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Charles A. Bishop (1859-1929)
Sarah A. Webster (1801-1889)
Frank E. Bishop (1887-1890)
Charles Adrian Bishop was born on March 16, 1859. He was the only child of Charles Nelson Bishop and Clarinda Webster Bishop who were married in Nova Scotia in 1858.
In 1885, Charles married Julia Ellen Godfrey, who had been born in Wisconsin, in Norwood. At the time, he was working at the tannery and living with his aunt, Sarah A. Webster.
Left image shows the 2020 site of Lyman Smith Tannery at Railroad Ave and Hill St. Right image is the Smith Tannery as it appeared in 1885 when Charles Bishop was employed near his Hill St. home shown below as it appeared in 2020.
The Bishops began their married life at 29 Hill Street and had four children: Frank, born in 1887, who died at the age of 3 in 1890; Charles, born in 1890; Sidney, born in 1891, and an infant Bishop who was born and died in 1893. Through the years, Charles held various jobs. During the first decade of the 20th century, he was a lamplighter and later a gas piper, in 1918 he worked at Morrill’s Ink Mill, and in the 1920s was employed as a steamfitter at the Lewis Manufacturing Company in Walpole.
When Julia Godfrey Bishop died is unknown but, by 1918, Charles Bishop was residing at 413 Washington Street, where he boarded with the Aiken family.
According to the Norwood Messenger, on Monday, September 30, 1929, Charles Bishop was crossing Washington Street at Granite Street when he was struck by a car. He was rushed to Norwood Hospital with a compound fracture of his right leg, a possible skull fracture, contusions and abrasions. He was placed on the Danger List and died early on Tuesday morning. The driver of the vehicle was a Walpole resident. He told police that he noticed a man in the road, had pulled to one side to pass him when suddenly his front fender struck Bishop.
The services for Charles A. Bishop, 70, were conducted by the Congregational Church pastor on October 3, at the Aiken residence at 413 Washington Street. He was survived by two sons, Sidney of Everett, Massachusetts, and Charles of Spokane, Washington. He was buried at Old Parish Cemetery alongside his aunt, Sarah A. Webster (1801-1889), and his son, Frank E. Bishop. His sons had the flush stone marker labeled “FATHER”installed near the gravestone.
