First World War in Headington & Marston
Roll of Honour of Holy Trinity Church, Headington Quarry

William Arthur COX (1895–1916)

William Arthur Cox was born at 105 Magdalen Road in east Oxford on 19 January 1895, the son of John Evan Cox (born in Banbury in 1861) and Jane Cripps (born in New Hinksey in 1860/1).

His parents were married in the Abingdon district in the second quarter of 1881 and had fourteen children:

• Selina Ann Cripps, later Cox (born in New Hinksey in 1878, two years before her parents’ wedding; registered fourth quarter with surname Cripps)
• Jane Cox (born in East Oxford in 1883, registered third quarter and baptised at Cowley SS Mary & John Church on 30 August 1883)
• John Evan Cox (born in East Oxford in 1884, registered fourth quarter); died unbaptised shortly after birth and buried in unconsecrated ground at Cowley SS Mary & John Church on 11 November 1884)
• Florence Edith Cox (born at 76 Magdalen Road, Oxford in 1885, registered third quarter and baptised at Cowley SS Mary & John Church on 3 September 1885)
• Alice Cox (born at 76 Magdalen Road, Oxford on 13 January 1887 and baptised at Cowley SS Mary & John Church on 13 February 1887); died aged 6 months and buried in the children’s plot in the churchyard on 28 July 1887
• John Cox (born at 105 Magdalen Road, Oxford on 28 April 1888 and baptised at Cowley SS Mary & John Church on 12 July 1888)
• Beatrice Rose Cox (born at 105 Magdalen Road, Oxford on 27 February 1890 and baptised at Cowley SS Mary & John Church on 3 June 1890)
• Thomas Arthur Cox (born at 105 Magdalen Road on 28 January 1891 and baptised at Cowley SS Mary & John Church on 10 May 1891); died aged 16 months, buried in the churchyard on 19 June 1892
• Lucy Cox (born at 105 Magdalen Road, Oxford on 12 March 1893 and baptised at Cowley SS Mary & John Church on 6 April 1893)
• William Arthur Cox (born at 105 Magdalen Road, Oxford on 19 January 1895 and baptised at Cowley SS Mary & John Church on 17 May 1895)
• Mary Mildred Nellie Cox (born at 105 Magdalen Road, Oxford on 15 November 1897 and baptised at Cowley SS Mary & John Church on 18 February 1898)
• James Edward Cox (born at 105 Magdalen Road, Oxford on 25 July 1899 and baptised at Cowley SS Mary & John Church on 2 November 1899)
• George Henry Cox (born at 105 Magdalen Road, Oxford on 7 October 1901 and baptised at Cowley SS Mary & John Church on 1 November 1901)
• Charles Cox (born at 105 Magdalen Road, Oxford in 1906/7, registered first quarter 1907).

In 1871 William’s father, John Evan Cox (aged 10) was living in the Cowley Road workhouse. The 1881 census was taken just before his marriage, and he was then a chimney sweep aged 20 living in the home of his master, Joseph Soden, at 2 Jericho Street, while Jane Cox (20) was a living as a servant at 10 Beaumont Street. Her illegitimate daughter Selina (2) was being cared for by her widowed mother Ann Cripps (49), a laundress who lived in Church Street, South Hinksey.

By 1883 William’s parents lived at 76 Magdalen Road in east Oxford, and his father continued to work as a chimney sweep. At the time of the 1881 census their address is given as 105 Magdalen Road, and they now had six children: Selina (12), Jane (7), Florence (5), John (2), Beatrice (1), and Thomas (2 months). John and Alice had already died, and baby Thomas was to die the next year.

They were still at 105 Magdalen Road at the time of the 1901 census with Florence (15), John (13), Beatrice (11), Lucy (8), William himself (6), and James (1). Mary (2) is missing, and may have been accidentally omitted from the census return. The two eldest children had both gone into service as kitchenmaids: Selina (22) at the Manor House in Hamble le Rice, Hampshire; and Jane (17) at Boyton Lodge, Esher, Surrey.

At the time of the 1911 census, William (16) had become a chimney sweep like his father, but he was not at home: he spent census night as a patient in the Radcliffe Infirmary. His family had moved to another address in East Oxford and were at 104 Charles Street. Beatrice (21) and Lucy (18) were still living at home and going out to work as domestic servants; Mary (13), James (11), and George (9) were at school; and Charles (4) was the baby. In addition William’s sister Jane (27) was also living with them with her new husband and baby. William’s parents were also caring for Jane’s earlier illegitimate children: Alice Cox (4) and Frederick Arthur Cox (2), meaning that a total of fourteen people were living in this house, which had six rooms (including the kitchen). Selina (32) was still single, and working as a cook at Scotch Farm, Wokingham; Florence (25) was married; and John, who had signed up to serve with the Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Royal Berkshire) regiment back in 1907, appears to have died.

Presumably the family moved up to 23 Quarry High Street around the end of the First World War; but Headington was inadequately covered in early Kelly’s Directories, so that the entry “Cox John Evan, chimney sweep, 23 High street, Headington Quarry” does not appear until 1926.

 

In the First World War William Arthur Cox served as a Private in the 1st/4th Battalion of the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (Service No. 4897). He was killed in action in France at the age of 21 on 14 July 1916.

He is buried at the Hébuterne Military Cemetery (I. E. 1). He is listed on the stone plaque in the porch of Holy Trinity Church in Headington Quarry.

 

 

Left: Photograph of William Arthur Cox’s grave in the Hébuterne Military Cemetery, kindly supplied by British War Graves. The text reads:

[Emblem of the OBLI]

4897 PRIVATE
W. A. COX
OXFORD & BUCKS. LIGHT INF.
14TH JULY 1916. AGE 21

†

PEACE, PERFECT PEACE