Edward or Ted Cox, newsman and Christian of Reading

[jacqueline cox]

My great uncle Edward or Ted born in East London in 1880, was a sub or deputy editor of a Reading newspaper before and during WW2. The offices were at or by or opposite the mainline station. During the war he married his French boss, a widow called Mary or Marie, but she died within a few years. He was a very devout non conformist Christian and I believe he was Chair of the Reading Council of Churches before the war. I understand the paper once had  a cartoon by their own cartoonist of him playing cricket. He was very tall and thin, so possibly good for caricaturing. He had no children in spite of two marriages to Marys, one in each war. Can anyone help me to track him down? I believe he died about 1960.

[PaulC120]

Hi Jacqueline

Hmm this is certainly a challenge!. The only info I’ve managed to dig out which may or may not be your Edward Cox is a French flavoured  marriage on http://www.berkshirebmd.org.uk/cgi/marrind.cgi  in 1946 in Reading Register office of an Edward Cox to a Mary Lower-Weller nee Damuzeaux. I can’t see an earlier marriage for Miss Damuzeaux on FindMyPast or suitable death records for either Ted or Mary in either the  Reading register district or Henley Register district (Caversham Pre 1974).

It may be worth a punt on this marriage certificate, if it is the correct one then it will also via the address identify if he was living on the Berks side of the River Thames or the Caversham, Oxfordshire side and/or contacting BFHS to see if they can assist.

Unless another Rootschatter can look up at the Berks RO for you

http://www.berksfhs.org.uk/cms/Contact-us/Contact-us/

[jacqueline cox]

Well, that's a good start for my quest. Thank you. I'll order marriage cert Friday, unless anyone turns up anything in the meantime. I don't think Ted died in Reading but in his sister, Betty Beard's house, (not sure where that was) c 1960-64. The father of Ted (b Islington 1881) was Henry (Pilbeam) Cox. Thanks again.

[CarolA3]

Do you have access to the 1911 census?  He was in Reading by then.

Regards,
Carol

[jacqueline cox]

Yes I do. I haven't checked it recently to see what it has, but I have got it.
I have remembered something else about the newspaper in Reading. The offices were opposite (or next to?) the main line station during WW2.

[PaulC120]

Hi Jacqueline

A couple of leads for you, What’s frustrating I can picture the offices opposite the main station but just cant recall if it was the Chronicle or the Mercury or the Standard but I am trying to remember back to the days of Steam Trains….

Extract below from http://www.readinglibraries.org.uk/services/local.htm
Newspapers Reading has played an important role in newspaper history. The earliest Reading Newspaper was the Reading Mercury first published in 1723, which makes it earlier than The Times. The Reading Mercury was connected to the famous publisher John Newbery. We have microfilm copies of the Reading Mercury, and of the Berkshire Chronicle (1825), and of every major newspaper published in Reading. Our newspapers report on events from Battle of Culloden in 1746, and the coming of the railways to events today and they are an invaluable source of information. The Berkshire Chronicle and Reading Mercury were both county paper covering events throughout Berkshire, while the Mercury also covered news in Oxfordshire for much of its existence, while other papers focus more on Reading and the surrounding area.
There is no index to these papers but both the Reading Evening Post and the Reading Chronicle offer an archive search of part of their papers for the last few years on their websites. See the News section of the Links page. We take cuttings of significant local events from local newspapers and maintain a large and growing collection arranged by subject dating back some fifty years. For more information on our holdings see the local newspapers page. For a detailed list of other Berkshire Historic Newspapers including ones held elsewhere see the Local Studies links.

Berkshire Chronicle (became Reading Chronicle in 1962) 14 Jan 1771 - 29 Dec 1775 29 Jan 1825 - 1962 3rd Floor Newspaper Room Microfilm 
Reading Chronicle (was Berkshire Chronicle until 1962)  2 years 1962® 1st Floor 3rd Floor Newspaper Room Microfilm 

http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/reading/articles/2011/07/28/53236-explore-our-archives-during-heritage-week/

Reading Evening Post (was Evening Post until 1994)  2 years 1994® 1st Floor 3rd Floor Newspaper Room Microfilm 

Reading Mercury July 8th 1723-Dec 1985  Incomplete for 18th Century - consult staff for full details on holdings) 3rd Floor Newspaper Room Microfilm 

Reading Observer 1873-1924 3rd Floor Newspaper Room Microfilm 

Reading Standard (became Evening Post in 1965) 1891-1911 24 Feb 1912 – 1965 3rd Floor Newspaper Room Microfilm 

[jacqueline cox]

Thanks Paul. It's a long way back to the Puffer trains isn't it? Just the smell of them takes me back to leaving the V2s behind at Kings Cross to go to Romily Ches to my grandparents in 1944 (aged 2)
If they both (had) worked for the paper there should be at least an announcement of the marriage if not a small feature - May June or July 1946.

[PaulC120]

I'm only going back to the Early 60's but I think we lost something when they got rid of them not least of all the new  ones seemed less scary to a very small boy

as The Chronicle just 6 days ago opened its and the Mercury's archives to the public and there is the contact details for the reporter I cant help but think that if you contacted him especially if your relative was the sub-editor of the Chronicle that you might get much more that the marriage announcement..... At very least there's the opportunity for them to run a follow up article 

[jacqueline cox]

Thanks Paul. I'll look for it. If I fail, I'll get back to you.