Person:John Cox (124)

Early life

John Henry Cox was born at Barnack, Northamptonshire on 28th June 1870. He was the fourth of seven children of Elizabeth Turner Cox, formerly Ward, and her husband Thomas Cox, a wheelwright. The family lived in the house which is today called Ragstone Cottage, 2 Station Road^[12]. When John was fourteen, his father Thomas Cox died. From then on John and his siblings appear to have supported the family financially - in particular John and his eldest brother William appear in both the 1891 and 1901 censuses with their mother Elizabeth, who is described on each occasion as 'supported by sons'. In 1891 John Henry was a working as an agricultural labourer, but by 1901 he was a gardener - which he remained for the rest of his working life.

Marriage and leaving Barnack

On 31st March 1902, aged 31, John married a woman called Ada Jane Singleton. She had grown up in Bainton, the village immediately east of Barnack, where she had lived with her elderly father, Robert, for at least 20 years. However, John and Ada did not marry locally to Barnack, but over a hundred miles away at Farnborough in Kent. Following Robert Singleton's death in 1901, Ada had gone to live with her sister Annie who had married a florist and moved to Farnborough. After their marriage, John and Ada returned to Barnack, where their first child, John Robert, was born in January 1903. In June 1903, John was elected as a steward of the Barnack Provident Society, which appears to have been a co-operative organisation providing health care.

56 West Hyde - John's home from c.1907 until his death.

Back in Barnack, John's mother died in 1906.

John and Ada, probably in their son Arthur Edward's garden judging by the style of the houses.

John spent the rest of his working life as a gardener on the Hoo estate. He was also believed to have been a bell ringer at Holy Trinity Church at East Hyde.^[14]

John's sons both married in the late 1920s, and John's first known grandchild was born in 1928. He had five grandchildren born in the 1920s and 1930s, although the eldest died as a boy of six years old in 1934. John and Ada also took in and cared for their granddaughter whilst their eldest son and his wife were sick around the same time.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, John, Ada and their daughter Elsie were living at 56 Flint Hyde, and John was described as a foreman gardener. Elsie was described as incapacitated.

Death

John died on 20th February 1955 at St Mary's Hosptial in Luton, aged 84. He was buried at Holy Trinity Church at East Hyde. After his death, the Hoo estate moved Ada from 56 West Hyde to a smaller cottage, 58 Flint Hyde, where she died four years later.

1. ↑ Birth Certificate, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   REGISTRATION DISTRICT Stamford
   1870 BIRTH in the Sub-District of Barnack in the Counties of Northampton, Rutland and Huntingdon
   No.	When and where born	Name, if any	Sex	Name and surname of father	Name, surname and maiden name of mother	Occupation of father	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered	Signature of registrar
   83	Twenty eighth June 1870 Barnack	John Henry	Boy	Thomas Cox	Elizabeth Cox formerly Ward	Wheelwright Master	Elizabeth Cox Mother Barnack	Twenty eighth July 1870	John Glazier, Registrar

   This birth has been linked to the John Henry Cox who married Ada Jane Singleton on the basis of the 1911 census after their marriage, which tells us that John Henry was born in Barnack in about 1870, and their 1902 marriage certificate which tells us that John Henry's father was a wheelwright named Thomas Cox.

   
2. ↑ Baptisms register, in Church of England. Parish Church of Barnack (Northamptonshire). Parish registers, 1695–1974. (Northampton, England: Northamptonshire Record Office).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Barnack in the County of Northampton in the Year 1870
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents' Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   865	1870 July 31	John Henry	Thomas & Elizabeth	Cox	Barnack	Wheelwright	A. Legge, Curate

3. ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 3310; Folio 58; Page 25, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Cottage, Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Thomas Cox, head, married, male, 39 [1831/2], Wheelwright & Cottager, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Elizabeth Cox, wife, married, female, 37 [1833/4], b. Great Hale, Lincolnshire
   William Cox, son, male, 8 [1862/3], Scholar, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Elizabeth A. Cox, daughter, female, 6 [1864/5], Scholar, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Thomas Cox, son, male, 4 [1866/7], Scholar, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   John H. Cox, son, male, 9m [1870], b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Catharine Cox, mother, widow, female, 67 [1803/4], b. Barnack, Northamptonshire

4. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 3194; Folio 38; Page 5, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Back Lane, Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Thomas Cox, head, married, male, 48 [1832/3], Wheel-wright Mast[er] Emp[loying] 1 man, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Elizabeth Cox, wife, married, female, 46 [1834/5], Wheel-w[righ]t's wife, b. Great Hale, Lincolnshire
   William Cox, son, unmarried, male, 18 [1862/3], Wheel-w[righ]t's son, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Thomas Cox, son, male, 14 [1866/7], Butcher's boy, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   John H. Cox, son, male, 10 [1870/1], Scholar, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Catherine Cox, daughter, female, 6 [1874/5], Scholar, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Martha Cox, daughter, female, 2 [1878/9], b. Barnack, Northamptonshire

5. ↑ England. 1891 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG12; Piece 2554; Folio 34; Page 6, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: Main Street, Barnack, Northamptonshire
   5 or more rooms occupied
   Elizabeth Cox, head, widow, female, 57 [1833/4], Supported by sons, b. Great Hale, Lincolnshire
   William Cox, son, single, male, 29 [1861/2], Agric[ultural] Lab[ourer], employed, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   John H. Cox, son, single, male, 20 [1870/1], Agric[ultural] Lab[ourer], employed, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Martha Cox, daughter, female, 12 [1878/9], b. Barnack, Northamptonshire

6. ↑ England. England. 1901 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG13; Piece 3022; Folio 36; Page 8, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: Main Street, Barnack, Northamptonshire
   5 or more rooms occupied
   Elizabeth Cox, head, widow, female, 67 [1833/4], Supported by sons, b. Great Hale, Lincolnshire
   William Cox, son, single, male, 38 [1862/3], Labourer (Carpenter's), b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   John H. Cox, son, single, male, 30 [1870/1], Labourer (Gardener's), b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Martha Cox, daughter, single, female, 22 [1878/9], b. Barnack, Northamptonshire

7. ↑ England. 1911 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom: The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), (formerly the UK General Register Office.))
   Class RG14; Piece 9025; Schedule 128, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: No. 56 West Hyde N[ea]r Luton, Bedfordshire
   5 rooms occupied
   John Henry Cox, head, male, 40 [1870/1], married, Gardener (Domestic), worker, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Ada Jane Cox, wife, female, 39 [1871/2], married 9 years, 3 children, all still living, b. Aston, Derbyshire
   John Robert Cox, son, male, 8 [1902/3], b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Arthur Edward Cox, son, male, 5 [1905/6], b. Hyde, Bedfordshire
   Elsie Elizabeth Cox, daughter, female, 3 [1907/8], b. Hyde, Bedfordshire

8. ↑ General Register Office. 1939 Register
   Luton Rural District, 29 Sep 1939.

   56 West Hyde, Hyde, Bedfordshire
   Cox, John H. / male / 28 Jun 1870 / married / Foreman Gardener
   Cox, Ada J. / female / 14 Aug 1872 / married / Unpaid domestic duties
   Cox, Elsie E. / female / 22 Aug 1907 / single / Incapacitated

9. ↑ Death certificate, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   Registration District Luton
   1955 DEATH in the Sub-District of Luton in the County of Bedford
   No.	When and where died	Name and surname	Sex	Age	Occupation	Cause of death	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered	Signature of registrar
   66	Twentieth February 1955. St Mary's Hospital.	John Henry COX	Male	84 years	of 56 West Hyde, Hyde. Retired Gardener.	1a. Congestive heart failure. b. Ischaemic heart disease. Certified by W.D. Hoskins M.R.C.S.	J.R. Cox, Son In Attendance. 29 Neville Road, Luton.	Twentyfirst February 1955	Alfred J. Cooke, Deputy Registrar

10. ↑ Burials register, in Church of England. East Hyde Parish Registers.

    bur. 24 Feb 1955 / John Henry Cox / 56 West Hyde / 84

11.   Stamford Mercury, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    Friday 12 Jun 1903.

    BARNACK
    The 67th annual general meeting of the Provident Society was held on Monday, the president, the Rev. M. Tweddell, presiding. The balance sheet for the year ending December 31, 1902, showed an increase of funds amounting to £35 15s. 4d. raising the amount of the benefit fund to £2262 16s. 10d. The report expressed deep regret at the death of Mr. Jos. Phillips, who as ?? and honorary member had always proved such a friend to the society. The president, secretaries, surgeons, and auditors were all re-elected, and the following were appointed stewards: Barnack: J.H. Cox, B. Watts, and G.H. Wissen. Pilsgate: T. Smith. Southorpe: J. Popple. Bainton: W. Mann. Southorpe Terrace and Ufford: F. Horn. ??ord: H.S. Singleton. Wittering: J. ??

12. ↑ The order in which the properties and their inhabitants are listed in the censuses from 1851 to 1901 are pretty clear in indicating that the family was in the same house on each occasion, and that the house was at the junction of Main Street (now Main Street / Station Road) and Back Lane (now Bainton Road), between the road to Uffington and Barnack Station and a couple of doors down from the smithy. We can therefore be pretty confident in identifying the family's home as the westernmost of the group of properties on that corner, which is the house today called Ragstone Cottage, 2 Station Road.
13. ↑ Burghley House actually straddled the parish boundary between Barnack and Stamford Baron St Martin.
14. ↑ Letter from John Henry's granddaugther to author, 17 May 2011