Frank Coop

Frank was the son of John and Charlotte Coop (née Spawton).

His father was born in North Scarle, Lincolnshire, and his mother in Besthorpe, Nottinghamshire. They were married in 1860 (reg. Newark) and had at least nine children: George birth reg. 1861 JFM bap. North Scarle 30 March 1861, Mary Jane b. 1863 JAS bap. North Scarle 26 July 1863, John Sawton b. 1865 OND, Walter b. June 1868, Harry b. 1870 OND, Benjamin Albert b. 1872 OND, Tom b. April 1878, Ann Frances b. 1880 AMJ and Frank b. 1 October 1884. All the births were registered at Newark.

John, an agricultural labourer, his wife and their first child George were living on South Scarle Road, North Scarle, in 1861; also in the household was John's unmarried aunt, Millicent Knott (48).

John and Charlotte were recorded at North Scarle on the subsequent census from 1871 to 1891. By 1891 only their three youngest children, Tom, Ann and Frank, who were all school age, were still living at home. John snr. died in May the same year aged 56.

His widow Charlotte was living at South Scarle Lane, North Scarle, in 1901; also in the household was a lodger, William Savage, an agricultural labourer. Charlotte died aged 69 in 1911 (reg. JFM Spilsby).

The eldest son, George, who was one of the seven children still living with their parents in 1881, married Mary Ann Bailey (b. 1862) later that year. They had two children, George Edward b. 1882 (JFM) who died in 1882 (JFM), and Ada Louisa b. 1892. George, an agricultural labourer, and his wife were living in North Scarle at the time of the 1891 and 1901 Census, but had moved to West Drayton, Retford, by 1911. Their surviving child, Ada, was a student (teaching profession). George died in 1933; buried Retford Road Cemetery, Worksop. His widow Mary and their daughter, a head teacher (elementary school), were living on Carlton Road, Worksop, in 1939. Mary died in 1943 and her daughter in 1978.

The eldest daughter, Mary Jane, had left home by 1881 when she was a housemaid in South Collingham, in the household of Ann Thacker (79), a landowner and, although married, was head of household. Mary married William Powell, an agricultural labourer, in 1887 and had ten children, three of whom died in infancy or childhood. Seven children were named on the census between 1891 and 1911: William, Sarah M, Charlotte Mary, George, Harry, Frances Irene and John Harold. The family home was at Moor Farm, North Clifton, in 1911. William died on 24 December 1935 and was buried in the churchyard of St George the Martyr, North Clifton. His widow Mary was living at The Cottage, South Clifton, when the 1939 England & Wales Register was compiled. Also in the home were three of her children, George and John, who were both farm labourers, and Frances, occupation domestic servant but described on the census as 'incapacitated'. Mary died on 28 October 1948 and was buried in St George's churchyard, North Clifton.

John Sawton, like his sister Mary, had left home by 1881 and was an agricultural labourer at Gladthorpe Grange, Warsop, Nottinghamshire, a farm of 559 acres. He lived in the household of the farmer who employed seven farm labourers and three boys. John married Alice Kay at the Primitive Methodist Chapel, Clay Cross, in 1887. Their first child, Charlotte was born the following year and they were to have at least five more children, Jessie, John, Dorothy, Dora and Maggie. John, a coal miner, and his family were living in Shirland, Chesterfield, in 1891 and 1901. John died aged 39 in 1904 and was buried in the churchyard of Shirland parish church on 14 November.

Walter, who has not yet been traced on the 1891 Census, married Emma Bailey (b. 1870), a widow, at Woodhouse St James, Sheffield, on 28 May 1898. Walter was a collier at the time of his marriage and was working at Grimethorpe Colliery in 1901 when he and his wife were living at 21 One Street, Grimethorpe. Also in the household were his widowed mother-in-law, Betsy Coulson, and three boarders, all colliery workers. One of the three was Fred Coulson, who was described as Walter's nephew. Fred was still living with Walter, Emma and their son Harry in 1911 by which time the family had moved to 59 Queen Street, Grimethorpe. Living with the family was Walter's niece, Dora Coop (14), the daughter of his late brother John and his wife Alice. Dora was still living with her aunt and uncle when she married John Makings, a miner, at Grimethorpe parish church in July 1914. Walter and Emma were recorded on the 1939 Register at 59 Queen Street, Grimethorpe; he died in 1948 aged 79.

Harry has not yet been traced on a census after 1881, when he was ten years old, but there are records (originals not sighted) that indicate that he emigrated to Australia, where he married.

The fifth son, Benjamin, who was eight years old in 1881, has not yet been traced on the 1891 Census, but he died aged 19 in February 1892 (reg. Sheffield) and was buried in Sheffield General Cemetery.

Tom (12) was living with his parents in 1891 but by 1901 was a coal miner and living in Whitwell, Clowne, Derbyshire, with an agricultural labourer and his wife. He later moved to Grimethorpe where he worked at the colliery, and married Alice Redmile (b. 1878) at Grimethorpe St Luke in September 1904. He and Alice had three children, Clifford, Ethel and Frances Irene. In 1921 he, Alice and their three children were living at 26 King's Street, Grimethorpe. Tom and his wifewere still living at the same address in 1939; he was listed on the Register as a 'colliery hewer, incapacitated'. Tom died aged 79 in 1948 (reg. Hemsworth Yorkshire).

The youngest daughter, Ann Frances, who was still living with her parents in 1891, was a domestic servant at Highwood Farm, Eagle Hall, Lincoln, by 1901. Her son Albert (Coop later Scrivener) was born in 1903 at North Scarle (reg. 1904 JFM Newark). She married Russell Scrivener in 1910 (reg. JFM Newark) and their daughter Hilda Mary was born the following year (reg. Southwell). In 1911 she and Russell, a farm labourer, and the two children were living at Landseer Road, Westgate, Southwell. The family later emigrated to New South Wales, Australia, and both Albert (d. 1984) and Hilda (d. 1971) were buried in Forbes Cemetery, Forbes Shire, NSW.

John and Charlotte's youngest child, Frank, who had been living at home in 1891, was a 'domestic servant' living with Henry Robinson, a farm foreman, and his wife at the Farm House, Main Road, Gunthorpe, Nottingham, by 1901. He joined the Royal Navy two years later and in 1911 was recorded on the census at Royal Naval Barracks, Edinburgh Road, Portsmouth. Frank, a leading stoker (HMS Vincent), married Ethel May Salisbury (21 b. 1892) at the parish church of Melcombe Regis, Dorset, on 22 June 1913.

Frank's widow was recorded on the War Graves Roll, at 20 St Alban's Street, Weymouth but the later CWGC record has her address as Monarch House, East Street, Weymouth. Ethel married Walter H Wade (b. 1885) in 1921 (reg. OND Weymouth). In 1939 Ethel and Walter, a laboratory assistant and 'pensioner CPO [Chief Petty Officer] 1935', were living at 54 Goldcroft Road, Weymouth. The record of one other member of the household remains closed. Walter died aged 62 in 1948 and Ethel died in 1983 (reg. OND Richmond upon Thames, Surrey).