The Angel of Cookham - George James Pendrill, Killed by a Boiler Explosion on the Black Watch Steam Launch, and his Masters, Arthur Reed Louch, and William Louch of Sutton Courtney



The Angel Cookham Churchyard
(c) Nicola Carpenter 2012

Angel monument to George Pendrill, Arthur Reed Louch and William Louch, Holy Trinity Churchyard, Cookham Berkshire.

"To 

The Memory  

-Of - 

George Pendrill 

Who Died at Sutton Courtney, Berks 

July 8th 1890 

Aged 34 years.  

Also of 

Arthur Reed Louch 

Third Son of the Late Henry Louch Esq

 of Poplar London.  

Who died at Sutton Courntey, Berks.  

November 1st 1897 

Aged 58 years.  

Also of 

William Louch 

Twin Brother of Arthur Reed Louch 

Who Died at Sutton Courtney, Berks

June 8th 1901"

Arthur Reed and William Louch were born on 20th September 1839 in Poplar London to Henry, a rope maker and  his wife Anna Masterman.  

On the 1841 Census they're shown living with their parents and sisters Ellen Masterman Louch and Ada Reed Louch at Manor Cottage, Poplar London.  

Henry Louch was to pass away on 30th April 1848  at his home Manor Cottage, East India Road, and the family rope making business dissolved by his widow, son Henry Louch Jr in 1859.

"NOTICE is hereby given, that the Partnership heretofore subsisting between us the undersigned. Anna Louch, Henry Louch, and John Thompson, under the firm of Reed, Louch Brothers, and Thompson, at Love-lane, Shadwell, in the county of Middlesex, Rope Makers, has been dissolved by mutual consent, so far as regards the undersigned

John Thompson.—Dated the 27th day of December,

1859.  Anna Louch.  Henry Louch.  John Thompson."

In 1851 both Arthur and William were attending a boarding school in George Lane Woodford Essex.  Arthur and William split briefly in 1861 when Arthur was serving on a vessel in Pembrokeshire as an engineer and William, now a civil engineer was boarding with a Samuel Grey in Swindon GWR railway village, built by Brunel to help house the many railway workers and their families.  However in 1862 they can be found both serving in the Wiltshire Rifle Volunteer Corps 11th Company, Arthur as a Lieutenant and William as an Ensign.

On 24th November 1859 Arthur and William's sister Ada Reed Louch married John Henry Skilbeck, a Drysalter from Lea Bridge in Hackney, London.  Drysalters were dealers in a range of chemicals, including glue, varnish, dye, and colourings.  Ada's brother Henry and sister Louisa were witnesses to the marriage.

In 1871 Arthur and William were back living with their mother Anna and sister Louisa at The Elms in Hackney.  Both Arthur and William are listed as being rope makers. 

In 1881 Arthur and William have moved to Great Marlow and are living at Quarry Chalk Pits House along with George Pendrill.  Arthur and William are again listed as engineers and George is an Engine driver.  

George James Pendrill was born on 1st June 1856 in Rotherhithe Surrey to James, a barge builder, and his wife Caroline Rachel Gorsuch.

George first appears on the 1861 Census, aged 5, living with his parents. older sister Rachel, and younger brother Henry at 21 Edward Street, Surrey. By 1871 the family had moved to 5 Burwick Cottages, Battersea , Surrey. In 1881 George was living at the home of William and Arthur Louch. On 8th July 1890 George was killed in a boiler explosion of the river Thames.

On Saturday 12th July 1890 the Grantham Journal reported:

"Shocking Boiler Explosion

While a gentleman named Louch, and a party, were on the Thames on Tuesday afternoon, on a steam launch, at Sutton Courtney, near Abingdon, the boiler burst with a terrific explosion. George Pendrill, the driver, was blown into the water, and his dead body was found shortly afterwards.The owner of the launch and several others had a narrow escape, one gentleman being scolded. Mrs Skillbeck, of Hampstead, who, with her husband and two sons, was in a boat about the leave the launch, when the accident happened, jumped or fell into the water, and the exhaustion which followed produced syncope. The boiler was hurled some distance to the back of the launch, which foundered."

Syncope is a state of unconsciousness, one from which poor Ada Skilbeck never recovered.  She died a day later, leaving behind her husband John, and sons Cuthbert and Clement.

On 16th July 1890 the Oxfordshire Weekly News reported:

"LOSS OF TWO LIVES. 

The boating season has been marred by a melancholy accident, which occurred on the Thames below Abingdon on Tuesday afternoon. The cause was the bursting of the boiler on a steam-launch, resulting in the loss of two lives, the driver; George Pendrill, being killed instantaneously, while Mrs. Skilbeck, a middle-aged lady, received a fatal shock from immersion in the river. 

The launch, a small vessel named the Black Watch, was the property of Messrs. A. and W. Louch, gentlemen of independent means, residing at Sutton Courtney; and on Tuesday morning they and Pendrill, their servant, steamed down the river to meet some friends. The latter consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Skilbeck, of Buckland- crescent, Hampstead, and their two sons, who had taken apartments at Long Wittenham. They rowed up in a large gig lent them by Messrs. Louch (brothers of Mrs. Skilbeck) and joined the launch at Appleford bridge. The steamer was then turned, and the party came up stream, their intention being to have a picnic at Nuneham. The boat was towed as far as Stevens' lower wharf at Abingdon, where Mr. Louch suggested that it should be left until their return in the afternoon. This was accordingly done, and the party, numbering seven, proceeded to Nuneham. 

They commenced the return journey shortly before three, and after taking the boat in tow again at Stevens', continued their way down as far as Culham cut. Here it was the intention of the party to separate—the visitors to go down the cut to Long Wittenham, and Messrs. Louch and the driver, Pendrill, straight on to Sutton. A halt was made opposite the cut, not far from the Oxfordshire bank, near the village of Culham. 

The Skilbecks had entered the gig, some wraps and parcels had been handed them, and good-byes were being exchanged, when without a moment's warning the boiler of the steam-launch burst with a terrific report, and all was confusion. Mr. Arthur Louch was at the time in the stern, and all he can recollect is that a cloud of ashes, steam, and debris had blinded him, while he fancies the boiler and all its appurtenances flew over his head. At any rate, the apparatus, which is said to have shot up like a rocket, landed close to the Oxfordshire bank.

The unfortunate George Pendrill was near Mr, Arthur Louch. a little to the side of the boiler, and Mr. William Louch was in the fore part of the launch. No one appears to have seen Pendrill after the explosion, although a careful search was made immediately he was missed. A large part of the bottom of the launch was blown away, and in a few seconds the helpless craft was under water, leaving her two owners to swim ashore. Mr. William Louch was slightly scalded, and both he and his brother were begrimed with the discharge from the engine. A favourite toy terrier was also a victim of the explosion."

A inquiry was opened into the accident that had now claimed two lives and later on 31st July 1890 the Grantham Journal reported: 

"31st July 1890.

A Neglectful Steam Launch Owner

Two Commissioners of the Board of Trade held and investigation, at Abingdon on Wednesday, into the fatal explosion of a steam launch on the Thames. Experts stated that the fire-box plates of the verticle boiler had in places worn away to the thinness of paper. Mr Arthur Louch, a retired engineer, was the owner of the launch, and had a narrow escape, being on board that the time of the explosion. The Commissioners found him guilty of neglect, and ordered him to pay £60 towards the cost of the inquiry."

On 14th July 1890 George was laid to rest in Holy Trinity Churchyard, Cookham, Berkshgire. On 26th July 1890 the Reading Mercury reported:

"COOKHAM. 

The Fatal Steam Launch Explosion.—

On Monday last the remains of George Pendrill, aged 35, who met his death by the explosion of the boiler of the steam launch "Black Watch," at Sutton Courtney, near Abingdon, were interred the parish church, Cookham. The coffin was covered with wreaths from various relatives and friends. The mourners were his sisters, Mr. J. Piper, Mr. A. Louch, Mr. W. Louch, his old masters, and many others. When the coffin was being brought from the church the Dead March in Saul was played by Mr. Shargold, organist of Cookham. At the conclusion of the service the ringers rang a muffled peal." 

1891 finds the brothers living together aged 49 at Milton House, the Green, Sutton Courtney in Abingdon, then Berkshire (now Oxon).  They're now listed as 'living on their own means'.

Sadly the twin brothers were to be separated by death with Arthur passing away on 1st November 1897. On 13th November the Reading Mercury carried the following announcement:

"Deaths-

Louch.-On the 1st inst., at Sutton Courtney, Abingdon Arthur Reed Louch, Esq., aged 58."

Hiss brother's passing must have come as a shock to poor William, who had to get used to living without his twin for a further four years. William was to pass away on 8th June 1901. On 15th June 1901 the Faringdon Advertiser and Vale of the White Horse Gazette carried the following announcement:

"Deaths-

Louch- On the 8th inst., at Sutton Courtney, Abingdon, William Louch, aged 63."

Perhaps it was the guilt and stress of the inquiry that hastened Arthur to his grave in 1897. I suspect as George died whilst in the employ of Arthur Louch, and due to his negligence he took it upon himself to pay for George's burial, possibly in the plot already ear marked for himself and his brother.

The Angel in the churchyard of Holy Trinity in Cookham was to inspire Sir Stanley Spencer.  He painted a picture of The Angel with the church tower in the background in 1953





The Angel, Cookham Churchyard 1953

Sir Stanley Spencer looking at The Angel
in Cookham Churchyard