 1918, Chicago Tribune, Kenosha News, San Francisco Chronicle, Yorkshire Post, Last Voyage of the Lusitania, PRO 22/71, Graham Maddocks, Nyle Monday, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.