Balch, Charlotte

Also known as: Mrs Balsh

Singer

Collection date: Apr 1906

Area: Somerset - Mendips (Harptree & Priddy)

---

Mrs Charlotte Balch (1838-1909): age 67, 3 songs on 23 Apr 1906: Charlotte lived next door to singer Mary Chapman. She was baptised Charlotte Mapstone on 16/12/1838 at Compton Martin church. She was the daughter and eldest child of Reuben & Sarah. Her father, an agricultural labourer, died in 1849, when Charlotte was 11. In 1851 her mother Sarah was a ‘labourer in the mines’, struggling to bring up 5 small children.

Perhaps Charlotte went into domestic service, for she was married at St Mary’s Redcliffe, Bristol on 29/11/1858 to James Balch, a cooper. The couple settled in Compton Martin (1861) and then at Ubley (1871-1901). In no census is the family name recorded as ‘Balsh’ (as Sharp noted) but always ‘Balch’. Charlotte was buried 3/4/1909 at Ubley church.