THE CHARLTONS OF NORTH CARTER MOOR
John Charlton (1746- 1818)
Newcastle 'Keep' - Jamie was held here during his trial
John (1746) was the father of William, Jamie, Henry and John Charlton, the brothers in Catching the Eagle.
He was also the youngest son of James Charlton senior, (1700-1770.) On his father's death, he was given the lease of the farm at North Carter Moor to share with his older brother, Aaron. The will left by his father suggests that he was not a humane or trustworthy man; the dying James felt that he had to threaten both John & Aaron with eviction if they were not kind to their mother and their sick brother.
Of course, this will could merely have been the rambling paranoia of a sick and controlling old man, but I am inclined to believe that there is no smoke without fire. One thing is for sure, John Charlton (1746) - who was still alive at the time of Jamie's trial in 1810 - did not pay for his son's appeal against the death penalty; the public subscription raised by Mr. Humble paid for that. Had John Charlton cast off his troublesome son at that point? Or had he just run out of money?
John did not die until 1818 aged 72. Following his death, the family disappear from the land tax documents for Carter Moor and appear to have moved away.
When I was writing the novel it quickly became apparent that if I included everybody in the book it would only confuse my readers, especially as there were two John Charltons – John (1746) and his eldest son born in 1769 . In the end, I made the decision to kill off Jamie's father early and focus on the character of Jamie's eldest brother, whom we nicknamed 'Pious' John Charlton.
He was also the youngest son of James Charlton senior, (1700-1770.) On his father's death, he was given the lease of the farm at North Carter Moor to share with his older brother, Aaron. The will left by his father suggests that he was not a humane or trustworthy man; the dying James felt that he had to threaten both John & Aaron with eviction if they were not kind to their mother and their sick brother.
Of course, this will could merely have been the rambling paranoia of a sick and controlling old man, but I am inclined to believe that there is no smoke without fire. One thing is for sure, John Charlton (1746) - who was still alive at the time of Jamie's trial in 1810 - did not pay for his son's appeal against the death penalty; the public subscription raised by Mr. Humble paid for that. Had John Charlton cast off his troublesome son at that point? Or had he just run out of money?
John did not die until 1818 aged 72. Following his death, the family disappear from the land tax documents for Carter Moor and appear to have moved away.
When I was writing the novel it quickly became apparent that if I included everybody in the book it would only confuse my readers, especially as there were two John Charltons – John (1746) and his eldest son born in 1769 . In the end, I made the decision to kill off Jamie's father early and focus on the character of Jamie's eldest brother, whom we nicknamed 'Pious' John Charlton.