Rectory Lane Cemetery, Berkhamsted

William George Cooper

1860 –23/09/1908

A plumber and father of nine children

Relatives

Emma Jane Cooper — wife

Arthur Thomas Cooper (837) — son

Walter William Cooper — son

Marjorie Farn (1062) — daughter

• Melanie Hilton

Plot 837 William George Cooper (1860-1908)

William was born 1860/1 in Grendon Underwood Bucks, the son of Jesse Cooper, a farmer, and his wife Emma (née George). When he was a child the family lived with his maternal grandfather, also a farmer. His father died in 1869 and by 1881 William had moved to Berkhamsted to work as a painter, lodging in Manor Street.

He became a plumber and married Emma Jane Ward from Oving, Buckinghamshire, in 1885, and they set up home in Manor Street. They were to have nine children, eight of whom lived to adulthood: Walter William (1886), Annie (born and died 1887), John (1890), Arthur Thomas (1891) Daisy (1893), Elsie (1895), Lily (1897), Ethel (1899) and Marjorie (1901).

William died in 1908 at 10, Station Road. Emma survived him until 1948 and is buried here with him and their son Arthur.

Arthur Thomas Cooper (837)

d.06/04/1924

Air mechanic, Royal Navy Air Service; served in WWI on a minesweeper in Malta & the Aegean

Relatives

Walter William Cooper — brother

William George Cooper — father

Emma Jane Cooper — mother

Marjorie Farn (1062) — sister

• Janice Boakes

Air mechanic  F 10927
Royal Navy Air Service

Arthur was born on 8 December 1890 and shows on the census of the following year as 3 months old. He was living with his father William, a plumber and his mother, Emily. The family were living in Manor Street and he had two older brothers, Walter and John. By 1901 Arthur had an additional four sisters and the family had moved to live at 10 Station Road.

When he left school, Arthur trained as a cabinet maker and is shown on the 1911 census as still living with his mother at 10 Station Road but by this time his father had died. Arthur later became a policeman, probably encouraged by the prospects by his elder brother, Walter, who was in the metropolitan police force by 1911.

Arthur did not sign up on the outbreak of war but joined the Royal Navy on 28 January 1916, aged 25 (number F 10927). He was an air mechanic with the Royal Navy Air Service which later merged with the Royal Flying Corp to form the Royal Air Force. He was based on the 4th Balloon Base (Honeysuckle) which was a mine sweeper and saw service in Malta and the Aegean. Working on a mine sweeper in these locations was a very risky business. There was no plan to tell were the mines had been placed and they relied on a man in a balloon tied to the ship to spot the mine and relay the location via a telephone wire. This work continued long after the armistice. Arthur was eventually placed on the reserve list in October 1919 and was deemed as discharged in April 1920. He was entitled to the British War and Victory Medals for his foreign service.

He died 6 April 1924 aged 33, his military records just state “deceased see personal file”.   Arthur’s brother Walter had died in Calais in 1919. The inscription remembers them both and their parents: “In everloving memory of Arthur Thomas Cooper died April 6 1924 aged 33. Also of Walter William Cooper (Sgt. MFP) died at Calais Jan 2 1919 aged 32. In loving memory of William George Cooper died Sept 23 1908 aged 48. Also of Emma Jane Cooper died march 30 1948 aged 89”.

He left £483 to his mother Emma.

Emma Jane Cooper

08/11/1859 –30/03/1948

A domestic servant and cook who married William Cooper and was mother of 9 children

Relatives

William George Cooper — husband

Arthur Thomas Cooper (837) — son

Walter William Cooper — son

Marjorie Farn (1062) — daughter

• Melanie Hilton

Plot 837 Emma Jane Cooper (1859-1948)

Emma was born in Great Marston, in Buckinghamshire, 8 November 1859, the daughter of Samuel Ward, a blacksmith and beer seller and his wife Sarah. In 1871 the family were living in Pitchcott Road, Oving, Bucks and twelve year-old Emma was helping her mother at home. Her elder brother was an agricultural labourer and her younger brother and two of her younger sisters were at school. As there was also two more daughters, one aged one and one just born, her help was clearly needed.

In 1881 she was the cook at Doddershall House, a substantial 16^th century house about 8 miles WNW of Aylesbury. She and a housemaid were the only inhabitants: the owners, the Prideux family were elsewhere.

Emma married William George Cooper, a plumber, in 1885 in Oving.

They moved to Berkhamsted where William was employed and settled in Manor Street where they were to have nine children: Walter William (1886), Annie (born & died 1887), John (1890), Arthur Thomas (1891) Daisy (1893), Elsie (1895), Lily (1897), Ethel (1899) and Marjorie (1901).

By 1908 they had moved to 10, Station Road where William died that year.

The 1911 census reveals that Emily was still there with John, an accounts clerk, Arthur, a cabinet maker, Daisy, a dressmaker, Elsie and Lily who were both commercial clerks and Ethel and Marjorie who were at school. Walter William had left home to be a police constable in the City of London.

Arthur Thomas later also joined the police force but died in 1924, by which time the family had suffered the loss of Walter William who had joined the Military Police and who died in Calais in 1919. He left a young widow who was to give birth to his posthumous daughter.

Marjorie Cooper married William Farn in 1932 and they moved in with Emma who continued to live at 10, Station Road where she died 30 March 1948.

She is buried here with William and Arthur Thomas. Marjorie lies in plot 1062.

Walter William Cooper

1886 –02/01/1919

Sgt. Military Foot Police , Sangatte. Died at Calais

Relatives

Emma Jane Cooper — mother

William George Cooper — father

Arthur Thomas Cooper (837) — brother

• Janice Boakes

WALTER WILLIAM COOPER; 1886 – 1919

Walter was born in Berkhamsted in 1886, the oldest of three sons of William George and Emily Jane née Ward. His father was a plumber. The family settled at 10 Station Road, after living in George Street and Manor Street. In 1908 his father died. By 1911 Walter was a Police Constable stationed at 60 Minories, London.

Walter married Elsie May Hancock, the girl next door from 7 Station Road, in Berkhamsted on 3rd June 1917

All three brothers joined the military. Walter enlisted into the Military Foot Police at Stratford. He entered the theatre of war in France on 29 September 1915.

Their mother, Emily, must have been delighted that all three survived to the armistice. But Walter died in France on 2 January 1919, a sergeant with the Militiary Police at Calais . He was 32 years old. He is buried in Les Baraques Military Cemetery, Calais, France.

He never lived to see his daughter Margaret who was born 25th April 1919.