Author Topic: Fresh eyes for a Cooley family in Kent early 1900's?  (Read 25142 times)

Offline scintilla

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Re: Fresh eyes for a Cooley family in Kent early 1900's?
« Reply #9 on: Sunday 09 October 11 14:21 BST (UK) »
Yes, it is a possibility, the last address for this Arthur COOLEY was Binghampton, Broome, New York, but as I say I couldn't see any likely names for the family on the ships passenger lists if they went to the US.
I had a quick look on CityArk for a baptism for Arthur David to see if I could get a dob or baptism date at least, but couldn't find anything in the 3 Chatham churches in the first half of 1901.

Offline IgorStrav

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Re: Fresh eyes for a Cooley family in Kent early 1900's?
« Reply #10 on: Sunday 09 October 11 16:53 BST (UK) »
Yes, I think the Jan qtr 1901 birth reference for Arthur David Cooley in Medway must be the right one.
However, I couldn't find a CityArk baptism reference for him, either.

There don't seem to be any other possible Medway Cooley births after 1901 (I was wondering whether another child would help with tracking the family down), and it's really helpful to have other eyes looking at the Immigration/Emigration records just to see if I've missed anything.

I was rather surprised that the 1911 entry Carole found for Cooby hadn't popped up when I looked for variants of Cooley, so despite Scintilla's excellent research, I will have another look.

The reason I'm having another look at this family is that I've been contacted by someone whose grandfather was an Arthur Cooley, born about 1901 in Kent, who was apparently in the army in firstly Cricklewood in 1925, and then at Wellington Barracks with the Coldstream Guards (I've posted a separate thread on the Armed Services Board asking for advice as to how to research this soldier).

I'm keen to find out whether this Arthur Cooley is the same as the Arthur David I'm enquiring about here.

Arthur David was too young for WW1, but his uncle was a career soldier and served in WW1 as well, so it's not beyond possibility that the two Arthurs are one and the same.  I've been advised that to get hold of the army records I will need a death certificate, though, so I'm at a bit of a dead end at present!

I suppose getting the 1901 birth certificate would be a start, and would at least get me an accurate dob.
Pay, Kent. 
Barham, Kent. 
Cork(e), Kent. 
Cooley, Kent.
Barwell, Rutland/Northants/Greenwich.
Cotterill, Derbys.
Van Steenhoven/Steenhoven/Hoven, Nord Brabant/Belgium/East London.
Kesneer Belgium/East London
Burton, East London.
Barlow, East London
Wayling, East London
Wade, Greenwich/Brightlingsea, Essex.
Thorpe, Brightlingsea, Essex

Offline IgorStrav

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Re: Fresh eyes for a Cooley family in Kent early 1900's?
« Reply #11 on: Sunday 09 October 11 18:04 BST (UK) »
Have you already ruled out Arthur Cooby on the 1911 index aged 38 and living in Medway.  His birthplace matches to Chatham

Have now had a look at this image and it could indeed be COOLEY.  I have also gone back over Arthur Friend Cooley and note that in the 1891 he is shown as a sausage skin manufacturer, and then a dock labourer, so a further change of occupation to skin dresser could be possible.

This 1911 entry shows an entry for Arthur (crossed through) as married for 7 years, but no children.

But where, as we said before, are Mary A and Arthur David?
Pay, Kent. 
Barham, Kent. 
Cork(e), Kent. 
Cooley, Kent.
Barwell, Rutland/Northants/Greenwich.
Cotterill, Derbys.
Van Steenhoven/Steenhoven/Hoven, Nord Brabant/Belgium/East London.
Kesneer Belgium/East London
Burton, East London.
Barlow, East London
Wayling, East London
Wade, Greenwich/Brightlingsea, Essex.
Thorpe, Brightlingsea, Essex

Offline goldcoast

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Re: Fresh eyes for a Cooley family in Kent early 1900's?
« Reply #12 on: Sunday 26 February 12 05:59 GMT (UK) »
You have just made my day!  I have in front of me my great grandmother's marriage certificate:

Marriage solomnized in the Parish Church of St John's Chatham, 30 January 1904.  The bride was Bertha Cooley, aged 17 years, spinster, no profession given, residence 30 Caroline Street, Chatham.  Her father's name is given as Alfred Cooley.
The groom was Arthur Ernest Read, 23, bachelor, corporal at Chatham Barracks.  Arthur was born in Australia and returned there with Bertha and family in the early 1920s.

This has been the most frusrtating line in my whole family for many years now. 

When my grandmother was born in 1907 her birth certificate gives her mother's maiden name as Evenden.  The birth certificate (1886) I thought would have been Bertha's has the father as Nathan Evenden and the mother as Mary Ann Cork.  One of the reason's I believed this to be Bertha's birth is that my grandmother had told me that Bertha's brother, who she named as Albert Sydney Cooley had broken his neck in an accident in a dockyard in Scotland because his scarf had caught in machinery and that his body had been brought back to Chatham.  She was 10 years old in 1917 and remembered the circumstances including the fact that an aunt Cooley came to the funeral who was aged about 94 years.

Now the problem here is that the man killed was named Albert Sydney Evenden...  His death certificate contains a correction following the inquest and this gives his home address as 40 John Street, Ordnance Place, Chatham. His parents were Nathan Evenden and Mary Ann Cork which ties with Bertha being his sister.

My notes from talking to my grandmother are quite brief and written about twenty years ago.  She mentions the following about her mother Bertha Cooley:

Bertha's grandfather Nathan Evenden was 90 in 1921.
Bertha was one of eight in the family.  Her sister Lizzie Cooley married a Canadian (Harry? Read?) and went to Canada.
Bertha's sister Alice died young.
Bertha's son Sidney lived with her mother until they came to Australia.
Bertha's mother lost a baby boy.
The youngest was Marie Cooley (Aunt Polly) who married ? Hyde and lived near Bertha and Arthur at Chatham (they were living at 48 Eldon Street in 1907).  Marie had a son Wally Hyde.
Bertha's mother was Mary Ann Evenden.

From the 1911 census
Arthur and Bertha now have four children but also living with them are Nathan Evenden aged 55 and Albert Sydney Evenden aged 28.  The postal address was 11 Best Town, Chatham

If anyone can verify or help with sorting this out it would be much appreciated.  I am so confused!
Cooley, Evenden - Kent / Hewetson - Singapore, Ireland / Elrington - worldwide  / Proctor - Scotland, Uruguay, Australia / Ogilvy - Shetland / Rome - Dumfries, Australia / Read - Dorset, Australia / Clarke - London / Heydinger - London / Durie - Kincardine / Scott - Muckart, Perth, Scotland / Wrench - Staffordshire, Australia


Offline casalguidi

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Re: Fresh eyes for a Cooley family in Kent early 1900's?
« Reply #13 on: Sunday 26 February 12 09:19 GMT (UK) »
Welcome to Rootschat

I remember Igorstrav's CORK/COOLEY conundrum well ;D

To start you off and understand where the names originated from, there are a couple of huge thread for you to read through http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,338879.0.html

Casalguidi :)
Census information is Crown Copyright http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline casalguidi

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Re: Fresh eyes for a Cooley family in Kent early 1900's?
« Reply #14 on: Sunday 26 February 12 09:44 GMT (UK) »
1901 Claygate Cottage, Wrotham

Nathan EVENDEN head mar 44 orginary farm labourer b.Mereworth
Polly wife 40 b.Seal
Alb. Sydney son 18 works with horses on farm b.Ide Hill
Alice dau 11
Lizzie dau 9 b.Marden
Arthur son 9m b.Malling
RG13/745 folio 68 page 20
...............

1891 10 Rope Yard R......., Woolwich
(lodgers)
Nathan EVENDEN mar 39 ag lab b.Merryworth (Mereworth) Kent
Polly 30 laundress b.Seal Chart Kent
Albert 8 b.Sundridge Kent
Bertha 5 b.Marden Kent
RG12/532 folio 17 page 28

Does the birthplace of Bertha (Marden) in the 1891 census match with what you have (or near enough)?

Casalguidi :)



Census information is Crown Copyright http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline IgorStrav

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Re: Fresh eyes for a Cooley family in Kent early 1900's?
« Reply #15 on: Sunday 26 February 12 10:51 GMT (UK) »
Hello all - I read Goldcoast's post very early this morning, and the Cooley/Cork mystery has been revolving in my head ever since.

Thank you so much, Casalguidi, for pointing the direction to the older research, although I wouldn't want to put Goldcoast off at the start!!

I am mailing Royd (of this forum) who also has Cork connections in the Chatham area at the time - irritatingly, some of the facts you mention are ringing a vague bell in my mind (but don't place any weight on this, yet), and I want to see if anything connects with Royd's family.

In very brief summary, Goldcoast, of mine and Royd's Cork(e)/Cooley connections:

It appears that a Richard Cork(e), born in 1817 in Stone, Kent, who was an itinerant farm labourer, had a family with a Jane Cooley (born c 1820 in Surrey), and they moved through Kent and Surrey borders, as "travellers". 

We can follow them because of the baptism records of their children, as well as some censuses.  There's no marriage record for Richard and Jane, and their children variously called themselves Cork or Cooley.

My great great grandfather, another Richard Cork (Richard and Jane's son), did marry my great great grandmother, and their daughter was registered as Cork.  However, the two split up, and the very long thread Casalguidi mentions, finds that Richard moves to Chatham and marries (bigamously), using his mother's name, Cooley.

As I mention in this thread, his first two children with the new "wife" ahead of their bigamous marriage, were registered as Cork, but then the whole family changed their names and became Cooley.

So I will have a good look round again, and see if I can link in Bertha - the very mention of the address in Chatham, the names both Cork and Cooley, and the working in a shipyard, whether Kent or Scotland, seem to suggest irresistibly that there is some connection somewhere!

Back to you, later, and will alert Royd also.





Pay, Kent. 
Barham, Kent. 
Cork(e), Kent. 
Cooley, Kent.
Barwell, Rutland/Northants/Greenwich.
Cotterill, Derbys.
Van Steenhoven/Steenhoven/Hoven, Nord Brabant/Belgium/East London.
Kesneer Belgium/East London
Burton, East London.
Barlow, East London
Wayling, East London
Wade, Greenwich/Brightlingsea, Essex.
Thorpe, Brightlingsea, Essex

Offline goldcoast

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Re: Fresh eyes for a Cooley family in Kent early 1900's?
« Reply #16 on: Sunday 26 February 12 11:30 GMT (UK) »
Thank you Igorsrtav and casalguidi

I started to have a look at the long thread but it is already way past my bedtime here... will check it out tomorrow.

In brief, I cannot find an Alfred Cooley... could Bertha be a cousin or something???

The Bertha I thought was mine was born 'in a hop house on Duddy's farm, Hunton? RSD?' (last bit hard to read).  I think I remember my grandmother saying (although I did not write it down) that her mother was from Maidstone which I think is not far.  Maidstone was definitely mentioned in a number of conversations I had with her.

I must be seeming like some kind of beginner with all these references to heresay but quite the contrary - I have been searching for clues on this family for so long through official records and have now had to dig out these old notes to get myself a fresh view and some incentive to go on.  Had no idea about Cork/Cooley and thank you for that.

Not sure if this ties in with the travelling bit but I vaguely recall some mention of gypsies as well.

I have always had the feeling that my family on this branch were not sure of their names or relationships and beginning to think the gut feeling was correct.

Lastly, casalguidi, I wonder why Nathan Evenden aged only 5 years in ten whilst his wife and son did the regulatory 10 years...

Glad to meet you and Rootschat

cheers

Cooley, Evenden - Kent / Hewetson - Singapore, Ireland / Elrington - worldwide  / Proctor - Scotland, Uruguay, Australia / Ogilvy - Shetland / Rome - Dumfries, Australia / Read - Dorset, Australia / Clarke - London / Heydinger - London / Durie - Kincardine / Scott - Muckart, Perth, Scotland / Wrench - Staffordshire, Australia

Offline IgorStrav

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Re: Fresh eyes for a Cooley family in Kent early 1900's?
« Reply #17 on: Sunday 26 February 12 12:44 GMT (UK) »
Hi Goldcoast

While you are sleeping the sleep of the just over there in Oz, I am just about to have a hunt round the censuses etc over here.

I'm just going to summarise, if I can, to get myself straight.

Your great grandmother's marriage certificate of 30th Jan 1904 says

her name is Bertha Cooley
she's 17
her father is Alfred Cooley
her address is 30 Caroline St Chatham

can I ask who are the witnesses to the wedding, please?

we can link this address to my Arthur F Cooley, a wife Mary A, a son Arthur David Cooley in the 1901.  In addition, my Richard Cork/Cooley, his wife Charlotte (Tolhurst) and the family were living at this address in the 1891

Your grandmother's birth certificate in 1907 gives her mother's maiden name as Evenden

However, in 1917 there was the death of an Albert Sydney Evenden (or Cooley), at whose funeral a Cooley aunt appeared, aged in her 90's.

You also have a birth certificate for a Bertha Evenden, whose mother was Mary Ann Cork.  If this is a member of the Cork clan who variously called themselves Cork or Cooley, it would explain where the Cooley reference comes from.

However, it does not explain why Bertha's marriage certificate gives her father as Alfred Cooley!

This family has made my head hurt before.  And is evidently going to do so again.

Will post anything interesting today I come across.

PS do you have an Ancestry Tree?

Pay, Kent. 
Barham, Kent. 
Cork(e), Kent. 
Cooley, Kent.
Barwell, Rutland/Northants/Greenwich.
Cotterill, Derbys.
Van Steenhoven/Steenhoven/Hoven, Nord Brabant/Belgium/East London.
Kesneer Belgium/East London
Burton, East London.
Barlow, East London
Wayling, East London
Wade, Greenwich/Brightlingsea, Essex.
Thorpe, Brightlingsea, Essex