Joseph Cockell
Joseph Cockell was the forth child of William and Mary Cockell, he was born on the 17th June 1875 at 74 Kings Road, Reading, Berkshire. When Joseph was a small child the family left Reading and came to Newbury for a short time, but by 1881 they were living at Enborne Row, Wash Water.

The census for 1891 shows that at the age of 15 Joseph had left home and was living and working as a labourer at Fogger Farm, Midgham. His eldest brother John is shown as being a carter/ farm labourer in Midgham, which suggests they were working together. Sometime during the next 10 years Joseph left agricultural work and was employed as a general labourer by Mr William E. Baxter the proprietor/ publican of the Swan Inn, Thatcham.

The 1901 census classes the Swan Inn as being a hotel / pub and Joseph as being a servant in Mr Baxter's household. Joseph was still working for Mrs Baxter (Mr Baxter having died), 10 years later as shown on the 1911 census, he is listed on it as being general out door help. Mrs Baxter is referred to as the proprietor of a boarding house, the Swan Inn is not mentioned just the address Back Road. Joseph was still classed as being single and remained a bachelor for the rest of his life.

Very little else is know about him except that at the end of his life Joseph was working as a gardener (private) and living with his brother Albert who was also unmarried. The brothers lived at 53 Greenham Rd Newbury; the house which Albert and another brother Arthur had occupied with their widowed mother until her death in 1925. The house next door (51) was occupied by their sister Mary, her husband and son.

Joseph died in the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading on the 26th April 1940 at the age of 64, the cause of death was cirrhosis of the liver.

He was buried in Newtown Road Cemetery on May the 1st in the same grave as his brother Arthur who had died in 1935, the vicar was A. Russell Potts. The grave position is P(M)1.

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