BREWERS AGENT AND TWELFTH VICTIM OF THE CROSS HOUSE FIRE
Situated in the Consecrated/West Section of Jesmond Old Cemetery.
Charles W Cox was born in Gosport, Southampton in 1851. In the 1871 Census, aged 20, Charles had already began his brewing career, with his occupation being recorded as ‘Clerk to Bass House Brewers’. Come the 1881 Census, Charles is now living in Stockton, is married to Laura Lavington nee Mills, is now a ‘Brewer’s Agent’ and has a young family consisting at this time of Lucy Matilda and Charles Robert D’Arcy. The 1911 Census has the family now living at 3 St Thomas Place, Newcastle, with Charles recorded as being a Widow and has four members of his family living with him, Laura (34) Dorothy (20), Russell (18) and Phyllis (16).
His wife, Laura Lavington Mills, died on 7th June 1903 at Derwent Cottage, Rowlands Gill. The records note that her main residence prior to her death was 21, Victoria Square, Newcastle. In her will, she left £5,572 to Charles.
One of Charles and Laura’s other children, Captain Cecil Arthur Cox of the 26th Bn. Royal Fusiliers, died of his wounds on the 16th October 1916, aged 34. Cecil is buried in Etretat Churchyard in France.
Charles continued to work for Bass Brewers all of his life, with him ending up being the Local Manager/Brewers Agent for the by now changed company name, Bass, Ratcliffe and Gretton Brewery, who had local offices in Cross House in Newcastle.
Cross House, a seven story office building built in 1911, is situated at the junction of Westgate Road and Fenkle Street. It’s a beautiful building, with its concrete construction hidden by attractive Portland stone cladding. On the 23rd December, 1919, Cross House was the scene of one of the City’s worst disasters when a fire broke out in some large stocks of celluloid film in the basement premises of the ‘Famous Laskey Film Services’. The fire quickly took hold and shot up the lift shaft, spreading to the upper floors and trapping many office workers from the other firms with premises in the building.
An etching of the Cross House fire (Image supplied by Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums)
Unfortunately, Charles was working at his office in Cross House on the day of the fire, just two days before Christmas. According to a newspaper report, he was due to retire soon, being 68 at the time.
Many people were saved, mainly due to the heroics of the fire brigade but, sadly, several people died, one of whom was Charles. A group of people became trapped on the top floor balcony of the building and, with nowhere else to go, had to make the awful decision to jump. Thankfully, the waiting fireman had sheets and tarpaulins ready to catch the people jumping from over 80 feet above – all made the jump safely, apart from Charles, who landed on the edge of a sheet and banged his head on the pavement. Among other injuries, Charles fractured his skull and died in the Royal Victoria Infirmary six days later.
Details of his funeral were announced in the local press, saying ‘On the 29th instance, from injuries received in Cross House fire, Charles William Cox, of 17, Brandling Park, Newcastle (late of 3, St. Thomas Place and Derwent Cottage, Rowland’s Gill). Interment Jesmond Old Cemetery, Wednesday, 1.30 p.m., leaving residence 1.20 p.m. Friends please accept this, the only, intimation’.
Charles’s funeral was described in the Newcastle Daily Chronicle, dated 1st January 1920, thus:
‘The twelfth victim of the Cross House fire in Newcastle, Mr. Charles William Cox, the local manager for Messrs. Bass, Ratcliffe and Gretton Ltd, of Burton on Trent, was buried at Jesmond Cemetery yesterday. The deceased gentleman was well-known and the obsequies were attended by a large and representative gathering. The burial service was conducted by the Rev. G.D. Oakley, Vicar of Jesmond.
The remains of Mr. Cox, who succumbed to his injuries at the infirmary, were encased in a shell, with an outer coffin of oak, with brass mountings, bearing the following inscription: “Charles William Cox 1851 – 1919”. Floral and other tributes were numerous and on every hand there were expressions of profound regret at Mr. Cox’s death’.
As you would expect, from a man so long in the brewing trade, there were representatives from many breweries at Charles’s funeral, including Newcastle Breweries, Whitbread, Guinness, Marston, Deuchar’s, Ind. Coope and, of course, his long time employer, Bass, Ratcliffe and Gretton.
With grateful thanks to Laura Taylor, the Great Granddaughter of Charles, who informed us that his grave is situated in Jesmond Old Cemetery.