Obituary of Frederick Houston Carter, Sydenham, Forest Hill and Penge Gazette, 15th March 1918

Obituaries, Sydenham, Forest Hill and Penge Gazette, Friday, March 15, 1918
Obituary of Frederick Houston Carter, Sydenham, Forest Hill and Penge Gazette on Friday, March 15, 1918

THE LATE MR. F.H. CARTER, L.C.C. SUDDEN DEATH AT SYDENHAM

Funeral To-morrow (Saturday)

The death of Mr. Fred Houston Carter has occasioned deep regret in many circles in Sydenham, and among his numerous friends the sincerest sympathy with his widow and relatives has been expressed. His demise occurred at his residence, 'Burnage', Lawrie Park-avenue, on Monday evening. He had not been in the best of health for some time, and had been under the care of Dr. Umney, but his friends were not altogether prepared for the blow, which occurred with painful suddenness. His associations with Sydenham were long and widespread, for he had closely identified with the public life of the neighborhood, and he had taken a most active interest in many organizations, social, political, and religious.

The late Mr. Fred H. Carter was born in 1858, and for practically the whole of his life he was prominently identified with the tea trade. When quite a young man, in 1878, he was invited to proceed to Calcutta as a tea expert, and for many years was a large buyer, while he was consulted by many of the leading tea companies in the complex matters relative to the trade. On his way out to India he paid a visit to Ceylon, which was just beginning to open out tea in quite a small way. In fact, the combined output of British grown tea was not much more than 30 millions. Just before the war it had reached the colossal figure of 400 millions. For many years the late Mr. Carter went backwards and forwards between the London market and Calcutta, and eventually he settled in business as a tea broker and expert in the well-known firm of Lloyd and Carter, and he has also occupied the position of president of the Tea Brokers' Association of London.

Apart from business, and as showing his keen interest in the public life of London, - he offered himself as a candidate for the London County Council for Lewisham in 1910. He stood as a Municipal Reformer along with the Earl Stanhope, and was returned, being second on the list, with 8,958 votes as against 4,950 for the nearest Progressive candidate. At subsequent elections in 1913 he headed the poll with 9, 497 votes, his colleague , Commander Carlyon Bellairs, receiving 9,410, and the Progressive candidate 5,865. In 1916 he was returned unopposed with Lieutenant-Colonel and Alderman H. Le May. The other Municipal Reform representative for Lewisham is Alderman Robert Jackson. Mr. Carter's business abilities were quickly recognized on the L.C.C. and during the time he was a member of this body he filled many important offices, Having been chosen as chairman of important committees, including that of the Fire Brigade Committee at the time when the Brigade was being re-modeled by the extension of motor-appliances, and the doing away with the picturesque but obsolete horse engines and escapes. He also sat on the Small Holdings, Old-age Pensions, and other committees, whilst he has been the Vice-Chairman of the L.C.C. Residential School for Deaf and Dumb Boys. Before he was elected on the L.C.C. , he helped to found the Sydenham Ratepayers' Association, at the time when there was a keen controversy concerning the introduction of tramways. He was strongly opposed to the running of trams through high-class residential districts, but favored their introduction into business neighborhoods, much to their benefit, and he helped to carry through the Forest Hill scheme, being present at the opening of the last link of tramway construction, which joined up the Forest Hill lines at London-road and Park-road.

The late Mr. Carter was active as a politician, being a staunch member of the Conservative Party, and was formerly their candidate for the Gorton Division of Lancashire. He was one of Sir Edward Coate's most loyal supporters, and worked for him and spoke on his behalf on those various occasions when Sir Edward successfully stood for Lewisham. He was vice-president of the Sydenham Conservative and Unionist Assembly and a vice-president of the Sydenham Conservative and Unionist Working-men's Club.

His interest in the war was well-known. Not only has he sons serving as officers in His Majesty's Forces - one of whom, by the way, has recently been awarded the Military Cross - whilst his daughter is Quartermaster at the Brooklyn Hospital, but he took a deep interest in the success of the various War Loans, and it is rather tragic in this connection to learn that on the day of his death he was at Catford, assisting with the Lewisham Tank, and was one of the deputation which received Sir Edward Coates when he invested £63,000.

Of his other activities we may mention those connected with the Sydenham Hospital and Infirmary for Sick Children. He was its treasurer for many years, and he gave it ungrudging support. He was also identified with the local branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Quite apart from his sympathy and support of the public institutions referred to , Mr. Carter performed many personal kindnesses of a private nature of which only those are aware who have been recipients of his bounty.

Mr. Carter married Miss Gertrude Watts, of Burnage Hall, Manchester, the issue of the marriage being four sons and a daughter. All the sons are fighting for their country. The eldest is Captain Fred Walter Carter (London Yeomanry) now in Palestine. Miss Irene Carter is acting as Quartermaster at the Brooklyn Hospital, Sydenham; Captain Stanley Cyril Carter, M.C. (Royal Engineers); Captain Walter Noel Carter (Queen Victoria Rifles); and Captain Albert Bernard Carter (53rd Sikhs). Captain Noel was wounded at Ypres, and Captain Albert, who is now in India, was wounded in Mesopotania. It is hoped that both Captains Cyril and Noel will be able to attend the funeral obsequies. The deceased gentleman has survived his brother, the late Captain Walter Carter, by eleven months.

The late Mr. Carter was a Churchman, and prior to the internment of the body at Elmer's End Cemetery, there will be a service held to-morrow at 2, at Holy trinity Church, Sydenham-park, where he and his family worshipped, and where he occupied the office of sideman. The arrangements for the funeral have been placed in the hands of Messrs. Walter Cobb, of Kirkdale, Sydenham.

MR. CARTER'S INTEREST IN PUBLIC WORK.

Mr. Carter spent many hours on Monday at the Tank. He came, one of our representatives writes, soon after nine a.m. He remained until about three o'clock, when the Mayor motored him home. I asked him in the morning, when we were awaiting Sir Edward Coates' arrival, if he were going to speak from the Tank. He thought not, but proceeded to talk in his pleasant, genial way of events and things.

Some points of a long conversation are of interest to record. In referring to the political changes in the borough, to the formation under the new Act of the East and West Divisions, and the fact that Sir Edward had chosen to be the prospective candidate for the West, Mr. Carter expressed the view that a very strong man would be needed in the East. He hoped that someone who was 'not a lawyer' would be found. In this connection he mentioned an experience of his as Unionist candidate for the Gorton Division of Lancashire. He recalled that the heartiest possible applause followed a statement he made at one of his earliest meetings in the constituency to the effect that he was not connected with the legal profession, and that there were quite sufficient lawyers in Parliament already.

To the strains of public work he made several allusions. As to his candidature at Gorton, he said it was 'killing' going up there and addressing meetings on a Saturday and travel back on a Sunday afternoon. He was compelled, in consequence of the strain, to relinquish his candidature. As one of the two Lewisham representatives on the L.C.C., he remarked that he had recently had as many as one hundred letters from all sorts of people in a single day. He described the previous Tuesday's debate at the County Council, where, after a petition of protest, signed by 10,000 women teachers, the teachers' pay scheme was rejected, as the finest debate he had ever heard there. He considered that the fact that all the women teachers, with the exception of about 2,000, had signed the petition, was good evidence of the justice of the claim they had put forward.

To the recent illness of his colleague, Alderman R. Jackson, L.C.C., Mr. Carter made some sympathetic references. He said he found him at Spring Gardens in a state in which he had no business to be out-of-doors, and was so concerned about his condition that he persuaded him, with difficulty, to go home.

For some years, Mr. Carter served as Chairman of the London Fire Brigade Committee, a capacity in which he used to turn out and attend any large fire. 'I dread,' he observed, 'sometimes to think of what might have happened in London had we had a really big fire in the early days of the war. Something like 600 of our men - the best men- were called up.'

In chatting of the War and War conditions, Mr. Carter mentioned the fact that he had recently been serving on one of the committees connected with the Ministry of Food for the control of tea. He declared, as an expert, that there was no shortage of tea, and expressed the opinion that the decision to have tea sold at one price, irrespective of quality, was a big mistake.

Among other matters, he mentioned with obvious pride the service that his three sons had rendered to the country during the war. He particularly referred to the recent decoration of his second son, Captain S. C. Carter, R.E., and remarked that one of the others was wounded. The knowledge that they were all doing well at the front appeared to give him eminent gratification.

When Sir Edward Coates, Bart. M.P., arrived to make an investment of £63,000, Mr. Carter was among those who welcomed him. It was suggested to the Hon. Member that he should make a speech from the Tank, and as he mounted the ladder to do so, Mr. Carter took charge of his morning's letters, which were enclosed in a large envelope.

Mr. Carter subsequently spent some time resting in the Mayoral Parlour, and between two and three p.m. his Worship motored him home to Sydenham. He chatted on the way, but died within an hour of reaching his house. Those who saw him at the Town Hall were greatly shocked to hear of his death.

TRIBUTE AT THE BOROUGH COUNCIL

'The borough has suffered a very heavy loss in the death of Mr. Carter,' said the Mayor at Wednesday's meeting of the Lewisham Borough Council. His worship added that Mr. Carter spent a good deal of time on Monday with him. When he (the Mayor) drove him home he seemed in good health. His death was naturally a very great shock to his wife and daughter - it was a great shock to them all. Monday happened to be the first day on which Mrs. Carter had left him, since his illness of eighteen months ago. She went to London to see her sister, and on returning found him dead. It was a dreadful loss to her, her daughter and the four sons at the Front. After paying a tribute to Mr. Carter's public service for the Borough of Lewisham, he moved a vote of sincere condolence with Mrs. Carter in her heavy bereavement.

This was carried in the usual way.

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Newspaper Articles

The following Newspaper articles have been extracted from a number of publications, including UK national newspaper The Times, the Sydenham, Forest Hill and Penge Gazette (1873-1974), and The Western Weekly News (Also known as: The Illustrated Western Weekly News) from Plymouth, Devon (1861-1939).

The extracts include announcements of births, engagements, marriages and deaths along with a number of obituaries all relating to my Carter Family History. The majority of newspapers are archived at the British Library Newspapers in Colindale, London. Please send me any additional articles for inclusion via my feedback form.

Publication Date Newspaper Article / Publication
28th Jan  1832 Birth of son to Mrs. Alfred CARTER, of Great Surrey-street 
The Times
15th Oct  1857 Marriage between Frederick William CARTER and Mary Philadelphia ODELL 
The Times
10th Jan  1870 Death of Thomas Alexander ODELL 
The Times
27th Jul  1888 Birth of a son to the wife of Walter T. CARTER 
The Times
17th May  1892 Death of Alfred William CARTER 
The Times
29th Dec  1892 Birth of a son to the wife of Fred H. CARTER 
The Times
18th Oct  1893 Birth of a daughter to the wife of Walter T. CARTER 
The Times
28th Aug  1894 Death of Alfred Augustus CARTER 
The Times
25th May  1895 Death of Frederick William CARTER 
The Times
1st Aug  1896 Marriage between Herbert Edward FORMAN and Maude Ellen MADGE 
The Times
20th Apr  1898 Marriage between Arthur BELLAMY and Edith Emma MADGE 
The Times
23rd Jun  1899 Death of William Friend MADGE 
The Times
6th Jul  1899 Appointment of Lizzie Odell CARTER as Queen’s Nurse 
The Times
9th Nov  1904 Knighthood of J. A. Bellamy, Esq. 
The Times
10th Oct  1908 Death of Lady Susan Mill BELLAMY 
The Times
4th Apr  1913 Marriage between Ambrose CORNISH-BOWDEN and Phyllis Maud CARTER 
The Times
4th Jun  1913 Marriage between Colin McLeod CAMPBELL and Kathleen Lorna CARTER 
The Times
12th Mar  1914 Engagement of Frederick Watts CARTER and Ethel Maude PULLEY 
The Times
1st Apr  1914 Death of Percy Frank MADGE 
The Times
30th Mar  1915 In memory of Percy Frank MADGE 
The Times
13th Apr  1917 Death of Walter Thomas CARTER 
The Times
2nd Mar  1918 Obituary of Sir Joseph Arthur BELLAMY 
The Times
5th Mar  1918 Death of Sir Joseph Arthur BELLAMY 
The Times
12th Mar  1918 Obituary of Frederick Houston CARTER 
The Times
13th Mar  1918 Deaths of Frederick Houston CARTER 
The Times
15th Mar  1918 Obituary of Frederick Houston Carter 
Sydenham, Forest Hill and Penge Gazette
9th Nov  1921 Engagement of Capt. Gretton George FROST and Edith Mabel CARTER 
The Times
18th Sep  1922 Negotiations of the sale of the People newspaper 
The Times
23rd Jan  1923 Engagement of Frederick Dobonnaire HAGGARD and Dorothy GREENSTED 
The Times
12th Jun  1923 Forthcoming Marriage between Albert Bernard CARTER and Mary Margaret (Marjorie) RUDD 
The Times
13th Sep  1923 Marriage between Walter Noel CARTER and Edith Margaret PRICE 
The Times
3rd Mar  1925 Take over of “THE PEOPLE” newspaper by Odhams Press Limited 
The Times
4th Jan  1926 Death of Mary Philadelphia CARTER 
The Times
31st Jan  1927 Death of Sir William Thomas MADGE 
The Times
31st Jan  1927 Obituary of Sir William Thomas MADGE 
The Times
3rd Feb  1927 Death of Lady Judith MADGE 
The Times
17th Jun  1927 Engagement of Wilfred Lawrence CARTER and Doreen Avis BELLAMY 
The Times
3rd Jan  1928 Marriage between Wilfred Lawrence CARTER and Doreen Avis BELLAMY 
The Times
27th Feb  1929 Memorial to the late Sir William Thomas MADGE 
The Times
28th Feb  1929 Memorial to the late Sir William Thomas MADGE 
The Times
15th Oct  1929 Marriage between Cecil Denis CARTER and Pauline Mary LOMBARDINI 
The Times
6th Dec  1933 Death of Margaret Elizabeth MADGE 
The Times
27th Mar  1936 Death of May Jeanette (Maizie) MADGE 
The Times
14th Jul  1937 Marriage between Ernest Edward Willie MULLETT and Norah Elizabeth KEMSLEY 
The Times
16th Nov  1937 Engagement of Wilfred Lawrence CARTER and Betty Mary VAVASOUR 
The Times
13th Nov  1944 Death of Lizzie Odell CARTER 
The Times
2nd Jan  1945 Death of Alice Edith Blanch CARTER 
The Times
25th Jan  1950 Death of Nellie Gertrude MARTIN 
The Times
9th Jan  1956 Death of Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur BELLAMY 
The Times
9th Jan  1956 Obituary of Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur BELLAMY 
The Times
30th Jun  1958 Death of Grace Lewis CARTER 
The Times
28th May  1962 Death of Sir Frank MADGE 
The Times
9th Jan  1963 Engagement of Dr Peter John BALL and June MADGE 
The Times
8th Jul  1963 Marriage between Dr Peter John BALL and June MADGE 
The Times
3rd Apr  1964 Death of George Houston CARTER 
The Times
9th Mar  1970 Death of Cecil Denis CARTER 
The Times
12th Nov  1980 Memorial Service for Peter George CARTER 
The Times

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