Name
Elijah Howard Cotton
1887
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
27/08/1918
27*1
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
G/22238
The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ALBERT COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
I. R. 12
France
Headstone Inscription
Elijah has no family inscription on his Headstone
UK & Other Memorials
Letchworth Town Memorial, Hitchin Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin, We are not aware of any memorial in Gosmore
Pre War
Elijah was born around 1887*1 in Hitchin and was christened there on 4 December 1887. His parents were Edward and Harriet Cotton (née Howard), who married in 10 December 1877.
In 1891 the family were living at 5 Highbury Hill, Hitchin. Present were both parents: Edward (32) and Harriet (30), with Edward working as a bricklayer. Their children were: Susie (10), Elijah (3) and Henry at just 10 months.
By 1901 the family had moved to 30 Union Road, Hitchin. Present were both parents, Edward now a foreman bricklayer. Of the above children henry was missing and new children: were: Harry (7) and Horace (6). Elijah was now 16 and a draper’s errand boy.
By 1911 Elijah’s family were living in Maidencroft Lane, Gosmore, near Hitchin. The census recording that his parents had been married for 33 years with 10 children of whom 2 had died. A new son was present, Dick (7).
Elijah had married Emma King in 1911 just before the census and in that they were recorded as married for I month and living in Maidencroft Lane, Gosmore, near Hitchin. There were no children yet, but Ivy May was born 22 December 1915.
Officially Elijah was recorded as born in Hitchin, but living in when he enlisted in Hitchin, Herts.
Wartime Service
He was given the Regimental Number G/22238 and was posted to the 6th Battalion of the East Kent Regiment, which was in the 37th Brigade of the 12th Division of III Corps in the 4th Army.
He was reported as going to France in June 1917, after just nine week's of training. If that was true it was very unusual, and was killed in action in France.
On the 24th August the 37th Brigade moved just to the south of Albert towards Meaulte and captured a strongpoint known as ‘Pear Tree’. By the 25th August the Brigade was east of Mametz and on the 26th August had cleared Carnoy. Further advances were made on the 27th August but the fighting was continuous and the artillery fire severe. He was one of 11 men killed in action whilst clearing East end of Trones Wood, died of gunshot wound.
He was buried in Plot 1, Row R, Grave I in the Albert Communal Cemetery Extension in France.
Additional Information
Wreath on cenotaph in 1919 "in loving memory of my dear brother". The value of his effects were £5-2s-4d, Pay Owing and £5-10s-0d, War Gratuity which went to his widow Emma. Emma was awarded a Widows Pension of 20/5 a week from 17th March 1919.
A newspaper reported his death on 21 September 1918, it recorded that his brother Edward was a prisoner of War in Germany and another son E H Cotton (Harry or Henry?) had been wounded and was in Brighton. Elijah's mother was visiting him when she heard the news of Elijah's death.
*1 The CWGC give his age as 27 when he died, meaning he would have to have been born circa 1901, however in the census og that year he is 3 and so would have been born circa 1887/8.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Dan Hill, Louise Fryer, Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
