CHARLES WILLIAMS STORY Chapter 1

Young Charles Loved the Sea
courtesy photobucket.com

Charles was the youngest of six children born to Linnet and Scarlet Williams.

There were four boys and two girls. His siblings were named starting with the eldest to the youngest Martin, Melvin, Michael, Sable and Mary and of course Charles.

There was eight years between Charles and the next youngest child (Mary). The two sisters were always taking care of him, bathing, dressing and feeding him. Because of this he became very close to them and remained so well into adulthood.

When he was three the sisters got him a sailor suit and would take him to the lake where people would sail their model sail boats. From early on he became fascinated with boats and water.

His father was in the import/export business and his office was near the Boston harbor port. As the boys matured he started them into the business early on, but he had other plans for Charles.

Doing his first four years Charles wasn't around other children very much but as he grew up he enjoyed his large family, his sisters especially for they were always doing things with him and teasing him a lot. They liked to tease him about girls and would say they were going to get him a girl friend. He hated being teased but he liked the idea of a girl friend though he didn't know what that would be like.

His sisters often took him to the lake and by the time he was five they taught him how to swim; because they knew his fascination with the water could get him into big trouble.

As he got older he would beg his sisters to take him down to the docks so he could see the sailing vessels load and unload. He got to know several of the captains through his father's dealing with them, and when the ship was unloaded he would go aboard and search through the whole craft.

By the time he was ten he knew most of the ships inside and out. On the bottom deck was where the cargo was stowed.

  
The middle deck was for the crew, and the poor people who spent from six to eight weeks coming from Liverpool to the colonies. With poor sanitation and hard bunks it was a struggle for their survival. Those who made it in less than six weeks felt fortunate for the mayflower took almost nine weeks to make the journey.

The upper decks were people who had money for they had cabins and space to enjoy the trip.



Charles' father made it possible for him to sail to Portugal and then to Spain and back home. He felt like a real sailor since he worked as a cabin boy and took orders like a real sailor.

During that trip one other thing happened (which was what the father had in mind.)

 

Charles decided that a life on the sea was not for him, he enjoyed sleeping in his bed at home too much to give it up.

It was exciting to watch the passengers board the vessels. Some looked as if they wouldn't make it and wore poor clothing while others were dressed in the finest clothes with fancy hats.

He often wondered who these people were, and why the kids his age had so much to laugh about.  He noticed especially the girls, for they were whispering and giggling all the time.

His father wanted a lawyer in the family; the older boys didn't have any interest in the law so Charles was his last chance.

At first he nudged Charles, and then he pushed him to begin to study the laws of the land in general.

Because his father had attorney friends, one of them offered to give Charles a job as an office boy at their law firm. 

It was here the real education for Charles began.

To be Continued