Kingston (near Corfe Castle)
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DORSET OPC
Families of Kingston
This section is especially for stories and photographs of the families who have lived in Kingston over the years.
If you have any information about Kingston which you would like to share, be it stories or old photographs etc., please email us at info@kingstonopc.org.uk
- 1841
Thomas, shown as aged 30 (actually 32), is recorded in the Steeple census living in
a dwelling known as Hide in Steeple and following the profession of Carpenter. He
is accompanied by his wife of nine years, Elizabeth, and have five children resident with them: Sarah 8, Georgenia 6 (spelling is as recorded in at least two census returns), Henry 4, James 2 and Eliza 2 months old.
- 1851
Thomas aged 42 is recorded in the Kimmeridge census as living at the Prevention Centre where he is working as a carpenter. His wife Elizabeth (40) and eight children are also living there. The main task of the Prevention Centre (now the Coastguard Service) at Gaulter was to prevent smuggling of contraband (brandy, tobacco, silk etc). I presume Thomas was employed in the maintenance of the coastguard boats and other equipment and properties used to house, launch and operate the boats.
The eight children listed are: Georgenia 16, Henry 14, James Seaward 12, Eliza 9, Charles Seaward 7, Amelia 4, John 2 and Albert 1. Their eldest daughter, Sarah Elizabeth (18), is away from home working as a General Servant at Tyneham Rectory and is not yet married.
- 1861
Thomas, now 52 but recorded as 55 in the Steeple census and still a carpenter, is living in a cottage near Kimmeridge (believed to be at Gaulter). He and his wife, Elizabeth have the following children resident at their home:
Sarah Elizabeth 27, Amelia 15, Charles Seaward 17 (carpenter),
John Alfred 13 (scholar), Albert Thomas 10 (scholar),
Herbert William 8 (scholar) and Frederick George 6 (scholar).
Henry at 24 is working as a coachman at Smedmore House in Kimmeridge.
Georgenia 26, James Seaward 22 and Eliza 19 are probably working away from
the family home but it is possible they have married and set up their own homes
(but not to my knowledge within the immediate locality).
- 1871
Thomas, age 62 in the Kimmeridge census, is at Smedmore House as a carpenter where his daughter Eliza 29 is also working as a General Servant.
However, his wife Elizabeth is recorded in the Steeple census age 60 and still resident in the cottage at Gaulter together with sons (Albert) Thomas 20 and (Frederick) George 16, and her now married, eldest daughter, Sarah Taylor 38 who has three children with her: Elizabeth 6 & Henrietta 5, both born on the island of Jersey, and Bedford 10 months born at Swanage.
Charles Seaward Cooper 27 carpenter, has married Sarah Ann White from Kingston and they are recorded in the Steeple census in a cottage possibly close to Charles’s mother. They have three daughters Elizabeth 4, Eliza 2 and Annie 11 months.
Amelia Cooper 25 is no longer at the family home having married James Smith in September 1868. John Alfred Cooper 23 and Herbert William Cooper 18 are not present at the family home.
- 1881
Thomas 72 and Elizabeth 70 are living with son George (Frederick) 26 and their grandchildren
(believed to be children of Sarah Taylor) Henrietta 15 and Edith 7 who was born at
Bristol, Somerset.
- 1891
Thomas, aged 85 (82) recorded in the Steeple census is living with youngest son Frederick George in cottage No. 10 at Gaulter. Elizabeth his wife passed away on 22 May 1883 and is buried in the churchyard of St Michaels Church, Steeple. Frederick 35 is continuing the family profession of carpenter and is married to Ellen (surname not yet known) who originated from Nottington near Weymouth. They have five children: Mary Elizabeth 7, Emma 5, Arthur 4, Percy 2 and Henrietta 2 months.
Thomas Cooper (1808-
Thomas Cooper was born 20 December 1808 (but not baptised until 1810 together with his sister Harriet) and died on 29 October 1891 aged 82. His parents were Samuel and Mary (Barnes) Cooper.
He married Elizabeth Seward (born 1811 in Northwood, Isle of Wight) on 27 February 1832 in St. Michael’s Church at Steeple. They had 11 children born between 1834 and 1855. The elder children were baptised at Kimmeridge but, after 1839, the younger children were baptised at Steeple.
From each of the Census returns the following facts have been established:
Henry Sidney Cooper (1874-
Edward Thomas Cooper (1879-
In the 1911 census Edward is working as a gardener and living with his wife Mary and three children Cecil, James and Violet at Winchfield, Hampshire.
Georgina M Cooper (1876-
Aged 5 at the 1881 census but not present in the 1891 census.
William Cooper (1879-
William was born on 2 June 1879 at Gaulter, Kimmeridge, Corfe Castle, Dorset , where his father Charles Seaward Cooper was working as a carpenter.
Later William moved with the family to Kingston also near Corfe Castle and, in 1898 he joined the Royal Navy at Portsmouth being allocated the service number P342021.
William courted the girl across the road -
William joined the Royal Navy on 21 March 1898 aged 18 having probably been 'working' as a blacksmith in the village Smithy most likely since leaving school at the age of 10. In the Navy he was given the occupational rate of 'Blacksmith Mate' on 8 January 1900 on completion of his Boy's training. In passing for Blacksmith in 1906 amongst other tests, William made a copper kettle on a metal stand which remains in the family.
William's first son, David was born at Kingston in December 1907 while he was serving on HMS Antrim.
From the 1911 census records a second son William George was born in May 1910 but sadly he died aged 14 months on 2 July 1911. This death is recorded in the Portsmouth Registry as William was then serving in HMS Prince George as a Blacksmith and Nora was living at 23 Wilson Road, Stamshaw, Portsmouth. The cause of death was Meningitis convulsions.
William was promoted to Petty Officer Blacksmith in May 1913 and served throughout World War 1 in HMS Agincourt. He was present at the Battle of Jutland which took place on May 31 1916.
During his navy career the family lived in Portsmouth with Nora returning to the family home when William was serving abroad and for the births of her children.
A third son, Gerald Edward (1914) and a daughter Mary Geraldine De Courcy (1919) were both born at Kingston following the family tradition of the daughter returning to her parents home for the births, although Nora's mother had passed away in 1905.
After William left the RN as a pensioner in 1919, he and Nora lived in a cottage between West Lynch Farm and Blashenwell Farm between Corfe Castle and Kingston and William cycled 16 miles each day to work at Holton Heath, where he was employed dismantling surplus WW1 tanks.
Around 1926 the family moved to a new council house at 1, West Street, Corfe Castle and William was later employed at the Norden Clay works again as a Blacksmith. Norden, just 2 miles north of Corfe Castle, is where he remained until his retirement in 1947. Sadly,his wife Nora passed away in 1948.
Norden produced a very fine clay used in the manufacture of Minton china amongst others. Steam engines were used to transport the clay around and off of the site and maintenance of these was one of William's tasks.
In retirement William enjoyed gardening and kept a large vegetable plot from which
he produced most if not all vegetables for the family kitchen. A pig or two were
fattened in a sty at the end of the long garden. He remained in the same house throughout
his life, eventually sharing it with his son Gerald and his family. Gerald eventually
purchased the house from the council after it had been provided with modern sewerage
disposal. If not in the garden, William was to be found "tinkering" in his workshop,
usually on some metal based project and with his pipe aglow! The house was re-
Sadly in 1962 he was diagnosed with cancer of the throat and he passed away in Poole Hospital. He is buried together with Nora in the 'old' New Cemetery at Corfe Castle. Please see the Hooper page for more photos.
James Seaward Cooper (1881-
Aged 19 at the 1891 census James is employed as a blacksmith at Kingston.
Albert Henry Cooper (1884-
Bert, as he was known was a twin with his sister Caroline and he married Frances Mary (Fanny) Tatchell from Kingston in September 1908. I believe it may have been Fanny who provided the part time 'Sweet Shop' in West Street.
Thomas Cooper passed away on 29 October 1891 and is also buried in St. Michael’s churchyard.
Note: Be aware there were two Thomas Cooper's born at about the same time and registered at St. Michael’s Church in Steeple. One remained single and worked as a groom for Rev. Henry Bond at South Peterton, Somerset. The other is our Thomas. Both died in 1891 and both are buried in Steeple churchyard!
Charles Seaward Cooper (1844-
Note: The spelling of Seaward is as read from several documents but I believe it is derived from his mothers family name Seward.
Charles was born at Kimmeridge suggesting that his parents had by then moved from Hide (sic) to Gaulter as Hide was in the Parish of Steeple.
In 1861 aged 17, he was living with his parents and six siblings, at Gaulter near Kimmeridge. His father Thomas was a carpenter, and Charles took up this trade originally at Steeple and then at Kingston.
In September 1866 Charles aged 22, married Sarah Ann White aged 20 from Corfe Castle, in St. Edward’s Church at Corfe Castle.
Sarah Ann White (1846-
In the 1851 census, Sarah Ann was 5 years of age living with her grandparents
George and Elizabeth White in East Street, Corfe Castle. Her mother is not
identified. However the grandparents also have an unmarried daughter, Mary aged
34. staying with them and 3 grandsons all with the surname White. A younger
daughter Caroline, who was Sarah's mother and aged 30, is not present.
In 1861 Sarah aged 16, is working as a domestic servant at the Castle Inn, Corfe
Castle, owned or managed by a Mr Miller.
The 1871 census identifies Charles and Sarah with three children and living in a cottage at Steeple. The eldest child, Elizabeth, is 4 years old, Eliza 2 and the baby Annie.
In the 1881 census Charles and Sarah are still at Steeple with a family of six children at home: Eliza 12, Annie 10, Henry 7, Edward 2, Georgina 5 and William 1.
By 1891 the family has moved to South Street, Kingston (part of the Encombe Estate)
with six children at home and Charles is identified as a carpenter journeyman (self-
In the 1901 census Charles is still working as a carpenter on the Encombe Estate, is still resident in (I believe no. 5) South Street, Kingston with his wife Sarah and they have living with them three children: James 19, Albert 17 and Emma 15 and two grandchildren James and Florence Cook aged 6 and 4 respectively and born at Rusper in Sussex (these were Eliza's children). The census does not indicate the house number but I know that Caroline (known in the family as Auntie Carr) and her sister (Auntie) Annie (Dorey) lived in no. 5 as I visited them many times during my childhood and from family history they were still living where their parents had lived.
Charles who was apparently a rather large person, predeceased his wife Sarah by some six years when he died in 1927. He was buried at Kingston New Church. Charles and Sarah had 11 children. From family history Sarah was a very meticulous character with regular habits and was particularly fussy about her hair which was brushed and combed each day, in her latter days by her daughter Caroline.
Elizabeth Caroline (Bess) Cooper (1867-
In 1891 Elizabeth was employed as a cook by a Sarah White of East Street, Corfe Castle and in December 1900 she married James George Colman Clewes in Kingston Church. Bess and her husband moved to South Lambeth, London where he lived and where they raised two daughters known in the family as ‘Ciss’ and ‘Dolly’.
Eliza Alice Cooper (1869-
Still at home aged 12 in the 1881 census but by 1891 she is employed as a cook to the Pinnery family at West Buckknowle, near Church Knowle. Eliza Alice married a Walter Cook from Horsham, Sussex in 1894 who passed away some six years later. She remarried at Kingston in 1909 to Thomas John Dipper also from Kingston.
.
Annie Grace Cooper (1871-
Annie was employed as a housekeeper and married (William) Frederick Dorey, a groom, also from Kingston, son of Stephen Dorey, a gardener. Sadly William died aged 41 leaving Annie to raise her two children Charles and Agnes. She continued working while her sister Caroline tended to the children.
Caroline Mary Cooper (1884-
Caroline married George Theodore Hunt and they lived with her father in Kingston.
Caroline had no children of her own but she almost fostered her sister Annie's children
while Annie continued working as a Housekeeper. Caroline lived her latter years,
still in her parents house No. 5, South Street, Kingston, with her elder sister Annie.
As a child I recall visits to these elderly aunts -
Emma Louisa Cooper (1886-
Emma married Edward James Leavey of Old Basing near Basingstoke.
Information and photograph kindly provided by David Gerald Lester Cooper,
great grandson of Charles Seaward Cooper and Sarah Ann Cooper (nee White)
The Cooper Family