My paternal 2nd great-grandparents
*Revised with additional information added as a result of Hampshire records being digitised and added to Ancestry. May 2023*
Walter Pitt Cotterell was my 2nd great-grandfather. He was born on 9 January 1858 in Itchen Stoke, Hampshire. His birth certificate gives his father’s name as James Cottrell (occupation agricultural labourer) and his mother’s name as Jane Cottrell, formerly Pitt. It’s interesting to note that Walter’s surname was spelt differently at the time of his birth, and that his middle name was Pitt, which was his mother’s maiden name. This was common practice at the time.
Walter was baptised at the local church where he later married on 21 February.
Elizabeth Cole was my 2nd great-grandmother. She was born at midday on 11 April 1852 in Nazeing, Essex. Her birth certificate gives her father’s name as Richard Cole (occupation coachman) and her mother’s name as Ann Cole, formerly Appleby.
I was able to find a copy of Elizabeth’s baptism record on the Essex Record Office website. This showed that she was baptised in Nazeing on the day she was born. The record also shows that a William Cole was baptised on the same day and had the same parents, Richard and Ann. I believe Elizabeth and William were twins so I ordered a copy of William’s birth certificate to be sure (see below). However, it does create a little mystery, as below on the 1861 Census, while there is a William listed, he is of the wrong age as he is recorded as being two years younger than his sister Elizabeth. The General Register Office records a second William Cole born in 1853, this time in Ware, Hertfordshire. The place of his birth registration is confirmed by that given on the 1861 Census. It is possible that Elizabeth’s twin died shortly after birth, which would explain the baptism on the day they were born, and that her younger sibling born the following year was named in memory of the William born in 1852. This was common practice at the time. At the moment, I have not found any record of the first William (Elizabeth’s possible twin) dying.
The 1861 Census was taken on 7 April. Walter, aged 3, was living with his parents James and Jane (my 3rd great-grandparents, both aged 44) and his older sister Edith (aged 5, recorded as being a scholar). James was working as a woodman, and they were living at a cottage on Grange Park in Northington, Hampshire. My family lived and worked there for at least three generations as there is a record of James, my 3rd great-grandfather; Walter, my 2nd great-grandfather; and William, my great-grandfather, all recorded on several generations of Census at Grange Park. I hope to visit there one day.
Elizabeth, aged 8 (the Census gives her age as 9 but the record was taken a few days before her 9th birthday), is living with her family at New Road in Chelsea. Her father Richard was 48 years old and a domestic coachman, her mother Ann was 50 and a laundress. Richard and Ann had four further children at home with them: George (aged 13, a domestic servant), twins Charles and Jesse (aged 11, scholars), and William (aged 7, a scholar). Elizabeth was also recorded as a scholar. Also living with the family were three lodgers: W Downe (aged 19, clerk to a baker), Samuel Hitchin (aged 40, occupation not legible), and Charles Killick (aged 24, a domestic servant).
On 2 April 1871 the next Census was taken. The address is not clear, but Walter was still living with his family in the area of Grange Park. Walter was 13 years old and a scholar. His parents James and Jane were 53, and his father’s occupation was still woodman. Walter’s older sister Edith was also with them, now aged 15. There is no occupation recorded for her. Also living with them is William, aged 3, recorded as James and Jane’s grandson. This is not William my great-grandfather.
Elizabeth’s family have moved to Grange Park and are recorded as living in the rooms over the stables. There is no question how Walter and Elizabeth met! Elizabeth was now 18 years old, with no occupation recorded (recorded as 19 but again, the Census was recorded a few days before her birthday). Her father Richard was 56 and still a coachman, her mother Ann was 58. Elizabeth had only one sibling with her; Mary, aged 9, who was at school. There were also seven servants living in the same rooms: Thomas Smith (aged 21, the second coachman), Walter Gillett (aged 18, a groom), George Orrey (aged 21, a helper), Stephen Bartlett (aged 22, a helper), Arthur Wake (aged 20, a helper), William Jones (aged 21, a helper), and Charles Hall (aged 13, a pony boy). Perhaps Richard was the head coachman for the estate.
Walter and Elizabeth married at St. John the Evangelist Church in Northington on 19 September 1878. Walter’s age was recorded as 21, however, he was 20 at the time of their wedding. Elizabeth’s age was also recorded incorrectly. The marriage certificate says she was 25, however, she had turned 26 years old the previous April.
Walter’s occupation was recorded as woodman, the same as his father James. Elizabeth’s father Richard’s occupation was recorded as coachman. The witnesses were Andrew Cotterell and Mary Cole. I am not sure yet who Andrew was, however, he is recorded as living next door to Walter and his family at the time of the 1871 Census (possibly Walter’s uncle?). Mary Cole was Elizabeth’s sister.
It is from this point forwards that Walter’s surname is spelt consistently as Cotterell as it is known today.
The ceremony was conducted by Rector William Leigh Williamson Eyre. He was rector at the church from 1875 until his death in 1914. He was a very interesting man who had a long-standing interest in natural history. His botanical and conchological collections can now be found in Haslemere Musuem in Surrey. In 1896 he founded the British Mycological Society (to promote the study of fungi). He named and described the agaric which is now known as lepiota grangei after the Grange Park estate in Northington, as well as publishing several papers about the subject between the years 1887 to 1907.
Below is a copy of their marriage banns.
Walter and Elizabeth had their first child, a son named James, in 1879. He was baptised at the local church on 2 March.
Walter and Elizabeth’s second child, a daughter named Jane, was born in 1880. Her birth was registered in the third quarter. It seems she may not have been baptised, or at least not at the local church, as I have checked page by page and her name is not listed.
On 3 April 1881, the next Census was taken. Walter, aged 23, and his young family are recorded as living in ‘the Park’ in Swarraton (I have assumed this means the Grange Park estate). His occupation was recorded as woodman. Elizabeth was now 28. Their children, James and Jane, were 2 years and 10 months old respectively.
Shortly after the 1881 Census was recorded, Walter and Elizabeth’s daughter Jane is recorded as dying in the second quarter, aged 1. She was buried at the local church on 29 June. You can see on the document below that the record of her grandfather James (my third great-grandfather) is also listed on the same page.
Walter and Elizabeth have their third child, a second son, called Fred in 1881. His birth was registered in the same quarter as Jane’s death. He was baptised at the local church on 24 July.
Between the 1881 and 1891 Census, Walter and Elizabeth continue growing their family. Walter Guy is born in 1882 (baptised on 24 December 1882), Lizzie in 1884 (baptised on 29 June 1884), Ellen in 1885 (baptised on 16 August 1885), Richard in 1886 (baptised on 17 October 1886), Mary Ann in 1888 (baptised on 8 April 1888, shortly before the death and burial of her older brother Richard), Alfred Richard in 1889 (baptised on 15 March 1889), and Edith in 1890 (I haven’t been able to locate Edith’s baptism record – similarly with their second child Jane, I have searched page by page and Edith’s name is not listed in the Baptism record book).
Richard Cotterell passed away in 1888, aged 1. I assume his younger brother Alfred born the following year was given his name as a middle name in Richard’s memory. Richard was buried at the local church by Rector Eyre on 24 April. He is buried in Northington Old Churchyard which surrounds the site of the old church (the current church having been built in 1890).
On 5 April 1891, when the next Census was recorded, Walter (aged 33, a woodman) and Elizabeth (aged 38) are living on Alresford Road, within the Grange Park estate. They have seven children at home with them: Fred, aged 9; Walter, aged 8; Lizzie (transcribed as Elizabeth), aged 6; Ellen, aged 5; Mary, aged 3; Alfred, aged 2; and Edith, aged 7 months. The eldest four children are at school.
Walter and Elizabeth’s eldest son was residing as a domestic servant to James and Anne Ormishon (or Anniston?) and their nephew Rayot Cole in St George Hanover Square, London. His age has been transcribed as 15, but I believe he was closer to 12 years old. Looking at the form, his age is not legible in my opinion.
My great-grandfather William was born on 13 August 1891, not long after the 1891 Census was taken. You can read his story here.
Three more children followed, taking the total to 14 children born to Walter and Elizabeth. George was born in 1893 (baptised on 2 April 1893), Henry was born in 1895 (baptised on 7 July 1895), and lastly May Winifred in 1897 (baptised on 5 September 1897). Sadly, their son Henry died, aged 2, in 1897. He was buried at St. John the Evangelist Church on 26 August by Rector Eyre, just a few days before May was baptised. He does not appear to have a memorial stone. The burial register entry as seen below gives his cause of death as ‘inflammation’.
In March 1897, Walter and Elizabeth’s eldest son James enlisted in the Army for the Royal Engineers regiment. His service number was 632. His enlistment papers state that he was a gardener, 19 years and 2 months old, he was 5ft 5.5in tall, weighed 140lbs, had a fresh complexion with blue eyes and light brown hair, and had two scars on the back of his left forefinger. The papers also state that his religion was Church of England. He enlisted at Aldershot, Hampshire, and it appears he was a Lineman (?).
When the 1901 Census was taken on 31 March, Walter and Elizabeth remained living on the Grange Park estate, with Walter’s occupation still recorded as woodman. He was now 43 years old, and Elizabeth was 48 (though her age has been recorded as 49). Six of their children lived with them: Fred, aged 19 (employed as a domestic gardener); Alfred, aged 12; Edith, aged 11; William, aged 10 (he was still 9 at the time of the Census); George, aged 9; and May, aged 3. It does not mention if any of the children were attending school.
Walter and Elizabeth’s eldest child James was recorded as living at Aldershot barracks when the 1901 Census was taken. He was aged 23 and was a 2nd Corporal.
Walter Guy was recorded as Guy Cotterell and lived and worked at New Swarraton Farm for the 1901 Census. He was 18 and working as a yardman. He lived as a boarder with James and Alice Soper and their two children. Walter was one of two boarders.
Walter and Elizabeth’s eldest living daughter Lizzie was recorded as a maid, aged 16, for Richard and Elizabeth Turner at the Grange Park laundry.
Ellen, aged 15, had moved to Ropley, Hampshire and was working as a general domestic servant for James and Lucy Gladstone at Belmont House.
Mary, aged 13, was working as a general domestic servant for George and Susan Miller and their daughter Bessie and three boarders at The Gardens in Itchen Stoke, Hampshire.
There is a handwritten and signed letter from James (Walter and Elizabeth’s eldest son), dated 9 October 1902, within his Army attestation papers. It talks about his employment and not knowing about the Society he has been asked about. Unfortunately, it is not entirely legible due to damage to the record itself.
Walter Guy married Beatrice Goodall on 26 September 1904 at St. James’ Church in Wield, Hampshire. Beatrice was born in 1876 in Alton. Her surname as registered at birth was Godall. They had had no children between the date of their marriage to when the next Census was recorded. Below is a copy of their wedding banns and their marriage certificate. At the time of their marriage, Walter Guy’s occupation was ‘cowman’.
James married Jennie Cole on 23 March 1905 in London. Jennie was born in 1879 in London. James was discharged from the Royal Engineers in 1909, having been promoted to Corporal (on 1 February 1901) and had served in South Africa.
James and Jennie had three children in the period between their marriage and the next Census: Emily Alice, born 1906 in Fulham; Reginald James, born 1907 in Wandsworth; and Richard Clifford, born 1909 in Edmonton. Below is a record of Reginald’s baptism on 13 October 1907 at the Northington church (Jennie’s name has been recorded as Jeannie in error) and Richard’s baptism in Tottenham on 6 February 1910 (no records located for Emily at present).
On 20 January 1909, my 2nd great-grandmother Elizabeth died, aged 57, of a strangulated umbilical hernia at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital. She was buried at St. John the Evangelist Church on 25 January by Rector Eyre, the same priest who had married her and Walter in 1878. The church records show that there is a memorial stone for her, and I hope to visit the church in the future to lay flowers. On the same page of the burial book, there is also a Louisa Cottrell but I am not sure who this is at present.
Fred married Beatrice Phoebe Hopkins on 10 July 1909 at the local Northington church. Beatrice was born in 1886 in Kingsclere, Hampshire. Between the year of their marriage to the next Census, they had one son called William Fred, born 1910. Below is a copy of their wedding banns and their son William’s baptism on 11 September.
The 1911 Census was taken on 2 April. Walter, now widowed and aged 53, was still a woodman on the Grange Park estate in a house called Northington Villa. Living with him were four of his children and one grandchild: Mary, aged 23; Alfred, aged 22, a shepherd; George, aged 18, a woodman; May, aged 13, at school; and granddaughter Daisy, aged 7, at school. I was not sure who Daisy’s parents are and the GRO records do not give a mother’s maiden name on the summary of her registration. I ordered a copy of Daisy’s birth certificate to find out more. This confirmed that she was born on 19 October 1903 in Swarraton. Her mother was Lizzie Cotterell, Walter and Elizabeth’s fifth child. There was no father recorded so this will remain a mystery. Lizzie herself, is recorded (most likely) as a boarder at an address in Holt, Wiltshire.
James was living with his wife Jennie and their three children on Waltheof Avenue in Tottenham, London. James was 32 years old and having been discharged from the Army two years earlier, was now working as a law clerk at a solicitors. Jennie was recorded as 30 years old, but I believe she would have been the same age as her husband as they were born the same year. Their children Emily was 5, Reginald was 7 and Richard was 2.
Fred, his wife Beatrice and their son William were living at The Lodge on the Grange Park estate. Fred was 29 years old and a woodman, Beatrice was 24 years old, and William was 7 months.
Walter Guy and his wife Beatrice were living at Mile House Cottages in Sulhamstead, Berkshire. Walter was 28 years old and a cowman on a farm, and Beatrice was 34 years old.
Lizzie is currently a bit of a mystery for the 1911 Census. I am about 90% sure that she was a boarder at an address in Holt, Wiltshire. She was recorded as being 25 years old, but would be closer to 27, and born in Swarraton. The mystery is that she was recorded as married and has one son called John E., aged 7 months. He was born in Alton. There is no record of her husband at the address, and I have not been able to locate any record of her marriage.
Her occupation was recorded as laundress and she and John are boarding with Christopher and Emma Deverall and their three children.
John’s birth was registered in the third quarter of 1910, middle name Edward. On the GRO database, there is no maiden name recorded, which could possibly mean that Lizzie was not married when she gave birth to him. I ordered a copy of John’s birth certificate to find out more. This showed that John was born on 11 August 1910 in Alton. Lizzie was recorded as his mother and her occupation was recorded as a domestic cook. There is no father recorded on his birth certificate, which confirms that she was most likely not married at the time of the 1911 Census. The mystery remains as to who John’s father was.
John was baptised on 14 September 1910 at All Saints Church in Alton.
Ellen was one of two servants for Henry and Catherine Baker and their three children who lived at Clementsdene on Bluehouse Lane in Limpsfield, Surrey. She was 25 years old.
Edith, aged 20, was one of two servants for William and Ethel White and their two sons in Radlett, Hertfordshire. The record shows that Edith was the children’s nurse.
James and Jennie had a fourth child in 1912, a son called John Frederick, born in Edmonton. He was baptised at All Hallows Church in Tottenham on 24 March. Jennie’s name has been recorded as Jane in error.
Mary married Charles Sessions in 1912 at the local Northington church. Charles was born in 1886 in Winchester, Hampshire. They went on to have three sons before the next Census: Charles, born 1914, in Alresford; Leslie Valentine, born 1916, in Alresford; and Ronald George, born 1918, in Winchester. Charles (junior) was baptised on 9 August 1914 on the same day as his cousin Elizabeth Nana, Fred and Beatrice’s daughter (recorded as Nana Elizabeth in the baptism register). Leslie was baptised on 19 March; the record also gives his full date of birth which explains his middle name as he was born on Valentine’s Day. Another cousin (Norman, the son of Fred and Beatrice) is also listed on the same page. Ronald was baptised on 13 October, having been born on 14 August. All baptisms took place at the Northington church.
Between the 1911 and 1921 Census, Fred and Beatrice had four more children: Beatrice Mary, born 1912 and baptised on 26 January 1913; Elizabeth Nana, born 1914 and baptised on 9 August on the same day as her cousin – see above; Norman, born 11 September 1915 and baptised on 21 September – see above; and Maud Elaine, born 12 April 1921 and baptised 22 May. Sadly, baby Norman died at just 12 days old and was buried at St. John the Evangelist Church on 26 September by Rector John Jenkins. There is no record of a plot or memorial stone for him. All of the children were born in Alresford and baptised at the Northington church.
Interestingly, on the same page as the record of Norman’s burial, is the record of the burial of Rector Eyre on 28 October 1914. Rector Eyre baptised, married and buried many of my family members.
Alfred married Margaret Alice Kate Serle on 24 December 1914 in Ropley, Hampshire. Margaret was born in 1883 in Westhampnett, Sussex. A copy of the marriage banns and wedding certificate is below. One of the witnesses is given as Nellie Cotterell but I am not sure who this is yet. They had two daughters before the next Census: Alice Marjorie, born 12 July 1916, in Horsham, Sussex; and Ivy Joyce, born 1921, in Easthampstead, Berkshire. Alice was baptised at St. Mary’s Church in Horsham on 6 August. I haven’t found a record of a baptism for Ivy.
Alfred had enlisted in the Army on 29 August 1914, just prior to his wedding (as it was a Christmas Eve wedding, perhaps he was home on leave for the festive period?). He was a driver for the Royal Army Service Corps (service number 4069), the unit responsible for keeping the British Army supplied with provisions (excluding weaponry and ammunition). While I have not tracked down his attestation papers, I have found his discharge documents which show that Alfred was discharged in February 1919 as he had contracted Malaria in 1917 and suffered frequent attacks. At the time of his discharge, he was living at 42 St. Leonard Road in Horsham. The papers gave the date of his marriage and the date that his eldest daughter Alice was born.
Alfred was awarded the Victory Medal and the British War Medal for his service.
In May 1916, Fred, aged 34, enlisted in the Machine Gun Corps of the Army (service number 72493). He served in France between 25 October 1916 and 16 January 1919. His attestation papers give the date of his marriage to Beatrice and the dates of birth of his eldest three children (William was born 27 August 1910; Beatrice on 10 December 1912; and the form says that Elizabeth was born 15 June 1915, however, her birth was registered in 1914).
The best find in these papers is a letter from H.A.C. Warrington who was an agent for Lord Ashburton who owned the Grange Park estate. The Baron Ashburton at this time was the 6th, Alexander Baring. Lord Ashburton also saw active service during World War I as a Lieutenant with the Royal Scots Greys.
Edith, aged 26, married Bertie Walter Potter, aged 23, on 20 March 1917 at St. Benet Fink Church in Tottenham, London. Bertie’s occupation was recorded as soldier and the address given was in Tottenham. Bertie’s father, Alfred, was a carman. There were five witnesses, including Edith’s brother James. Bertie was born in 1893 in Stow, Suffolk. Before the next Census, they had one daughter called Grace Winifred born in 1919 in Hackney, London. She was baptised at the church where her parents married on 18 January 1920. The baptism record also shows the date she was born; 30 November 1919.
On 31 July 1917, George, aged 24, was killed in action on the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres in Flanders, France. He was buried at the New Irish Farm Cemetery in Belgium. His name is inscribed on the War Memorial at St. John the Evangelist Church in Northington.
Walter died on 10 August 1920 in Northington, aged 62. The cause of death given on the certificate was vascular disease of the heart and dropsy. Dropsy was a term used to describe generalised swelling and was synonymous with heart failure. Walter’s son Fred was present at the time of his father’s death.
Walter was buried at St. John the Evangelist Church on 14 August by Rector John Jenkins. Records show he was buried in the same plot as his wife, my 2nd great-grandmother Elizabeth.
The National Probate Calendar states “Walter Cotterell of Northington Lodge Grange Estate Alresford Hampshire died 10 August 1920. Probate London 16 October to Frederick Cotterell, woodman. Effects £252 12s.”
The 1921 Census was taken on 19 June. James and Jennie, aged 42 and 41 respectively, are living with their four children at 264 Lymington Avenue in Wood Green, London. James was working as an electrician and handy man for Edmonds Denham and Goyder Ltd, a drapers and house furnishings company. Their eldest daughter Emily was 15 and working as a letter file maker for Messrs Hay and Co. The youngest three children (Reginald, aged 13; Richard, aged 11; and John, aged 9) were all attending school.
Fred and Beatrice, aged 40 and 34 respectively, remained in Northington. They lived at North Lodge with three of their children; William, aged 10; Elizabeth, aged 7 (recorded as Nana Elizabeth. Nana being her registered middle name); and Maud, aged 2 months. Fred was a woodman employed by Lord Ashburton, the owner of the Grange Park estate. Their eldest daughter Beatrice was recorded as the niece of Alonzo and Mary Jewell at The Crown Inn pub in Axford, Basingstoke. She was 8 years old and recorded as being at school. I wonder if the fact that she has been recorded as niece is incorrect; she does have an aunt called Mary, but what has been recorded on the Census does not correlate with her aunt’s information.
Walter Guy and Beatrice had remained at Mile House Cottages in Sulhamstead, Berkshire. Walter was 38 years old and working as a farm labourer at Mile House Farm. Beatrice was 45 years old. It appears that they had no children. Records are scant but I believe Walter did serve in the Army during World War I; he was enlisted in the Royal Berkshire Regiment, service number 202238. He was awarded the Victory Medal.
I believe Lizzie, aged 37, was a domestic servant at 513 Romford Road in East Ham, London. She was the only person listed on the return, though the address page does refer to the occupier as Whitehead. I have not been able to find any trace of any other returns for this address unfortunately.
Lizzie’s daughter Daisy, aged 17, was working as a servant for Robert and Edith Izzard in Southgate, London. I have not been able to locate any record of Lizzie’s son John, or her sister Ellen, in the 1921 Census.
Mary, aged 32, was living with her husband Charles and their three sons on New Farm in Micheldever, Hampshire. Charles was 34 years old and a ploughman for Mr Bayliss, the farmer. Charles (junior) and Leslie, aged 6 and 5 respectively, were at school. The youngest, Ronald, was 2 years old.
Alfred, and his wife Margaret and their two daughters, are another family I have not been able to trace on the 1921 Census. There are electoral records for this period showing that Alfred and Margaret were living at Nuptown Farm in Bracknell, Berkshire. It is a prestigious address and I assume that Alfred worked there as a shepherd or similar, and the family lived in a cottage on the estate of over 6 acres.
Edith was living with her husband Bertie and their daughter Grace at 95 Willingdon Road in Wood Green, London. Edith was 30 years old, and Bertie, aged 27, was working as a messenger for the Commissioner of Police at Scotland Yard. Grace was 18 months old.
May (recorded as Winifred May, aged 23) was a housemaid for Major Hennessey at the Parkwood Estate on Englefield Green, Surrey. The estate is on the edge of Windsor Great Park, another prestigious address, some 77 acres, which was recently listed for sale at £30m! Major Hennessey was recorded as a member of parliament, aged 44, and he lived in the large mansion with his wife and two daughters. In total, there are 12 servants recorded living at the estate.
May married Albert George Scott in 1923 in Hartley Wintney, Hampshire. Albert was born in 1875 in Barnet, London, making him 22 years older than May. They had two sons: David George, born 1925; and Walter William, born 1926. Both born in Hartley Wintney.
Alfred and Margaret had a third daughter in 1923. Her name was Violet May, and she was born in Easthampstead, Berkshire.
Mary and Charles had a fourth son in 1924. His name was Arthur Guy, and he was born in Winchester, Hampshire.
Also in 1924, Lizzie’s daughter Daisy married Albert Thompson Jennings in Portsmouth. Albert was born in 1900 in Poplar. They had three sons: Alec David, born 1925 in Winchester; Gerald Patrick, born 1927 in Portsmouth; and Antony Brian, born 1930 in Portsmouth. I had been unable to find any information relating to Daisy after the 1921 Census. But I was contacted via Ancestry by a friend of Daisy’s granddaughter and she was able to fill in these details for me.
Lizzie’s son John, aged only 15 years at the time, enlisted in the Navy in 1925. The record lists HMS Impregnable which I believe was a Navy training ship.
James and Jennie’s second child Reginald, married Elsie Violet Bushnell in 1936 in Edmonton, London. Elsie was born in 1908 in Edmonton. They had a son Trevor J. in 1946, in Edmonton.
The 1939 Register, taken on 29 September, records James and his family in Wood Green, London, as they were for the 1921 Census. One record remains closed. My original assumption was that this record would be for John, their youngest son. However, I believe he married Ethel Ada Turner the year prior to the Register being taken, in Edmonton. Ethel was born in 1911 in Edmonton. I’m not sure if they had children; FreeBMD lists eight Cotterell’s born between 1943-1958, with a mother’s maiden name Turner. Without ordering a birth certificate for each, it is not possible to confirm if their parents were John and Ethel.
James’ date of birth is recorded as 11 January 1879 and his occupation as jobbing gardener. Jennie’s date of birth is recorded as 13 April 1880 – this throws in an element of confusion as I had thought she was born in 1879 (registered in the second quarter). It is possible the Register has been recorded incorrectly, or that I have not located the correct birth registration record for her. However, there are no Jennie (or Jennifer) Cole’s born in 1880, but there is a Jennie Cole born in 1879. This record shows the registration took place at St George Hanover Square, London, which matches the place of birth she gave for the 1911 and 1921 Census.
The Register also records that Jennie was an invalid, and that daughter Emily (date of birth 9 January 1906) was a domestic help for her mother, as well as being a shop assistant. James and Jennie’s son Richard was also living with them; his date of birth was 29 October 1909, and he was a shop assistant at a fishmonger.
James and Jennie’s eldest son, Reginald, is living with his wife Elsie at 100 Norfolk Avenue in Haringey, London. Reginald’s date of birth was 21 August 1907, and his occupation was a carpenter and joiner. Elsie’s date of birth was 10 December 1908.
James and Jennie’s youngest son John was living at 6 Wentworth Close in Potters Bar with his new wife Ethel. John’s date of birth was 7 January 1912, and Ethel’s was 30 April 1911. John’s occupation is recorded as a sign glass writer, unemployed. There are no children recorded.
Fred and his wife Beatrice were living with two of their daughters at Grange Cottage in Old Basing, Hampshire. Fred’s date of birth is recorded as 18 June 1881 and he was head woodman; Beatrice was born on 2 October 1886. Their eldest daughter, Beatrice, was born on 10 December 1912, and their youngest daughter Maud (spelt Maude on the Register) was born on 12 April 1921. Beatrice (junior) was working in domestic service, and Maud was a grocer’s cashier.
Fred and Beatrice’s eldest child William married Ivy May Sherwood in 1938 in Winchester, Hampshire. Ivy was born in 1913 in Winchester. I don’t believe they had any children. At the time of the Register, they were living in Sherfield Hall Gardens in Basingstoke, Hampshire. Fred’s date of birth was recorded as 4 August 1910, which contradicts the date of birth given for him on his father’s army attestation papers of 27 August 1910. His occupation was gardener (heavy worker). Ivy’s date of birth was 7 January 1913.
Fred and Beatrice’s second daughter Elizabeth (known as Nana, her middle name, I believe) married Stanley Bertram George Harmsworth in 1937 in Basingstoke, Hampshire. This is a best guess as her name on the marriage registration was Nona. However, there are three other family trees on Ancestry which confirm this marriage.
Stanley was born in 1911 in Basingstoke. Elizabeth and Stanley had three children: John S., born 1938; Peter F., born 1940; and Roger W., born 1947. All three were born in Basingstoke.
At the time of the Register, Elizabeth and Stanley were living at Cammar Hill Cottage on London Road, Basingstoke. There is one closed record, which is likely to be their son John. Elizabeth was recorded as Nana and her date of birth was 15 June 1914. Stanley was born on 4 October 1911 and his occupation was estate carpenter (heavy work).
Walter Guy and his wife Beatrice were still living at Mile House Cottages in Sulhamstead, Berkshire. Walter’s date of birth was recorded as 5 November 1882, and his occupation as a general farm worker. Beatrice’s date of birth was 4 June 1876.
Lizzie was a servant for Edward and Maud Dale and their family at an address on Worting Road in Basingstoke, Hampshire. Her date of birth was 30 May 1884. I have not located her son John on the 1939 Register, nor her sister Ellen.
Lizzie’s daughter Daisy was living with her husband Albert at 30 Elmstead Avenue in Chislehurst. There are three closed records which are likely those of their three sons. Daisy’s date of birth was 19 October 1903, and Albert’s was 14 April 1900. He was a storekeeper.
Mary was living with her husband Charles, their eldest son Charles, and their youngest son Arthur, at an address in Alton, Hampshire. Charles senior’s date of birth was recorded as 31 January 1886, and his occupation was ‘lengthman for H.C.C.’. I believe this means that he was responsible for keeping a section of train track or road safe. Their eldest son Charles (junior) was a tractor driver and farm horseman, and his date of birth was 7 July 1914. Their youngest, Arthur, was born 22 December 1923. I am unsure what is written under his employment, other than stating ‘heavy worker’. Mary’s date of birth was 13 February 1888. I have not been able to locate their third son Ronald.
Mary and Charles’ second eldest son, Leslie, was working as a footman and he lived with Arthur Bush and his children on Hadham Road in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire. Leslie’s date of birth was 14 February 1916 (although it looks like 1915 on the form). The Register also shows that he went on to marry Arthur Bush’s daughter Nora, born 2 November 1914.
Alfred and Margaret were living in Spetisbury, Dorset. One record is closed: possibly for one of their children (probably Violet). Also living with them was Margaret W Serle, Alfred’s mother-in-law. She was recorded as being incapacitated. Alfred’s date of birth was 12 February 1889, and his occupation was shepherd. Margaret’s (his wife) date of birth was 29 November 1883.
Alfred and Margaret’s eldest daughter Alice married James McEnhill on 27 August 1939 in Spetisbury, Dorset. James was born in 1913 in Catrine, Scotland. His father Joseph was a cemetery keeper. Just under a month later when the Register was taken, Alice and James were living in King’s Lynn, Norfolk. Alice’s date of birth was 12 July 1916. James’ date of birth was 8 April 1913, and his occupation was chauffeur/gardener.
Alice and James had two sons: David J., born 1941 in King’s Lynn; and Malcolm R., born 1945 in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.
Alfred and Margaret’s second daughter Ivy was living in Bournemouth, Hampshire and working as a house parlourmaid. Her date of birth was 24 March 1921. The Register records that she later married and became Ivy Wheeler.
Edith was living with her husband Bertie and their daughter Grace at 32 Stenberg Road in Wood Green, London. Edith’s date of birth was recorded as 23 August 1890; Bertie’s as 13 September 1893; and Grace’s as 10 November 1919. Bertie’s occupation was police constable and Grace was working as a filing clerk for Lloyd’s Insurance. The Register also shows that Grace later married becoming Grace Roberts.
May was living with her husband Albert and their youngest son Walter on Eversley Street in Hartley Wintney, Hampshire. May’s date of birth was recorded as 20 July 1897; Albert’s as 23 September 1875; and Walter’s as 7 August 1926. Albert was working as a builder’s labourer and son Walter was at school. The 1939 Register shows that May remarried and became May Cope. May’s husband Albert died in 1943 in Reading. May remarried the following year; her new husband was Francis Alfred Cope. I’m not 100% certain but I think Francis was born in 1883 in Lincoln. I’m not sure if they had any children. I have not found May and Albert’s eldest son David on the Register.
Fred and Beatrice’s eldest daughter Beatrice married Freddy W Grant in 1940 in Basingstoke, Hampshire. Freddy was born in 1923 in Alton, Hampshire. His name at birth was registered as Frederick William. They had two sons; Robert, born 1947 in Southport, Lancashire; and Anthony R., born 1948 on the Isle of Wight.
Mary and Charles’ second eldest son Leslie married Nora Winifred Bush in 1940 in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire. Nora was born in 1914 in Bishop’s Strotford. They had three children, all born in Bishop’s Stortford; Carol A., born 1943; Graham V., born 1946; and Philip L., born 1957.
Alfred and Margaret’s daughter Ivy married Harold F Wheeler in 1941 in Blandford, Dorset. I am not 100% certain of this. The fact that she married Harold is based on a marriage registry entry and that the 1939 Register was updated to show her name change to Wheeler. I have not been able to find if they had any children, or any information about Harold. Additionally, I have not located a record of Ivy’s death, as while there are a number of entries under this name, none of them match her date of birth. A mystery for now.
Lizzie’s son John married Evelyn Dorothy Mortimer in 1942 in Trowbridge, Wiltshire. Evelyn was born in 1918 in Melksham, Wiltshire. They had three children: John H., born 1943 in Trowbridge; Dorothy G., born 1945 in Weymouth, Dorset; and Diana K., born 1948, also in Weymouth.
Fred and Beatrice’s youngest daughter Maud married Ernest Raymond Lucas in 1948 in Basingstoke, Hampshire. Ernest was born in 1920 in Basingstoke. They had a daughter, Janet E., born the same year in Winchester, Hampshire.
Edith and Bertie’s only daughter married Ernest S Roberts in 1948 in Wood Green, London. Due to the relatively common surnames, I am unsure when Ernest was born, or if they had any children together.
Walter and Elizabeth’s eldest son James died in 1950, aged 71, in Wood Green, London. His wife Jennie died five years later, aged 75, also in Wood Green. James and Jennie’s eldest daughter Alice never married; she died on 25 September 1978 in Finchley, London. Probate for Alice says that she was living at Vale Farm House on Long Lane, and that she left a sum of £5,459 (it does not state the beneficiary). James’ son Reginald died in 1969, aged 62, in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire. Reginald’s wife Elsie died on 5 June 1989, aged 80, also in Potters Bar. Probate for Elsie gives her address as 6 Park Drive, and says she left £142,965 (no beneficiary listed).
There is a record of James and Jennie’s second son Richard serving in the latter part of WWII from around 1940. He was discharged in 1954, and his service number was 1637928. I believe he died in 1968, aged 58, in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. I’m not sure if he ever married. Their youngest son John died in 13 December 1989, aged 77, in Worthing, Sussex. The probate record for John gives his address as 77 Coombe Road, Steyning, and he left £106,698 (no beneficiary listed). His wife Ethel died three years prior in 1986, aged 75, also in Worthing.
Fred, Walter and Elizabeth’s second son, died on 23 December 1955, aged 74, in Basingstoke, Hampshire. Probate gives his address as 5 Sydling Cottages, Ocean View Road on the Isle of Wight, states that he died at the Basingstoke and District Hospital, and left £245 12s 4d to his daughter Beatrice. Fred’s wife Beatrice had died the year before, aged 68, also in Basingstoke (I presume she resided on the Isle of Wight and Basingstoke was where the registration took place).
Fred and Beatrice’s firstborn William died in 1984, aged 74, in Hillingdon. The registration of his death gives his date of birth as 4 August 1910, which was the date he gave on the 1939 Register. I have therefore assumed that the date of 27 August given on his father’s attestation papers was incorrect. William’s wife Ivy had died 16 years earlier in 1968; she was just 55 years old. Her death was registered in SW Surrey.
Fred and Beatrice’s eldest daughter Beatrice died in 1999, aged 86, in East Dorset. Her husband Freddy (name registered at birth and at death was Frederick) died in 1989, aged 66, in Hounslow, London. His date of birth was recorded on the registration of his death as 12 February 1923.
Their second daughter Elizabeth, known by her middle name of Nana, died in 1983, aged 69, in Basingstoke, Hampshire. Her husband Stanley died 23 years later on 28 April 2006, aged 94, in North Hampshire.
Their youngest child Maud died on 11 September 2008, aged 87, in Basingstoke. Her husband Ernest died less than a year later on 19 May 2009, aged 88, also in Basingstoke.
Walter and Elizabeth’s fourth child Walter died on 1 June 1964, aged 81, in Sulhampstead, Berkshire. His probate record shows that he left his effects to two of his sisters May and Edith (a sum of £1,278). His wife Beatrice had died four years earlier in 1960, aged 84, registered in Reading.
Lizzie, Walter and Elizabeth’s fifth child, possibly died in 1968, aged 84, in Basingstoke. Lizzie and her two children have been difficult to trace; I have ordered a copy of this death certificate so that I can be sure it is that of my great-grandaunt. The surname on the registration is spelt Cottrell, but this is not an uncommon spelling of the family name. On receipt of the certificate, I don’t believe this is ‘our’ Lizzie. The informant was an E.R. Cottrell, a brother, and I am not sure who this could be.
Lizzie’s daughter Daisy died in 1976, aged 72, in SE Hampshire. Her husband Albert died a few months later, aged 76. His death was registered in Portsmouth. When Daisy and Albert married in 1924, he was serving in the Navy. He enlisted in 1918 and served for 12 years. I have found a possible probate record for Daisy, but as I’m not 100% sure, I have not included it here.
Daisy and Albert’s eldest child Alec married Joyce Alma Cayzer in 1954 in London. Joyce was born in 1929 in Southwark. They had a daughter, Linda A., born 1955 in Lambeth. Alec died, aged 82, on 25 August 2007. The register gives his date of birth as 30 August 1925, but is also recorded as David Alec (rather than Alec David as his name was recorded at birth). Joyce died four years later on 14 October 2011, aged 83. The register gives her date of birth as 24 October 1928. Her birth was not registered until the first quarter of 1929.
I haven’t found any conclusive records for either of Alec’s siblings at present.
Lizzie’s son John died in 1993, aged 83, in Weymouth, Dorset. His wife Evelyn had died 12 years earlier in 1981, aged 63. Her death was registered in Southampton. Their eldest son John most likely married Jennifer P Holt in 1985 in Weymouth; their daughter Dorothy most likely married Brian Ellis in 1965 in Weymouth; and their daughter Diana married Neil C Parkes in 1982 in Weymouth. I don’t believe John had any children with Jennifer, but Dorothy and Diana possibly did have with their husbands.
Ellen, sixth child of Walter and Elizabeth, has not been possible to trace since the 1911 Census, so I do not know if she married or when she died. There was at least one other Ellen Cotterell born around the same time, so impossible to confirm without ordering multiple certificates.
Walter and Elizabeth’s fourth daughter Mary died on 16 June 1977, aged 89, in Alton, Hampshire. Probate gives her address as Avice, Winchester Road, Four Marks, Alton; and her effects were £8,581.
Mary’s husband Charles died many years earlier in 1950, aged 64, also in Alton. Their eldest son, also Charles, died in 1986, aged 72, in Andover, Hampshire. Charles junior had married Doris Kathleen Carr in 1940 in Alton. It’s possible that they had up to five children together. Doris had been born on 1 November 1913 in Alton, and died in 1985, aged 71, in Winchester.
Mary and Charles’ second son Leslie died in 1990, aged 74, in Harlowe, Essex. I haven’t found a record of when his wife Nora died.
Ronald, Mary and Charles’ third son, I believe died on 19 October 1971, aged 53. I wasn’t able to find Ronald on the Register in 1939, but the probate record for Ronald gives his address as Cambria, Hawthorn Road in Four Marks, Alton. Mary was also living in Four Marks until the time of her death six years later. The record of Ronald’s death gives his date of birth as 14 August 1918.
Mary and Charles’ fourth son, Arthur, died in 1987, aged 63, in Southampton. His name was recorded as Guy Arthur, rather than Arthur Guy as it had been recorded at his birth. I’m not sure if either Ronald or Arthur married. My Dad remembers visiting Guy in Four Marks; I have ordered a copy of his death certificate to see if it yields any more clues.
Alfred, the ninth child of Walter and Elizabeth, died in 1943, aged 54 in Blandford, Dorset. His wife Margaret survived him by 37 years! She died on 14 February 1980, aged 96, in Compton, West Sussex. I haven’t located a record of when their eldest child Alice died, but her husband James died in 1979, aged 66, in Poole, Dorset. Similarly, I cannot locate records for their second daughter Ivy, her husband Harold, nor their youngest daughter Violet.
Edith, child number ten of Walter and Elizabeth, died on 23 December 1981, aged 91 in Harlow, Essex. Probate gives her address as 17 Katherines House in Harlow. Her husband Bertie died sixteen years earlier on 1 December 1965, aged 72. Probate gave his address as 11 Priory Court in Harlow, but stated that he died at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow. He left £4,620 to his widow Edith. Their daughter Grace, before marrying her husband Ernest in 1948, had worked in the Women’s Land Army between 31 August 1942 and 15 December 1944. She resigned on medical grounds. I’m unsure when she and her husband died.
Walter and Elizabeth’s youngest child May died in 1975, aged 78, in Basingstoke, Hampshire. I haven’t found a record of when her second husband Francis died. Her second and youngest son Walter died in 1980, aged around 54, in Havering, Essex, only five years after his mother died. I’m not sure what happened to her eldest son David.
Laura's Amateur Genealogy Stories 