Charles Murray Lawson

Charles Murray Lawson (1883-1915)

by Elise, Rob, Kate, Kailey, Gabrielle and Julie

Charles Murray Lawson was born August 19^th 1883 to father William Lawson and mother Julia Ellen Cole. Charles had a sister who made a scrapbook of him after he went to the war.

Charles Lawson's SJHS graduation photo. Source: New Brunswick Museum, Jessie Lawson Fonds

Charles graduated from Saint John High School with honors in 1899 and was the valedictorian of his grad class. He graduated from the University of New Brunswick with a B.A. in 1909; he became a teacher at Sussex Grammar School and Fredericton High School. In 1912 Charles moved back to Saint John to be a teacher at Saint John High School. He was 5 feet 6 inches, he had brown hair and blue eyes and he had a dark complexion.

Lt. C. M. Lawson in uniform. Source: New Brunswick Museum, Jessie Lawson Fonds

Charles was part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, the Canadian Infantry and the 26^th Battalion. The 26^th Battalion was New Brunswick’s only infantry unit. He filled out the Attestation papers on February 19^th 1915 as a Lieutenant and he went overseas in June 1915.

Charles’ sister made a scrapbook of him which can be found in New Brunswick Museum’s research archives on Douglas Avenue. He was 32 years old when he was killed in action on November 26^th 1915; he was shot in “no man’s land”, the area between the trenches. His death is particularly significant to the war because out of the whole 26^th Battalion he was the one to volunteer to go out to “no man’s land” to investigate for military information and was shot. He was the first officer of the 26^th killed in action during the First World War. He is buried in the Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension Nord, France.