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I am sure you have the correct one there MC.

This is a link to his wife's death cert - such a shame that Leo didn't die in BC or we could have seen that one too :-(

http://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Genealogy/DisplayGenealogyImage?k=4f6d6bfe-4aed-4c60-91d9-eef0f15c1105

Dea x

Have just had another skim through the service records - Leonard Cox received a gunshot wound to the knee on 8 Nov 1918 (obviously with no serious lasting effect as shown later in the records).

Quite a coincidence that is just before Armistice day, wonder if word got back that he'd been shot and the worst was assumed?

Could well have been MC.

I didn't read all the records as they would not all load onto my machine but I seem to remember that he was back in England at the beginning of 1919 - Didn't the lady in question marry in 1919 ?

Maybe he went back to see her and discovered that she was married, or about to be married and decided to creep quietly away ?

So sad though..................

Dea x

MC - well done!!!!!!!!!!! Such a sad yet heart warming story! I reckon Dea could well be right :-)

Jude

Hello everyone.
I can hardly find the words to reflect the admiration and dedication which you've all shown me in this quest.
The signature found is DEFINITELY his! What an amazing story.
I think that the theory of him receiving the gunshot wound may indeed have been interpreted to mean that he had been shot and killed.
And I've also noticed that my grandmother gives his rank as Lieutenant which probably clinches it. She also writes that the "poems were later published, with others." So that is probably the poet reference ...............
So my grandmother turned her attentions to another eligible young man 'with prospects' - my grandfather. He was with the 8th and 10th Gurkha Rifles and they made a handsome couple.
Perhaps you would like to read a snippet of one of his poems:
"LYRIQUE: ROSES OF JUNE."
Some old Chateau of glory that has fled,
Stained now and sanctified by life-blood shed,
Its honour and tradition yet immune;
Deserted and forlorn and marred by war,
Its fountains broken; yet by its old door
There grow to strengthen hearts
-Roses of June."
I am so glad that I returned to this thread after the long gap - something told me that there may be more to this story. THANK YOU to all of you who got stuck in with this one.
Now then - I wonder where these poems were published .....................???!!
:-D :-D :-D

PS: Mount Royal Cemetery has just got back to me with the burial transcription. They confirm the dod in 1978 so our theory that the '7' may have been a '1' [see above] is ruled out.

I never can just let things lie!

Some references to publications by Leo Cox:

http://brianbusby.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/faith-philanthropies-and-verse-for-air.html

A couple of his later poems:

http://www.poetryexplorer.net/poem.php?id=10051154

http://www.poetryexplorer.net/poem.php?id=10051153

To MC and all you other terriers out there who can't let things lie, I thought you would like to know more about the poems which were written to my grandmother - I have the originals and each one is signed and dated by 'our' LDC:

1. LYRIQUE "ROSES OF JUNE". Signed "Leon Delamogue" [yes, in inverted commas] and dated 17/6/17. Acute French accent on the 'e' in Leon and both the 'e's in Delamogue.

2. "RHODODENDRONS. A summer song of colour. Signed Leo. Delamogue Cox. Lt. Yes, there is a full stop after 'Leo' and the acute accents are the same for his surname as above. Dated 9/6/17.

3. "COLLEEN". Signed Leon D. C. with an acute accent on the 'e' and dated 9/7/18. This one has an odd note at the bottom which reads "Copied from the original - 27/1/19" which is DEFINITELY the same handwriting as his signature and also the date format. Across the top of the front page is written in his handwriting "Dedicated to J.V. by the author."

OMG - so my grandmother subsequently must have known that he didn't die in the War but she kept the note about him being killed just before the Armistice! Also, just to add to the mix, my grandmother's original first name was KATHLEEN V. and it was only changed to JACQUELINE H. [hence the 'J' above] just before her marriage in 1920. This was because her future sister in law would have had the same initials as her daughter in law and, the story goes, since they both banked at Coutts they didn't want any confusion!!! Hope you followed all that.

What wonderful stories. I'd love to know what he looked like ................
:-) :-D :-)

I've just realised there's more!

Records [Army, etc] show that he was born in England c.1898. I can't find anything on Ancestry - can you, please?

Nicola - I've been looking for ages for him with his parents, named as Leonard and Ada Louise on his marriage (you really must click on all the links posted - you'll see that a wasp contributed to the death of his wife!).

As I mentioned earlier, he was living with the Sawyer family on the 1901 & 1911 census (Sawyer is mentioned on the service files). This was before he went to Canada in 1912 as a home child.

Do you have access to UK census records? He isn't recorded with the middle name Delamogue, he's just plain Leonard Cox, born 1898.

Oh my giddy aunt!

Here he is:

London, England, Workhouse Admission and Discharge Records, 1659-1930
Name: Leonard Cox
Birth Date: 1898
Admission Age: 0
Admission Date: 22 Mar 1898 <<< That's the date he was born in the workhouse
Discharge Date: 5 Apr 1898
Record Type: Admission and Discharge
Borough: Holborn
Parish or Poor Law Union: Holborn
Place: London, England
Title: City Road Workhouse (St Luke's and Other Workhouses) Register, 1896-1898

The age matches his service records.

Will check the images and will be back .....

ADDED: All the image says is "born of Ada" and the note "illg" (meaning he was illegitimate). The discharge date is when he left with his mother.

There are 3 images in all, mainly duplicating each other. If I'm reading them correctly then it seems Ada was admitted 16/03/1898 and was 17 years old. One of the images has Banner St Rxx and 4 Greville St next to their names.

From what I can see, his mother Ada was in and out of the workhouse and appears to have had a daughter Ada Lily/Lilian in 1910/1911.

Yes, I feel that she must have known, perhaps at a later date that he didn't die in the war.

Did you note that Leo's wife's death cert was registered by a son - Perhaps the son also of Leo ?

There may be descendants?

Dea x

Have just found a passenger list for Leonard and Marguerite returning to Canada in 1931 (they sailed from le Havre).

They had an 11 month old son with them (won't put name here as he could still be alive).

Have been following this thread with interest - such a lovely story. My internet connection where I live now is rubbish so haven't renewed subs lately. But just want to say your findings have been brilliant Marie, Nicola has been trying to chase this down for years so well done you :-D

It's good when you get something to get your teeth into!

Wish there were more queries like this on the boards. I'm not on here so much lately as I've been so busy with WW1 projects but this was worth popping in for.

Again and again, my very sincere thanks to all of you on this one. MC, I'm glad that you like something to get your teeth into and happy to oblige!!

Not sure who to be more sorry for - the wasp or the poor old lady!

I had tried some permutations for him on the 1901/1911 censuses but didn't drop lucky. I'll try again now and thank you for the guidance. Will also have a peek at the passenger list for a possible descendant.

So for you and others, I'm going to put another thread on either later this evening or tomorrow which should whet your appetites. I'm stuck on getting any further with it but I've tried for the past year or so. Not sure of the thread title yet but it will have the surname 'EARLE' in it.
:-D :-D :-D

Here's the 1901:

1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census

Weller Place, Downe, Bromley, Kent, England

Household Members
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place

Thomas B Sawyer Head Married Male 60 1841 Gardener Domestic Chelsfield, Kent, England
Hannah Sawyer Wife Married Female 50 1851 ­ Keston, Kent, England
Alice M Sawyer Daughter Single Female 26 1875 Dressmaker Bickley, Kent, England
Leonard Cox Boarder Single Male 3 1898 ­ England, NK

and the 1911 ...

1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census

2 Weller Place, Downe Kent, Cudham, Kent, England

Household Members
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Sex Occupation Age Birth year Birth place

Thomas Boustead Sawyer Head Married Male Farm Labourer 70 1841 Kent Chelsfield
Hannah Sawyer Wife Married Female ­ 60 1851 London Islington
Leonard Cox Boarder Male ­ 13 1898 London Islington
Grace Nightingale Boarder ­ Female ­ 13 1898 Kent Deptford
Gertrude Wells Boarder ­ Female ­ 11 1900 Sussex North Cafvil

No idea how he came to be with the Sawyers - I'd just like to think they were kindly souls who took in waifs and strays to keep them out of the workhouse.

Thank you MC for those census transcriptions. Very kind.

BTW, where is your beautiful tile image from???

:-)