Edith May Cooksey

Female, b. 11 June 1903, d. 15 June 1990
Pedigree
     Edith May Cooksey, daughter of George Philip Cooksey, was born at 128 Lavender Road, Battersea, London, on 11 June 19031,2,3 and was baptized on 20 July 1903 at St Peter, Battersea, London.2

Edith grew up in the family home at Lavender Road4 and probably attended Mantua Street School, Battersea, London.5 After leaving school Edith became a children's nursemaid or nanny and in time she met Arthur Boughton at The Old Swan, 116 Battersea Church Road, Battersea, London.6,7

Edith married Arthur Edward Boughton on 13 October 1926.6,8,9 They had two daughters: Edith Joyce, known throughout her life as Joyce, and Doris Mary.5

In 1929 they were living at 27 Castle Street, Battersea, London,10,11 but by 1930 they were at 1a Henry Street, Battersea, London, which was almost certainly right next to the railway arch carrying the West London Extension Railway.12,13 For a time, around 1934, the house was shared with Edith's older sister Ellen and her family.14 By 1937 Henry Street had become a continuation of the road south of the railway arch and Edith's family home was renamed and numbered 20 Winders Road, Battersea, London.15,16

During World War II some time between 1939 and 1945 Edith joined husband Arthur as as a milk carrier, delivering milk rations in the Battersea area for the Palace Dairy 42, Battersea Park Road, Battersea, London.5

After almost 30 years of marriage, on 2 June 1956, Arthur died, and shortly afterwards Edith became housekeeper for Jacques Vellekoop, by then the owner of E.P. Goldschmidt Antiquarian Book Dealer of 45 Old Bond Street, West End, London, working at that address for him. (E.P. Goldschmidt had died in 1954.) In Vellekoop's obituary in The Independent on 9 October 2007, he was described as having a distinctive place in the antiquarian book trade, for 40 years a commanding one. Edith retired in 1974 when the business moved from Old Bond Street.5 By now she was living at the Peabody Estate, St John's Hill, Clapham Junction, London, first at 5Q and then at 14K.5

Following her retirement Edith moved to Goodson House, St Helier Avenue, Morden, Surrey.5

In 1984 Edith was attacked and robbed in a ladies lavatory in Finchley, London, being badly beaten about the face and head. Her attacker, James Keeney, subsequently murdered another elderly lady just 2 days after his attack on Edith. At The Old Bailey on 25 February 1985 he received a sentence of 13 years for the attack on Edith and life for the subsequent murder. The assault had a significant impact on the remainder of Edith’s life.5 She moved to St Mary's Nursing Home at 81 Cheam Road, Sutton, Surrey, in 1988 and remained there for the rest of her life.5

Edith May Cooksey died on 15 June 1990 at age 87.17,18

Citations

  1. [S202] Digital copy of the birth certificate of Edith May Cooksey, born 11 June 1903 at 128 Lavender Road, father George Cooksey, Painter (Journeyman), mother Selina Cooksey formerly Biggs, informant S. Cooksey, mother, 128 Lavender Road Battersea, registered 21 July 1903 in the Registration District of Wandsworth, Sub-district of North West Battersea in the County of London (General Register Office, 1903, Sep Q, Wandsworth, Volume 1d, Page 593). [B0021].
    From collection of S. Jensen.
  2. [S185] Ancestry.com. England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906 London (www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 13 March 2014). Original data: Register of baptisms at St Peter, Battersea, London Metropolitan Archives, 40 Northampton Road, London, reference p70/pet, Item 003/005. [LONPAR/B0016].
    1903 July 20th, Born 11/6/03, Edith May d. of George and Selina Cooksey, 128 Lavender Road, Painter.
  3. [S153] Ancestry.com. FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915 England & Wales (www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 27 February 2014). Original data: England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes, London, England: General Register Office. GRO Index of births. [GROINDXB].
    1903, Sep Q, Cooksey, Edith May, Wandsworth, Volume 1d, Page 593.
  4. [S151] Ancestry.com. 1911 England Census (www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 4 February 2014), household of George Cooksey (b 1851). Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911, Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1911. Source Citation: Class: RG14; Piece: 2210. [C1911-0022].
    George Cooksey, Head, 60, Married, House Painter, Employer, Clerkenwell, London;
    Selina Cooksey, Wife, 50, Married, 25, 10, 9, 1, House Work, Gosport, Hampshire;
    Selina Cooksey, Daughter, 24, Married, House Work, Battersea, London;
    Julia Cooksey, Daughter, 23, Single, Domestic Servant, Battersea, London;
    George Cooksey, Son, 21, Single, Greengrocer, Employer, Battersea, London;
    Frederick Cooksey, Son, 20, Single, Soldier, Battersea, London;
    Albert Cooksey, Son, 18, Single, left home, Battersea, London,
    Thomas Cooksey, Son, 16, Single, Errand Boy, Employer, Battersea, London;
    Philip Cooksey, Son, 14, Single, Errand Boy, Employer, Battersea, London;
    Ellen Cooksey, Daughter, 11, Single, at School, Battersea London;
    Lillian Cooksey, Daughter, 10, Single, Dead, Battersea, London;
    Edith Cooksey, Daughter, 7, Single, at School, Battersea London;
    128 Lavender Road, Battersea.
    This is the first time that daughter Selina has been shown in the Cooksey family although she was not actually living with them as she is shown elsewhere in the census return as the wife of Augustus Knipe. Similarly, neither Frederick (serving as a soldier in the Far East) or Albert Edward (working in Salisbury) were living in the household. The line for Lillian has been crossed through.
  5. [S164] Correspondence from S. Jensen, Saltash, Cornwall, to A.R. Mead, dated 3 April 2014, A.R. Mead's records, Epsom, Surrey, reference COR92, relating to the Cooksey family, 1800 to date. [COR92/COOK0010].
    Information provided by Doris Jensen, formerly Boughton.
  6. [S164] Correspondence from S. Jensen to A.R. Mead, 3 April 2014..
    Information from Doris Jensen, formerly Boughton.
  7. [S97] Interview with Joyce Wimble (Epsom, Surrey), by Alan Mead, 2009-2014. A.R. Mead's records (Epsom, Surrey). [PER006].
    At odds with the accepted description of this meeting Joyce referred to the pair meeting when Edith worked for a family who ran a pub in Trott Street but no such place has currently been identified in that street. Perhaps the story is almost correct but the pub was The Old Swan.
  8. [S165] Ancestry.com. Marriage Index, 1916-2005 England & Wales (www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 28 February 2014). Original data: England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes, London, England: General Register Office. GRO Index of marriages. [GROINDXM].
    1926, Dec Q, Boughton, Arthur E., Cooksey, Wandsworth, Volume 1d, Page 1237.
  9. [S165] England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. GRO Index of marriages.
    1926, Dec Q, Cooksey, Edith M. Boughton, Volume 1d, Page 1237.
  10. [S174] Ancestry.com. London England Electoral Registers 1832-1965 (www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 30 August 2014). Original data: Electoral Registers, Electoral Register for Battersea, published 1 May 1929, London Metropolitan Archives, 40 Northampton Road, London. LCC/PER/B/1890. [LONELR].
    Page 759, No. 1035, R, O, Boughton, Arthur Edward , 27 Castle Street, Battersea SW11.
    Page 759, No. 1036, Rw, Ow, Boughton, Edith May , 27 Castle Street, Battersea SW11.
  11. [S203] J.G. Bartholomew, "Bartholomew's Handy Reference Atlas of London & Suburbs 1917, John Walker & Co Ltd, Farringdon House, Warwick Lane, Third Edition, (1917). A.R. Mead's library, (Epsom, Surrey). p. 46, Battersea And Clapham, R 13.
    Castle Street ran between Battersea High Street and Surrey Lane.
  12. [S206] Ancestry.com. London England Electoral Registers 1832-1965 (www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 30 August 2014). Original data: Electoral Registers, Electoral Register for Battersea, published 15 October 1930, London Metropolitan Archives, 40 Northampton Road, London. LCC/PER/B/1918. [LONELR].
    Page 784. No. 2748, R, O, Boughton, Arthur Edward, 1a Henry Street, Battersea SW11.
    Page 784. No. 2749, Rw, Ow, Boughton, Edith May, 1a Henry Street, Battersea SW11.
  13. [S203] J.G. Bartholomew. Bartholomew's Atlas of London & Suburbs 1917. p. 46, Battersea And Clapham, R 13.
    Henry Street ran south from Castle Street towards the West London Extension Railway. 1a was probably at the bottom of the street and where Home Road began. A railway arch would have been right next to 1a and on the other side of the arch was Winders Road where Arthour Boughton had lived at no. 2 with his family when a single man.
  14. [S168] Ancestry.com. London England Electoral Registers 1832-1965 (www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 28 February 2014). Original data: Electoral Registers, Electoral Register for Battersea, published 15 October 1934, London Metropolitan Archives, 40 Northampton Road, London. LCC/PER/B/2042. [LONELR].
    Page 378. No. 2658, R, O, Boughton, Arthur Edward, 1a, Henry Street, SW11
    Page 378. No. 2659, Rw, Dw, Boughton, Edith May, 1a, Henry Street, SW11
    Page 378. No. 2660, Rw, Dw, Taylor, Ellen Florence, 1a, Henry Street, SW11
    Page 378. No. 2661, R. O, Taylor, Leonard Cecil, 1a, Henry Street, SW11.
  15. [S207] Ancestry.com. London England Electoral Registers 1832-1965 (www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 30 August 2014). Original data: Electoral Registers, Electoral Register for Battersea, published 15 October 1937, London Metropolitan Archives, 40 Northampton Road, London. LCC/PER/B/2135. [LONELR].
    Page 744. No. 4613, R, O, Boughton, Arthur Edward, 20 Winders Road, SW11.
    Page 744. No. 4614, Rw, Ow, Boughton, Edith May, 20 Winders Road, SW11.
  16. [S203] J.G. Bartholomew. Bartholomew's Atlas of London & Suburbs 1917. p. 46, Battersea And Clapham, R 13.
    Possibly the arch had been widened and the road straightened, for earlier maps either do not show an obvious archway, or what might simply have been pedestrian access only beneath the railway. The arch is currently (2014) for pedestrian access and has probably been this way for the last forty years.
  17. [S164] Correspondence from S. Jensen to A.R. Mead, 24 February 2014.
    "...Edith May Cooksey ... died on 15 June 1990..."
  18. [S166] Ancestry.com. Death Index, 1916-2007 England & Wales (www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 27 February 2014). Original data: England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes, London, England: General Register Office. GRO Index of deaths. [GROINDXD].
    1990, Jun Q, Boughton, b. 11 Jun 1903, 87, Sutton, Surrey, Volume 15, Page 475.