Maud, aged 18, possibly taken around 1892 when she left to go into service.
Alice Maud Kate Cogswell:
A Woman's Story
Sheila Bartlett
June 2015
All pictures courtesy Sheila Bartlett
Sheila Bartlett wrote to us from Manchester with details of her family from Box and saying that the role of women was often lost in history. This is her story of her grandmother, Maud Cogswell.
Maud's life was one that many Victorian women experienced.
After limited educational opportunities, Maud spent several years in domestic service (usually based outside the home area to avoid family ties). Service could last a decade and often women looked for a husband when their domestic employment drew to a close. Marriage and the husband's employment meant they often never returned back to live in the family area.
Born at Brookwell Cottage, Box at 3.20pm on 18 May 1874, Maud was the first child of William Cogswell, a stone mason and Leah Reason Cogswell, who was born in Ramsbury. Maud had three younger brothers, Albert, Harry and Percy Mark.
A Woman's Story
Sheila Bartlett
June 2015
All pictures courtesy Sheila Bartlett
Sheila Bartlett wrote to us from Manchester with details of her family from Box and saying that the role of women was often lost in history. This is her story of her grandmother, Maud Cogswell.
Maud's life was one that many Victorian women experienced.
After limited educational opportunities, Maud spent several years in domestic service (usually based outside the home area to avoid family ties). Service could last a decade and often women looked for a husband when their domestic employment drew to a close. Marriage and the husband's employment meant they often never returned back to live in the family area.
Born at Brookwell Cottage, Box at 3.20pm on 18 May 1874, Maud was the first child of William Cogswell, a stone mason and Leah Reason Cogswell, who was born in Ramsbury. Maud had three younger brothers, Albert, Harry and Percy Mark.
Family Background
Maud’s grandfather, Mark Cogswell was one of the first railway signalmen on the Great Western Railway. Because the job entailed working with points, it carried the rank of police constable. From the GWR archives we have found that towards the end of his working life he received sick pay between 1880 and 1884 and on his death in 1905 the company made a funeral payment to his wife Elizabeth.
Maud’s grandfather, Mark Cogswell was one of the first railway signalmen on the Great Western Railway. Because the job entailed working with points, it carried the rank of police constable. From the GWR archives we have found that towards the end of his working life he received sick pay between 1880 and 1884 and on his death in 1905 the company made a funeral payment to his wife Elizabeth.
Mark Cogswell, Maud's grandfather
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Grandmother Elizabeth Jerome Draper Cogswell
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Elizabeth Jerome Draper Cogswell has a traceable family tree all the way back to at least 1500 when a Frenchman named Giles Gerom and his wife arrived in England. Giles made a good living as a fuller in Yattendon, Berkshire and in 1544 when King Henry the Eighth was about to go to war with the French and deciding to deport all French people, Giles received a personal denization (green card) from the King to remain in England. He prospered and had many descendants through to his present day 15xgreat grandchildren.
Mark’s family line also has a long history in Box stretching back to 1669 when his great great grandfather, was married in Box. His father, also called Mark born in Batheaston, married Mary Gay in Box Church in April 1812. Mark senior’s mother, Unity, was the daughter of James Cogswell (born in Corsham District) and Joanna Salter (born in Box) both in the early 1700s.
Mark’s family line also has a long history in Box stretching back to 1669 when his great great grandfather, was married in Box. His father, also called Mark born in Batheaston, married Mary Gay in Box Church in April 1812. Mark senior’s mother, Unity, was the daughter of James Cogswell (born in Corsham District) and Joanna Salter (born in Box) both in the early 1700s.
Centre of photo with long white beard is Mark Cogswell (1819-1905) and Maud is second from the right. William Cogswell is in back row, second on the left, and his second wife, Annie, second left is in front of him. The men are difficult to identify as they all look so alike. Maud is the eldest, born in 1874 so the men can’t be her brothers who are all younger. The photo was taken between 1894 when William remarried and 1905 when Mark died.
Maud's Life at Work
Living in Box was a delight for Maud, she always loved the place but as a young woman she left to find work in London. How she obtained her post isn’t known but from the 1901 census we can see that she became a lady’s maid to Lady Edith Hambro who lived at 33 Eaton Square, London with her husband Sir Henry Hambro, the merchant banker. The couple were married in 1896 so we think Maud was first employed with them in that year.
As lady’s maid Maud was able to use her considerable dressmaking skills and was responsible for Lady Edith’s clothes, including laundering, mending, starching lace collars, dressing her hair and cleaning her jewellery. The household consisted of several other live-in staff: two footmen, two nurses to look after the children, a cook, two housemaids, a kitchenmaid, and a scullery maid. As the family made several trips abroad, including one Grand Tour, Maud accompanied them, in charge of the packing and maintenance of her mistress’s wardrobe and toilette. As far as we know they visited Venice, the Pyrenees, possibly Egypt and Morocco.
Marriage
Maud loved her employment with Lady Edith but somewhere along the line she met and fell in love with Percy Thomas Tew.
Living in Box was a delight for Maud, she always loved the place but as a young woman she left to find work in London. How she obtained her post isn’t known but from the 1901 census we can see that she became a lady’s maid to Lady Edith Hambro who lived at 33 Eaton Square, London with her husband Sir Henry Hambro, the merchant banker. The couple were married in 1896 so we think Maud was first employed with them in that year.
As lady’s maid Maud was able to use her considerable dressmaking skills and was responsible for Lady Edith’s clothes, including laundering, mending, starching lace collars, dressing her hair and cleaning her jewellery. The household consisted of several other live-in staff: two footmen, two nurses to look after the children, a cook, two housemaids, a kitchenmaid, and a scullery maid. As the family made several trips abroad, including one Grand Tour, Maud accompanied them, in charge of the packing and maintenance of her mistress’s wardrobe and toilette. As far as we know they visited Venice, the Pyrenees, possibly Egypt and Morocco.
Marriage
Maud loved her employment with Lady Edith but somewhere along the line she met and fell in love with Percy Thomas Tew.
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Percy was a chauffeur and motor mechanic who went on to join the Royal Navy Air Service (later incorporated into the Royal Air Force) as a mechanic servicing the early aircraft used in World War 1.
He was stationed for some time on Malta.But before that, Maud and Percy were married, on 1st August 1908 at Turnham Green Church, Chiswick. A long way from Box you may think but Maud’s first cousin, Annie Baker (nee Page) lived in Chiswick and Maud was staying with them just before she married. Left: Maud’s wedding party, 1908. Back row: Percy Mark Cogswell (bride’s brother from USA); possibly Mattie Page Haines (bride’s cousin); Front row: Annie Page Baker and her husband, Ernest Baker. |
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Percy and Maud were in their early thirties in 1908 and in February 1910 their only child, Percy William Jack Tew was born. They still lived with Annie and her husband Ernest but when Jack got to school age, they rented a house in Ranelagh Road, Hammersmith.
The family visited Box as often as possible, keeping close family ties with everyone there, particularly Harry and Bert and their growing families. Maud’s youngest brother had left for the USA.[1] Eventually when Jack left home, Maud and Percy moved back to Chiswick with Annie and Ernest, Percy taking over the running, maintenance and cleaning of the house, whilst Maud looked after the laundry etc. Annie was a superb cook and the four of them enjoyed living in the large house in Wavendon Avenue. |
Group photo of Maud Cogswell and Percy Tew dated 1 August 1908, taken in the garden at 41 Wavendon Avenue Chiswick. The marriage was at Turnham Green Church, Chiswick, London W4. It shows the bride’s father: William Cosgswell, possibly Dorothy Van der Ben (bride’s cousin), Lillian Page Cave (bride’s cousin) and Bert Cogswell (bride’s brother)
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Jack like his mother, kept in close touch with his cousins and family in Box all his life. He married Lily Kathleen Firmin in November 1936 and they bought a detached house in Kings Langley, near Watford in Hertfordshire. Jack was a paper buyer for John Dickinson’s at Apsley Mills nearby. They had three children: Sheila, Alan and Barbara.
Percy Tew died in October 1953. Maud lived another five years dying at Jack’s home in Watford in1958.
Percy Tew died in October 1953. Maud lived another five years dying at Jack’s home in Watford in1958.
We are keen to record more lives of the women who were involved in the village or ran the households of the families who lived here in order that their enormous contribution to Box should no longer be overlooked. Please use the Contact tab if you can tell us about the women in your family.
Notes
[1] See article on Percy Mark Cogswell.
[1] See article on Percy Mark Cogswell.
