On Tower Hill Memorial, Trinity Square, London is the name of First Mate Charles Robert Lovell serving on S.S. Yzer with the Mercantile Marine who died 20/07/1916.

Pauline Priano has submitted the following;

Charles Robert Lovell was one of 4 children and had 3 older half sibling from his father Arthur James Lovell’s first marriage.

The birth of his father Arthur James Lovell was registered in 1839 at North Witchford, Cambridgeshire. He was the son of schoolmaster and surveyor, James Lovell a native of Northamptonshire and schoolmistress Mary Cole of Chatteris,  Cambridgeshire.

By 1861 Arthur James Lovell (21) had migrated to the north east of England where he had found employment as a bookkeeper and coal fitter. He was a boarder at 25, Bridge Street, Sunderland, in the home of bachelor William Steel, a bookseller. The house was also occupied by William’s sister and cook Isabella (16) and his sister in law and housekeeper Mary Steel.

The marriage of Arthur James Lovell and Mary Alderson took place in 1863 at Darlington, County Durham. Mary was born in 1840 at Darlington, she was the daughter of agricultural labourer Thomas Anderson native of County Durham and Sarah Appleton born in South Dalton, Yorkshire. Their daughter Edith Mary Lovell was born in 1865 and baptised at Bishopwearmouth, December 31st 1865, Laura Alice in 1868 and Arthur James, June 28th 1869.

What became of Mary Lovell nee Alderson is unknown, no death entry has been found, however, Arthur James Lovell was free to remarry in 1875 to Eleanor Robinson Milburn who was born at South Shields, historically in County Durham, December 30th 1846. Her father, coal miner Robert Milburn, was born at Alston, historically in Cumberland, where he was baptised at Redwing Congressional Chapel, October 11th 1822. He migrated to County Durham and having settled at South Shields married a local girl, Ann Wallace Cairns.

Arthur James fathered a further 4 children with his second wife, Gertrude Emma in 1875, Charles Robert 1876, Frederick John, June 27th 1878 and Alfred Ernest, April 8th 1881. No.19 Derby Street became the permeant home for Arthur James, Eleanor their 4 children and his daughter Laura Ann. 

In 1891 Arthur James with the assistance of his son Arthur James Jnr. (21), both of whom were clerks in the coal trade, supported the entire family. Laura Ann (23) remained at home with her mother, Gertrude Emma (16), Charles Robert (14), Frederick John (12) and Alfred Ernest (9) were scholars. Elizabeth Milburn is listed as a servant to assist with the running of the household. He had also taken into his care his 6 year old granddaughter Laura Eleanor Dunn, his deceased daughter Edith Mary and son in law Ralph Robson Dunn’s daughter. 

Arthur James Lovell died at Sunderland, February 22nd 1897 and was buried within Bishopwearmouth Cemetery, February 26th.

His widow Eleanor left their family home at 19, Derby Street and moved to 36, Burlington Road, Sunderland, taking her sister Elizabeth Milburn with her. They were supported by her sons Frederick (22) employed as a ship engine maker fitter and Alfred (19) a provisions merchant’s clerk. Her daughter Gertrude had married Robert Cook in 1900, they now lived in Aberdeen, Scotland, 

August 4th 1892, aged 16 years old Charles Robert Lovell was bound to James Boyd at the port of Glasgow until 1896 as his apprentice and joined the Merchant Navy, March 7th 1899, issue port, Penarth, Wales, he qualified as First Mate and February 14th 1902 as Master of a foreign-going ship.

December 16th 1903 Charles Robert was married at St Margaret’s Durham, County Durham to Elizabeth Ruth Watson who was born, October 3rd 1883 and with whom he had 2 children Charles Robert Lovell Jnr, September 5th 1904 and Ruth, June 1st 1908. After their marriage they lived at 4, The Avenue, at Brinkburn Street, Western Hill and Hutton Street, all in Sunderland.

May 22nd 1911 Charles Robert made a signed written statement at the British Consulate, Constantinople, Empire of Turkey, in which he stated that he had been informed that in his absence during the months, August, September, October, November and December 1910 and January, February, March 1911, Thomas Tarren, a grocer’s assistant, who in the past had lodged in his and his wife’s home, had made frequent visits to his wife at Hutton Street and on these occasions had committed adultery with his wife, consequently he and his wife no longer lived together.

In the Divorce Court, London, the case had been contested by both parties initially, but not later. When the case came to court neither Elizabeth Ruth Lovell nor co-correspondent Thomas Tarren attended to offer a defence. February 19th 1912 Charles Robert Lovell was granted a divorce and Thomas Tarren was ordered to pay £127 12 shilling 3 pence in costs.

The reason for their absence was the fact that Thomas and Elizabeth Ruth, listed as Mrs. Tarren had gone off to Australia taking with them Ruth Lovell (2) who also travelled under the false surname Tarren. They arrived at Brisbane, Queensland, December 4th 1911 aboard the Oswestry Grange of the Queensland Line, which had left the Port of London, July 15th 1911. Their final destination was Rockhampton, Central Queensland, Thomas and Elizabeth Ruth were married in Queensland, October 14th 1913. 

August 4th 1914 Britain declared a state of war existed with Germany, Charles Robert’s mother Eleanor Robinson Lovell nee Milburn died in late November 1914 and was buried within Bishopwearmouth Cemetery, November 27th.

In 1916 Charles Robert Lovell was First Mate aboard the S.S. Yzer, a steam ship built by Armstrong W. G. & Whitworth Co., Ltd., at Newcastle, on the river Tyne. The ship had changed hands twice and was owned by Brys & Glysen in 1916 at the time of her loss.

S.S. Yzer had left Portland, Maine, U.S.A., June 15th 1916 with a cargo of 257,730 bushels of oats, under the command of Captain William Hunter. Having offloaded her cargo at the Port of Sète in France, she set sail again and was en-route to Gibraltar when she was intercepted by the German submarine U-39 (Walter Forstmann) 50 miles North of Port Shershel (Cherchell), 55 miles west of  Algiers, July 20th 1916.

The S.S. Yzer was torpedoed and First Mate Charles Robert Lovell is reported to have been killed by the explosion before the ship sank. He was the only casualty. His sacrifice is recorded as one of 36,054 names inscribed on Tower Hill Memorial which stands on the south side of Trinity Square, London, commemorating men and women of the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets who died in both World Wars and who have no known grave.

First Mate Charles Robert Lovell was 39 years of age. His last known address was 36, Burlington Road, Sunderland and his personal assets were assigned to his brother Alfred Ernest Lovell in the sum of £198 18 shillings.

Thomas Tarren and Elizabeth Ruth had returned from Australia by 1921 with Ruth Lovell and their son Kennith Elliot Tarren, born April 23rd 1914 at Brisbane, however, what became of Ruth Lovell and her brother Charles Robert Jnr in their formative years is unknown as their mother had created a new life for herself with Thomas Tarren. 

Grocer Thomas, Elizabeth Ruth and their son Kenneth (7) in 1921 were listed as visitors in the home of Thomas and Adelaide Blair and their 4 children at 30, Cecil Street, North Shields. June  5th 1923 their son Thomas W. Tarren was born at Hartlepool, County Durham. 

Details of Charles Robert Lovell Jnr re-emerge in 1925. He had engaged at North Shields, August 28th 1924, declaring he had 5 years experience at sea. Described as 5 feet 8 inches tall and 146 lbs., at the age of 20 he was 3rd Officer aboard the San Nazario out of San Francisco arriving at San Pedro, California, July 21st 1925.

He was married at Southampton, Hampshire in 1932 to Joyce Isabella Brooks who was born at West Ham, Essex, August 24th 1908. She was the daughter of George Brooks, superintendent steward for a shipping company and Henrietta Margaret Anne. Their son Jeremy Charles Stuart Lovell was born at Southampton, September 29th 1934.

In 1939 they were living on the Isle of Wight where Charles Robert Jnr was a commercial traveller but also commander Royal Naval Reserve. Joyce Isabella Lovell nee Brooks resident of Milburn Sunningdale Road, Newport, Isle of Wight, died, November 7th 1945. Her assets in the sum of £225 19 shillings 3 pence were assigned to her husband. 

Charles Robert Lovell Jnr died at Yeovil, Somerset, during the 4th quarter (Oct/Nov/Dec) 2000, Jeremy Charles Stuart Lovell, September 4th 2008.

The British War Medal and Mercantile Marine Medal pertaining to First Mate Charles Robert Lovell were issued to Mr. R. Lovell, Little Wick, Gillingham, Dorset, October 12th 1988.

Thomas Tarren, Elizabeth Ruth and their youngest son were living at Totnes Devon in the 1930’s as was Ruth Lovell. Prior to her marriage in 1930 Ruth Lovell travelled to Brisbane, Australia, but was married at Totnes in 1934 to Percival George Henry Pearse, who was born at Paignton Devon, August 15th 1911, where he was baptised by his parents, Frederick Henry Pearse and Ethel Elizabeth Cross, at St. Andrew’s Paignton, September 10th 1911.

Percival and Ruth emigrated to New Zealand where she gave birth to a daughter, at Wellington, New Zealand, in 1942, whom they named Ruth Elizabeth,

During WW2 Percival George Henry Pearse served as Lance Corporal 40590, 6th Field Company, New Zealand Engineers, 2nd New Zealand Division. The division was ordered to Italy in 1943 where the field companies took on the new task of bridge building, which was critical to the allied advance and crossing major rivers.

Lance Corporal Pearse was killed, December 2nd 1944, and buried by his comrades on the battlefield, his grave marked by a cross bearing his military details.

May 8th 1945 celebration erupted around the world marking the end of WW2 in Europe. Small concentrations and isolated graves were brought into larger cemeteries during the clearing of the battlefields. Lance Corporal 40590 Percival George Henry Pearse was reburied with all reverence and honour, October 4th 1945, within Coriano Ridge War Cemetery, Emilia Romagna, Italy, on the main Rimini to Riccione Road, 1 kilometre north-west of Riccione, grave XIV. B. 4. At the time of his demise in 1944 he was 33 years of age.

Ruth Pearse, described as 5 feet 1 inch tall, black hair, hazel eyes and mid complexion, resident of Wellington, New Zealand, departed from Auckland, aboard the Ruahine with 3 year old Ruth, arriving at New York U.S.A., March 30th 1945, where she would stay for 10 days en-route to her final destination in England, supplying the name of her mother Mrs. Tarren, Devon, England, as, “person in the Old Country.”

Charles Robert’s ex wife Elizabeth Ruth Tarren-Lovell nee Watson died at Totnes, Devon in 1957.

Ruth Pearse nee Lovell died at Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, July 19th 2002. 

In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.

Charles Robert Lovell is remembered at Hendon on H123.02, at Sunderland in S140.48 Part 8 page 173 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.