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The Cockaynes of Sheffield

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Sheffield Sub-Site

 

William

Cockayne, jun.

Edward Shepherd

Cockayne

Walter Thomas Shepherd

Cockayne

Bagshaw

Cockayne

John William

Cockayne

Born:

05/11/1833, S

1836, S

1840/41, S

1845, S

1836/37, S

Baptised:

 

 

 

 

Died:

07/10/1898, B

14/03/1889, S

13/06/1901, M

18/11/1892, J

08/07/1903, S

Buried:

 

 

 

 

 

Key to locations:

S

Sheffield

B

Bournemouth

M

Barton Stacey, Micheldever, Hants

J

Jersey (?)

 

Cockayne Family Members

 

All the chess-playing Sheffield Cockaynes were descendants of William Cockayne (born 1772/73, died 09/12/1854), who was a Sheffield flax-dresser.  This patriarchal William Cockayne seems himself to have been a son of another William Cockayne (born 16/04/1756, died 08/10/1809), who was a Sheffield breeches-maker.  There appears to have been a William in each of a number of successive generations of the family, which causes potential difficulties in identification.

 

This William Cockayne (senissimus), had amongst other children two sons who set up a major drapery business in Sheffield.  Those sons were Thomas Bagshaw Cockayne (senior) and William Cockayne (senior).  Their business was called “T. B. and W. Cockayne” which became “T. B. and W. Cockayne Ltd.”

 

Thomas Bagshaw Cockayne (senior) had a number of children amongst whom was John William Cockayne, who joined Sheffield Athenaeum Club in 1865, but seems never again to be recorded in Sheffield chess.

 

William Cockayne (senior) had a number of children amongst whom were William Cockayne (junior), Edward Shepherd Cockayne, Walter Thomas Shepherd Cockayne, and Bagshaw Cockayne, all of whom crop up regularly in Sheffield Chess from 1865 or 1866 onwards.

 

Identities of the Chess Players

 

The Sheffield Athenaeum Chess Club treasurer’s records list subscription payments, usually giving only members’ surnames, but where thought necessary also including initials or full forenames.  These records clearly identify in this way the brothers Edward Shepherd Cockayne, Walter Thomas Shepherd Cockayne, and Bagshaw Cockayne, and (only in 1865) their cousin John William Cockayne.

 

Over the period 1856 to 1860, there was listed “Cockayne” without forename or initials, but none other of that surname.  Then from 1861 to 1864 there is listed “Walter Cockayne” in addition to the still-unqualified “Cockayne”.  Then in 1865 and regularly afterwards there are listed “W. Cockayne”, “E. S. Cockayne”, “Walter Cockayne” and “J. W. Cockayne”.  Similarly, “B. Cockayne” (or “Bag. Cockayne”) was listed regularly from 1866.

 

The question arises as to whether the original played named only as “Cockayne” had dropped out, or was one of those identified from 1865 onwards with initial(s).  As it happens, records of the 1862 West Yorkshire Chess Association meeting list as present “William Cockayne, junior” explicitly named as such.  If this matches the treasurer’s records, then the early “Cockayne” would seem to be William Cockayne junior, listed after 1864 as “W. Cockayne” or similar.

 

There is always the possibility that the early “Cockayne” was William Cockayne senior or his brother Thomas Bagshaw Cockayne senior, but there seems no explicit record of either of these older Cockaynes playing chess; also there is never a list including two possible Williams.  Thus it is probably safe to assume the early uninitialled “Cockayne” references are to William Cockayne junior.

 

When Walter pops up he has his forename given in full, sometimes alongside simply “W. Cockayne” for older brother William.  Thus all references to “W. Cockayne” can be assumed to refer to William Cockayne junior, not Walter.

 

Non-Chess Life

 

Gales’s Directory of Sheffield, 1787, listed a William Cockayne, breeches maker, at Bull Stake, Sheffield.  this may have been the father of the following William Cockayne, and if so, was the great-grandfather of the chess-players.

 

Baines’s History, Directory & Gazetteer of Yorkshire, Vol. I: West Riding, 1822, and Gells’ General & Commercial Directory of Sheffield, 1825, both listed William Cockayne as flax dresser and rope maker at 20 Angel Street, and Queen Street, Sheffield.  This patriarchal William Cockayne (“senissimus”) had at least two sons, Thomas Bagshaw Cockayne (1802-1871) and William Cockayne (1806-1884).

 

In 1829 these sons, Thomas Bagshaw Cockayne and William Cockayne, together opened a draper's shop at 1 Angel Street, on the south corner of Watson Walk and Angel Street.

 

White’s directory of Sheffield for 1837 listed brothers Thomas Bagshaw Cockayne and William Cockayne as linen and woollen drapers at 1 Angel Street.  William’s home address is given as 11 Milk Street, but no separate home address is given for Thomas Bagshaw Cockayne who therefore probably lived at 1 Angel Street.  The same directory lists their father as a flax dresser and rope maker at 22 Angel Street, with his home at West Bank, seemingly having moved slightly further down the hill.

 

Older brother Thomas Bagshaw Cockayne (senior) was born in 1802, at Sheffield, and was baptised on 25/07/1802 at St. Peter’s (the cathedral), Sheffield.  On 06/06/1833, at Wakefield, he married Eleanor Hartley, and the couple went on to have the following nine children, all born in Sheffield:

 

Thomas Bagshaw Cockayne (junior)

born 1834

John William Cockayne

born 1836/37

Eliza Ann Cockayne

born 1838/39

Eleanor Footal Cockayne

born 1840/41

Mary Louisa Cockayne

born 1842/43

Charles Edward Cockayne

born 1845/46

Emily Charlotte Cockayne

born 1847/48

Elizabeth Cockayne

born 1849/50

Francis H Cockayne

born 1851/52

 

Of these children, John William Bagshaw joined the Sheffield Athenaeum Chess Club in 1865, but otherwise seems not to get recorded as a chess-player

 

More relevant to chess is the family of younger brother William Cockayne (senior), who was born in 1806, at Sheffield.  This William Cockayne married Mary Shepherd, whose maiden name pops up in the names of their children.  This couple had at least the following seven children, all born in Sheffield, except Leonard who was born at Norton:

 

William Cockayne (junior)

born 05/11/1833

Edward Shepherd Cockayne

born 1836

Walter Thomas Shepherd Cockayne

born 1840/41

Anna ("Annie") Maria Cockayne

born 1843/44

Bagshaw Cockayne

born 1845

Mary Agnes Cockayne

born 1848

Leonard Cockayne

baptised 24/10/1855, St James, Norton

 

Of these children, the eldest four boys became chess-players.

 

The 1841 census found both families living at Shrewsbury Bank, Sheffield, overlooking the Sheffield Midland railway station from the hillside to the east.  The Shrewsbury Bank properties have since been demolished.

 

White’s General Directory of Sheffield, 1849, listed Thomas Bagshaw Cockayne [senior], draper, living at Gatefield House, and William Cockayne, “junior” (explicitly stated as such), draper, living at Abbeydale House, in the Abbey Dale (modern “Abbeydale”, as one word) area of Ecclesall Bierlow, which was then listed separately from Sheffield as such.  It listed William Cockayne, “senior” (explicitly stated as such), gentleman, Clarkson Street, Sheffield.

 

The 1851 census found Thomas Bagshaw Cockayne (senior) and family at an address on Abbeydale Road, Sheffield; this will have been “Gatefield House” which is explicitly named in the 1861 and 1881 censuses.  William Cockayne (senior) and family were listed at Norton Lees, a part of Norton, which is now part of Sheffield, but at the time was in Derbyshire.  The fathers were drapers and the namesake eldest sons were drapers’ assistant, destined to take over the family firm.  John William Cockayne was at boarding school; he became a merchant and by 1881 had retired.

 

It begins to look as though William Cockayne senior split his time between West Bank, Clarkson Street, Sheffield, and Norton Lees, Derbyshire, and that William Cockayne junior for some time similarly oscillated between Norton Lees and some Sheffield address.

 

White’s Gazetteer & General Directory of Sheffield, 1852, listed Thomas Bagshaw Cockayne [senior], draper, living at Gatefield House, Abbeydale Road, and William Cockayne, senior, gentleman, living at West Bank, Clarkson Street, and William Cockayne, junior, draper, living at Norton Lees.

 

It appears from the directories and census returns that William Cockayne senior moved definitively from relatively-central Sheffield out to Norton Lees, while William Cockayne junior moved from Norton Lees into more-central Sheffield.

 

White’s General Directory of Sheffield, Rotherham &c, 1856, listed Thomas Bagshaw Cockayne [senior], draper, living at Gatefield House, Abbeydale Road; listed Mrs. W. and Mr. Henry Cockayne living at West Bank, Clarkson Street; and listed William Cockayne [which?], draper, living at Norton Lees.  It’s not clear why William Cockayne senior wasn’t listed at West Bank, but perhaps this was the time of the apparent switchover between William junior and William senior living at Norton Lees, which is likely to have coincided with the handover of control of the family drapery business from fathers to sons.

 

In 1857 the founding brothers of T. B. and W. Cockayne handed over their business to their respective eldest sons, Thomas Bagshaw Cockayne, junior, and William Cockayne, junior.  This was noted in the London Gazette of 20th January 1857 which stated on page 222:

 

NOTICE is hereby given, that the Copartnership heretofore subsisting between us the undersigned, Thomas Bagshaw Cockayne the elder and William Cockayne the elder, as Drapers, and Carried on by us in Angel-street, in Sheffield, in the county of York, under the firm of T. B. and W. Cockayne, is this day dissolved by mutual consent; and that the business of the said partnership will be carried on in future by Thomas Bagshaw Cockayne the younger and William Cockayne the younger only under the same firm as aforesaid.—As witness our hands this 15th day of January, 1857.

Thos. B. Cockayne.

Wm. Cockayne.

 

At some time from 1851 to 1861, William Cockayne (junior) had married Emily.  These two had at least the following eight children:

 

Florence Ann Cockayne

born 1859/60, Sheffield

Mary Emily Cockayne

born Oct/Nov 1860, Sheffield

Margaret Cockayne

born 1862/63, Sheffield

William Arthur Cockayne

born 1864/65, Sheffield;

baptised 09/03/1865, St James, Norton

Henry John Marsh Cockayne

born 1865/66, Sheffield;

baptised 16/02/1866, St James, Norton

Alfred Edward Cockayne

baptised 28/05/1869, St James, Norton

Francis Ernest Cockayne

born Jan 1871, Norton Lees;

baptised 03/03/1871, St James, Norton

George Frederick Cockayne

born Sheffield;

baptised 20/09/1874, St James, Norton

 

Francis Ernest Cockayne was known familiarly as “Frank”, while George Frederick Cockayne was known as “Frederick”.  Francis Ernest Cockayne became a solicitor.

 

The 1861 census found Thomas Bagshaw Cockayne (senior) and family at Gatefield House, Abbeydale Road, Sheffield, and found William Cockayne senior at Norton lees.  William junior, Emily and family were living at 7 Sandon Place, Sheffield.  Sandon Place was off Broomhall Road, but seems to have disappeared under that name, though today there is a Sandon View in the vicinity.  William’s three brothers were still living at the parental home at Norton Lees, though Edward seemed to be away at the time of the census.  Thomas Bagshaw Cockayne (senior) and William Cockayne (senior) were both retired, while Thomas Bagshaw Cockayne (junior) and William Cockayne (junior) were drapers now in charge of the family firm.

 

F. White’s Directory & Topography of Sheffield, 1862, listed Thomas Bagshaw Cockayne, draper etc. of T. B. & W. Cockayne, with his home at 1 Angel Street, Sheffield, which was the address of the shop; and it listed William Cockayne, jun., draper etc. of T. B. & W. Cockayne, with his home at Sandon Place.

 

Annie, sister of the four chess-playing brothers, married William Charles Rhodes in 1865.

 

Harrod & Co.'s Directory of Derbyshire, Leicestershire &c, 1870, listed William Cockayne Esq. [senior] as private resident at Norton, and it listed William Cockayne, jun., draper, at Norton, under “General Trades, &c.”

 

Thomas Bagshaw Cockayne, senior, died on 21/02/1871, at Sheffield.

 

The 1871 census gave the address of William Cockayne (junior) and family as, more specifically, Norton Lees House [usually simply “Lees House”], Norton Lees.  William’s three brothers were still living at the parental home at Norton Lees, though this time Walter seemed to be away at the time of the census.  Edward was now a draper.  Bagshaw was a merchant and manufacturer.

 

Lees House was a 22-room house situated between Norton Lees Road, Norton Lees Lane and Beverleys Road, on the opposite side of Norton Lees Road from Meersbrook Park.  The house was built in the early 18th century. The only remnant of Lees House is the stone wall opposite St. Paul's Church.  The house was demolished and several detached houses built on what is now called Lees House Court.

 

Mary Cockayne, mother of the chess-playing brothers, died at some time from 1871 to 1881.

 

Over 1876 and 1877, a new church, St. Paul’s, was built of stone at Norton Lees, at an estimated cost of £4,200, of which more than two-thirds was supplied by William Cockayne junior [White's Directory of Sheffield, Rotherham &c, 1879].  The church seated about 300.

 

White's Directory of Sheffield, Rotherham &c, 1879, listed Mr. William Cockayne [senior], Thorpe House, Norton Lees; and it listed William Cockayne [junior], draper, Sheffield, with home at Lees House, Norton Lees.

 

In 1879, Edward Shepherd Cockayne married Mary Florence Clixby.  The couple had at least one child:

 

Edward A. Cockayne

born 1874/75

 

Bagshaw Cockayne had entered a business partnership with members of a family by the name of Fenton.  This proved not to be a good move, except in so far as it put business in the way of fellow Sheffield Athenaeum Chess Club member, Edward Savile Foster, as in 1881 the firm entered liquidation.  (Click here for more detail of the liquidation.)

 

The 1881 census found William Cockayne (junior) and family still at Norton Lees House, Norton Lees.  Edward Shepherd Cockayne and family were living at 6 Tapton House Road, Sheffield.  Edward was still a draper.  Walter and Bagshaw were still living with their father, their now-widowed sister, Anna Rhodes, and unmarried sister, Mary Cockayne, at Thorpe House, Norton Lees.  Walter was a commercial clerk.  Bagshaw was an “unemployed clerk” – or to be more exact, former partner in a firm currently undergoing liquidation.

 

William Cockayne (senior), father of the chess-playing brothers, died on 20/03/1884, at Thorpe House, Norton Lees, and was buried at Norton Cemetery.  (Click here for images of the grave, in which son Edward Shepherd Cockayne would soon be interred also.)

 

Edward Shepherd Cockayne died on 14/03/1889, and was buried at Norton Cemetery in the same grave as his father.

 

At some time from 1883 to 1891, William Cockayne (junior) moved to Bournemouth.  Brothers Walter and Bagshaw, and sister Mary similarly moved away from Sheffield, to Jersey.

 

The 1891 census found William Cockayne (junior) and family living at Finestra, West Hill, Bournemouth.  Brother Walter and sister Mary were living at Vale House, Val Plaisant, St.Helier, Jersey.  Bagshaw was living at Queen's Road, Peny Craig, Jersey.  (“Peny Craig” may well have been more-properly “Pen-y-Craig”.)  William was still a draper.  Walter was living on his own means.  Bagshaw had no occupation.

 

Bagshaw Cockayne died on 18/11/1892, presumably in Jersey.

 

In 1895 the firm of T. B. and W. Cockayne sought to widen Watson’s Walk and create from it an arcade 12 feet wide and 43 yards long between its original premises and those it had procured on the north side of Watson’s Walk.  The Sheffield and Rotherham Independent of Friday 2nd 1895, on page 6, the same page as it happened which bore the announcement of chess-player Henry Davy’s death, announced the decision of Sheffield City Council’s Improvement Committee to approve this plan, which was duly implemented under the direction of Flockton & Gibbs, architects.

 

Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, 1895, listed William Cockayne, Lees House, Norton Lees, Meersbrook Bank, Derbyshire, so maybe he’d returned from Jersey following Bagshaw’s death.

 

William Cockayne (junior) died on 07/10/1898, at "Iffley" West Cliffe Road, Bournemouth.  He was interred at Norton Cemetery.  (Click here for images of the grave.)

 

The firm of T. B. and W. Cockayne was incorporated in 1899, by which time it had expanded into a large department store with its own cabinet-making factory.  This store was destroyed together with many of the company's records in the Sheffield Blitz of December 1940.  The company continued to trade, utilizing various premises in the centre of Sheffield, and in 1949 was able to re-open with the first phase of a new store built on the old site.  The final phase of re-building was completed in 1955.

 

The one remaining chess-playing brother, Walter Thomas Shepherd Cockayne, is elusive in the 1901 census.  Sisters Anna and Mary were living at Limber, Lincolnshire.  It Walter had also moved back to England, as he died on 13/06/1901, at Barton Stacey, Micheldever, Hants.

 

The chess-playing brothers’ cousin, John William Cockayne, died on 08/07/1903, at 54 Endcliffe Rise Road, Sheffield.

 

Emily Cockayne, wife of William Cockayne (junior) died on 17/07/1916, and was buried with her husband.

 

In 1972 T. B. and W. Cockayne Ltd was taken over by Schofields (Leeds) Ltd and the name of the store changed to “Schofields”.  That store closed in November 1982.

 

The premises are now occupied by an Argos Extra store.  The arcade called Watson’s Walk still remains affording pedestrian access to and from Hartshead, which for vehicle terminates there as a dead end.

 

The family name is commemorated in the name of Cockayne Place, which runs across Norton Lees Road in the Meersbrook Bank area of Sheffield.

 

Death

 

Edward Shepherd Cockayne died on 14/03/1889, and was buried at Norton Cemetery.  (Click here for images of the grave.)

 

Bagshaw Cockayne died on 18/11/1892, presumably in Jersey.  Jersey records contain “Testament of Bagshaw Cockayne of St Helier. Dated 29/7/1892”, which appears to be connected with probate in some way.

 

William Cockayne (junior) died on 07/10/1898, at "Iffley" West Cliffe Road, Bournemouth.  He was interred, with the epithet “Jnr.”, at Norton Cemetery.  (Click here for images of the grave.)  White's Directory of Sheffield & Rotherham, 1901, listed Mrs. Emily Cockayne at Lees House, suggesting William’s wife returned after his death to Sheffield.

 

Walter Thomas Shepherd Cockayne died on 13/06/1901, at Barton Stacey, Micheldever, Hampshire.

 

John William Cockayne, died on 08/07/1903, at 54 Endcliffe Rise Road, Sheffield.

 

Chess

 

William Cockayne, junior:

 

“Cockayne”, with no forename of initials, paid subscriptions as a member of the Sheffield Athenaeum Chess Club, on and off, from 1856 to 1864.  “Cockayne” is assumed here to have been William Cockayne junior, but one cannot be absolutely certain.

 

“William Cockayne, junior” played First Class tournament of the 1862 annual meeting of the West Yorkshire Chess Association, at Wakefield.

 

“Cockayne” of Sheffield attended the West Yorkshire Chess Association meetings of both 1862 and 1863.

 

“W. Cockayne” was president of the Sheffield Athenaeum Chess Club in 1863(?).

 

“W. Cockayne, Esq.” was elected to the Sheffield Athenaeum Chess Club committee in 1864.

 

“W. Cockayne” (assumed to have been William Cockayne, junior) paid subscriptions as a member of the Sheffield Athenaeum Chess Club each year from 1865 to 1874 (when available records cease), except 1870.

 

“W. Cockayne” participated in the 1865 Sheffield Athenaeum Chess Club tournament, alongside “E.”, “B.”, and “J.W.”.

 

“Cockayne” was elected to the Sheffield Athenaeum Chess Club committee in 1866.  This was most probably William Cockayne junior.

 

“William Cockayne” played against J. H. Blackburne when the latter gave a simultaneous display in Sheffield in 1873.

 

“William Cockayne” of Sheffield attended the West Yorkshire Chess Association meetings of both 1875 and 1880.

 

An “Abbeydale Chess Club”, which seems to have existed for a while, was probably founded or co-founded by William Cockayne junior.  “Mr. W. Cockayne” played for Abbeydale Chess Club in a match against Wesley College on 15/03/1883.  (See Wesley College Chess Club.)

 

“W. Cockayne, jun.” played for the Sheffield Athenaeum Chess Club in the match v the Rest of the S&DCA in 1883.

 

Edward Shepherd Cockayne:

 

Edward Cockayne paid subscriptions as a member of the Sheffield Athenaeum Chess Club for each year from 1865 to 1874.

 

“E. Cockayne” participated in the 1865 Sheffield Athenaeum Chess Club tournament, alongside “W.”, “B.”, and “J.W.”.

 

“Edward Cockayne” of Sheffield attended the West Yorkshire Chess Association meetings of 1875.

 

“Edward Cockayne” played in the 1877 Sheffield Athenaeum v St Peter’s match.

 

Walter Thomas Shepherd Cockayne:

 

Walter Cockayne paid subscriptions as a member of the Sheffield Athenaeum Chess Club from 1861 to 1867, and again in 1874.

 

“Walter Cockayne” played in the 1877 Sheffield Athenaeum v St Peter’s match.

 

Bagshaw Cockayne:

 

“B. Cockayne” or “Bag. Cockayne” paid subscriptions as a member of the Sheffield Athenaeum Chess Club for each year from 1866 to 1874.

 

“B. Cockayne” participated in the 1865 Sheffield Athenaeum Chess Club tournament, alongside “W.”, “E.”, and “J.W.”.

 

“B. Cockayne” participated in the 1870 Sheffield Athenaeum Chess Club handicap tournament.

 

“Bagshaw Cockayne” played against J. H. Blackburne when the latter gave a simultaneous display in Sheffield in 1873.

 

John William Cockayne:

 

“J. W. Cockayne” paid a subscription as a member of the Sheffield Athenaeum Chess Club in 1865, but thereafter seems to have left chess-playing to his four cousins.

 

“J. W. Cockayne” participated in the 1865 Sheffield Athenaeum Chess Club tournament, alongside “W.”, “E.”, and “B.”.

 

 

Created

20/11/2013

Copyright © 2013 Stephen John Mann

Census information is copyright of The National Archive, see UK Census Information

Last Updated

20/11/2013