People on board

ARCHER, Charles Joseph

Charles Archer was born in 1887, the eldest of seven children of Edward Archer and Teresa Matthews. The family were living in St Patrick’s Road, Drumcondra at that time, later moving to Aughrim Street, and in the 1901 census they were in Aughrim Villas. Edward was an ‘Inspector in the Telegraph Service’, in 1901 specifically ‘Inspector of Telegraph Messengers’. When Charles married in 1908 both he and his father gave their occupation as ‘Servant’, the symbol possibly suggesting ‘Civil Servant’. The 1911 census for Edward and the remaining family, now living on Cabra Road, Glasnevin, shows that the next son, Robert, was also working in the G.P.O., while another son, Edward, was an ‘Electric Engineer’.

Charles had married Annie Richmond from the North Circular Road and together they had four children, three daughters, Sheila (1909), Una (1911), Gwenda (1912) and a son, Edward (1914). Throughout this time they were living in 1 Enniskerry Road, Phibsborough. Charles’ occupation was ‘Sorting Clerk, General Post Office’. On the 10th of October 1918 Charles Archer was not scheduled to travel on the RMS Leinster, but he was replacing a colleague who was ill.

Charles died in the sinking and his body was not recovered but the probate of his will was granted to his widow, Annie, in December 1918. In June 1919 a second son was born to Annie Archer and named Charles after his late father.  This son later became a Salesian priest.

When he died, Charles Snr. had fourteen years’ service with the Post Office. He is remembered on the memorial in Dun Laoghaire Post Office and in the G.P.O.