Willie Cooper (1862-1920)

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An ongoing project to commemorate and research the lives of those who appear on war memorials and rolls of honour in the local area, who served in the military, or whose deaths were linked to conflict.

Willie Cooper was a local architect.

Biography

He was born on 12 November 1862 in Huddersfield, the son of cotton spinner and innkeeper James Cooper (of the Exchange Hotel) and his wife Elizabeth, and was baptised on Christmas Day 1862 at Huddersfield Parish Church.[1]

He articled to architect Edward Hughes in 1879 before starting his own practice in 1886.[2]

He married Amy Louisa Shaw of Marsh[3], daughter of merchant George Shaw and his wife Emma, on 21 April 1890 at Holy Trinity Church, Highfields. The couple initially lived at 36 Honoria Street, Hillhouse, before moving to 44 New Hey Road, Lindley. They did not have any children.

He served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment during the early stages of the First World War before being "appointed a director of Admiralty shipyard labour in the North-Westtern District".[4]

Willie Cooper, of 4 Kirkgate Buildings, died aged 58 on 18 December 1920 at Huddersfield Surgical Home, Bradley Lane, and was buried at Edgerton Cemetery on 22 December. His estate was valued at £13,309 2s. 3d.

Selected Works

  • Sunday schools for Moldgreen Congregational Church (1890)
  • Huddersfield Parish Church Parochial Hall (1893)
  • Drill Hall, St. Paul's Street, Huddersfield (1899-1900)
  • restoration of Christ Church, Woodhouse Hill (1900)
  • conversion of Riding School, Ramsden Street, Huddersfield, into the Hippodrome Theatre (opened 1905)
  • St. Paul's School, St. Paul's Street, Huddersfield (1906-07)
  • Kirkgate Inn, Kirkgate, Huddersfield (1909-11)
  • Lindley Moor Crippled Children's Holiday Home (opened 1915)

Huddersfield's Roll of Honour: 1914-1922

The following extract is from Huddersfield's Roll of Honour: 1914-1922 (2014) by J. Margaret Stansfield:

COOPER, WILLIE, OBE VD. Lieutenant-Colonel. 5th Battalion Duke of Wellington's Regiment. Son of James Cooper of Huddersfield. Husband of the late Amy Louisa Cooper, 107 Spring Bank Road, Huddersfield. Died at home, 18.12.1920, aged 58 years. Buried EDGERTON CEMETERY, HUDDERSFIELD. Grave location:- 53, 'C', 7.

Links

Notes and References

  1. ↑ His baptismal record records the name as "Willey Cooper".
  2. ↑ Chris Marden's list of Huddersfield Architects.
  3. ↑ Born 26 April 1863 and baptised 30 April 1864 at St. Paul's Church, Huddersfield.
  4. ↑ "Military Appointment" in Huddersfield Daily Examiner (15/Nov/1915) and "Territorial Officer Dead" in Leeds Mercury (20/Dec/1920).