charles gates
Subject Name : Charles Gates (b 1816 – d 1883)
Researcher : Margaret Rose
Member of the Guildford Union Board of Guardians 1877-1882
Representing the parish of Holy Trinity, Guildford
Founder of the grocery and spirits business that became Cow & Gate
Charles Gates was born into a family with a farming and brewing background who were also local shopkeepers in the Steyning area of Sussex. He began his working life as a grocer and he continued for the rest of his life in this profession. Two of Charles’ sons created a company at Guildford which is still known today for its baby food.
Charles Gates was baptised at St Andrew’s Church, Steyning, on 4 July 1816 1. His parents were Richard Gates, a butcher and Mary née Stanford, who had married at St James’ Church, Ashurst in the parish of Steyning, on 10 June 1806 2. Charles had four brothers, all baptised at Steyning 3, 4, 5, 6.
In 1841 Charles was still living with his father Richard, a farmer, and mother Mary, at Jarvis House, Chapple Lane, Steyning, and already working as a grocer 7.
Marriage
Charles’ future wife Elizabeth Valder was living in Hillingdon, Middlesex on the 1841 census with her mother Mary and step-father Joseph Thornton, a brickmaker 8, 9. Elizabeth had been born in Whitechapel in around 1818, daughter of William Valder, a labourer, and Mary née Fisher 10, 11.
Charles and Elizabeth married on 22 May 1844 at Hillingdon’s St John the Baptist Church 12. Both gave their residence at time of marriage as Hillingdon.
How did they meet? On 23 April 1844 Charles’ older brother William Stanford Gates married Emma Woolley at St Giles Church, Holborn 13. William’s home was in Uxbridge, and like Charles he was also a grocer, so maybe Charles met his future wife having perhaps worked with William.
Guildford – Master Grocer and Wine & Beer Merchant
Charles and Elizabeth’s first child, Elizabeth, was baptised on 6 June 1845 at St Margaret’s Church, Hillingdon 14. However, their 12 other children were all born in Guildford, and baptised at the Holy Trinity Church there 15-25.
The 1851 census showed the family living at 20 High Street Guildford, opposite Holy Trinity Church and next door to the Abbot’s Hospital, which provided a home for deserving elderly poor of Guildford 26, 27, *.
Charles was clearly doing well as the family had five live-in servants, including a shopkeeper. However, Charles and his wife would have had to be vigilant over their family, as there was much sickness in the area. The number of private baptisms carried out at the Holy Trinity Church in the 1850s was high. These were generally conducted soon after a birth and indicated a concern over the child’s health. In 1855, a note in the Baptismal Register read ‘much sickness prevailing among children about this time is the reason for so many private baptisms’ 28.
Charles’ daughter Rosa and the twins Frank and Minnie Margaret were all privately baptised on 14 February 1859. Rosa died shortly after, age 14 months, and was buried on 1 March 29. Brother Frank, age 7 weeks, was buried on 7 March 30. Minnie Margaret survived.
The family continued to grow and business to prosper at 20 High Street 31, 32.
The grocer’s shop sold a wide range of local and imported goods, and alcohol 33, 34.
By 1881 Charles had retired and was living at Pewley Hill House, Guildford 35. His oldest daughter, Elizabeth, a spinster was also living with them as were his sons Charles and Leonard who were now in charge of the grocery and wine and beer business 36.
Election to the Guildford Union Board of Guardians
In March 1877 Charles Gates was elected as a Guardian of the Guildford Union Workhouse to represent the parish of Holy Trinity Guildford, and continued being re-elected, serving until 1882 37, 38.
The local papers reported his death, on 9 May 1883, age 66 as ‘not wholly unexpected’ 39, 40. He had suffered from declining health for many years and died of heart disease. The funeral service took place 11 May 1883 at Stoke Cemetery, carried out by parish priest of St John the Evangelist Church, Stoke next Guildford 41.
As well as being a Master Grocer with many employees, and a Guardian of the Guildford Union, he had also served as a Town Councillor for almost twenty years, giving up his seat in October 1876 42, 43. He had been involved with his local church and politics. He was a highly respected man, with one obituary noting that ‘His quiet, business habits, and non-ostentatious character, gained for him a large circle of friends’.
Sometime after Charles’ death his widow Elizabeth and daughter Elizabeth moved to Baille Road Guildford by 44. It was there that she died with her son Leonard in attendance on 30 October 1892 age 75 45.
From a Guildford grocery business to a world-renowned brand
Charles Gates had handed over a highly successful grocery, wine and beer business to his sons, Charles Arthur and Leonard. However, they had become interested in the Temperance Movement, which they joined in 1885, which meant they could no longer sell alcohol 46. They are said to have poured all their stocks of wine, spirits and beer into the gutters of Guildford High Street.
With the loss of revenue from alcohol, big changes occurred at the family grocery business in 1887 when the brothers went into the dairy trade. Their ‘West Surrey Dairy’ bought milk from local farmers, separated the curds and whey and sold the skimmed products back to the farmers for pig feed. The company expanded rapidly. In 1904 a request by a Medical Officer for powdered milk to help feed the children of poor families led to the establishment of a highly successful baby food business, which became the well-known Cow & Gate brand still in existence today 47, 48.
November 2024
* The biography of Harriett Jelly, inmate of the Guildford Union Workhouse in 1881, gives more detail about Abbot’s Hospital in the time of Charles Gates.
Spike Lives is a Heritage project that chronicles the lives of inmates, staff and the Board of Guardians of the Guildford Union Workhouse at the time of the 1881 Census. The Spike Heritage Museum in Guildford offers guided tours which present a unique opportunity to discover what life was like in the Casual/Vagrant ward of a Workhouse. More information can be found here
References
Note : the source is Ancestry.co.uk unless otherwise specified
- Charles Gates Baptism 4 July 1816 St Andrew’s Church, Steyning, West Sussex; C of E Births & Baptisms 1813-1920; reference Par 183/1/2/1
- Richard Gates & Mary Stanford Marriage 10 June 1806 St James’ Church, Ashurst, West Sussex; C of E Marriages & Banns 1754-1936; reference Par 11/1/1/3
- Richard Gates Brewer of Steyning, Three Tuns 1823 Pigot’s Directory of Sussex; Steyning Sussex Online Parish Clerks Sussex.opc.org
The Demon Drink–Steyning Breweries Stories from the Steyning Museum Archives SteyningMuseum.org.uk
Richard Gates Baptism 16 December 1807 St Andrews Church, Steyning, West Sussex; C of E Baptisms, Marriages & Burials 1538-1812; reference Par 183/1/1/6 - Walter Gates Baptism 5 July 1810 St Andrew’s Church, Steyning, West Sussex; C of E Baptisms, Marriages & Burials 1538-1812; reference Par 183/1/1/6
- William Stanford Gates Baptism 28 July 1814 St Andrew’s Church, Steyning, West Sussex; C of E Births & Baptisms 1813-1920; reference 183/1/2/1
- Henry Gates Baptism 6 July 1820 St Andrew’s Church, Steyning, West Sussex; C of E Births & Baptisms 1813-1920; reference Par 183/1/1/6
- Richard, Mary, Charles Gates1841 England Census; Class HO107; Piece 1098; Folio 6; Page 5
- Joseph, Mary Thornton; Elizabeth Valder 1841 England Census; Class HO 107; Piece 656; Folio 25; Page 43
- Mary Valder & Joseph Thornton Marriage 1 February 1824 St John The Baptist Church, Hillingdon, Middlesex; London C of E Marriage & Banns 1754-1938; reference DRO/110/014
- Elizabeth Valder Baptism 15 March 1818 St Mary’s Church, Whitechapel, Middlesex: London, Docklands and East End Baptisms FindMyPast.co.uk
- William Valder & Mary Fisher Marriage 23 October 1814 St Olave Church, Hart St, City of London; London C of E Marriage & Banns 1754-1938; reference P69/OLA1/A/01/MS 17821/1
- Charles Gates & Elizabeth Valder Marriage 22 May 1844 St John The Baptist Church, Hillingdon, Middlesex; London C of E Marriages & Banns 1754-1938; reference DRO/110/016
- William Stanford Gates & Emma Woolley Marriage 23 April 1844 St Giles in the Fields Church, Holborn; London C of E Marriage & Banns 1754-1938; reference P82/GIS/A/03
- Elizabeth Gates Baptism 6 June 1845 St Margaret’s Church, Uxbridge; London C of E Births & Baptisms 1813-1923; reference Dro/010/011/002
- Walter Valder Gates Baptism 25 December 1846 Holy Trinity Church, Guildford; Surrey C of E Baptisms 1813-1921; reference GUHT/4/1
- Charles Arthur Gates Baptism 11 August 1848 Holy Trinity Church, Guildford; Surrey C of E Baptisms 1813-1921; reference GUHT/4/1
- Leonard Gates Baptism 1 February 1850 Holy Trinity Church, Guildford; Surrey C of E Baptisms 1813-1921; reference GUHT/4/1
- Mary Ann Gates Baptism 14 November 1851 Holy Trinity Church, Guildford; Surrey C of E Baptisms 1813-1921; reference GUHT/4/1
- Enston Gates Baptism 5 May 1854 Holy Trinity Church, Guildford; Surrey C of E Baptisms 1813-1921; reference GUHT/4/1
- Alfred Gates Baptism 17 August 1855 Holy Trinity Church, Guildford; Surrey C of E Baptisms 1813-1921; reference GUHT/4/1
- Emily Gates Baptism 25 April 1856 Holy Trinity Church, Guildford; Surrey C of E Baptisms 1813-1921; reference GUHT/4/1
- Rosa Gates Private Baptism 14 February 1859 Holy Trinity Church, Guildford; Surrey C of E Baptisms 1813-1921; reference GUHT/4/1
Rosa Gates Jan-Feb-Mar 1858 England & Wales Civil Registration Birth Index; Guildford; volume 2a; page 50 - Frank & Minnie Margaret Gates (twins) Private Baptisms 14 February 1859 Holy Trinity Church, Guildford; Surrey C of E Baptisms 1813-1921; reference GUHT/4/1
- Adeline May Gates Baptism 22 June 1860 Holy Trinity Church, Guildford; Surrey C of E Baptisms 1813-1921; reference GUHT/4/1
- William Gates Private Baptism 18 March 1863 Holy Trinity Church, Guildford; Surrey C of E Baptisms 1813-1921; reference GUHT/4/1
William Gates Jul-Aug-Sep 1862 England & Wales Civil Registration Birth Index; Guildford; volume 2a; page 47 - Charles, Elizabeth Elizabeth, Walter V, Charles A, Leonard Gates 1851 England Census; Class HO107; Piece 1594; Folio 583; Pages 19 & 20
- Abbot’s Hospital Abbotshospital.org
- Note on Private Baptisms May 1855 Holy Trinity Church Guildford; Surrey C of E Burials 1813-1997; reference GUHT/5/1; page 177
- Rosa Gates Burial 1 March 1859 Holy Trinity Church Guildford; Surrey C of E Burials 1813-1997; reference GUHT/5/1
- Frank Gates Burial 7 March 1859 Holy Trinity Church Guildford; Surrey C of E Burials 1813-1997; reference GUHT/5/1
- Charles, Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Walter V, Charles A, Leonard, Mary A, Enston, Alfred, Emily, Minnie M, Adeline M Gates 1861 England Census; Class RG9; Piece 428; Folio 86; Pages 17 & 18
- Charles, Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Walter V, Charles A, Alfred, Emily, Minnie M, Adeline M, William Gates 1871 England Census; Class RG10; Piece 812; Folio 82; Pages 14 & 15
- Christmas Announcements 23 December 1876 West Surrey Times, page 8. British Newspaper Archive / FindMyPast.co.uk
- Dublin Stout 25 March 1876 Surrey Advertiser, page 7. British Newspaper Archive / FindMyPast.co.u
- Charles, Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Charles A, Leonard Gates 1881 England Census; Class RG11; Piece 777; Folio 95; Page 26
- Transfer of wine and beer licence 18 February 1881 Surrey Advertiser, page 2. British Newspaper Archive / FindMyPast.co.uk
- Election of Guardians Charles Gates 31 March 1877, West Surrey Times, page 5. British Newspaper Archive / FindMyPast.co.uk
- First Meeting of newly elected Board of Guardians Gates 18 April 1881, Surrey Advertiser, page 2. British Newspaper Archive / FindMyPast.co.u
- Death of Mr C Gates 12 May 1883 Surrey Advertiser & County Times, page 5. British Newspaper Archive / FindMyPast.co.u
- Death of Mr Charles Gates 12 May 1883 West Surrey Times & Guildford Gazette. Newspapers, page 5 British Newspaper Archive / FindMyPast.co.u
- Charles Gates Burial 11 May 1883 Holy Trinity Church Guildford; Surrey C of E Burials 1813-1997; reference STK/5/4
- The Municipal Election 7 November 1857 West Surrey Times, page 2. British Newspaper Archive / FindMyPast.co.uk
- Municipal Election Mr Gates 14 October 1876, Surrey Advertiser & County Times, page 5. British Newspaper Archive / FindMyPast.co.uk
- Elizabeth, Elizabeth Gates 1891 England Census; Class RG12; Piece 560; Folio 80; Page 23
- Elizabeth Gates Oct-Nov-Dec 1892 England & Wales Civil Registration Death Index; Guildford; volume 2a; page 48. Digital copy from Government Register Office GRO.gov.uk
- Cow & Gate Wikipedia.org
- West Surrey Central Dairy Co. Grace’s Guide to British Industrial History co.uk
- Our History – Cow and Gate cgbabyclub.co.uk