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Cowdrill

C

ClaireHoban

Guest
Hi all,

I am researching the surname Cowdrill. My great grandmother was May Cowdrill (b.1895 B'ham - d. 1956 B'ham); her father was James Cowdrill who i believe was born about 1868 in Birmingham and her mother was Amanda Eliza Gosling.

My Cowdrill's are proving difficult to trace as their name seems to be spelt different at different times; I have found a Mary Cowchill in All Saints workhouse in 1901 along with her two sisters Lilly and Elsie and an Elizabeth Cowdrill and a James Cowdrill so I think this is the family.

May married a Henry Reeves in 1914 and had a daughter in 1915 called Dorothy; however Henry died in the First World War and May remarried in 1919 to Denis Hoban (b.1894 in Capparanny, Co. Mayo - d. 1950 B'ham) at St. Catherines of Siena, Birmingham.

If anyone remembers my great grandparents (i know many of you would have only been young when they died) please get intouch.

Claire
 
Hello Claire,
When I lived in Cromwell St. from 1940 -1953 there was a Cowdrill family living at the back of us, we lived at no. 80.
 
Hi Claire,
Further to my above post, here's a shot from an early 1940's census list showing Cowdrill at back of 79 which was the Cromwell Arms pub.
The only name I remember is their daughter Joyce who had blonde hair.
 
Thank you for that.

The issue is that it seems the name Cowdrill was a popular name in Birmingham in the mid to late 1800s; i do think that they were all connect in some way.

My gt grandmother lived at 115 Moilliett Street in 1919 and then owned a Faggot and Pea shop in Winson Green road.

The problem is my father never met his grandfather and was only 6 when his grandmother (May Hoban nee Cowdrill) died so he doesn't know anything about them.

Claire
 
hi claire, just seen your post you have contacted me on ancestry but not sure if u go my repliy the cowdrill i have in my family is by marriage my gt gt grandmothers first husband was william cowdrill born 1849 his parents were joseph cowdrill 1812 to 1870 and esther bennett 1813 to 1876
kim
 
Hi Kim,

As i said before the Cowdrill's are a complicated lot. I have Joseph in my tree but there seems to be conflicting info on his year of birth on ancestry; one record has a Joseph born in 1809 and one has Joseph born in 1812. There is also conflicting info on his wife; i have seen Etty, Esther and Hettie.

The things i do know are from a wedding certificate i have; my gt grandmother was called May Cowdrill, her father was James Cowdrill and a witness at her marriage was called Mabel Cowdrill. I believe James's father was Joseph Leonard and that his father was also Joseph and he was born in either 1809 or 1812.

If you can shed any light on this it would be much appreciated.

Claire
 
Clare I can't help on your main enquiry, but I would say Etty, Esther and Hetty are all variations on the name and are for the same person.
 
Hello all,

sylviasayers - Yes i thought the names were for the same person but can't be sure.

Wendy - Yes i've already read what has been posted on her about the Cowdrill's, the issue is my gt grandmother was the Cowdrill and she married twice, so people may not remember her as a Cowdrill. Never mind i'll keep searching.

Thanks for all your posts

Claire
 
hi claire will double check my info i believe hetty,etty and esther are one and the same just variants of name i have a marriage date for joseph and esther marriage has 23 sep 1832 at st martins church birmingham
kim
 
the marriage at st. martins is joseph cowdrell to hetty bennett on
23.9.1832

witnesses robert bennett and martha ??ope surname hard to read
 
Thank you all for the posts.

Shera - thank you for that; at least one little mystrey is solved.

There seems lots of info on the other Cowdrill families just not my direct relations. They aren't even on the 1911 census!

Thanks anyway and hopefully with the little bits i can find out on here i may be able to prove that they are all related.

Claire
 
hi, i just got wondering about my surname and stumbled upon this site and thought it was worth signing up for. My name is Matthew Cowdrill, father John who grew up in Birmingham with Parents Keneth and Elizabeth Cowdrill.
 
Hi Matthew,

My gt grandmother was May Cowdrill, born 1895 in Birmingham and her father was James Cowdrill born about 1868 also in Birmingham; other than that I do not know a great deal about the family; however the name only seems to come from Birmingham.

If you have any info to share please do!

Regards

Claire
 
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