Life story retold with information shared by Keith Jerrome
Len was an important founder of the Reading Labour Movement. Len and Harriet had 5 sons and 5 daughters, all the sons died young (one is buried in the grave with Len and Harriet) all the daughters survived and I have just found details of a daughter with whom the RTUC was in contact in the 1980s and it would be good to involve surviving relatives.
He was born on 5th January 1862 and died on 19th May 1937.
Some important dates about Len Quelch:
1911 Founder member of National Union of Gas and General Labourers, later General and Municipal Workers and now GMB;
1914 Elected to Reading Borough Council, later an Alderman till 1937;
1918 Convened first meeting of Reading Trades Council and Labour Party and became Secretary.
To find LEQ go along the ‘Dissenter’ side of the from the centre path till you find George Washington Hicks on your right and on your left you will find LEQ opposite tucked in the grave are son Albert James d. 1918 and Harriet his wife d. 1942 LEQ d May 19th 1937. This is Division 26 16508.
The grave was last opened in 1943 and along the way and in clearing the top some of the gravel has been lost.
Bibliographical notes:
Keith Gildart & David Howell eds. Dictionary of Labour Biography Vol. XIII (2010)
LE Quelch, Old Fashioned Socialist (Lorenzo Quelch Memorial Group (1992)
Quelch Lorenzo (Len) Edward entry by John S Partington p. 319-334.
Buried in Section 26, Row M, Number 7