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Horatio Henry Couldery: 1832-1918

Buried in plot no. 1878 of Ladywell Cemetery lies Horatio Henry Couldery. He was one of the best known Victorian painters and the FOBLC has been contacted by his great granddaughter Rosemary James with this account of his life.







Horatio Henry Couldery was born in Lewisham in 1832 and christened at St. Mary’s Lewisham on 23 December 1832. He was the fourth of nine children of Robert Hall Couldery, and Lydia Frances nee Ruegg.

Horatio was originally apprenticed to a cabinet maker but following in his father’s footsteps, he realised his true vocation when, at the age of 23, he entered the Royal Academy Schools. He specialised in painting animals and was nicknamed ’Kitten Couldery’ because of his many feline paintings but he also painted dogs, ducks, pheasants, rabbits, mice and fish. .



He exhibited many of his works at the Royal Academy of Arts in London between 1861 and 1892.. He was a prolific painter and his paintings reflect the typical late Victorian style with dark backgrounds, vignette settings and a real love of animals. His works were often used to illustrated children’s books and many of his paintings more recently have been used on greetings cards.

In 1875 Horatio attracted the attention of the art critic John Ruskin who commented that one of his paintings entitled ’ A Fascinating Tail’ exhibited at The Royal Academy was “ quite the most skilful piece of minute and Dureresque painting in the exhibition, which could not be rightly seen without a lens and unsurpassable in its depiction of kitten meditation".

Glanmore Museum in Belleville, Ontario maintains the largest public collection of his work in the world (about 42 I believe), beautifully restored. I have visited the Museum and it’s a truly wonderful place housed in a Second Empire style building. Do go there if you are in Ontario.

Despite his incredible talent, like many artists in their lifetime he did not become wealthy and when he died he died his estate was valued at £250!
Today his paintings are very valuable and sell for many thousands of pounds

He lived at various places including 50 Rathbone Place W1, 1 Campbell Villas, Lewisham, Maud Villa (where he died) and also Elizabeth Villa in Addington Grove, Sydenham. Sadly the last two places are no longer there.






Rosemary has also researched other relatives including her great great grandfather Robert Hall Couldery. If anyone knows of the Coulderys she would love to hear from them and is happy to provide further information, copies of certificates and photographs.

Posted by Patrick Napier at 22:10 4 comments

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History and Notable Burials

Probably the most interesting (albeit gruesome) piece of history in Brockley Cemetery is a monument erected to the memory of Jane Clouson.

The monument was paid for by public money and stands alone amongst the trees - a praying child sits on top of a pillar.

Below the figure is an inscription detailing the horrific events surrounding her brutal murder on April 25th, 1871:

"A motherless girl who was murdered in Kidbrooke Lane Eltham age 17 in 1871. Her last words were, "Oh, let me die". "

The Scottish Times

News and intelligence from Scotland, and around the globe. Vol. II–No. 38.] Edinburgh, October 11, 1871. Price 3d.

[from Northstar Creative.co.uk]

GREENWICH MURDERER ACQUITTED. YESTERDAY, the Pook family of Greenwich, London, were forced to leave their family home, so strong was the feeling of the local community against them – the animosity having arisen from Mr E. Pooks recent acquittal at his trial, for the murder of Miss J. Clouson.

For anyone who has not been following the case, the public anger and resentment is quite understandable when one considers the undisputed evidence, in that: Jane Clouson was 17 year old when she gained employment at the Pook’s residence, that 3 years later Mr E. Pooks overcame her virtue, and that earlier this year the unfortunate girl found herself pregnant.

It was also revealed from testimonies that Miss J. Clouson had been led to believe Mr E. Pooks was going to make a respectable woman of her and, on the evening of her demise, she was going to meet him.

What follows next is a clear and exact series of events, which only a judge – with the mighty burden of the Law weighing down on his shoulders – could find circumstantial.

Sometime later on that fateful evening, a Constable discovered Jane Clouson in a wretched condition, crawling on Kidbrooke Lane with her head battered so severely, that one eye was hanging from its socket. She never fully regained consciousness, and died later in Guy’s Hospital.

Despite the facts that the accused was seen running from the lane, and that the murder weapon found at the scene – a hammer – had been sold to him by a local shopkeeper some days earlier, and that his trousers were covered in blood and mud : there still remained a “reasonable doubt”.

Mr Pooks claimed that he had spent the entire evening, awaiting with amorous intent, outside another ladies’ house in Greenwich – and this claim, much against everyone’s wishes, could not be disproved.

Notable burials:

Sir William Eames (1821-1897) Marine engineer

Sir John Gilbert (1817 - 1897) Illustrator, drawing for the 'Illustrated London News' and designed a cover for 'Punch'

Sir George Grove (1820 - 1900) First director of the Royal College of Music in 1882 - author of 'Dictionary of Music and Musicians)

Sir William Hardy (1807 - 1887) Deputy Keeper of Public Records 1878 - 1886

Sir Alexander Nisbet (1812 - 1892) Inspector General of the Royal Navy and honorary physician to the Queen

William Stephens (1817 - 1871) Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of England

[information from London Cemeteries - Hugh Mellor]

Taken from London Necropolis

 
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