Charles Spain was born in Philadelphia, PA to Edward Livingston Spain and Margaret (Wolf) Spain (her parents immigrated from Germany). He was the oldest child of 5 children: Frances C. (sister who died young); Mary; Frances R.; and Richard. His father Edward was a conveyancer/surveyor and his grandfather Richard Reynolds Spain (1798-1852) had done well in real estate and was an alderman for the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia. His grandmother was Mary Somers (1802-1882) from the Somers family of Somers Point, New Jersey. His great-grandfather, George Spain, had been a sailmaker in Philadelphia, but who died young in 1798, probably of yellow fever (along with his wife Elizabeth Reynolds and a young son Henry).
Early on, Thomas worked as a telegraph operator in Philadelphia. Later he worked for the railroad in New Jersey, and eventually became a Building Inspector, N.Y. Board of Fire Underwriters. Charles married twice. His second wife was Anna (Blackwell) Spain with whom he had a son, Osmund Grant Spain (born 1893) who died at the age of 43 in 1936 of tuberculosis at the Shonghum Sanatorium. The Spain family seemed to have splintered at some point. His parents eventually retired to a farm in West Dover, DE where they died, Edward L. in 1903 and Margaret C., who lived to 95 and died in 1919. Charles' sister Frances never married and stayed with her parents, running the farm in Dover after they died. She is buried with them at Christ Church in Dover. Mary married, was widowed, and lived with her sister Frances per the 1920 census. The youngest son, Richard, married at the age of 21, had 3 children, and appeared to have deserted his family, moving to Dakota Territory in the late 19th century. He re-married in his 50's and had one son, Richard Spain Vine. He died in Lead, South Dakota in 1934 and is buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery. Both Charles and his younger brother Richard left their first wives and married much younger women, and in each case became a father in older age to one son. They also both were telegraph operators as young men and died of myocartitis. In later years they were both estranged from their families/Philadelphia roots.
Charles Spain was born in Philadelphia, PA to Edward Livingston Spain and Margaret (Wolf) Spain (her parents immigrated from Germany). He was the oldest child of 5 children: Frances C. (sister who died young); Mary; Frances R.; and Richard. His father Edward was a conveyancer/surveyor and his grandfather Richard Reynolds Spain (1798-1852) had done well in real estate and was an alderman for the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia. His grandmother was Mary Somers (1802-1882) from the Somers family of Somers Point, New Jersey. His great-grandfather, George Spain, had been a sailmaker in Philadelphia, but who died young in 1798, probably of yellow fever (along with his wife Elizabeth Reynolds and a young son Henry).
Early on, Thomas worked as a telegraph operator in Philadelphia. Later he worked for the railroad in New Jersey, and eventually became a Building Inspector, N.Y. Board of Fire Underwriters. Charles married twice. His second wife was Anna (Blackwell) Spain with whom he had a son, Osmund Grant Spain (born 1893) who died at the age of 43 in 1936 of tuberculosis at the Shonghum Sanatorium. The Spain family seemed to have splintered at some point. His parents eventually retired to a farm in West Dover, DE where they died, Edward L. in 1903 and Margaret C., who lived to 95 and died in 1919. Charles' sister Frances never married and stayed with her parents, running the farm in Dover after they died. She is buried with them at Christ Church in Dover. Mary married, was widowed, and lived with her sister Frances per the 1920 census. The youngest son, Richard, married at the age of 21, had 3 children, and appeared to have deserted his family, moving to Dakota Territory in the late 19th century. He re-married in his 50's and had one son, Richard Spain Vine. He died in Lead, South Dakota in 1934 and is buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery. Both Charles and his younger brother Richard left their first wives and married much younger women, and in each case became a father in older age to one son. They also both were telegraph operators as young men and died of myocartitis. In later years they were both estranged from their families/Philadelphia roots.
Gravesite Details
BurialDate:8/11/1927
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