The “Everyman Remembered” web site informs us that Private 10293 George Caleb Cox died on the 29th October 1915. He was the son of John and Mary Jane Cox of Ecchinswell[1]. This is confirmed by the Commonwealth War Grave Commission[2]. He is buried at Becourt Militray Cemetery, Becordel-Becourt on the Somme in France in grave reference I.C.9. He was 19 at the time of his death and a private in the 6th Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment). Soldiers Died in the Great War[3] informs us that he died of wounds.
The 6th Battalion was formed as part of Kitchener's Second New Army and joined the 53rd Infantry Brigade, 18th (Eastern) Division. The Regimental War Diary informs us that on the 29th October the Battalion was stationed in La Boiselle and that Pte Cox - D coy wounded on the 26th died at Meaulte this morning[4]. The entry for the 26th tells us that “Enemy very active with Sausages - aerial Torpedoes and Whizz-bangs during the day. Pte G Cox - D Coy, wounded. The damage done by the enemy taking into consideration his activity was infinitesimal. Our guns replied feebly and ineffectively. The mine exploded on the previous day has made a crater about 70 yards by 40.[5]”
He appears to have had a tragic life. He was the son of John Caleb Cox (b 1861 in Hungerford) and Mary Jane Hunt (born in Ecchinswell in 1864) who married in 1885[6]. John Caleb Cox’s death is listed in the 2nd quarter of 1896[7]. At the time of John’s death Mary Jane had two young children Edith Cox born in 1890 in Burghclere and Elizabeth Cox born in 1893 in Burghclere. In addition she was pregnant with George Caleb who was born in the third quarter of 1896 in Ecchinswell[8].
In 1897 Mary Jane married Charles Allen[9] an agricultural labourer born in Overton about 1864 and they went on to live in Ratt’s Cottages, Ecchinswell[10] where George Caleb’s half-brother Harry Allen was born in 1900. There was one family (the Elliott’s discussed later) between the Coxes and the Lawrence’s discussed earlier.
By 1911[11] George was working as a boy on a farm and living in Quarry Cottages Sydmonton. Head of the household was Daniel Hunt listed as his grand-father. Daniel was 76 (b about 1835 in Ecchinswell) and working as a cowman on a farm. Elsie Elizabeth Miles was also present and listed as Daniel’s grand-daughter. She was born around 1892 in Aldermaston and is listed as a house keeper. This is the same Elsie referred to under Frederick John Miles who was George Caleb Cox’s cousin.
This is confirmed by the 1881 Census[12] were we find Alice Hunt (mother of Frederick John Miles) and her sister Mary Jane Hunt (mother of George Caleb Cox) in the same household along with Daniel, their father. The whole family were born in Ecchinswell and comprised Daniel (b 1836, a farm servant), his wife Lucy (b 1837), Alice born 1861, Mary Jane born 1864 (both listed as former domestic servants), Louis born 1870, Thomas born 1872, Edith born 1876, George born 1878 and Henry born 1881.
His mother, Mary Jane Allen, appears to have died in 1903[13]. So his father died around the time of his birth, his mother remarried and then died when George was only 7. He then went to live with his grand-father before being killed at the age of 19 only six months after his cousin was killed. A very sad story.
[1] http://www.everymanremembered.org/profiles/soldier/293658/
[2] http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/293658/COX,%20G
[3] Available via www.findmypast.co.uk
[4] http://www.thewardrobe.org.uk/research/war-diaries/search
[5] http://www.thewardrobe.org.uk/research/war-diaries/detail/6769
[6] Reg District: Kingsclere, Vol 2C, Page 497, Q4 1885
[7] Reg District: Kingsclere, Vol 2C, Page 137, Q2 1896
[8] Reg District: Kingsclere, Vol 2C, Page 241, Q3 1896
[9] Reg District: Kingsclere, Vol 2C, Page 513, Q4 1897
[10] Reg District: Kingsclere, Archive Reference RG13, Piece Number 1119, Folio 27, Page 4
[11] RG14PN6359 RD113 SD2 ED2 SN93A
[12] Reg District Kingsclere, Archive Reference RG11, Piece Number 1266, Folio 38, Page 17
[13] Reg District: Kingsclere, Vol 2C, Page 159, Q1 1903
Adrian Wander