Charles William Jousiffe was born at Herne Bat, Kent, on August 4, 1845, and became apprenticed to Mr James Thirkwell at Epsom. His indentures were transferred to John Osborne of Ashgill, Middleham, some eighteen months later. However, the stable was rich in lightweights, with Tom Chaloner and Harry Grimshaw getting most of the rides. Charles rode Paddy O'Rourke in the 1862 Portland Plate won by Queen of Trumps and, in the same season, York Minster in the Cesarewitch won by Hartington, but, with his opportunities so limited, he accepted an offer to go to Belgium and ride for Mr Marsden. Here his luck changed dramatically and, on a horse called Leopold and on other horses, Charles won races at Brussels, Ghent, Mons and elsewhere. When the season ended, he returned to England. His weight - five stone when at Epsom - had burgeoned up to 7st 8lb, and when he was offered a chance to ride in Madras, India, he readily accepted. Again he had made a correct decision but this time, not only did he ride plenty of winners but he began training them also.
His weight now began to rocket, and he scaled 10 st 12 lb when he returned to Bengal in 1867 where he found great success at the Calcutta Meetings. Here he rode and trained many winners. Having ridden Saladin to finish second in the 1867 Calcutta Derby, he went one better the following year, winning on Actæon. At that meeting, spread over a few days, Charles rode and trained thirteen out of the twenty-four races on the programme.
In 1869, he made a flying visit to England, principally to offer Richard Chaloner the job as stable jockey. It was to end badly for the jockey: he rode many winners for Charles, but could not stand the climate and died in May 1872.
After being eleven years in India, Charles came back to England for a final time and, purchasing a couple of horses, started a small stable in Lambourn. The best horses he trained were Bendigo, winner of the first-ever Eclipse, and Surefoot, winner of the 1890 Two Thousand Guineas.
Charles, by now a large but jovial man, died on February 26, 1891, less than a year after Surefoot's victory. He had suffered from a weak heart for many years and passed away in the spring of 1891.