Nat Gould

Charles John King 1831-1886

Charles John King was born in 1831, the son of the Reverend William Moss King and his wife nee Elizabeth Margaret Coddington. He was baptised on 29 November 1832 at Coates in Sussex.

Fuchow in the 1850s

He was educated at King Edward VI School, Bruton in Somerset, where he was a pupil aged 9 with his brother Robert Moss King aged 8 when the 1841 Census was taken. He went on to Merton College, Oxford, graduating Bachelor of Arts in 1855 (1). He became a merchant, trading in China.

On 1 April 1856 he married Fanny Rosina Sullivan at the residence of the British Consul in Foo-chow-foo (Fuchow), China. She was the only daughter of the George Grey Sullivan RN, the Consul at Amoy in China (2).

They had the following children :

A son born in 1856 who died in the same year.

William Henry Raymond King. He was born in April 1858 and baptised by his grandfather at Long Crichel on 6 June 1858. He died in September of the same year.

Elizabeth Margaret King. She was born in October 1859, and baptised on 6 November 1859 at Long Crichel. From 1862 she was brought up by her grandparents at Long Crichel Rectory.

Divorce Petition Signature 1862

Charles John King divorced his wife in December 1863 (3). On 12 July 1862, when he filed his petition for divorce, he was living in Shanghai, China.

In the petition he alleged that his wife had committed adultery on several dates between 1857 and 1862 October at Macao in China, and then back in England at Bath, Weymouth and in London (4).

He married Frederica Frances Mure in London on 5 May 1870. She was born in London on 18 June 1846 and baptised on 17 July 1846 at St Marylebone church in London. She was the youngest daughter of James Mure of 20 Gloucester Place in London and his wife nee Emily Davis Heatley (5).

Charles John King died aged 54 years on 25 May 1886 at 10 Westbourne Place in London (6).

His widow was visiting her cousin Anne Mary Mure in Bourneouth together with her lady's maid when the Census was taken in 1911. She died aged 87 years on 6 July 1933 in Chelsea, London (7).

(1) Alumni Oxonienses 1715-1886 volume 2 page 795.
(2) Sherborne Mercury 15 July 1856.
(3) Information about the first marriage is given in the reports of the divorce case in 1863 which was widely publicised in the press: Liverpool Mercury 12 December 1863, Leeds Intelligencer 12 December 1863, Hampshire Advertiser 12 December 1863, Western Times 15 December 1863, and Sheffield Independent 12 December 1863. Extensive details are given in the Shields Daily Gazette 17 December 1863.
(4) King v King Court File of the divorce case heard in the Court of Probate in December 1863.
(5) Morning Post 7 May 1870; Salisbury and Winchester Journal 7 May 1870; and Western Gazette 13 May 1870.
(6) He had previously been living at 9 Milner Terrace, Sloane Street in London : National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1858-1966 (1886). Probate of his Will was granted at London on 15 July 1886 to his brother Robert Moss King of Ashcott Hill, Bridgwater in Somerset and Richard Mountford Wood, the executors. Personal Estate £6,064 15s.
(7) Her address was then 26 Milner Street, Cadogan Square in London: : National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1858-1966 (1933) page 602. Probate of her Will was granted at London on 15 July 1886 to James George Dawson Mure and Geoffrey Reginald Gilchrist Mure. Effects £6,893 3s 6d.