Youngest child, fourth son, of William PHELPS (1749–1831) and Elizabeth PEYTON (1757–1829)

Born 29th August 1796, London

Died 21st February 1875, London

Married 1823 to Donna Maria Antonia BOUGALAL who died 31 December 1829.

Child Francescina

Charles was born while his parents were in London to take some of the older children to school, but soon after registering his birth in the Non-parochial Registers, the family returned to Madeira where Charles spent his early years.

His aunt Margaret Peyton kept a diary to which we are indebted for much information about this generation, but she does not record any formal schooling for Charles. It is possible that he followed his older brothers to Mr Burford's school. The diary does record that Charles sailed for Gibraltar in July 1813 and returned to England in October, leaving for Madeira the following year.

From 1815 to 1818 Charles was stationed in Gibraltar, writing regularly to Joseph in Madeira, and clearly a member of the family firm. Towards the end of this period he expresses his appreciation of the fact that he will soon be taken into partnership.He seems to have divided his time after this, between England and Madeira. "About 1823" he married a woman described on one family tree as "a nun", though Aunt Margaret says the marriage was only known to her in 1827. His wife died in 1829, having born him a daughter who appears not to have survived infancy.

When his brother William retired in 1846, Charles took over the Rood Lane office, taking in his nephew and namesake when the latter returned from Australia in 1862. By 1865 the last members of the family had left Madeira and the firm must have been dissolved, never having completely recovered its fortunes after the mildew blight which attacked the vines.

Charles died at Montague Place aged 78 and was buried in the family vault at Kensal Green Cemetery.