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Kate Antoinette Clarke / Copeland1887-1982 |
This directory contains the information we have about Kate and Anthony Clarke's 3rd child Kate Antoinette.
For details of Kate senior's life, see her own directory.
For details of Kate senior’s very interesting first husband Anthony, including his families with other wives, see the AJCheeper/Clarke directory.
Kate junior's birth certificate shows her as being born on 27 Sep 1887, in Cardiff. Her father is shown as Anthony Clarke, commercial traveller, and her mother as Kate Clarke formerly Davidge. Kate's granddaughter Barbara Sidebotham acquired a copy of the page from the Baptism Register at St John's. It is dated 23 October 1887, and shows the address as 'Shrotonville, Edwards' Terrace'. (This was typical of Anthony's ability to embellish and mislead: after Kate's father died and her mother re-married Isaac Russell, Kate lived in what was probably a hovel, at the northern end of Iwerne Courtney, beside Shroton House).
Their address was shown as 24 Edwards Terrace, St John, Cardiff. On her expedition to Cardiff, Barbara found the street (which seems to be missing from on-line street directories). The even-numbered side of the street has succumbed to redevelopment, but the other side of it is still intact. The remaining buildings date from 1877, so the area may well have been modern and well-to-do when Anthony Clarke installed Kate Davidge and her growing brood there for at least a couple of years in the 1885-90 timeframe.
She appears in the April 1891 census entry as Kate A., 3 years, born Cardiff.
Anne found her Baptism record on 17 Oct 1897 at Waverley Park Mission, Nunhead, jointly with siblings 4-8.
She appears in the 1901 Census entry (page 1, page 2), with her parents, as Kate A., 13 years, born Cardiff. The understanding Barbara has is that Anthony had left the household when Kate A. was 13, in which case his departure was during the latter two-thirds of 1901.
Vivian Watson provided the above photo of young Kate (we suspect c. 1905 at c. 17, and certainly while she was still single). Vivian said that the pendant she's wearing in that photo contains a miniature portrait of her father, Anthony. (So either he was still present in the household at the time, or it was otherwise the appropriate thing to wear for a formal photograph?).
Vivian Watson says that Kate worked for a time at the Durley Dee Hotel in Branksome, at the western end of Bournemouth. (In 2005, the BT phone-book places Branksome on the Poole side of the boundary, and doesn't know the Hotel any more). Vivian says she remembered the visit to England of the German Kaiser. (Brisk research on the Web suggests that Kaiser Wilhelm II visited Bournemouth in 1907, when Kate would have been 19-20).
Vivian found a likely entry for Kate in the 1911 Census (when she would have been 23). A 22yo Kate Clake, born Camberwell, was an unmarried 'Underhousemaid (domestic)' at the 43 Belgrave Square residence of a wealthy young MP, Sir Frances Walton Stafford McLaren (who was killed in an aircraft accident in 1917).
Kate's marriage certificate shows that on 12 Jan 1915, at 27, she married Charles Edward Copeland, of Camberwell (London).
Charles was born at 9 Phil(l?)ip Terrace Camberwell on 31 Dec 1880 (and hence was 34 when they were married, to her 27). His father was Arthur Thomas Copeland, carpenter, and his mother was Mary Ann, formerly Bell.
Their address at the time of the marriage was 33 Acorn Street, Camberwell. Kate's younger brother Edward Bertie was a witness. Charles was listed as a vansman – he drove the horse and cart for the bakers.
Later in 1915, aged 35, he was conscripted into the Labour Corps (a bronchial condition disqualified him from military service), and he spent much of 1915-18 in France. Vivian said that Charles Edward Copeland sustained mustard gas poisoning during WWI, which contributed to his death – although he survived more than 40 years, dying at 80.
Kate's father Anthony appears on the marriage certificate as Bible Maker. (This is the only instance of this occupation; but it is apparent that he tried quite a few ventures, and it's quite feasible this was one of them. Or at least that this was one story he'd told her that she wanted to believe. She had quite probably seen him for the last time at least a decade earlier, at 13-15 years of age).
Kate and Charles had 4 children:
Vivian Watson says that they lived (in the 1920s?) in Collingwood House, Camberwell (upstairs).
They later lived, for many years, at 56 Chester Rd, Watford.
Kate's death certificate says she was the widow of Charles, a carpenter.
But that may have confused Charles' occupation with that of his father, Arthur.
Kate's nephew / my uncle Ken Clarke (b. 1935) may have met 'Nettie', perhaps soon after the War (when she would have been c. 60). They may then have lived at 6 Winkley Court, St James Lane, Muswell Hill N10. Vivian Watson provided this photo of Kate (I suspect from about that time, with Kate c. 60, with Charles approaching 70).
Charles died in 1961, aged 80. (Judging by an entry in Kate's death cert, he may have been living with his daughter Gwen at the time?).
Kate's death certificate shows that she passed away on 25 Jul 1982, aged 94, at 302 Watford Road, Croxley Green. Her last years may not have been all that pleasant. The informant was Peter Jarvaise Watson, son-in-law, then of 21 Bishops Avenue, Northwood, Middx.
Nelson was born at 171 Southampton Way (now Rd), Camberwell on 21 Oct 1915 (the register entry is Dec Qtr 1915 - 1d 1368).
During the 1920s, they lived in Collingwood House, Camberwell.
Kate called him 'Nelson' (given to him because he was born on the centenary of the Battle of Trafalgar), but he didn't like it, and to his family he was Charlie. Vivian said that he went to the Oliver Goldsmith School, and that Kate told Vivian that "Nelson used to climb the Mulberry Tree at the bottom of the garden of Collingwood House, from where he could overlook the wheelwright".
Nelson married Maureen E. Neale on10 June 1939 at Watford.
Maureen was born in New Road, Croxley Green near Watford on 18 Nov 1916.
They moved to 18 Sydney Rd Watford (5 miles as the crow flies east of where I lived in Chenies in 1977-78. But of course I didn't know any of this back then).
Nelson and Maureen had two children.
Charlie died 3 July 1998, aged 82.
Maureen lived in Wimborne in Dorset, and died peacefully on 21 February 2010, aged 93.
2. Gwendoline Iris Copeland
/ Watson
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Gwen was born at Collingwood House, Camberwell, 9 Mar 1926. (Note the 10-year gap in the family).
The photo above, provided by her eldest son Vivian, was taken in 1943, when she was 17. It's available in slightly larger size.
Gwendoline was married on 2 April 1949 at St Michael's, Watford. Her husband was Peter Jervaise Watson. He was a 22-year-old chemist's assistant, she a 22-year-old bus conductress. Their residence was shown as 56 Chester Rd, Watford (Gwen's parents' home). Charles was shown as an electrician, and Peter's father William as a civil servant.
During 1949-54, they lived with Peter's parents in Kensal Green, in London.
In 1954 they bought their own house at 35 York Road, Northwood Hills.
Gwen and Peter had 3 children.
Gwen died 4 July 1983, aged 57, at 21 Bishops Avenue. The cause of death was "bronchopneumonia, lung metastases and carcinoma of the breast (she was a persistent smoker to the end)".
Keith was born 1 Jun 1928.
He married Jeanne Marie Anscombe.
Jeanne was b. 1932.
Keith was a car salesman, and they've always lived in Watford.
They had four children:
Pat was born on 17 Mar 1932.
She was a nurse.
Pat married Don Freeman and had three children, and lived in Croxley Green.
Don passed on in the mid-1990s.
Pat died at 29 December 2003, at 71, of a heart attack, while on holidays at Palma.
This a page within Roger Clarke's Family Web-Site
Contact: Roger Clarke and/or Anne Kratzmann
Created: 4 October 2005; Last Amended: 4 August 2013, 24 Feb 2016 (baptism)
