Eighth child, second son of Joseph PHELPS (1791–1876) and Elizabeth DICKINSON (1795–1876)

Born 20th February 1833, Funchal, Madeira.

Died 28th February 1908

1) 19 August 1869, Agnes Sarah NEALE (1844 – 1876), daughter of Rev J M Neale

2) 1 November 1877, Katherine Eliza WILKINSON (1843 – 1911)

Charles and Agnes had one daughter

Margaret Agnes Neale (1870 – 1907)

Charles seems to have suffered a partial loss of hearing as a young man. He attended Market Bosworth School in England (run by his uncle Arthur Benoni EVANS and living with the Evans family) and then worked for a time in the family business in Madeira. He wrote a number of letters in Latin to his younger brother Arthur, (Arthur PHELPS 1837 – 1920) who was at school at this time.

With the decline of the wine trade after the disease of the vines, there did not seem to be a future for him in Madeira, so he was sent to Australia in 1853, where family friends had promised to help him get started. He took some wine to sell to provide capital and did purchase land and plant vines, but these did not do well and he eventually became almost destitute and worked as a labourer on a sheep farm. His problems were exacerbated by the irresponsible behaviour of Willie his brother (William PHELPS 1836 – 1911) who had been sent out to join him in 1855.

They returned to England in 1862 and Charles was taken in by his uncles in their business in Rood Lane, London. In 1869 he married Agnes Sarah NEALE who bore him a daughter Margaret, but Agnes died in 1876.

Charles married Katherine WILKINSON in London in 1877. In old age he suffered senile dementia and was cared for by a couple in Withernsea, Yorkshire, where he died aged 75.