Sarah Ann Cooper was born as Sarah Ann Hutchins on 31 January 1872, a daughter of James Hutchins and Ann Hutchins. Her birth was registered in the 1st quarter of 1872 in the St Saviour registration district, Southwark. On 30 June 1873 she was baptised at St Saviour's Church, Southwark, where the baptismal register shows the family was living in Dunn Place, Union Street, Southwark, that her father was a cabman and confirms her date of birth.
On 10 September 1876 she was admitted to the John Harvard School, 171 Union Road, Borough. The school register confirms that the family were living at 4 Dunn Place, Southwark, that her father was a cabman but gives her date of birth incorrectly as 3 January 1872.
In the 1881 census she is shown as a scholar living at 65 Orange Street, Southwark, (now called Copperfield Street), with her parents, three brothers and a sister. Her father was now described as a horse-keeper. The 1891 census shows her as a fancy box maker living at 26 Loman Street, Southwark, with her parents and two brothers. Her father was by now a timber merchant's carman. Living next door at 24 Loman Street was William Henry Cooper, a widower, with his three sons and a daughter.
On 22 January 1901 she married William Henry Cooper at Christ Church, Southwark. In the marriage register he is described as a widower and a coal porter whilst she was shown as a spinster. Both their addresses were given as 34 Brunswick Street, Southwark, (now called Paris Garden). In the 1901 census she is shown as living at 24 Loman Street, with her husband and the four children from his previous marriage.
She was still living at 24 Loman Street when the 1911 census was taken. It shows her living with her husband, their two daughters, Lilian Rose Cooper (1902-1976) and Rosina Sarah Cooper (1906-1940), together with a step-son and step-daughter.
The 1939 England and Wales Register confirms her date of birth as 31 January 1872 and shows that she was a widow living at 136B Union Street, Southwark, with her daughter Rosina Sarah Cooper.
She died, aged 68 years, on 10 September 1940, as a result of enemy action when a bomb fell on the Ewer Street air raid shelter. Amongst the others killed were her daughter, Rosina Sarah Cooper, and her grand-daughter Joan Rosemary Lillian Bentley (1927-1940).
On 19 September 1940 she was buried in Square 28, Grave 40398, in Nunhead Cemetery, Linden Grove, London, SE15 3LP. Probate records confirm that her address remained at 136b Union Street, Southwark, and that when probate was granted on 8 July 1940 to her daughter Lilian Rose Bentley her effects totalled £213-10s-0d.
Her name is recorded in The Civilian War Dead Roll of Honour 1939-1945 that is kept just outside the entrance to St George's Chapel at the west end of Westminster Abbey. In this she is shown as living at 136B Union Street Flats, Union Street, Southwark, but it incorrectly gives her age as 69 years, and spelt her mother's surname as Hutchings. as does the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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