61. Charles10 à Court-Repington (Charles Henry Wyndham9, Lieutenant-General Charles8 Ashe à Court, William Peirce7, William6 à Court, Peirce5, John4, John3, William2, William1) was born in Heytesbury, Wiltshire 29/01/1858. Charles died 25/10/1925 in Hove, West Sussex, at 67 years of age.
He married Mellony Catherine Scobell in London, 11/02/1882. Mellony was born in London c1860. Mellony was the daughter of Henry Sales Scobell and Catherine Sarah Jenner Bedford. Mellony died 1934 at 74 years of age. She was listed as a resident in the census report in Abbey House, Pershore, Worcestershire, 1861. She was listed as a resident in the census report in Abbey House, Pershore, Worcestershire, 1871. She was listed as a resident in the census report in 16 Hobart Place, Knightsbridge, London, 1891.
He was listed as head of household in the 1891 census in 16 Hobart Place, Knightsbridge, London. He was listed on a passenger list in SS Adriatic Southampton to New, 19/10/1921. He was listed on a passenger list in SS Aquitania Southampton to N, 28/01/1922. Charles Repington was born at Heytesbury, Wiltshire in 1858. His father, Henry Wyndham Repington, was Conservative MP for Wilton (1852-1855). Educated at Eton and Sandhurst, he joined the Rifle Brigade in 1878. After active service in Afghanistan, he entered the Staff College at Camberley.
After acting as a military attaché in Brussels and the Hague, Repington served in the Boer War. In 1900 Repington was posted to Egypt where he became involved with the wife of a British official. The military authorities warned Repington about his behaviour and he promised to stop seeing the woman. However, the relationship continued and when the husband named Repington in divorce proceedings, he was forced to resign from the army.
Repington now turned to writing and became military correspondent of the Morning Post (1902-1904) and The Times (1904-1918). On the outbreak of the First World War Repington remained in London and relied on his contacts in the British Army and the War Office for his information. Through his friendship with the Commander-in-Chief of the British Army, Sir John French, Repington was invited to visit the Western Front in November 1914, whereas most war correspondents were banned from France.
On a visit to the Western Front during the offensive at Artois, Repington was shown confidential information about the British Army being short of artillery shells. When his article about the shell shortage appeared in The Daily Mail, its owner, Lord Northcliffe, called for Lord Kitchener, the War Minister, to be sacked. Repington now had growing influence over military policy and one politician described him as "the twenty-third member of the Cabinet".
The discussion that followed Repington's article resulted in David Lloyd George being appointed Minister of Munitions. However, Lord Kitchener got his revenge on Repington by getting him banned from the Western Front and he was not allowed to return until March, 1916.
In 1918 Repington and Lord Northcliffe, the owner of The Times, had a dispute over the war and this led to him rejoining the Morning Post. Soon afterwards, Repington was charged with contriving the Defence of the Realm regulations when he disclosed secret information in an article he wrote for the newspaper. Repington was found guilty and fined.
After the war Repington worked for the Daily Telegraph. He also wrote several books on the war including The First World War (1920) and After the War (1922). In these books Repington divulged private conversations and correspondence. Although the books sold well, Repington was shunned by former friends who felt he had betrayed them. Charles Repington died in Hove on 25th May, 1925.
Charles à Court-Repington and Mellony Catherine Scobell had the following children:
87
i.
Charles Edward Geoffrey11 à Court-Repington was born 22/01/1888. Charles
died 8/08/1889 at 1 year of age.
88
ii.
Mellony Catherine Isobel à Court-Repington was born in St. George's Hanover Square 23/02/1891. Mellony
died 13/05/1965 at 74 years of age. She married Gilbert Ireland-Blackburne in St. George's Hanover
Square, 10/11/1910. Gilbert was born in Brighton, Sussex c1889. Gilbert was the son of Montagu
Ireland-Blackburne. He was listed as a resident in the census report in 45 South Western Road, Twickenham, 1891. (See Gilbert Ireland-Blackburne for the continuation of this line.)
She was listed as a resident in the census report in 16 Hobart Place, Knightsbridge, London, 1891.
89
iii.
Elizabeth Frances à Court-Repington was born 1892. Elizabeth died 17/12/1950 at 58 years of age. She married Thomas Henry Ratcliffe 10/01/1923. Thomas was born 1882. Thomas was the son of Thomas
Ratcliffe and Elizabeth Louisa Hawes. Thomas died 1950 at 68 years of age. (See Thomas Henry
Ratcliffe for the continuation of this line.)
90
iv.
Violet Emily à Court-Repington was born 1895. Violet died 1898 at 3 years of age.
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