William and Hilda Cotterell

My paternal great-grandparents

Last updated: 12 July 2025

William Cotterell was my great-grandfather and he was born on 13 August 1891 in Swarraton, Hampshire. His birth certificate gives his father’s name (my 2nd great-grandfather) as Walter Pitt Cotterell (occupation woodman) and his mother’s name (my 2nd great-grandmother) as Elizabeth Cotterell, formerly Cole. Despite the majority of his siblings being baptised at the local church in Northington, William’s name is not listed in the Baptism Register. William was in fact baptised at the Micheldever Primitive Methodist Chapel on 15 September 1891.

Hilda Saunders was my great grandmother and she was born on 1 August 1895, in Liss, Hampshire. Her birth certificate gives her place of birth as Forest Crossing, East Liss. Her father’s name (my 2nd great-grandfather) was Frederick Saunders (occupation butler, domestic servant) and her mother’s name (my 2nd great-grandmother) was Annie Saunders, formerly Frampton.

Hilda was baptised on 1 September 1895 at St. Mary’s Church in Liss. The register shows that they were living in Kingston at this time.

The 1901 Census was taken on 31 March. William was 9 years old (given age was 10). He lived with his family at Grange Park in Northington, Hampshire. He lived with his parents Walter and Elizabeth (aged 43 and 49 respectively, Walter was a woodman), and his siblings Fred (aged 19, a domestic gardener), Alfred (aged 12), Edith (aged 11), George (aged 9) and May (aged 3).

The Grange in Northington is now an English Heritage property. Several generations of my family lived in the grounds of the property and worked there. It was first built in the 1660s as a Palladian brick mansion. It was then transformed in the early 19th century into a magnificent neoclassical residence resembling a Greek temple. After years of neglect, the house was dramatically saved from demolition in 1975 when it was taken into state care, and now provides a striking venue for an annual festival of opera. At the time my family lived there in the 1800s and early 1900s, the estate was owned by Alexander Baring, an international financier.

Hilda was recorded on the 1901 Census with her immediate and extended family at 14 Lock Road in Ham, Surrey. She and her immediate family were recorded as visitors. Hilda was 5 years old, her brother Frederick was 8 months, her father Frederick was 24 and her mother Annie was 25. Frederick senior was a Omnibus Conductor. The family were visiting Hilda’s grandparents, Annie’s mother and father and my 3rd great-grandparents, Jane and William Frampton, aged 72 and 56 respectively. It was a busy household as Hilda’s cousin Florence Browning (aged 21, a laundress), and a boarder John Brummell (aged 24, a domestic gardener) also lived there.

So far, I have not been able to locate William on the 1911 Census, taken on 2 April. On the Census entry for his family, William is not recorded as living with his parents at Northington Villa.

Hilda, however, was living at the same address as she was for the 1901 Census. She was now aged 15. Her grandfather William was now a widower, aged 69 (which doesn’t match with his age given on the 1901 Census – more research needed here) and he was a farm labourer. Hilda’s father Frederick was aged 37 and was a general labourer. Her mother Annie was also 37. She now had four siblings: Frederick (aged 11), May (aged 8, her name as registered at birth was Esther May), Ivy (aged 6, her names as registered at birth was Ada Ivy) and John (aged 4).

William (name spelt incorrectly) enlisted in the East Surrey Regiment of the Army on 1 October 1914 when he was 23 years old, in Kingston, Surrey. His height was 5ft 6.25in, he weighed 140lbs, had blue eyes and brown hair, and a scar on his left wrist. His occupation was given as gardener.

On 31 July 1917, William tragically lost his brother George (aged 24) in active service in Flanders during World War I. The 31st of July was the first day of fighting in the battle known as the Third Battle of Ypres (often called the Battle of Passchendaele). The Allies suffered over 250,000 casualties during the three-month long battle.

He was a Private serving under the 14th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, service number 33139. He is buried at New Irish Farm Cemetery in West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Unfortunately, it appears his Attestation Papers have not survived (a large number of WWI records were destroyed by fire in WWII) but there are records of his burial and his medal record. One record shows that his body was found with his cap, badge, disc and book, but it does not say where these were sent following his death.

My brother Adam recently visited the New Irish Farm Cemetery in Belgium and was able to find our great-granduncle’s grave.

On 3 April 1920, William and Hilda married at St. Andrew’s Church in Ham. William was 28 years old (his occupation was gardener) and Hilda was 24. However, both of their ages are recorded incorrectly on the certificate – William’s age was given as 31 and Hilda’s as 28. The address they both provided for the record was 14 Lock Road, where Hilda had lived all of her life.

William’s father is confirmed as Walter Pitt Cotterell, a woodman, and Hilda’s father is confirmed as Frederick Ernest Saunders, a gardener (perhaps his third job as different occupations were listed on the 1901 and 1911 Census). The witnesses were Frederick Saunders (presumably Hilda’s brother, but could have been her father), James Cotterell (William’s brother), Esther Saunders (Hilda’s sister) and Annie Saunders (Hilda’s mother). They were married by the Reverend James Robert Pridie who was the Vicar at St. Andrew’s Church between the years of 1906 to 1931.

When the 1921 Census was taken on 19 June, William and Hilda were living at Broom Road in Hampton Wick. William was 29 and Hilda was 25. They had had one son, Charles (Charlie) William Cotterell. He was 9 months old at the time of the Census. Charles was my granduncle. William was still a gardener, listed as a domestic servant or in private personal service, at Broom Mead in Hampton Wick. It appears to have been located in Bushy Park.

On 29 September 1939, shortly after the outbreak of WWII, the Register was taken of the civilian population of England and Wales. The information was used to produce identity cards and, once rationing was introduced in January 1940, to issue ration books. It was also used to administer conscription and the direction of labour, and to monitor and control the movement of the population caused by military mobilisation and mass evacuation.

When the Register was taken, William and Hilda were living at 4 Palace Road in Kingston. The Register gives a full date of birth, rather than just the year of birth or age typically given on a Census. William’s date of birth was 13 August 1891, Hilda’s was 1 August 1895. William’s occupation was still gardener and Hilda’s occupation was recorded as ‘unpaid domestic duties’ (a housewife). William and Hilda now have two sons; Charles (occupation carpenter), who was born 29th September 1920 and James Edward (occupation shopfitting and joinery), who was born 4th December 1923. James was my grandfather.

The Register also shows that William was a ‘ARP Warden’. This was an Air Raid Precaution Warden and meant that he was responsible for protecting people during air raids. They would hand out gas masks and direct people to shelters.

We can conclude that William and Hilda were expecting Charles when they married in April 1920, as he was born just five months later… The Register was taken on Charles’ 19th birthday.

I know from my Dad Stephen, that his grandfather William worked as a gardener for Frank Bentall (though I am not sure on precise dates). Frank Bentall established Bentalls in 1897 when he purchased a drapery store in Kingston. It is possible that the address given in the 1921 Census was the private residence of Frank Bentall.

In 1965, William and Hilda are recorded on the Electoral Roll at 43 Mount Road in New Malden, where they remained until their death.

William passed away on 21 July 1971, aged 79. A copy of his death certificate shows that he died at home and that his occupation was a retired head gardener. William’s eldest son Charles was the informant, living at 27 Long Walk in New Malden. The cause of death is given as Broncho Pneumonia, Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema.

Hilda died less than two years later on 25 May 1973, aged 77, at Kingston Hospital. The cause of death was given as Broncho Pneumonia and Myelofibrosis (an uncommon type of bone marrow cancer). Probate was granted on 13th July the same year. She left £974. I have not yet located a probate record for William.

I asked my Dad what his memories of his grandparents were. He says “I recall the family used to visit them [at Mount Road] on a Sunday afternoon and as this was before we had a car, it would necessitate a bus journey from Chessington [where they lived] to Kingston, and then another bus to New Malden. We would have Sunday tea there, which always included fruit cake.” My Dad does not know anything of his grandparent’s wider family, or his great grandparents.

* Find out more about The Grange here.