Arthur Cottis

Arthur is an enigma. He is listed on the war memorial plaque at St Mary’s Church, Woodham Ferrers but he did not die during the war.

Arthur was born in 1906 at Bicknacre to Arthur and Hilda Emma Cottis. Arthur had married Hilda Emma St John Saville in 1903 although her birth was registered in 1884 as Saint Hilda E J Savile. In 1911 the family was living at Rosewarne Cottage, Woodham Ferrers and Arthur senior was employed as a farm foreman. At that time, in addition to Arthur junior, the couple had two daughters Elsie Hilda aged seven and Jessie aged six and another son Ernest aged just six months.

Ten years later they were living at Elmroyd in the Street and Arthur senior is employed by Mr Richardson of Birketts Farm as a cowman and Arthur junior aged just 14 years and six months is employed by H Smith, Nurseryman of South Woodham Ferrers as a gardener’s labourer. There had been an addition to the family by then John who was just three months old when the census was taken.

In May 1926 Arthur junior “A coal carter lad of Woodham Ferris was summoned for carrying out coal for sale or delivery from a vehicle without carrying therewith a weighing machine at Woodham Ferris on May 16th” Arthur pleaded guilty but was only required to pay costs. His employer Mr Walton confirmed that scales were provided to Arthur but he left them at home. - The Newsman 27th May 1922

Sadly both Ernest and John met violent ends. On 7th July 1931 Ernest was riding his motor cycle at about forty miles an hour in The Street, Woodham Ferrers, when he collided with a motor lorry, sustaining serious injuries from which he died in Chelmsford Hospital. The coroner returned a verdict of accidental death.

John, a member of the Local Defence Volunteers, was keen on 14 year old Ann Muirhead, the daughter of the local postmaster and it was said that she liked him. However in what would seem to be a fit of jealousy, using a gun that he had borrowed from Frank Richardson, he shot and killed Mary on 27th June 1940 and then shot and killed himself. The verdict was murder and suicide. John was buried in the churchyard at St Mary’s.

Arthur enlisted in the army, at Warley, on 11th August 1924 when, at the age of 18 years and 229 days, he joined the 7th Battalion Queen’s Own Hussars for a period of seven years with a reserve period of five years. In January 1926 he was transferred to the 4th Battalion Queen’s Own Hussars. At the expiry of his seven years service he was transferred to Section B Army Reserve which meant that he could only be called back to the colours in the event of a general mobilisation which presumably happened to Arthur.

During the Second World War the battalion was converted from a cavalry to a tank regiment as part of The Royal Armoured Corps and fought in Greece, North Africa and Italy and Arthur is likely to have seen considerable action assuming he served with the same battalion.

Arthur’s army record shows that he married Catherine Riva Robertson of 29 Drummond Street, Edinburgh, described in the record as (spinster) (scotch) on 3rd July 1925. The electoral roll for 1928-29 shows both Arthur and Catherine registered to vote in Edinburgh but the following year no longer shows Arthur registered at the same address as Catherine.

Arthur was transferred to the Z list reserve in November 1945. Z Reserve applied to soldiers and officers who served between 3rd September 1939 and 31st December 1948 and indicated that Arthur could be recalled until he reached the age of 45 which in his case would have been 1951.

There is no record of Arthur in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records but there is a death recorded in Hemel Hempsted for an Arthur Cottis of 2 Church Street, Bovington who died on 18th May 1959 at St Paul’s Hospital. Administration was granted to Catherine Riva Cottis although she was described as a spinster. The administration was taken out in March 1960 but Catherine was still registered to vote in Edinburgh.

So the mystery is why is Arthur on the war memorial plaque at Woodham Ferrers and what happened to his marriage to Catherine. Is it possible that his parents heard nothing from him after the war and assumed he had died? Is it also possible that, although he appears to have lived apart from Catherine for many years, they were still married and in touch and that she was entitled to his estate?

Arthur’s father died at the age of 90 in March 1962 and was buried in St Mary’s Churchyard. Hilda died the following year and is also buried in the churchyard.