John Robinson Cook
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
John Robinson was the son of John Robinson and Elizabeth Cook (née Taylor). His father John Robinson Cook was born in about 1866. His mother Elizabeth was born in Cropwell Bishop in 1872, the daughter of Isaac and Fanny Taylor. In 1891 Elizabeth, a domestic servant, was living with her parents on Salvins Row, Main Street, Cropwell Bishop. John Robinson and Elizabeth were married at Nottingham Emmanuel church on 18 December 1892. They probably had only the one child, John Robinson, who was born in Nottingham in 1894 and baptised at Sneinton St Stephen on 10 November 1895. At the time of his baptism the family was living on Meadow Terrace, Sneinton. John Robinson snr. died in 1895 (O/N/D Nottingham). Elizabeth Cook married Joseph Blades in 1898 (reg. Nottingham); there were no children of the marriage. In 1901 Joseph Blades (29 b. Lincolnshire), a yardman on a farm, and Elizabeth (28) were living in Sheldon's Cottage, Cotgrave, with John (6), who was described as Joseph's stepson, and a 'nurse child', John T Barrett (under 1 year). By 1911 Joseph, a carrier and carter, and Elizabeth were living on Salvin's Row, Cropwell Bishop, with Elizabeth's widowed father, Isaac Taylor, and an adopted son, Robert Wragby Glossop (7), who died later that year (A/M/J). Also in the household were John, a labourer (above ground) at a gypsum mine, who was described as a boarder, a second boarder Harry Kemp, an agricultural labourer, and a visitor Winifred Mary Cole (16 b. 1895, parents Charles and Eliza Cole née Taylor). In 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled, John's mother and stepfather were living on Colston Bassett Road, Cropwell Bishop. Joseph died in 1945 and Elizabeth in 1957.
John Robinson Cook enlisted as a special reservist in the Sherwood Foresters on 21 November 1913. He was aged 19 years and 8 days and just over 6 feet tall. When John completed recruit training he was posted to 4th Special Reserve Battalion. He was mobilized in August 1914 and after training was posted to 1st Battalion in France on 27 December 1914. He probably arrived with the battalion in early January 1915. The battalion fought in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, 10 to 13 March 1915, and it was during this battle that John was killed on 12 March. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial (Panel 26 and 27). He qualified for the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. Battle of Neuve Chapelle: At 5 am on 12th, the Germans shelled battalion headquarters and advanced in overwhelming numbers. The battalion inflicted heavy losses on the enemy but eventually had to retire some 150 yards to prepared trenches. The enemy continued its attack but was thrown into disorder by company bomber Private Rivers (awarded Victoria Cross) and counter attacks by the battalion. Eventually the original trenches were regained. At 9 pm the battalion withdrew to the support trench and a new defensive line. At some point John was killed and he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial France. John Morse
Nottingham Evening Post, 27 September 1915, photograph with caption: 'Pte JR Cook, 1st Sherwood Foresters, Cropwell Bishop, killed in action March 12, aged 21.’ Registers of Soldiers' Effects: his mother Elizabeth Blades was his sole legatee.
