Charles Edward Schenk: A Life in Engineering and Art

Engineer, Artist, and Co‑Creator of the Port Eynon Lifeboatmen’s Memorial

The Port Eynon Lifeboat Tragedy and Its Memorial

Lifeboatmen’s Memorial 1918 William Brown (1822/1823–1899) and Charles Edward Schenk (1851–1928)

The memorial at Port Eynon, Gower, known as the Lifeboatmen’s Memorial, commemorates the three members of the Port Eynon lifeboat crew who drowned during a rescue attempt on 1 January 1916. The life‑sized figure of the lifeboatman is traditionally believed to represent Coxswain Billy Gibbs, whose body was never recovered after the lifeboat Janet capsized in a violent New Year storm. The other men who died were William Eynon, the second coxswain, and George Harry, while the remaining ten crew members survived. The memorial was created by William Brown (1822/1823–1899) and Charles Edward Schenk (1851–1928), and it is the latter whose life and background form the focus of this account.

Early Life and Family Background

Birth and Parentage

Augustus James Schenk and Maria Peck marriage certificate St Mary’s Church, Islington

Charles Edward Schenk was born in 1852 in Neath, Glamorgan, the son of Augustus James Schenk, a civil engineer, and Maria Peck, who had married at St Mary’s Church, Islington, in 1846.

1861 Census

By the time of the 1861 Census, the family had settled at 12 Beaumont Cottage, Terrace Road, Swansea, where Augustus, aged forty, continued his engineering career. Maria, also forty, presided over a large household of children: Ellen Maria, Augustus Edward, Charles Edward, Ernest George, Walter Maxwell, Caroline Louisa, and the infant Charlotte Elizabeth, assisted by a young servant, Sarah Nelson. Maria died the following year, leaving Augustus a widower with seven children.

Growing Up in Swansea

The 1871 Household

1871 Census

By 1871, the family remained on Terrace Road. Augustus, now fifty, continued his work as a civil engineer and was supported by his sister Louisa. The children were entering adulthood: Charles Edward, aged nineteen, was employed as a clerk; Ernest George, seventeen, was working as a tailor; Walter Maxwell, fifteen, remained in school; and the daughters Ellen Maria, Caroline Louisa, and Charlotte Elizabeth were also at home. A servant, Mary Davies, completed the household.

The 1881 Census

1881 Census

The 1881 Census shows the Schenks still at Terrace Road. Augustus, aged sixty, remained active as a civil engineer, and Charles Edward, now twenty‑nine, had followed him into the same profession. His sisters Ellen, Caroline, and Charlotte were still living at home, as was his aunt Louisa, and the family employed a servant, Charlotte Woodman.

Marriage and Family Life

Marriage to Gertrude Matilda Meager

Charles Edward Schenk and Gertrude Matilda Meager marriage certificate St. James' Church

In 1884, Charles married Gertrude Matilda Meager at St James’ Church, Swansea.

1891 Census

By the 1891 Census, the couple were living at 5 Cwmdonkin Terrace, where Charles, aged thirty‑nine, was working as a civil engineer and Gertrude, aged twenty‑nine, was caring for their two young sons, Augustus William and the infant Harold Beham. A servant, Elizabeth Johns, also lived with them.

Moves to Gwydr Terrace and Glanmor Road

1901 Census

By 1901, the family had moved to 6 Gwydr Terrace, where Charles, now forty‑nine, continued his engineering career. Gertrude, aged thirty‑nine, was raising their growing family, which now included Charles A. W., Harold B., Rudolf, and the youngest child, Doris, assisted by a servant, Martha James.

1911 Census

By 1911, the Schenks had moved again, this time to Penbryn, Glanmor Road, Swansea. Charles, aged fifty‑nine, was serving as an Assistant Engineer with the Swansea Harbour Board, while Gertrude, aged forty‑nine, continued to manage the home. Their children were now entering adult life: Charles Reynolds William was working as a bank clerk; Harold Berham was employed in the Traffic Department; Rudolph was apprenticed in engineering; and Doris Gertrude, aged eleven, was still in school. A servant, Elizabeth Harriet Webb, was also present. This is the final census in which Charles appears.

Engineer, Artist, and Civic Figure

Artistic Work and Local Influence

Last Rays of Sunset, Yellow Top, Gower Coast 1927
Charles Edward Schenk credit - Swansea Museum Collection

Untitled – Wrecked Ship at Oxwich Point 1892 Charles Edward Schenk credit - Swansea Museum Collection

Although engineering was his profession, art was Charles Schenk’s lifelong passion. His works include Last Rays of Sunset, Yellow Top, Gower Coast (1927) and Untitled – Wrecked Ship at Oxwich Point (1892), both held at Swansea Museum, as well as A Showery Morning, Port Eynon, which is part of the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery collection. His artistic interests were deeply rooted in the landscapes and coastal scenes of Gower and Swansea, and he became a significant figure in the city’s cultural life. He was remembered as one of the founders of the original Swansea Art Club, established around the 1880s, and he remained active in the city’s artistic societies for decades.

Death and Legacy

Obituary and Public Memory

Charles Edward Schenk

South Wales Daily Post

Charles Edward Schenk died in 1928, aged seventy‑five, at 1 Bernard Street, Uplands, following a seizure. The South Wales Daily Post described him as “a well‑known artist” who would be remembered by older generations as the son of A. J. Schenk, C.E., one of the leading British engineers involved in the Severn Tunnel works of 1880. The obituary emphasised that Charles was highly respected in both business and artistic circles, noting his long service with the Swansea Harbour Trust and his central role in the development of Swansea’s artistic community. He was buried at Oystermouth Cemetery, while his parents were laid to rest at St Peter’s Church, Cockett.

Posthumous Recognition

South Wales Daily Post

In May 1936, both the Western Mail and the South Wales Daily Post reported on the Jubilee Exhibition of the Swansea Art Society, where Schenk’s A Showery Morning, Port Eynon was exhibited, a fitting tribute to a man whose artistic legacy remained intertwined with the coastal landscapes he loved.