Colonel Jacynth D'EWES FITZ-ERCALD COKE and his Sunbeam 25 h.p.

[Dave Francis]

Great stuff Alan!

I wonder if any of the Colonel's family will be in touch.
Did he have any children ?

Dave

[Wendi]

How wonderful Alan 

At that time she had a cab from a Morris Commercial lorry, and the crane was made from a Harvey Frost hoist and parts of a lorry tipper and lorry chassis.

Could not do that with one of todays cars could you !!! 

Please do keep us up to date, it's so wonderful

Wendi

[liverpool annie]

Good for you Alan !!

Don't forget to tell us all the "skinny" !!

Still Nosy Annie 

[Twincam]

Dave

Not heard from any of his family yet, and I never found a marriage. Having said that, perhaps I should try writing to Country Life or similar.

What I really need is to browse a few copies of Who's Who for later years. Then I'd find out if he'd married and how many children.

I'll keep you all informed of any progress.

 

[Twincam]

Amazingly, I've had a second reply.

This time it's from the son of the man who, early in the Second World War, converted the car into a breakdown truck (A friend spotted the article in the newspaper, then gave it to him a few days ago).

Apparently his father, who owned the garage, needed a prestige car to use as a taxi and bought the Sunbeam for that purpose. This would have been in the late thirties.

The conversion to breakdown truck happened early in the war as they needed one and couldn't get one (for obvious reasons!)

Now that I know the car was in Walsham-le-Willows for quite a long time, and as a taxi, not just as a tow truck, I have contacted the Walsham-le-Willows history society to see if they have any photos I could look through. It might have been used for weddings etc. etc.

Alan

[Twincam]

Just in case anyone's still following this, I thought I'd let you know that I have now had a third letter about the car from a man who rode in it as a child in the 1950s when it was still a breakdown truck and being used to collect cars for scrap. The car was still running in 1964 when the garage was sold. Not bad, 1927-1964. Not many modern cars would last that long!

I still haven't managed to trace any of Jacynth's family. Not even sure he had any children.

Alan

[ShaunJ]

The Times 12/4/1947 page 7 column c  has a forthcoming marriage - to take place quietly in London on May 7th between William, son of Col Jacynth Coke .....and Mrs Coke of Woodbridge Suffolk, and Bridget Owen. Let me know if you need more detail.

[ChrisD1944]

Colonel Jacynth Coke was a distant cousin of mine (through my mother's family, Coke) and I can probably put you in touch with his family.
The family originally came from Brookhill Hall, Derbyshire.
I know this is about 8 years too late - I just happened to Google my mother's father (Langton Sacheverell Coke) who was killed on 31st October 1914, and came across the entry.

[Twincam]

Hi ChrisD1944

It's not too late as I still have the car. I would be very grateful if you could pass the word along, I'd dearly love to copy any photos or documents. Equally, I'd like to know any family stories relating to the car.

Thanks

Alan