Person Page - 64

Sydney Coombs was born in Queensland on 26 March 1889.²

He married Bertha Victoria Carter, daughter of John Carter and Mary Amelia Dickinson, in Queensland on 23 August 1913.¹

Sydney died on 6 August 1937 in Queensland at age 48.³ He was buried on 7 August 1937 at the Balmoral/Bulimba Cemetery, 441 Wynnum Rd in Morningside.⁴

Daniel Aldred Cooper was born in Pendeen St Just, Cornwall, on 7 June 1909.^3,4,2,5
The siblings Peter, John and Daniel were listed in the 1911 census at 8 Trewellard, Pendeen St Just in Penzance, Cornwall, with their parents, William Herbert Cooper and Mabel Kate Fergusson.⁴
He was listed in the 1921 census, boarding at Courtney House in Tavistock, Devon.⁶

He was listed in the 1939 Register at 45 Queen St in Pendeen St Just, Cornwall; he was a tin mine surveyor (also in the Merchant Navy Reserve) and was lodging with a widow, Elizabeth NINNIS.⁵

Daniel's marriage to Dorothy Elizabeth Constance Bennett was registered between October 1947 and December 1947 in Glamorganshire.^3,7

He was widowed on the death of his wife Dorothy between October 1986 and December 1986.⁸

Daniel died on 31 December 1991 in Penzance, Cornwall, at age 82 with his name recorded as Daniel Mcgregor Aldred FERGUSSON-COOPER, otherwise known as Alfred. Hence it appears he took on the FERGUSSON name, and MCGREGOR connections, of his mother Mabel.^9,10

John Antony Cooper was born in Pendeen St Just, Cornwall, on 12 October 1907.^3,4,2
The siblings Peter, John and Daniel were listed in the 1911 census at 8 Trewellard, Pendeen St Just in Penzance, Cornwall, with their parents, William Herbert Cooper and Mabel Kate Fergusson.⁴

He was listed in the 1921 census as Head of Family at Epsom College in Epsom, Surrey; as was his brother Peter. The college was a branch of Dr Barnado's Homes.⁵

He married Frances Charlotte Maria Fortune at the British Consulate in Foochow between 1931 and 1935.^3,6

As recorded in his brother Peter's obituary in the British Medical Journal, John was interned in Hong Kong by the Japanese during the war.⁷

He and his wife Frances arrived back in London on 22 February 1949 having embarked in Shanghai and travelled on the Glenorchy via Yokohama to return to 'Four Gables', Writtle, Essex. He gave his occupation as 'merchant' and their last permanent residence as China.⁸

He was widowed at age 77 on the death of his wife Frances on 5 July 1985.^9,10

John died on 7 March 1990 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, at age 82.^11,12

His will was probated in Winchester, Hampshire, on 21 June 1990 with his estate valued at £329,902.¹²

Mary Arminel Anne Cooper was born in Penzance, Cornwall, on 29 May 1912.^3,2,4
She was listed in the 1921 census, boarding at Bedgebury Park Institute in Goudhurst, Cranbrook, Kent.⁵

She was listed in the 1939 Register at War Office, Whitehall in Westminster, London, Middlesex; she was a teleprinter operator and Sub-Leader in the 29th Co, London ATS.⁴

Mary died on 8 May 2002 in Wiltshire at age 89.^6,7

Her will was probated in Winchester, Hampshire, on 20 August 2002.⁶

Peter Astley Cooper was born in Pendeen St Just, Cornwall, on 30 June 1906.^3,4,2
The siblings Peter, John and Daniel were listed in the 1911 census at 8 Trewellard, Pendeen St Just in Penzance, Cornwall, with their parents, William Herbert Cooper and Mabel Kate Fergusson.⁴
He was listed in the 1921 census, boarding at Epsom College in Epsom, Surrey, as was his brother John. The college was a branch of Dr Barnado's Homes.⁵

He was schooled at Epsom College before a medical education at University College Hospital, where he qualified in 1929. He took two trips as a ship's doctor to the Far East before general practice in 1932 as an assistant at Wells next the Sea, Norfolk, where he met his wife.
He joined the RAF in 1935 and was posted to India and the North West Frontier before returning to Britain in 1941, then was sent to West Africa as command malariologist. After a spell as commanding officer at RAF Locking he went to Hong Kong to look for his brother, John, who had been interned there by the Japanese. He became officer commanding the RAF rehabilitation centre at Mongewell Park in 1946, was responsible for commissioning the RAF hospital at Wegberg, Germany, and spent five years as principal medical officer, RAF Transport Command. His last posting was to the RAF rehabilitation unit, and he retired as Group Captain.^6,7

Peter's marriage to Honor Katherine Cattell was registered between October 1937 and December 1937 in Walsingham, Norfolk.^8,9

Peter died on 28 January 1986 in Burnham Norton, Norfolk, at age 79.^10,6 He was buried in January 1986 at the St Margaret's Church in Burnham Norton.¹¹

William Herbert Cooper was born in Plymouth, Devon, on 8 November 1870.^2,3

William's marriage to Mabel Kate Fergusson, daughter of John Fergusson and Jessie Muirhead McFarlane, was registered between October 1896 and December 1896 in Avon, Bristol.^2,4

He was listed in the 1901 census as Head of Family at Stanley Bank in Nether Staveley, Westmorland; a surgeon and physician.
This entry is interesting, as he claims to be single (living with a housekeeper), so it appears doubtful if the recorded 1896 marriage is accurate. Doubly interesting is that the son of William and Mabel (Daniel COOPER) was an avid genealogist, but recorded only the 1896 marriage for his parents.⁵

William's marriage to Mabel Kate Fergusson, daughter of John Fergusson and Jessie Muirhead McFarlane, was registered between October 1901 and December 1901 in Cardiff, Glamorganshire.⁶

He was listed in the 1911 census as Head of Family at 8 Trewellard, Pendeen St Just in Penzance, Cornwall, with his wife Mabel; he was a medical practitioner. Their children Peter, John and Daniel were listed as living with them.³

William died on 29 November 1915 at his residence 'Highfield' in St Just, Cornwall, at age 45.^2,7,8 He was buried on 1 December 1915 at the St Just Church Cemetery in St Just.⁸

His will was probated in Bodmin, Cornwall, on 24 February 1916 with Mabel Kate Fergusson appointed executrix along with co-executor Rev Walter Ernest Holme, of an estate valued at £4448/2/4.⁹

Margaret Ellen Copsey was born in New Zealand on 17 April 1908.^2,3

She married Claude Leicester Shroff, son of Mortimer William Shroff and Bessie Martha Rhoda Clarke, at St Pauls, Symonds St in Auckland on 24 April 1937.^4,1,5

She was widowed on the death of her husband Claude in 1968.^4,1,6

Margaret died in 1991 in New Zealand.⁷

Cleland John Corbet was born in New Zealand on 17 June 1915. He was the son of John Smith and Mary Masterton CORBET.^1,2

He married Lesley Woodwick Traill, daughter of Frederick Henry Wohlers Traill and Ethel Ada Smith, in New Zealand on 11 September 1944.³

Cleland died on 3 September 1983 in New Zealand at age 68.⁴

He married Mary Amelia Janet Bell.¹

Mary Josephine (Mollie) Corbett was born in Forbes, New South Wales, circa 1897.^2,1

She married Roy Mitchell, son of William John Mitchell and Jessie Dunstan, at Sacred Heart Church (RC), Mosman in Sydney, New South Wales, on 2 December 1922.^3,2

She was widowed on the death of her husband Roy on 31 July 1964.^4,5

Mary died on 3 July 1979 at Milton Hospital in Roseville, Sydney, New South Wales.^6,7