Nat Gould

Charles Robert Arthur Godfrey

Charles Robert Arthur Godfrey was born in Walthamstow, Essex in 1900, the son of William H. Godfrey, a house painter and decorator and his wife Ellen M. Godfrey. His parents were both Londoners, his father being born in about 1872 in Marylebone and his mother in about 1875 in Hackney.

White Star Liner Persic

Charles Godfrey had an older sister Ellen M. Godfrey born in about 1894 and an older brother William H. Godfrey born in about 1896. The family lived in a four-roomed house at 42 Summit Road in Walthamstow.

Charles Godfrey is recorded as sailing to Australia on the White Star liner Persic from her home port of Liverpool to Sydney on 30 April 1911.
She was a cargo ship which also carried passengers. There was a total of 131 crew and 139 passengers.

He was listed as a “passage worker”, one of five. He was only 10 years old and was probably a stowaway.

In 1927 Charles Godfrey married Winifred Madeline Gould, the daughter of Nat Gould and his wife nee Elizabeth Madeline Ruska.

Charles and Winifred Godfrey were living in 1931 at Station Road in Tooradin in the Flinders District of Victoria, he being then recorded as a farmer. By 1936 they had moved to 7 Agnew Street in Brighton, Victoria. Charles Godfrey was then recorded as a metal worker, and later became a builder.

They had three children: Jeannette Godrey (born 22 November 1930 and died 28 July 2004 at Traralgon in Victoria), William Godfrey (born 30 May 1933 and died 1989), and Nathaniel Godfrey (born 18 March 1944 and died 3 June 1998).

Charles Robert Arthur Godfrey died on 14 October 1955 at Brighton, Victoria. His wife Winifred Madeline Godfrey died on 16 September 1988 at Rosebud, Victoria.