1821 Info 8a for Caleb Crompton - Wm Hnry Cox Jnr

1821 Info 8a: Caleb Crompton
William Henry Cox Junior and his descendents

William henry Cox (crompton)

William henry Cox was born in 1882 in Mt. Jeffcott, Victoria, and it was not long after this that his father, also William henry Cox, passed away. William's mother, Elizabeth emily milner Crompton, was unable to cope with the new arrival and the loss of her husband. As such, she gave William away to her brother and his wife, Charles walter Crompton and Elizabeth Cox. Charles and Elizabeth were, in fact, unable to have children of their own. William's upbringing, with his uncle and aunt, was very tough as Charles worked him very hard on the farm and it is said that he was basically a servant. It is most likely that this was the reason that William ran away at the age of 13. He was living in Victoria at the time and when he ran away he made his way across the desert to Western Australia. William moved around through his teenage years and into his
Above: William Henry taken 9 January 1943

William henry Cox was born in 1882 in Mt. Jeffcott, Victoria, and it was not long after this that his father, also William henry Cox, passed away. William's mother, Elizabeth emily milner Crompton, was unable to cope with the new arrival and the loss of her husband. As such, she gave William away to her brother and his wife, Charles walter Crompton and Elizabeth Cox. Charles and Elizabeth were, in fact, unable to have children of their own.

William's upbringing, with his uncle and aunt, was very tough as Charles worked him very hard on the farm and it is said that he was basically a servant. It is most likely that this was the reason that William ran away at the age of 13. He was living in Victoria at the time and when he ran away he made his way across the desert to Western Australia. William moved around through his teenage years and into his

Above: William Henry taken
9 January 1943

twenties, presumably trying to find work etc. At one point he was stung by an insect on his eye and he ended up losing the sight in his right eye. He was befriended by a tribe of aborigines at one point and he lived with them for a time and they looked after him. After many years he eventually made his way back to Victoria, but not to his family. He met and fell in love with a lady by the name of Alice Jessie Mabel Dobson, a domestic servant born in South Brighton in 1890. Alice's parents, Robert (b.1856) a railway employee and Jessie Cochrane Dobson (b.1860), (nee Carse) of Poowong, Gippsland, South Victoria did not like William at all as he was a heavy drinker and very keen gambler. No doubt he picked up these vices as product of his nomadic life up until that point. Alice was given an ultimatum by her parents: stop seeing William Henry or be disown. Alice stuck to her guns though and William and Alice married on 03 May 1913 in the Dorcas Street Presbyterian Church, South Melbourne. Alice never spoke to her parents again.
Click on the image for a 488Kb full size image.

twenties, presumably trying to find work etc. At one point he was stung by an insect on his eye and he ended up losing the sight in his right eye. He was befriended by a tribe of aborigines at one point and he lived with them for a time and they looked after him.

After many years he eventually made his way back to Victoria, but not to his family. He met and fell in love with a lady by the name of Alice Jessie Mabel Dobson, a domestic servant born in South Brighton in 1890. Alice's parents, Robert (b.1856) a railway employee and Jessie Cochrane Dobson (b.1860), (nee Carse) of Poowong, Gippsland, South Victoria did not like William at all as he was a heavy drinker and very keen gambler. No doubt he picked up these vices as product of his nomadic life up until that point.

Alice was given an ultimatum by her parents: stop seeing William Henry or be disown. Alice stuck to her guns though and William and Alice married on 03 May 1913 in the Dorcas Street Presbyterian Church, South Melbourne. Alice never spoke to her parents again.

William and Alice's marriage certificate 27Kb-gif

Click on the image for a 488Kb full size image.

1821info9a, sheet 2

It's interesting to note that William's marriage certificate records his surname as Cox-Crompton, which he no doubt had because his uncle and aunt were Crompton.

But, on his daughter's birth certificate (Stella May, born in 1922 and married at Marrickville, NSW) and his death certificate he had changed back to Cox. Diane Thorne writes:

[When William henry jnr was adopted he was] given the name Cox-Crompton as his mother did not want him to lose his true identity, and therefore some off-spring were christened Cox- Crompton. The Crompton was dropped when my mother Stella was born.

My grandparents were quite poor people and here, as I'm sure elsewhere, a double barrel name represented a certain status, which I'm sure both of them felt uncomfortable with. Perhaps, when his adoptive parents died, he felt as though he could drop the [Crompton] without hurting anyone's feelings. Although, this to me doesn't seem to be the reason why as he always told of being mis-treated as a youngster and that is why he absconded. He may have even dropped the name because of this very thing!

Uniting Church at 321 Dorcas
Street, South Melbourne - 50kB jpg

Above: The Uniting Church at 321 Dorcas Street, South Melbourne, once the Presbyterian Church.

At the end of his life William Henry Jnr. worked in the gardens of Hurlstone Agricultural College. He died at the College whilst resting on a shovel and telling a joke.

Source: James Thorne, Diane Thorne (James' mother and Caleb's great great grandchild) and information from the marriage certificate.

Husband: William Henry Cox CROMPTON Birth: 1882 Place: Mt Je(ffcot), Vic(toria) Source: Victoria Pioneer Index Ref: 17071 Occupation: Farmer Father: William Henry Cox (1842-1882) Marriage: 03 May 1913 Place: Dorcas Street Presbyterian Church, South Melbourne Wife: Alice Jessie Mabel DOBSON Birth: ?1890 Place: South Brighton, Vic(toria) Occupation: Domestic servant Father: Robert DOBSON (1856-) Mother: Jessie Marie Cochrane CARSE Minister: William Goyer(?) Witnesses: Ellen Caroline Eldridge and Thomas Crompton Forsyth Right: Alice jessie mabel Dobson perhaps taken in the late 1930's, 1940's or early 1950's when dressed, perhaps for one of her children's weddings.

Husband:    William Henry Cox CROMPTON
Birth:      1882   Place: Mt Je(ffcot), Vic(toria)
Source: Victoria Pioneer Index Ref: 17071
Occupation: Farmer
Father:     William Henry Cox (1842-1882)
Marriage:   03 May 1913
Place:      Dorcas Street Presbyterian Church, South Melbourne

Wife:       Alice Jessie Mabel DOBSON
Birth:      ?1890  Place: South Brighton, Vic(toria)
Occupation: Domestic servant
Father:     Robert DOBSON (1856-)
Mother:     Jessie Marie Cochrane CARSE

Minister:   William Goyer(?)
Witnesses:  Ellen Caroline Eldridge and Thomas Crompton Forsyth

Right: Alice jessie mabel Dobson perhaps taken in the late 1930's, 1940's or early 1950's when dressed, perhaps for one of her children's weddings.

Colin william Cox-Crompton

See above. Note he is registered as Crompton.

Source: GW Index Ref: 5580
William Cox CROMPTON
Birth: 1914  Place: Melb(ourne) E(ast), Vic(toria)
Source: Death Index Ref: 28762
Death: 1981  Place: Chel(tenham) (Melbourne) Vic(toria)

1821info9a, sheet 3

Alice jessie elizabeth Crompton

Source: GW Index Ref: 5251
Alice Jessie Elizabeth CROMPTON
Birth: 1916  Place: Melb(ourne) E(ast), Vic(toria)

Walter henry Crompton

Source: GW Index Ref: 28304
Walter Henry CROMPTON
Birth: 1917  Place: Drouin, Vic(toria)

Heather jean cox Crompton

Source: GW Index Ref: 21014
Heather Jean Cox CROMPTON
Birth: 1919  Place: Melb(ourne) E(ast), Vic(toria)

In 2006 Heather was living in Queensland.

Stella may Cox

BIRTH REGISTERED IN NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA							No.35
Date and place of birth	Name	Sex	Father's name occupation, age and birthplace	Date and place of marriage Previous issue	Mother's name maiden surname, age and birthplace	Informant	Particulars of registration
1922 19^th March Wallombi Cessnock Five?	Stella May	Female	William Henry Cox Labourer 38 years Mount Jeffcott, Victoria	3^rd May 1913 South Melbourne Colin W 8 years Alice JM 6 years Walter H 4 years Heather J 2 years Living None deceased	Alice Jessie Dobson 31 years Moorabbin, Victoria	AJ Cox Mother Paynes Crossing	William J Frazer 28^thMarch 1922

1821info9a, sheet 4

Left: Stella and Franks wedding, 9 January 1943

Left to right: John (Jack) Edmonds (the grooms younger brother), Heather Cox, Janet Cox, Francis Edmonds, Stella Cox, William Henry Cox-Crompton, Carmen Cox, William Graham(Gray) Haydon (husband of Heather)

Below: Stella and her bridesmaids

Stella may's bridesmaides 1934 - 317kB jpg

1821info9a, sheet 5

Left: Frank Edmonds, Stella's husband and William Henry's son-in-law. He enlisted in the Australian Air-force to fight in WW2, but was forced to leave because he had high blood pressure.

Right: A young Stella Cox of an unknown date. The photograph shows the Crompton wavy hair.

Above: Stella one week before she died in August 1978. She and Frank had retired a month earlier and moved up the coast to Bateau Bay. They had spent the previous couple of years building their retirement home there. Five weeks after they moved in, she had a massive heart attack and died.

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This page was created by Richard Crompton and maintained by Chris Glass	Version B8 Updated 02 November 2009

1821 Info 8a: Caleb Crompton William Henry Cox Junior and his descendents

1821info9a, sheet 2

1821info9a, sheet 3

1821info9a, sheet 4

1821info9a, sheet 5

1821 Info 8a: Caleb Crompton
William Henry Cox Junior and his descendents