No. 296080, Gunner, John Evelyn COCKERTON
Aged 28
|
John Evelyn Cockerton was born in Moulton (Newmarket Q2-1889 3B:553). He was the son of David and Sarah Ann COCKERTON (née BULLETT).
1891 census...Aged 1, he was at Brookside, Moulton, with his father David COCKERTON [41] agricultural labourer, born in Moulton; his mother Sarah [41] born in Hessett, sister Emma [10] and brother Edward [8] and a boarder ( his uncle) Robert COCKERTON [31]. All three children were born in Moulton. 1901 census...Aged 11, he was in Kentford with his widowed mother, brother Edward (agricultural labourer) and boarder (uncle) Robert Cockerton (plate layer on railway). His father had died in 1898. 1911 census...Aged 21, a railway porter with GER, he was a boarder at 34 Sherrard Road, Green Street, Forest Gate, London with Henry and Annie Rice. His mother, brother Edward and uncle Robert were still in Kentford. From www.nrm.org.uk it was learned that he joined the GER in 1907 at Kennett and then moved to Liverpool Street. He married Ellen Elizabeth PARKINS [25-1-1890] in West Ham in May 3rd 1914 (later of 115 Blackhorse Road, Walthamstow, London). They had 2 children, John Evelyn (8-9-1914) and Ethel who died 5th November 1918 aged 2. John's death was registered in Mildenhall Q4-1918 4A:2001. His medals and Memorial Plaque ("Dead man's Penny") were sold in 2010 by Bonhams for £88 and later (2013 ?) by Spink's auction for £150 and are currently available again (March 2014) at AtoZ Military Collectibles. |
|
Enlisted in Hackney Baths,London. Some of his Army service records survive:- Attestation for 152nd Hackney Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery on 16th October 1915, he gave his address as 7 Livingstone Road, Leyton, a railway porter (parcel) 26 yrs 4 months old. He was 5 ft 9" (175.3 cm) tall, weighed 140 lbs (63.7 kg), chest 38.5" to 42" (97.8 to 106.7 cm) He served from 16 January 1915 to 24th April 1916 in UK and in France ( Southampton to Le Havre) from 24th April 1916 to 31st October 1918 (he died whilst on leave at home). The address given on pension papers for his wife and son was 7 Gamuel Road, Walthamstow. His doctor at home was Dr Gray of Lushington House who gave the cause of death as influenza & pneumonia. On the 10th September he had been accidentally injured on duty. He fell on some wet steps entering a trench and lacerated his right hand on some corrugated iron, excused duties for 5 days. Given 14 days leave to UK on 16th October 1918 but died on last day. His wife then had much correspondence with the Army about receipt of death certificates. She claimed to have sent three at a cost of 2/6 each, none of which appear to have been received. Also there was some confusion over a �12 money order and she was in need of the money. A letter from the Army asking for a form B104-16 to be completed did not contain the said form. Eventually the completed form was sent and returned, unfortunately signed in the wrong place so the Army started all over again. Much correspondence involved missing papers, and also providing evidence as to whether John died at home or in hospital. Doctor Gray then wrote that John had been on leave with his wife and son, but had visited his mother at Herringswell Road, Kentford, been taken ill and never left her cottage, dying there. Ellen should have been used to Army communications as there are also letters relating to the Army sending her some correspondence in 1917 regarding another man with the same name who was in India, not France. Sadly it appears that John, in the few days at 7 Gamuel Road on leave, may have passed on his illness to his daughter, as Ethel Vera Cockerton died on 5th November 1918, aged 2 years from influenza and pneumonia. Ellen's problems did not end there, she was being pressed for payment of 2s 7d for the death certificate for her daughter whilst dealing with all this Army stuff. |
photo: Peter Norman
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details