Charles Cameron Watts (c. February 1895 – 13 March 1965) was an Australian

Congregationalist pastor Congregationalist polity, or congregational polity, often known as congregationalism, is a system of ecclesiastical polity in which every local church (congregation) is independent, ecclesiastically sovereign, or "autonomous". Its first articul ...

History

Watts was born in

Elsternwick, Victoria Elsternwick is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 9 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Glen Eira local government area. Elsternwick recorded a population of 10,887 at the ...

, a son of C(harles) George Watts, and educated at Canterbury Grammar School, and began working in a commercial business, but soon decided for the religious life and matriculated at

Caulfield Grammar School , motto_translation = Work hard that you may rest content , established = 25 April 1881 , founder = Joseph Henry Davies , type = Independent, co-educational, day and boarding , denom ...

before enlisting in the 1st AIF and serving with the 12th Field Ambulance at Gallipoli, Egypt and France. He demobbed in England, where he continued his theological studies, which he completed in Australia. He was secretary of the Theological Students' Union. He served as pastor at the

Congregationalist church Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs it ...

on Rathdown Street,

Carlton, Victoria Carlton is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. Carlton recorded a population of 16,055 at the 2021 census. Imm ...

, from 1922 and was ordained, then served as assistant minister (to J. E. James) at the

Collins Street Independent Church St Michael's Uniting Church is a church in Collins Street in central Melbourne, Australia. Originally the Collins Street Independent Church, a Congregational Union of Australia Church, and later Collins Street Uniting Church, St Michael's has b ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a me ...

. He was actively involved with the church's tennis and cricket clubs. He began supplying the pulpit at

Clayton Church Clayton Wesley Uniting Church, formerly Clayton Congregational Church, is a church building in the Adelaide suburb of Beulah Park (historically located in Kensington), located on Portrush Road, in a commanding position at the eastern end of The ...

, Kensington, South Australia in 1925 following the departure of

Percival Watson Percival Watson (1881 – 1959) was an English Congregationalist who had a considerable career as a minister in South Australia and Queensland. History Watson came from Birmingham, where he was associated with the Rev. Dr. John Henry Jowett and ...

, and was appointed to Clayton later that year. In 1928 he took charge of the Evandale Congregational Church, which had just opened a new building with a new name: Luhrs Road Congregational Church, South Payneham. In 1929, and despite the entreaties of Clayton and Luhr's Road congregations, he accepted a call from the Newland Memorial Congregational Church, Victor Harbor and began there in November 1929. He moved to the Port Adelaide Congregational Church sometime before 1938. During World War II he served with the Australian Army 4th Base Hospital (8th Division, 2nd AIF) in Victoria. He was later in

Warrnambool, Victoria Warrnambool (Maar: ''Peetoop'' or ''Wheringkernitch'' or ''Warrnambool'') is a city on the south-western coast of Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 census, Warrnambool had a population of 35,743. Situated on the Princes Highway, Warrnambool (All ...

, but further information is needed.

Other appointments

*He was appointed Chaplain with the Militia forces. *He was Senior Congregational Chaplain with the Australian Army Chaplains Department −1940, succeeded by Rev. H. D. Ikin. *He was chairman of the Congregational Union (SA) for the years 1932–34 *He was president of Christian Endeavour

Family

Charlie Watts married Catherine Cameron (c. 1897 – ), daughter of Duncan Cameron, in Scotland on 15 August 1919

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watts, Charles 1895 births 1965 deaths Australian Congregationalist ministers 20th-century Congregationalist ministers Clergy from Melbourne People from Elsternwick, Victoria People educated at Caulfield Grammar School Australian military personnel of World War I Military personnel from Melbourne Australian military chaplains