Charles M. Gazlay’s early life is sketchy. He is found in the 1850 census living in New Berlin, Chenango County, New York, with his mother, Abigail Gazlay, and two minors, David M. Gazlay and Mary C. Gazlay, who are presumed to be his children. Several records provide circumstantial evidence that their mother, and presumably Charles’ first wife, was named Martha Anna (maiden name unknown). Charles and Martha apparently lived in Rensselaer County, New York, where at least Mary Cornelia Gazlay was born, as indicated in the 1855 New York census. Various records link Charles, Martha, David and Mary individually to events and locations in Rensselaer County. Indeed, one record suggests that Charles was in Rensselaer County in 1845. A Troy, New York, newspaper article indicates that a Charles M. Gazley [sic] was indicted for passing counterfeit money, “five several times,” in a Grand Jury in Troy, in December 1845. He did not make an appearance, but apparently his bail was paid in the amount of one hundred dollars for each of the five offenses.⁷

Perhaps this prompted him to relocate to New Berlin, where he is found from 1850 to at least 1865 based on census records. One supposes that Charles and Martha divorced some time prior to 1850; Martha subsequently remarried at least once and possibly twice. Shortly after 1850, Charles married a woman named Catherine, with whom he had three more children: Henry M., Charlie M., and Georgina. An 1859 New York business directory lists Charles M. Gazlay as a retail grocer in New Berlin. By 1869 he, his wife, and youngest three children had relocated to Brooklyn, New York, when a Brooklyn directory lists Charles M. Gazlay as a carpenter. The 1870 census also lists him as a carpenter and living in Brooklyn with his family.

An advertisement for the grand opening of Gazlay’s Wine House in Philadelphia in the Philadelphia Inquirer on 22 June 1871 lists Charles M. Gazlay and Company, Proprietors. He is likely the Charles M. Gazlay who is found in Philadelphia city directories in 1871, working at a publishing company, and in 1872, working in a restaurant. The latter directory also lists David M. Gazlay, presumably Charles’ eldest child, working and living at a different address from Charles. David lived in Philadelphia with his family for several years before and after 1870, according to various records. There’s no indication whether Charles’ family was with him in Philadelphia during this time. Trow’s New York City directory of 1879 lists Chas. M. Gazlay in that city working in a liquor store, and again David M. Gazlay is listed in the same directory but at a different address and workplace.

Charles apparently died before 1880, as his wife Catherine is listed as a widow in the 1880 census, living in Old Saybrook, Connecticut with their daughter Georgiana, and no other records have been found after this time that mention Charles M. Gazlay.