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In January 1901 Charles enlisted in Aberdeen to the Royal Artillery (Royal Regiment of Artillery (Royal Sarr County)), for a period of seven years (later extended to 8), having previous service (indeterminate) in Her Majesty’s (Victoria’s) army. Features in 1901: Height 5’9″, weight 149 lbs. His trade is registered as ‘mason’ but he enlisted with rank of Gunner. So he would have been a reservist during WWI, (but may have re-enlisted on September 8th 1914? – to be confirmed if possible).
In 1901 he was posted to Gosport, Portsmouth, then served in India from October 1901 to August 1908. His next of kin were registered as his mother (Jessie) in Aberchirder, his sister(Jane) in Aberchirder, and his brother Alexander in Philadelphia. In India he was hospitalised for bouts of malaria, and treatment for a dog bite. He served in Bombay where his record shows he learned to swim, and Rangoon which at the time was in British Burma, and other places in the colony.
Click here (Hint: Right Click to open in New Tab or New Page if necessary for zooming or scrolling if required) to see the family listed in the ship’s complement of emigrating passengers in 1921, sailing from Southampton to New York.
Charles married Rose Ann Angus in 1912 at St. Machar (Cathedral?) in Aberdeen, and his in-law parents were Alexander Angus, market gardener by trade, and Rose Ann Robertson. Charles and Rose with 4 children emigrated to Pennsylvania, USA, in February 1921 (on the SS Adriatic sailing from Southampton), no doubt the fact that brothers William and Alexander had put down roots there a considerable number of years earlier was a factor. The 1930 census shows Charles was a factory worker.
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- Jessie McQueen Coull, born 1913 in Banffshire, in 1930 was a housemaid to a private family in Pennsylvania, and later married in 1935 to Theodore E. Crawley (1913-1985). She died in 1975.
Jessie 
Barbara Their first daughter Barbara Jane (1937-2020) married John A. DiNolfi (1930-2009) and they had 6 children – Alexander, Charles, Gerry, James, John, and Helene. Their second daughter Carol Ann (1941-2008) married Thomas J. Emery (1939-1996). So far there are no known children for Carol and Thomas.
Carol - Kenneth Webster Coull, born Banff 1915 (married in Wilmington, Delaware, 1947, to Edith Mae Lawrence, mother’s surname Riley). Edith was 6 years older than Kenneth, making her aged 38, and a widow at the time. He enlisted in the army during WWII in 1941. Daughter Rose Ann Coull was baptised in the RC Chapel St.Patrick’s, Norristown, November 1952. Son Kenneth Coull Junr. was also a minor in 1950.
- James Angus Coull, born Banff circa 1918. 5’10”, 169 lbs. in 1940 at WWII registration. Blue eyes, blonde hair. Married to Mary, son James A. Coull.
- Charles Webster Coull, born Banff 1920. 6’1″, 161 lbs. in 1942 on WWII enlistment, worked in a paper mill at the time. Wife was Pearl A. Coull, daughter Cheryl Lynn Coull b.1948, son Scott Charles Coull b.1948. They were twins born 31st August. See pictures below.
- Alexander Robertson Coull, born Pennsylvania circa 1923, died 2001 in New Mexico (to be confirmed but reasonably sure). No spouse details. Also enlisted during WWII.
- Rose Ann Coull, born Pennsylvania 1923 (married in Baker, Montana in 1947 to Arnold H. Rosling). Died 1996.
- Anna Mae Coull, born Pennsylvania 1927. Married name Novitski but no marriage record found. Had 2 children both still living (as at 2019).
- Curtis Emery Coull, born Pennsylvania 1930. Wife Penny P. Coull, sons David born about 1967 and Daniel, daughter Alison (married name Reed?) born about 1965 and possibly now deceased. Disclaimer: The astute will recognise a mismatch of information regarding the wife of Curtis Coull. Records are unclear possibly because there is more than one person named Curtis Emery Coull. The newspaper extract shown below of his engagement announcement to Harriet Burchfield seems crystal clear (as do subsequent items in the same newspaper over several years), however initial research showed his spouse as Penny P. Coull with sons as documented above but it has to be said that is now looking less likely. This will be clarified as soon as possible, and neither is being discounted until absolutely beyond doubt.
- Jessie McQueen Coull, born 1913 in Banffshire, in 1930 was a housemaid to a private family in Pennsylvania, and later married in 1935 to Theodore E. Crawley (1913-1985). She died in 1975.
In 1942 Charles Webster Snr. had a WWII draft registration card (at age 62!) showing they lived at 527 Barbadoes Street (spelling correct), Norristown, with place of employment as The Continental Diamond Fibre Co., Bridgeport, Penn. He had blue eyes, black hair, height 5ft 5in. (4 inches shorter than 1901?), weight 135 lbs. (so not a large man). In 1940, sons Kenneth and Charles worked at the same place as their father (the Fibre Co.) and lived at home, as did the other children. James worked in a steel plant.
Grandchildren (twins) Scott and Cheryl pictured below, children of Charles Webster Coull Jnr., aged 16. Pictures taken from school yearbook.
The Gettysburg Times newspaper seems to have been the local Facebook equivalent of the time and mentions local trivia (who sold their house to whom, for example) as well as wider national news. Here are some cuttings of Curtis Emery Coull in the 1960s who worked in education as a teacher/instructor at Gettysburg College. (Information apparently verified by facts from his cousin, Esther Malmberg Eastman, granddaughter of Alexander Coull who was the first to emigrate to the USA in 1889).
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