Baptiste, Charles Tobias - From Tobago to Glasgow

[Currie]

Hello Derek,

A couple of Glasgow newspapers now have 20th Century archives online. The search system isn’t the best but maybe there’s something of interest there for Charles Baptiste.

The Evening Times.
http://news.google.com/archivesearch?as ... _scoring=a

The Glasgow Herald.
http://news.google.com/archivesearch?as ... _scoring=a

There’s reference to the BBC friend here.
http://www.google.com.au/search?sclient ... tnG=Search

There are lots of Felix Mendelssohn newsreels here.
http://www.google.com.au/search?q=%22fe ... mages&tbs=

And here are some family photos, including Queenie Baptiste.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43359517@N02/

Lastly, for anyone who doesn’t know what a Bontempi Organ is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CQTt7gu6j4

All the best,
Alan

[shorty]

HI Derek, The Baptistes were my mother Mary Youngs Cousins, it was her great aunt Jemima Young who marries Charles Tobias from Tobago. I remember visiting them in Renfrew Lobnitz avenue, Mima your Papas Aunt used to come and stay with us. I would love to see any photos of the family as I only have one of Queenie and Charles in his R A F uniform. I remember Jackie Hannan and his Mum Bella.

regards shorty

[Lorna Allison]

Hi All

I've had a wonderful time going through all of that. Thanks so much. What a tonic.

Lorna =D>

[Currie]

New link for the Flickr photos.
https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=queenie%20baptiste


There's an obituary in the Glasgow Herald, January 27, 1981
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=D ... %2C4544921

Mr Charles Baptiste
Mr Charles Baptiste, manager of the Mitchell Theatre, Glasgow, has died suddenly at the age of 58.
He joined the Mitchell last September a month after it was opened following a lifetime in the theatre as actor and director. He also took part in a great many television and radio productions and was on the administrative side of the Edinburgh Festival under directors Lord Harwood and Peter Diamand.
Mr Thomas Malarkey, director of Halls and Theatres for Glasgow District Council, said last night: "His death has come as a great loss to us. He had such a wealth of experience in the theatre and an enthusiasm for it that he was exactly the person we were looking for when we launched the Mitchell. He was so knowledgeable."
Mr Baptiste, who was born in Renfrew, had a West Indian father and Scottish mother. He joined the RAF in 1942 and became an air ambulance instructor. He then went on a post-war non-graduate course in English literature and English theatre at Bailiol College, Oxford, before going to the Wilson Barrett Theatre School in Edinburgh.
He was with the Wilson Barrett company for five years and had experience with Dundee Rep, Perth Theatre, the Woolwich Rep company, the Shakespeare memorial company, and Rutherglen Rep. He also spent several years with the Citizens', Glasgow, and the Gateway. Edinburgh.
Mr Baptiste, who was not married, had the previous night attended his first Burns supper and was recounting some of the funny moments in the office of the Halls and Theatres department when he collapsed.
ANDREW YOUNG.


Alan

[Raithe]

I just saw this inquiry as I was thinking about my grannie's best friend, Bella Baptiste. It has been many years now but I so fondly remember Bella and if I remember right didn't Queenie read tea leaves? I remember the brother also, very handsome. My grannie was Agnes Mortimer from Clydebank/Damhuir. ……..Carol Dudley

[Steve_Bannister]

Hello Carole,

Thank you for your reply and for your comments. I have recently thrown myself back into researching Charlie and the Baptiste family after a break of a few years. It's fantastic to see this thread still on here and collecting information.

The info from others on here has really helped me, and I couldn't be more grateful to everyone. I have tons more info, pictures, stories, and history of Charlie and lots of the pieces from the rest of the family are falling into place as well.

I'm hoping a few more memories can be jogged.

Steve