Rectory Lane Cemetery, Berkhamsted

CORNELIUS WATERTON (1863-1915) Cornelius was born in 1863 in Potten End, the fifth of seven children born to Charles Waterton and Emma Thorn.  He spent his childhood in Potten End with his parents and siblings – Frank (1853-1924), Jane (1855-1928), Annie (1861-1892) and Leonora (1868-1928).  Sadly, two of his siblings died in infancy – Marcus (1859-1859) and Sidney (1867-1867).  His sister Jane went on to marry Henry Lee of H. Lee & Sons, a mineral water supplier who also produced dry ginger ale, cordials and ginger wine. After leaving school, Cornelius joined his eldest brother Frank, sister-in-law Mary Ann and their three children in Nottinghamshire.  In 1881 the family were living together at 4 Traffic Terrace, Carlton – Frank was a Railway Goods Guard and Cornelius, a Railway Engine Cleaner.  The brothers most likely made the move to Nottinghamshire for work.  Employment on the railways was almost guaranteed in Nottinghamshire around this time.  The Grantham to Nottingham line was operated by the Great Northern Railway (GNR) and in 1874 they built a row of twelve houses, named Traffic Terrace, to accommodate their workers and their families.  With the Derbyshire Extension Line and the construction of engine sheds and sidings, by 1881 a second row of houses was built, named Locomotive Terrace.  Eventually, another terrace of 39 houses was built by the London and North Western Railway to accommodate their workers and families. Cornelius returned to the Berkhamsted area where he met and married Catherine Fowler, daughter of George Fowler and Elizabeth Spicer.  The couple married in 1885 and soon welcomed a daughter, Kate Mabel, who was born later that year. For a period of time, Cornelius appears to be absent from the family and at the time of the 1891 Census, Catherine is working as a Cook, Domestic servant at a residence in Chiswick and their daughter Kate Mabel is with her paternal grandparents in Berkhamsted. The family later reunited and began to grow with the arrival of their son Sidney in Islington in 1895.  Two years after the birth of Sidney, another daughter joined the family, Leonora Bessie, born on 01 July 1897 in St Albans.  In 1901, Catherine, Cornelius and their children, including infant son, Francis Charles (born 03 September 1900), were residing at 75 Cecil Street, Watford.  Cornelius was a gardener and likely moved around for work. The family moved again and the 1911 Census shows them living at 87 Shrublands Avenue, Berkhamsted. By this time, eldest daughter Kate had married and started a family of her own.  Son Sidney was a grocer’s assistant and living in the family home with his parents and younger siblings, Leonora and Francis, who were attending school. Cornelius died a few years later on 19 October 1915, leaving Catherine a widow.  Just less than a year after his death, their son Sidney died in the Great War.  Sidney served in the 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment and was killed in action in France on 27 September 1916.  He is commemorated here at Rectory Lane and his name is inscribed on the Berkhamsted War Memorial.