BYWATERS in Henlow, Bedfordshire

[Tim Cooper]

This is my first posting, so please forgive any breach of etiquette.
I am researching my distant cousins in Henlow, Bedfordshire, England. I had been stationed at RAF Upper Heyford in Oxfordshire back in 1975 to 1977 but didn't get into genealogy until 1984.
I visited Henlow in July 1995 after I retired from USAF. I just missed meeting Cousin Philip Cooper Bywaters. He had a temprary wooden cross marker on his grave when I was there. Another cousin of mine, Jim Baker, was the Director of Plimoth Plantation, the 1627 Pilgrim Village in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Jim had visited Philip several times doing historical research about lifestyles of the Pilgrims, but apparently they did not realize that they were related through the Cooper family... Philip's grandmother being Sarah Cooper, wife of James Bywaters, and Jim's mother was also a Cooper.
I have added Philip and his parents to findagrave online. He had 3 brothers who died in World War I (or the Great War if you prefer) I would like to obtain a bit more precise birth information on them. All I have now is their year of birth.
Sincerely, Tim Cooper
Buckfield, Maine  USA

[wendy47]

Hi Tim

Welcome to Rootschat.

You mentioned 3 brothers dying in WW1 so roughly what birth dates are you looking at? Do you have the English Census data?
Any info relating to ages etc would help us to narrow down a time frame.

A quick look at the 1901 census shows there are quite a few Bywaters in Henlow. If we can find family in the census it will give us some background

Also http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl gives births and if you belong to Anc**try you can discover births up to 2007 I believe

For example
Birth
Philip Cooper Bywaters    1909  Dec Quarter Biggleswade 3b 297   

Death
Philip Cooper Bywaters Born 2 Sep 1909
Registration of Death    Aug 1994
Age approx    84
District:    Bedford
County   Bedfordshire
Number:    B36C
District     3091B
Entry No    54

Wendy

[wendy47]

Hi Tim

James Cooper Bywaters
Death   1863
Sept Quarter    
Biggleswade 3b 237

Marriages Jun 1855   
BYWATERS    George        Biggleswade    3b   578    
BYWATERS    James         Biggleswade    3b   578    
COOPER    Sarah         Biggleswade    3b   578    
WILTON    Harriet         Biggleswade    3b   578    

Wendy

[Tim Cooper]

Thank you Wendy,

   It looks like there was more information on Philip's death record about his birth than on the birth record. Somewhat like the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) Thank you for the link. I will try my luck at that. I do have a subscription to an***try (yada yada yada) but only the US Deluxe. I was able to look at some of the UK census a couple of years ago on a free trial. I had researched another Cooper Family that had been smuggled out of Birminham about 1830 to start the Brass Industry in Western Connecticut. I have them posted on findagrave too. Charles Cooper and Elizabeth Day. Married in Edgbaston and buried in Derby, Connecticut.
  Philp Cooper Bywaters brothers were: Edwin John, born 1893; Horace, born 1897; and Ernest E., born 1899. There was a sister, Grace Ellen Bywaters, Jan. 1901 to 18 Jan. 1933 (looks like she didn't marry) and another brother, Wilfred, born 1894. I don't know what became of him.
  James Cooper Bywaters was an uncle to Philip... christened in Henlow on 2 Oct 1859 and died in 1863.
  Thank you again for the link. Give me a fish and I will fry him, teach me how to fish...

Sincerely, Tim Cooper 

[bedfordshire boy]

Hi Tim

Good to catch up with you again

Details of the deaths of the three Bywaters brothers can be found on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site at http://www.cwgc.org/debt_of_honour.asp  But that only gives ages, not dates of birth. For someone who died before April 1969 which is when dates of birth were added to the GRO death index the only way I know to get the date of birth is to purchase their birth certificates, which at £7 each can get expensive - this can be done online at http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/ using the references you find on Freebmd

I remember Philip Bywaters when I was a boy living in Henlow, but it wasn't until you told me a few years back, that I knew he was connected, nor that his middle name was Cooper. He and his wife ran the village post office.

Philip appears to have had more siblings than you show. In 1911 (the index is available free at http://www.1911census.co.uk/ ) the household consisted of Harry and Emma, Dennis 8, Edwin John 18, Ernest 12, Grace 10, Horace 14, Lewis 6, Philip 1, Sidney 3, Wilfred 16.

    Give me a fish and I will fry him, teach me how to fish...

and I'll sit around all day in a boat drinking beer (NY bumper sticker)!

David

[flinty23]

Hi Tim

I know a long time ago, but are you still researching Bywaters in the Henlow area, as I have just come across your post, and have some information (and would be grateful to see where you have got to)?

Thanks and regards,

Simon

[bedfordshire boy]

Hi Flinty

Welcome to Rootschat

Tim hasn't been on Rootschat since 2009.

What are you looking for regarding the Bywaters?

David

[flinty23]

Hi David,

Thanks for the reply and the update.

My Grandad was Albert Sidney Bywaters (Sid) and I have just started tracing my geneology.
I knew 3 of his brothers died in WW1 and are on the memorial in Henlow, and from the post I saw Tim was also looking at this.
I am local (born in Clifton and now living in Henlow) and believe I met Philip when I was younger, but was looking more into my 'direct' tree, and now believe I have their parents (Harry and Emma) and grand parents (James Bywaters & Sarah Cooper and Jesse Berry & Eliza Walker).

Best regards,

Simon

[bedfordshire boy]

Hi Simon

I haven't done any work on the Bywaters, but know a fair bit about Sarah Cooper, who was the sister of my gg grandfather John Cooper. I've traced the Coopers back to c1450 in Henlow and Arlesey, with a detour via Clifton in the case of my g grandfather, who was obviously more upwardly mobile than the rest of the family! The Americans have done a lot of research on the early Coopers as a number of the family went to New England on the Mayflower. Female lines will take you back as far as you want to go - Charlemagne - all of which can be documented.

Let me know if you need anything on the Coopers

Regards

David