Mr Charles Valentine Clarke was born in Cosham, Hampshire, England on 14 February 1883 and was aptly named for that day.
He was the son of Harry Clark (b. 1857) and Jane Emma Hall (b. 1859). His father, a brewer and dairyman, was also born in Cosham whilst his mother was from Emsworth, Hampshire; they had married in 1880 and went on to have four children: Harry Leonard (b. 1882), Charles (b. 1883) and Edith Kate (b. 1885). Another child, George, was lost in infancy.
The family appeared on the 1891 census living in High Street, Cosham at the King and Queen Inn which his father ran. Still present at this address on the 1901 census, Charles was listed elsewhere as a boarder at 2 Hill Side, New Haven, Sussex, the home of a Mr and Mrs John Gay who were seamen missionaries with Charles apparently their clerk. Charles later followed in his father's footsteps and became a dairy vendor.
He was married on 29 June 1908 to Ada Maria Winfield (b. 14 December 1883), a resident of Netley, Hampshire. The couple would have no children and appeared on the 1911 census living at Sea View on Solent Road, Drayton, Hampshire.
Charles and his wife boarded the Titanic at Southampton on 10 April 1912 as second class passengers (ticket number 2003 which cost £26) and their last address was Colaba, Grange Lane, Netley, the home of his wife's parents. They were destined for San Francisco, California.
April 10, 1912; On board R. M. S. Titanic.
Dear father and mother,
Just a line to let you know we are both well and are doing justice to what we have paid for. I hope everything in the business is going on all right. What sort of time did you have at Easter – plenty to do, as you had the races extra?
We are well on the way to Queenstown, which we expect to reach about noon tomorrow. We spent quite a long time at Cherbourg. A tender brought all the passengers to our ship. We nearly had a collision on leaving Southampton, which I will tell you about in my next letter if we reach New York.1 We had a roll before we got into Cherbourg. We are just going to bed now, as the time is getting on.
Kind regards from us both, I remain your loving son, Charl.
Charles died in the sinking and his body, if recovered, was never identified.
A memorial service was later held for him in his native Hampshire:
COSHAM MEMORIAL SERVICE
THE LATE MR C. V. CLARKE
Though a general memorial service for those who lost their lives in the Titanic disaster was held in the Wymering Church on Sunday, a special service was held on Thursday evening in the Chapelon Ease, High-street, Cosham, to mark the deep sense of regret at the tragic end of Mr Charles Valentine Clarke of Cosham, who was one of the victims of the awful catastrophe. Mr Clarke was a member of the Cosham Church of England Men's Society, and it was in connection with this organisation that the service was held. Canon Scott, M.A., Rector of Havant and Rural Dean, conducted the sad service, assisted by the Rev. J. W. Fell-Middlehurst, curate-in-charge. The hymns "God moves in a Mysterious Way," "Nearer, My God, to Thee," and "On the Resurrection Morn" were sung, Mrs Daysh presiding at the organ. In the course of a touching address Canon Scott said that Mr Clarke was only enrolled a member of the Society on Good Friday Morning, and sailed with his wife on the following Wednesday. He helped the women and children into the boats after the collision. Mrs Clarke was saved.
(Portsmouth Evening News, 26 April 1912)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Mr and Mrs Harry Clarke wish to thank all kind friends for letters and messages of condolence in their sad bereavement in the loss of their dear son, Charles Valentine, in RMS Titanic.
(Portsmouth Evening News, 9 May 1912)
CLARKE--In loving memory of our dearly-beloved son, Charles Valentine, who lost his life on the ill-fated RMS Titanic on April 15th, "In the midst of life we are in death."
(Portsmouth Evening News, 8 and 10 May 1912)
His wife Ada survived and returned to England where she remained for the rest of her life; she died in 1953 and her late husband is commemorated on her grave.
ECHO OF THE TITANIC DISASTER
MRS C. CLARKE, of Cosham, wishes to place a brass plate on the north wall of St Peter and Paul's Church in memory of her husband, Charles Valentine, who went down on the ill-fated Titanic.
(Hampshire Telegraph, 28 March 1913)
I'm researching all passengers destined for California, and other than limited info on ET and Ticehurst's Titanic's Memorials, can find little about them. Why were they going to San Francisco? And what about Mrs. Clarke's sister, Mrs. Young, who lived across the bay at 142 Ox Point, Richmond.
On a lark I tried mailing something to the occupants at 42 Ox Point, Richmond, Calif, but it came back "Not Deliverable as addressed". Is there anyone out there in the San Francisco Bay area that can help? I'd like to get a picture of the house if it still exists. Maybe the address was 42 Ox, Point Richmond. Thanks, Mike
I live in the Bay Area so I looked on a map. Of Richmond (which is located across the bay, on the east side of it, directly across from San Francisco), there wasn't any "Ox" anything. I did find an Oxford Avenue, but the street no.s appear to be in the 2000 range. "Point Richmond," north of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge, is part of a national park although there are some residents and farms in the park. Frankly, I wouldn't go cavorting around Richmond, California, looking for a house to take a picture of, because it's sort of run down, the neighborhoods aren't all that great,...
Just a follow up on my previous message. There's a neighborhood in San Francisco named "Richmond." It is located on the ocean side, just south of the Golden Gate Bridge, where the Golden Gate Park, Presidio, Cliff House, Sutro Baths, etc. are contained. Except for the Presidio, most of Richmond was built up after the Second World War. Before that, it was sand dunes and the like. There is an Oak Street which runs into the Richmond neighborhood, from an old neighborhood called "Haight-Ashbury." Again, these house nos. tended to be high (in the 1000 range). Probably the only thing you can...
Thanks, Joe. I lived in the Bay Area for about 25 years before moving back to Southern Calif. I know what you mean about Richmond, but Pt. Richmond is right on the bay next to Richmond, just a little southwest of the Chevron refinery. There's some nice houses out there and a sailing marina. If I remember right, you drive through a tunnel right next to the Natatorium, an indoor pool. You might be on to something, though, because everyting I've seen on the Clarke's said they were going to San Francisco. Maybe they were headed for the Richmond District of San Francisco. Yes, I'm aware of...
Hi Mike: thanks for the interesting feedback. I'm sorry, I think I had "Point Richmond" confused with "Point Reyes."
Hi Joe: Point Reyes is definitely nicer than Richmond or Point Richmond. Where in the City is Dodge Street, by the way?
"Dodge Place" is a tiny street located near the intersection of Larkin and Turk streets, in the Civic Center area of San Francisco. It is very close the Federal District Court building. If you proceed down Turk Street, going east, or, in other words, in the direction of the financial district and the Bay Bridge, you'll hit it just after crossing Larkin. It's about two long blocks east of Van Ness, and about four short blocks south of Geary. I didn't know about it until one day I was walking a different route back to the BART station, after a hearing in the Federal District Court, and...
Thanks, Joe. We'll have to find a way to find out how to determine who streets are named after. I've got Clark Avenue down here that runs through Long Beach, Lakewood, Bellflower and Downey that I suspect is named after Walter Miller Clark or some other Clark relative. The Church that was mentioned in his ET bio is one block off Clark. I've got a local historian researching it for me. I've got another development up your way. Please contact me direct at Thanks. I might be delayed in getting back to you. Best Regards, Mike
Eureka!! The Titanic Commutator, v. 16, #1, May-July 1992, Part two of "The Clark Family of Los Angeles" by Don Lynch, page 18, reads: "....there is a street in Redondo Beach named for the Clark family" That would be Clark Lane, which is just a few blocks long. "The Los Alamitos Sugar Factory closed its doors in 1926 when the farmland which produced the beets became more valuable to developers. The Clark family's Montana Land Company was sold during the late 1940's, with the Long Beach property becoming what is now the city of Lakewood. Once again one of the streets is named for...
Hi Brian, If is not too much trouble do you have any further information on Charles Valentine Clarke and his wife Ada Maria Regards Bazzer
Barry - Morning - Here is my printout on Mr. and Mrs. Clarke - I hope that ithelps? Clarke, Mr. Charles V. Missing. Picture in the Hampshire Post, Cosham. There is a fine plaque in his memory in the St Peters and Paul Church, Wymering, Sussex. UK. also he is named on his wife's gravestone (see below). Aged 29 years. Dairyman going to California. CLARKE, Mrs. Ada Maria. Saved in Lifeboat number 14. (Wife of above). Colaba, Grange Lane, Netley Abbey, Southampton, Hampshire. Sister of Mrs. Ada West, who survived the Titanic with her two daughters, sadly her husband was lost in the...
Afternoon Brian, You say that survivor Ada West was a sister to either Charles or Ada Clarke, also Titanic passengers. Is this true? I have never seen the family connection anywhere else before. Cheers, Boz
Dear Boz, Ref the Ada West / Ada Clarke link-up. I have tried to prove this over the years but have been unable to do so. Mrs. Barbara West (nee Dainton) as you know has for many years now wanted nothing to do with the Titanic after being upset by some of our American cousins. I have been corresponding with Barbara for over 20 years now and I have never been able to get her to confirm or deny it. How the information came about was that not long after I discovered Ada Clarkes grave in the Weston Cemetery the Vicar there rang me up and asked for exact details as he had a...
Hello Brian, I trust everything is well with you? I hope to see you in Southampton next month. Have you ever found an interview with the Wests? How they abandoned ship, I mean. Best wishes, Peter