Charles James Savage

Mr Charles James Savage was born in Brightlingsea, Essex, England on 31 December 1888.¹

He was the youngest of four children born to Stephen Charles Savage (1858-1919), a mariner, and Eliza Alice Woods (1862-1925), natives of Hampshire and Essex respectively who had married in 1883. His three siblings were: Winifred Rose (1883-1966, later Mrs Sidney Conrad Siebert), Lilian (1884-1934, later Mrs Harry Thomas Doyle) and Steve Henry (1887-1951).

Charles first appears on the 1891 census with his parents living at Silcotts (?) in Brightlingsea and on the 1901 census the family are resident at 110 Sidney Street, also in Brightlingsea. By the time of the 1911 census the Savage family are resident at 14 Lower Park Road, Brightlingsea; Charles is absent though and presumably at sea.

When Charles signed on to the Titanic he gave his address as 8 Harold Road, Southampton, the same address given by his brother-in-law Sidney Siebert, the husband of his elder sister Winifred. His previous ship had been the Rannoch and as a steward he would earn £3, 15s per month.

Savage was rescued, in which lifeboat remains uncertain.

Charles continued his career at sea throughout the duration of WWI in the merchant service and he was also a prominent member of the Brightlingsea football team. He was married in early 1932 to Edith Monica Brown² (b. 29 April 1883 in London), much to the disapproval of his family; Edith was a divorcee and had two marriages already under belt and had three children between her two previous husbands. Savage later left the sea and worked on the railways before he earned a living as a storekeeper and he and his wife lived at 122 Oak Road in Luton, Bedfordshire in following years. 

Charles and Edith emigrated to Canada in September 1946, initially settling at 1633 Davie Street in Victoria, British Columbia where he worked as a janitor. His emigration records record him as standing at 5' 10½" and with hazel eyes and with fair hair and complexion.

Charles retired from his janitor job in 1952 and he and his wife later settled in Port Alberni, British Columbia; he became a widow when Edith died on 23 March 1954. Charles himself passed away following a stroke on 21 May 1957 aged 68. He and Edith are buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Port Alberni.