Cemetery Sunday - Stanley's Angel

Holy Trinity, Cookham

 

Holy Trinity, Cookham

 

 

 

Taphophile Tragics - Emily and Thomas Worster

Monument to Emily Worster and Thomas Worster, Holy Trinity Churchyard, Cookham, Berkshire England.


"To the Memory of Emily daughter of Henry & Martha Worster.  Born ?? 5th 1835. Died ?? ?? 1878.

Also

Thomas Worster.  Born April 17th 1831.  Died April 22nd 1880."


Thomas Worcester was born on 17th April 1831 and Emily was born in 1835, In Cookham, Berkshire to Henry Worster, a master butcher, and his wife Martha Lanaway.

For more information on Thomas and Emily's early life, see the previous Taphophile Tragics post, Worsters of Cookham.

In 1861 after the recent death of their father Henry Worster, Thomas aged twenty nine and Emily aged twenty five can be found living and working as butchers in Cookham High Street.

In 1871 Thomas, thirty eight, and Emily, thirty five, are still living and working in Cookham High Street.  Sadly in 1878, aged only forty four, Emily passed away.  Only two years later at the age of 47, Thomas followed her to the grave.

Thomas and Emily never married and remained single all their lives, living and working together in the small village of Cookham.  The Worster family were well respected members of the community, eventually having a road, Worster Road, in Cookham named after them.


Taphophile Tragics
Tombstone Tuesday

Taphophile Tragics - Worsters of Cookham, Berkshire

Monument to Henry Worster, Ann Ester Worster, Annetta Worster, Martha Worster and Henry Worster, Holy Trinity Church, Cookhma, Berkshire, England.


"To The Memory Of Henry Worster died June 7th 1860 Aged 68 Years.  Also Ann Ester Aged 9 Years, Annetta Aged 21 Years - Daughters of the above - Also Martha Worster - Wife of the above - Died Feb 17th 1868 Aged 75 Years.  Also Henry Worster - Eldest son of the above Died Aug 20th 1896 Aged 73 Years."


Henry Worster was born in 1792 in Cookham, Berkshire to Henry Worster and his wife Hester Hancock.

Henry was Christened on 27th May 1792 in Cookham, Berkshire.  On 11th June 1820 Henry married Martha Lanaway in Westminster in London.

He first appears on the 1841 Census aged around 40, living in and working as a master butcher in Cookham with his wife Martha and children Annette aged 20, Henry aged 18, Thomas aged 10, Ann Ester aged 8, Emily aged 6 and Edward aged 3.

Sadly in 1842 both Annette and Ann Ester pass away aged 21 and 9.

On the 1851 Census the family is still living and working in Cookham, however Henry Jr can be found lodging at 12 New Cavandish in Marylebone, London.

Henry Snr was to pass away 9 years later on 7th June 1860.

Just under a year later on the 1861 Census, the recently widowed Martha can be found visiting friends in Kensington, London.  Young Edwards is working as a grocers apprentice for Philip Mason in Swindon, Wiltshire.  I have been unable to locate Henry Jr on the 1861 Census.  Just 7 years later, in 1868, Martha joined her husband.

It is at this point that I will leave Thomas and Emily's story for a later post.

1871, Edward is a grocers assistant for Benjamin Christopher, living at 11 Abbey Gate Street, Bury, St. Edmunds in Suffolk.  Henry jr, now aged 47 is working as a Butler at Cross Hayes Hall in Yoxall, Staffordshire.

I have been unable to locate Henry on the 1881 Census.

In 1891 Henry has returned home to Cookham and is living at Newton House with his servant Sarah Woods.  Living next-door is Henry younger brother Edward and his family.

Henry then passes away on 20th August 1896 aged 75 years.


Taphophile Tragics
Tombstone Tuesday

The Angel of Cookham - George Pendrill, Arthur Reed Louch and William Louch

**Originally posted on 3rd July 2012**



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 17th June 1839 in Poplar London to Henry, a ropemaker and Anna Louch nee 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 die in 1848 and the family rope making business dissolved by his widow and son Henry Louch 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 ropemakers. 

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 Caroline Rachel Pendrill nee Gorsuch.

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.

A inquiry was opened into the accident that had now claimed two lives and later on 31st July 1890 the paper 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 thiness 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."

1891 find 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 dying in 1897 and William in 1901.  His brother's passing must has come as a shock to poor William, who had to get used to living without his twin for a further four years.  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

John and Harriet Nott of Cookham, Berkshire.

Monument to John and Harriet Nott, Holy Trinity Churchyard, Cookham, Berkshire, England.


"Sacred to the memory of John Nott, - late Lieutt in the 63rd Regiment of The Foot - Who died May. 30, 1839 aged 68 years.  Also Harriet Nott who died Octr. 17, 1863 aged 71 years.

Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."


I have been unable to find very much on John Nott other than he was born around 1771.  On 8th October 1812 in Bedminster, Somerset, John married Harriet Thomas.  Together they had seven children that I have been able to trace between 1818 and 1830, William Thomas, Elathea, George, Henry Thomas, Albert, Julia and Jane.

 John Nott was to pass away on 30th May 1839.

I can find no further record of the Nott family until the 1861 Census when Harriet can be found living in Cookham, Berkshire with her son Albert Nott, his wife Ann and their six year old daughter, Grace Lousia.

Harriet then passes away 7 years later on 17th October 1868.

Taphophile Tragics - Catherine Whitmarsh - Blacksmith's Wife

Monument to Catherine Whitmarsh, Holy Trinity Churchyard, Cookham, Berkshire, England.


"Scared to the memory of Catherine Whitmarsh who departed this life September 15th 1855 aged 55 years - Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. Rev. Chap 11: Verse 13"


Catherine was born in 1800 in the village in Penn, Buckinghamshire.  She was the wife of William Whitmarsh, blacksmith and parish clerk, collector of taxes and agent of the Mutual Life Assurance Society, of Cookham, Berkshire.

Catherine first appears on the 1841 Census aged forty years, living in the village of Cookham with her husband William and their children fifteen year old Elizabeth, twelve year old Catherine and eight year old William Jr.  Living next door to William and Catherine are William's parents, John Whitmarsh, a blacksmith and his wife Elizabeth.

In 1851 the family is still living in Cookham village.  William is now a master blacksmith, employing three men.  The now twenty four year old Elizabeth is a dress maker, the twenty two year old Catherine is a school mistress and the eighteen year old William Jr a blacksmith in his father's business.  Sadly Catherine was to pass away only four years later.  The family suffered another loss in 1859 when William Jr passed away.

William and his daughters Elizabeth and Catherine are still living in Cookham village in 1861.  William is still working as a blacksmith, employing only 2 men.  Elizabeth and Catherine have started up a grocery business.  William was to pass away in 1881, just before the 1881 Census was taken, which shows Elizabeth and Catherine still living together in Cookham village.  Catherine was next to pass away in 1890, followed by her sister Elizabeth just 3 years later in 1891.


Taphophile Tragics

Cemetery Sunday - Footstones

Holy Trinity, Cookham, Berkshire.

All Saints, Marlow, Buckinghamshire.

Footstones were small headstone shaped stones placed at the foot of the grave, usually a reserve of the well to do, they only contained the initials and the year of death of those buried in the grave.  As churchyards and cemeteries became crowded around the late 1850s and space a premium, footstones fell out of fashion.  Today it is unusual to find footstones in situ, many have been either removed or placed against the headstone to aid grass cutting.  Many more sadly fell victim to lawn cutting instruments and were damaged beyond repair.

Cemetery Sunday - Esther Roake - She was in life beloved and in death lamented.

Monument to Esther Roake and five infants, Holy Trinity Churchyard, Cookham Berkshire.

"In Memory of Esther daughter of John and Esther Roake of Maidenhead who died Nov. ?2 1814 aged 12 years.  She was in life beloved and in death lamented.  Also near this place lay the remains of five children of the above who died in their infancy."


Esther was born in Maidenhead, Berkshire in 1802 to John Roake and his wife Esther Angell.

I have been able to find christening records for six Roake children, including Esther.  They are Jacob in 1789, Henry Angell in 1792,, James White in 1796 Joseph in 1798 Hannah in 1799 and Esther in 1802.  I know that Jacob and James White Roake survived into adulthood as they both married and had children of their own.  I have been unable to find any burial or death records for any of the Roake children.

To lose five in infancy must have been a terrible burden to bear for John and Esther.

The Angel of Cookham

The Angel Cookham Churchyard
(c) Nicola Carpenter 2012

Taphophilia is a passion for and enjoyment of cemeteries. The singular term is a taphophile.


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 in 1839 in Poplar London to Henry, a ropemaker and Ann Louch nee Masterman.  On the 1841 Census they're shown living with their parents and sisters Ellen Masterman and Ada Reed at Manor Cottage, Poplar London.  Henry Louch was to die in 1848 and the family rope making business dissolved by his son Henry Louch 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.

In 1871 they were back living with their mother Anna and sister Louisa at The Elms in Hackney.  Both Arthur and William are listed as being ropemakers.  In 1881 Arthur and William have moved to Great Marlow and are living at Quarry Chalk Pits along with George Pendrill.  Arthur and William are again listed as engineers and George is an Engine driver.  1891 find the brothers living together aged 49 at 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 dying in 1897 and William in 1901.  His brother's passing must has come as a shock to poor William, who had to get used to living without his twin for a further four years.


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

This monument and the research behind it has thrown up more questions than answers.

What event or reason that caused Arthur and William to leave the Wiltshire Rifle Volunteers to return to the family business of rope making?  Why was George Pendrill living with Arthur and William in Great Marlow and why did he move with them to Sutton Courtney? 

And most confusing of all...

Why was George Pendrill buried along with Arthur and William and not in his own plot or that of his family?


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 Churchyeard 1953

Sir Stanley Spencer looking at The Angel
in Cookham Churchyard

For more Taphophile Tragic posts, please click here.


** Update, I have since e-mailed Holy Trinity Church in Cookham asking for more information about the angel monument.  Unfortunately they had no further information to give.  However they did manage to find an identical angel monument in a Tiverton churchyard.  I am currently trying to find out if there is a connection between the two angels.

Winged Heads, Skulls, Crossbones

Taphophilia is a passion for and enjoyment of cemeteries. The singular term is a taphophile.


All photographs taken at Holy Trinity Churchyard, Cookham Berkshire.

For more Taphophile Tragic posts, please click here.

Sir Stanley Spencer of Cookham

Taphophilia is a passion for and enjoyment of cemeteries. The singular term is a taphophile.


Gravestone of Sir Stanley Spencer CBE RA, Holy Trinity Churchyard, Cookham Berkshire.

"To The Memory Of
Stanley Spencer
Kt CBE RA
1891 - 1959
And his wife
Hilda
Buried in Cookham Cemetery 1950

Everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God.  He that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love - 1 John 4:7"


Sir Stanley Spencer was born at Fernlea, High Street, Cookham on 30th June 1891 to William, a music teacher and Anne Caroline Spencer nee Slack.  On the that day a crow fell down the chimney and flapped about the living room until released. The family thought it a good omen and named Stanley after Stanley Spencer, a prominent balloonist of the era.

Fernlea

Much of Stanley's early education was at the village school run by his sisters, he eventually attended Maidenhead Technical School where his artistic training began, before enrolling at Slade School of Fine Art at University College, London.  Here he won the Composition Prize for ‘The Nativity’, and oil on canvas painted in 1912

The Nativity - 1912

In 1915 Stanley volunteered to serve with the Royal Army Medical Corps where he served as a orderly at The Beaufort War Hospital.  In 1916 he volunteered to serve with the Royal Army Medical Corps in Macedonia where he served with the 68th Field Ambulance Unit.  He later requested to be transferred to the Berkshire Regiment.  Stanley's experience of the horrors of war were to forever mark his attitude towards life and death, an influence that can be seen in many of his religious paintings.

Towards the end of the Great War Stanley was commissioned by the the War Artists Advisory Committee to paint visions of war from Macedonia.  Stanley painted what is now referred to as 'Travoys Arriving with Wounded at a Dressing Station at Smol.'  The painting is kept at the Imperial War Museum.

Travoys Arriving with Wounded at a Dressing Station at Smol

In 1925 Stanley married Hilda Carline, who at that time was a student of Slade School of Fine Art.  They had two daughters together, Shirin and Unity. 

Hilda, Unity and Dolls - 1937

However Hilda and Stanley were to divorce in 1937 when the girls were 7 and 11 due to Stanley's obsession with another woman, Patricia Preece.  A week after his divorce Stanley had married Patricia, but it was not to be a happy marriage.  Patricia was a con artist and a lesbian, whose interest in Stanley only extended as far as his money.  She somehow managed to persuade Stanley to sign over his house to her.  Patricia continued to live with her lover Dorothy Hepworth and the marriage was never consummated, yet when her 'relationship' with Stanley fell apart she refused to grant him a divorce. 

Hepworth, Preece, Spencer and guest
at Stanley's wedding to Patricia Preece in 1937

Stanley was to forever regret his decision to leave Hilda and his daughters for Patricia.  When Hilda's mental health began to fail, Stanley would visit her, but the damage to their relationship was already done.  In 1950 Hilda died of cancer.  Stanley continued to write love letters to Hilda long after her death.  In 1945 Stanley had moved to Cliveden View House in Cookham Rise, a house built by his builder grandfather Julius Spencer and previously lived in by his sister Annie.

Stanley was to become a familiar sight in Cookham, pushing a battered black pram that contained his canvas and easel.

Sir Stanley Spencer with his pram in Cookham Lane - 1958

In 1959 Stanley was knighted, later that year on 14th December he died of cancer at The Canadian Red Cross Memorial Hospital in Taplow Buckinghamshire.

1954 Portrait of Sir Stanley Spencer by Ida Kar
© National Portrait Gallery, London

For more Taphophile Tragics posts, please click here.