Deciphering the original 1911 return

[Megan Roberts]

Looking for a little bit of help reading something on the original return:
Reference is: RG14; Piece: 33194; Schedule Number: 19
I am looking at William Cousens age 39 (born about 1872) Johnson, Pembrokeshire) – brother in law. Under “infirmity” it says “1 leg amputated 34 years when ?????”.
Any idea what the missing word is?

I haven’t found him in the 1901 census so I can’t check what that might say, and in the 1891 Census, assuming I have the right chap, as this family are very elusive, there is no mention of any infirmity (Piece 4487 Folio 66 Page 3)

[Pam Downes]

I did debate whether the writing in the right-hand column referred to the 'language spoken' or to the amputated leg.
Think it's the latter, and my interpretation is '34 years (old) when amp(u)tant'.
At the top of the infirmity column, it does say 'give the age at which he or she became afflicted'.

Pam

[almach]

Megan, could this be him in 1901 indexed on Ancestry as CONZENS. RG13; Piece: 5119; Folio: 150; Page: 7

I'm sure Pam's interpretation is right.

[Megan Roberts]

Thanks to both Pam and Almach.

I had seen the 1901 census before, but I am not 100 per cent convinced by it, because there are two other possibilities. One is William Henry Couzens born in 1873, and the other another William Cozens born in 1871. The one that you were looking at for me in 1911 his birth is registered in 1872 as William Cozens.

Because of the stated place of birth, Uzmaston, I'm inclined to think that it is the one from 1871, who I don't think is my line, but he could be, as I think he was illegitimate.

Confused? I am - I think I have about 20 different spellings of the name Cousins.

[almach]

Confused? I am - I think I have about 20 different spellings of the name Cousins.

I'm with you Megan as I too have Cousins in my ancestry and yes, they can be difficult to trace due to all the different spellings.

[Jomot1]

If it helps, there is an article in the Evening Express 20 July 1904 that relates to the accident, although the age doesn't agree to the 1911:

"William Cousins, about 40, farm labourer, in the employ of Mr Morris, of Hayston, is under treatment in the Haverfordwest Infirmary for a fractured thigh. He was riding a horse from the hayfield when the animal bolted. Cousins fell off, and, getting entangled, was dragged nearly half a mile by the startled animal".

Then in 1910 there is a longer article about William Cousins, farm labourer, Neyland bringing a claim against the Railway Passengers' Accident Insurance Company and John Morris, farmer of Rosemarket (another paper says Hayston Farm, Rhosmarket). It mentions the above incident and confirms that William had his leg amputated above the knee. He received compensation of 14s/week until May 1909 when a memorandum of agreement was drawn up awarding him a lump sum of £145, but it was never registered. The judge therefore ruled that there was no agreement and William was awarded £11s/week with costs.

[helachau]

Searching "Cozens, Cousins, Cousens" etc. no easy task!! Just to confirm -
The William Cousens on the 1911 Census is the William Cousens, bap May 5 1872, Johnston, parents John and Maria, father's occpn. Labourer? A James Cousens, born Sep 1870, baptised at the same time.
Described as "Brother in Law" to William Vaughan there is a marriage registration for Elizabeth Cozens, Dec Qtr 1883, Haverfordwest, 11a 575 - on same page is a William Vaughan Year of marriage "fits" 1911 Census declaration.

An Eliza Jane Cozens was baptized Jun 12 1859, Johnston, parents John and Maria Cozens, father's occpn labourer. A Mary Ann Cozens baptised at the same time.

Is this the William you are chasing or trying to eliminate?

[Megan Roberts]

Thank you for that Jomot1. Very useful information.

[Megan Roberts]

Hi helachau

You have the right William.

I have just been updating that part of the family tree which I haven't look at for a long time.

Unfortunately William's dad, John and his brother George, who was my gt gt grandfather, both had large families, and very cruelly from a family historians point of view, decided to give many of their children the same names at about the same time. Still it keeps the little grey cells active!

[Megan Roberts]

Thanks to the newspaper find from Jomot1 which I went looking for, as its an extremely wet afternoon here in Lancashire, I found another newspaper article from a snappily entitled publication "Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph and General Weekly Reporter for the Counties of Pembroke Cardigan Carmarthen Glamorgan and the Rest of South Wales" in 1915, about his cousin William Cousins (born 1873) fighting and being wounded in France which told me that he before that had fought in the Boer War. None of which I knew before.

So I went looking for his military records, and what did I find? Both the William Cousins tried to enlist in the militia in 1893, but one of them was turned down as medically unfit as he was missing a toe. It must have been the one that lost his leg in 1904 because (a) he could not gone on to fight in the Boer War and (b) in 1893 his employer was the same as it was in 1904 when the accident occured.

So an interesting couple of hours, unpicking the lost stories of two men, neither of whom married.

By the way the 1915 article, which is the Welsh National Library's collection of newspapers is well worth a read, because I don't think it would be written today, nor probably would it have been written later in the War, as its quite graphic in some of its descriptions, which probably would have thought too demoralising.