Charles B Wickham was born in Worthing, baptised in Broadwater, the third son of Arthur Robert and Ellen Wickham. His father Arthur R, born Winchester, was the son of a Surgeon, and Ellen (daughter of the Reverend Fiennes Samuel Trotman) was born in Northamptonshire.
In 1881 Charles was living in Chapel Road with his parents, and their then 8 children, all born in Worthing. Arthur was a Schoolmaster at Worthing-House School in Chapel Road. This establishment then included 3 teachers, 9 Servants and 23 boy pupils between 10 and 15 from all over Southern England.
By 1891 Charles and his older brother William were both Tutors in the School. There were now 9 children still living at home, (they had 14 altogether!), there were 4 Servants, but no resident pupils.
Arthur Robert Wickham was the Master of the School from 1873 until 1891, followed by sons William and Arthur until 1893 when it was sold. It was on the site of a Lodging House until 1852, when it became a School for Young Gentlemen. The building had 4 reception rooms, a schoolroom with 3 classrooms, private study, pupils' lavatories, cloak room etc and 16 bedrooms. After the Wickhams it became the Home of the Holy Rood, demolished in the 1930s.
Worthing House School in Chapel Road
Charles married Kate (nee Southgate) in 1895 in Croydon.
Kate was born in Lee, in Kent. In 1881 she was living in Lewisham with her parents, Samuel Tufnell Southgate, a Solicitor, and wife Ellen, both born in Kent. Kate was the third of their then seven children. By 1891 the family had moved to Church Road, Croydon.
In 1901 Charles, Kate and with their two-year-old daughter, Marjory Maud Lucy Francis, were visitors in Hastings Charles described as Schoolmaster, living on his own means.
10 years later the family were living in Cranfield House in Downview Road. Kate and Charles (living on his own private means) had been married 16 years by then, with two children born to them, one living. They lost their son Arthur Tufnell Fiennes in 1898 aged one. (The monumental inscription says 1895, but the records disagree.)
At this time they had a Governess, Cook and Parlour Maid living with them.
When Kate died, in 1940, she was living at St Cross in Valencia Road.
Daughter Marjory lived in Worthing until her death in 1973.