This cache can be found using flat paths. Wheelchair users may need assistance at GZ.
Charles Castleman was born in Wimborne in 1807, one of ten children. However only he and two brothers survived beyond their teenage years; this was not uncommon in the 19th century. All three siblings became solicitors and Charles set up in business with his brother Edward and they had offices in Wimborne and Ringwood. When railways became more prominent Charles became most interested and in 1847 the Southampton & Dorchester railway opened; he eventually became chairman of the London & South Western Railway company that took over the running of the line a year after it opened. He designed the railway thus bringing the first major railway through into Dorset. This railway soon became known as ‘Castleman’s Corkscrew’, named after the eminent solicitor and also because of the way the route curved this way and that.
Charles was to be married three times in his 69 years. First there was Martha whom he married in Weymouth, her home town. She died aged 41, whilst they were living in their new home at St. Ives near Ringwood. Despite being soon remarried, he remained very close to his first in-laws, John and Diana Henning, the former being instrumental in campaigning for the railway to come to Weymouth; he also bought £1000 of shares in the Southampton to Dorchester railway - all part of the plan. Henning and Castleman built a vault at the newly opened Melcombe Regis Cemetery and that is where the Hennings were interred; Charles was executor of J Henning’s will from which he actually benefitted and later inherited properties which were bequeathed to D Henning when she died.
In 1852, Charles married Louisa Hussey at Exmouth, Devon and they had a daughter whom they named Emma - sadly though, Louisa succumbed to TB a year later, and she was only 27. 1859 saw Charles married for a third time, at Ringwood and to Isabel Swinburne. They moved to Lyndhurst, where he became a Justice of the Peace and held other important offices thereabouts. Such was his prominence that when he asked the town council to close a lane next to his property that was somewhat of a nuisance, they obliged; admittedly, in return, he did gift the town with a clock for the tower of the newly built parish church.
Richmond, Surrey was to be the next place for Charles to live and once he had relinquished his post of Chairman of the LSWR, he bought a property in what was then called Bishopstoke, now Eastleigh. However, his retirement was short-lived as he died of kidney failure on July 17th, 1876. His will had been drawn up by Weymouth solicitor, George Andrews who was the former partner of and successor to John Henning. The document was 25 hand-written pages long but Charles’ express wishes were that his funeral be taken care of at minimal cost and with no fuss. It is thought that it must have been a very private occasion as the local press did not mention his passing. However, he died worth the equivalent today of £1m plus; not surprising then, especially with his railway connections, that his body travelled from Eastleigh to Weymouth, by train.
Charles Castleman was buried in the vault with the Hennings close to prominent men of Weymouth.
Sadly, as you can see in my photo above and when gathering your information, the vault and surrounding railings have fallen into disrepair and neglect. I am hoping to remedy this and make it known who is buried there. The headline co-ordinates will take you to the vault. Next to the vault is an obelisk - here you will find the information to calculate the location of GZ.
Joseph Drew died Dec 3rd ABCD aged EF years.
The cache can be found at: N50 36.B, B-A, C-D W002 28.FFE
This cache is not within the cemetery walls but a short walk away. Checksum for all digits given and calculated: 53.