Recently I put into Google the words Borden School and Arthur Wilson, to my suprise the first result of the search was an Obituary for an Arthur Wilson who had attended Borden School in a Journal for the Royal Society of Chemistry 1925 Vol 6.
This is the obituary.
ARTHUR WILSON, who died at Woldingham, Surrey, in his thirty-seventh year, was educated at Borden Grammar School, Sittingbourne, and at The College, Herne Bay, Kent. He matriculated at the University of London and studied for three years at Finsbury Technical College, under Prof. Meldola, to whom he was junior research assistant for six months before he became assistant to Dr. R. Lessing, with whom he was associated fop five years. During the war he attained the rank of Major in the Leinster Regiment and gained the Military Cross. After demobilisation in December, 1919, he secured an appointment as Assistant-Superintendent, in the Government Harness and Saddlery Factory, Cawnpore. He passed the Intermediate Examination of the Institute in January, 1912, and the Final Examination in Organic Chemistry in July of the same year. He was elected a Fellow in 1919.
Finding Arthur's obituary was an amazing stroke of luck and we hardly believed it could be the same person but after obtaining his death certificate which stated his father in Law, H A Cunis was present at the time of death, we sent for his marriage certificate and this confirmed the correct father's name and ccupation which was William Wilson Cooper.
He married an Ivy Madge Cunis on the 16th October 1917 he was 28 she was 24. On the 1911 census she stated she was a Secretary to Doctor.
(We were told by an aunt that Arthur's sister Catherine had married a Doctor so maybe there is a link here that may lead us to Catherine.)
Ivy Madge was the daughter of a Horace Albert Cunis. He was a member of a family of Barge owners in London
They had over 80 barges and were leading transporters of Sand and Gravel and various commodities along the Thames.
Ivy Madge was awarded an MBE in 1920 ...Mrs. IVY MADGE WILSON.—Aircraft Production Department, Ministry of Munitions. Possibly war work ?
In 1919 Arthur and Ivy had a son Trevor Arnold. This is a passenger list of a sailing from London on 13th August 1920, Ivy and Trevor are listed as disembarking in Bombay India
Click to enlarge imageSadly three months later Trevor died.
We have several passenger lists where she visited Arthur while he was working in India.
On the 8th November 1925 Arthur died in Woldingham Surrey... Cause of death Carcinoma of Stomach, operation, Secondary deposits in the liver, Jaundice. age 36.
How sad that he had achieved so much after a difficult start in life and then died so young.
In 1930 Ivy was a Managing Director of her father's business Horace A Cunis Ltd a time when female bosses where few and far between.
Ivy Madge died on the 14 Aug 1976 age 83 She is buried with Arthur at a beautiful church called The Church of St Agatha Woldingham it is a very pretty and peaceful location.
Click to enlargeHer parents Horace and Emily are in an adjacent grave.
After thirty years, in two short weeks we know so much about him which is wonderful.
The search goes on for Catherine.
