Charles Henry Hudson

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Charles Henry Hudson (born early 1870s, died 13 March 1958, aged 84), of 56 Brook Street, Derby.

He reportedly started pigeon racing in 1904.

His bird, “The King of Rome” was a racing pigeon that in 1913 won a 1,001-mile (1,611 km) race from Rome, Italy to England. The bird, a blue cock, ring number NU1907DY168, was owned, bred and trained by Charlie.

At the time of the race, he was president and treasurer of Derby Town Flying Club. He also wrote on pigeon-racing matters for the Derby Evening Telegraph. On the bird's death, Hudson presented its body to Derby Museum and Art Gallery, where its taxidermied skin is preserved and is on display there. The preserved pigeon has previously been exhibited on loan elsewhere, including Walsall Museum and Wollaton Hall in Nottingham.

 The 2 August 1913 edition of The Racing Pigeon reported as follows:

Mr C. H. Hudson, of Derby, is to be congratulated on having notified an arrival in Rome race Tuesday last. The bird has proved itself capable of great endurances and of suffering much fatigue, and possessing wonderful staying power to make its way back from Rome to Derby. Up till Tuesday evening out of the 1200 birds sent by Belgian fanciers, 62 birds had been notified. The percentage as a rule that get back of birds sent to Rome by Belgian fanciers works out on average at 7 per cent, so that there are hopes yet that there will be some more English birds home. At any rate, the distance has been accomplished, eclipsing all past long-distance records in the United Kingdom.

In Derby Museum and Art Gallery

Sadly, Charles’s grave has no headstone.