Charles George Gustavson was born in 1867 in Kalmar , Sweden to Peter and Maria Caroline Gustavson. He appears to have had a brother Carl born year earlier. In 1897, he married Maria Burn who had been born in West Hartlepool in 1877 and was the daughter of a ship rivetter.
The 1901 census shows Charles Gustavson as a shipyard labourer and the family were in Fawcett St West Hartlepool. There were two children, 3 year old Eveline and Charles aged 4 months.
By 1911 Maria was in Hawkridge St with the same two children and also Lillie, 8, James Joseph ,6, Violet Elizabeth 3 and her brother Henry Bunn. Presumably, her husband Charles George was at sea at the time of the census.
on 24 th October 1916, whilst working as a donkeyman on SS Framfield, he was one of 6 crew who lost their lives when the ship was torpeodoed by UC11 off Harwich. The ship had been carrying iron ore to Middlesbrough from Port Kelah.
His wife Maria died in 1939 and is buried in Stranton Cemetery.
