Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Charles Albert Stokes was born in Ballarat Victoria 29th June 1885. His father was a horse dealer from Geelong, George William Stokes born about 1855 and died in 1921 buried at the Ballarat Cemetery. His mother Mary Frances Brown born 1857 in Melbourne and died in 1895 also buried at the Ballarat cemetery, Charles was only 10 years of age when his mother died. Mary’s ancestry is from Ireland.
Charles parents were married in St Stephan’s Church Ballarat 27th December 1875, George was 18 years occupation listed as a labour with Mary 17 years occupation listed as a dressmaker. The Minister Henry Edward Cooper married them.
When Charles was born he three brothers and two sisters. Ellen Elizabeth Stokes born 1857, George William Stokes born 1878, Jess Richard Stokes born 1879, James Stokes born 1881, Mary (Minnie) Frances Stokes born 1883. There is mention of a younger sister Rose but there are no details at this time of writing.
With Charles father, as “horse dealer” Charles grew up around horses and it is believed he was an expert rider, team master and breaker. In the 1890’s Charles has accompanied his brothers along with his father to Western Australia by bringing horses by ship.
About 1904 it is believed that Charles has had an altercation with his father and has remained in Western Australia along with two elder brothers. Charles worked for a family friend James Spiers living in West Perth. The connection was that the Stokes and Spiers had been neighbours in Ballarat. Charles mother had died when he was aged 10 and the only connection to Ballarat was a brother and his sisters.
Charles remained with the Spiers family until his marriage to Ellen Bagley in 1907. He continued to work for the Spiers family. He worked for Cobb & Co Coach in the Daydawn which is in the goldfields area. In his spare time, Charles played football and by all accounts was a very good player, playing for the West Perth Football Club.
In 1907 Charles married Ellen Annie Bagley where they had four children. Three, son and two daughters who were born prior to Charles heading off to The Great War in 1916. His fourth child, a daughter was born in 1922.
Charles returned from The Great War in April 1919 and was discharged in the June where under the Returned Soldier Settlement Scheme he settled to Kirup in the Upper Capel Valley area.
In 1927 one of his daughter's became seriously ill and needed special treatment in Perth where Charles and the family left the farm to return to Perth purchasing a house in Subiaco. Charles commenced a business as a carrier. World War 2 there was petrol rationing which Charles sold his truck where he went to work for the Subiaco Council until his retirement. Charles died in the November of 1969