Rectory Lane Cemetery, Berkhamsted

Charles Hamilton Rew (409)

d.12/09/1906

Architect and son of Berkhamsted architect Charles Henry Rew, died by apparent suicide

Relatives

Charles Henry Rew (509) — father

Charles Hamilton Rew was the son of the architect Charles Henry Rew (1842 –1912), who is also buried in Rectory Lane Cemetery, near to Charles Hamilton’s grave.

Charles Hamilton followed in his father’s footsteps as an architect. His brother, Noel Ackroyd Rew, also became an architect and collaborated with their father on various local building projects, including the Berkhamsted School Chapel.

Charles Hamilton’s work took him further afield; it is known that from 1904, he was registered as an Authorized Architect with the Government of Hong Kong. Shortly before his death, Charles was working for a shipping company in Shanghai, China. He contracted dysentery and typhoid, and returned to Britain to live in the village of Sheldon in Devonshire. In addition to ill health, Charles apparently had financial problems, which he kept concealed from family and friends.

Tragically, on the morning of 14 September 1906, Charles Hamilton was found dead in the Hotel Windsor on Victoria Street in Pimlico, London. He may have been dead for more than one day. It was found that he had overdosed on chloral, a sleeping draft. A coroner recorded it as accidental death, although it seems possible that Charles may have committed suicide.

MYSTERIOUS DEATH IN HOTEL

An inquest was held at Westminster on Charles Hamilton Rew, who died under strange circumstances at the Hotel Windsor, Victoria Street, on Friday. Mr Noel Ackroyd Rew, Great Berkhampstead, said that deceased, who was his brother, had lately returned from Shanghai, where he was working since April as architect to a big shipping firm, and had since been living at Sheldon, Devonshire. [.…] 

The manager of the hotel Windsor said deceased arrived on the 11th instead with no luggage [.…] He was given notice on the 13th that his room would be required. On the following day a chambermaid called witness to the room, and he found deceased lying on the bed on his side fully dressed and quite dead. Two bottles with produced were found in the room, both having contained chloral solution. 

Further evidence showed that on Wednesday night [12th September] the deceased, when found in his chamber, was thought to be asleep.[.…] 

The coroner said that deceased had left not a line behind expressing any intention of taking his own life. The jury found that deceased took an overdose of poison, and that death was accidental.

Dundee Courier
Thursday 20 September 1906 

Charles Hamilton Rew was buried in Berkhamsted, in Rectory Lane Cemetery. Six years later, his father also died, and was buried in plot 509, only a few feet away from Charles Hamilton.

Journal of the Hong Kong Institute of Architects Issue 45, 2006, p.50