Albert Edward Cock-Collins, SV/PROG

In brief: Albert was born with the surname Cock, but adopted his sister Emily's married name (Collins) when he joined the army in England (1890), and then later (in South Africa), changed it to Cock-Collins, sometime before the baptism of his first son in 1901.

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Actual birth certificate (obtained from GRO - see under Sources) shows DOB - 5 October 1871 - and birth address. It is shown as Victoria Place, which concurs with the information given on a census record about his parents running at the Ship Inn. District of Kenwyn, Truro, Cornwall. Father: James Cock. Mother: Emily Cock, nee Woollcott. Father's occ.: accountant. (See parents' entries for more on their movements.)
Entry in GRO index:
COCK, ALBERT EDWARD (mmn) WOOLLCOTT
GRO Reference: 1871 D Quarter in TRURO Volume 05C Page 171

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"... the ‘Ship Inn’ (later the ‘Victoria Inn’) was a wrestling Inn with bouts taking place on Caribee Island, later the fairground field and Moorfield." - http://cornishstory.com/public-houses-and-taverns-of-truro/
A longer article about this and other pubs in Truro, by the same author, can be found here: http://bit.ly/2znGaG6. The Ship, later Victoria Hotel, was at 5 Victoria Place, now Victoria Square, and Moorfields now a multi-storey car park. A photo of the Victoria Hotel in Victorian times is shown in the article above, and its current day use is the Moshulu Shoe Shop, seen here: http://bit.ly/2znGaG6

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Baptism in Hatcham, aged 3: "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NTYD-FH7 : 30 December 2014, Albert Edward Cock, 05 Oct 1871); citing Hatcham, Surrey, England, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 2,214,588.

Further details from Rootschat: Albert Edward Cock born 5th October 1871; Bp 11th May 1875 St James Hatcham Surrey; fa James Cock, occ commercial traveller; ma Emily, abode 9 Walpole Street. Walpole St was renamed Pagnell St in 1912. (Place of birth not shown.)"

St James, Hatcham, New Cross: Now in the borough of Lewisham. The church has since been rebuilt, but the old building can be seen here: https://goo.gl/maps/fHY4qxnpzVM2, where the street view (Oct 2017) shows restoration work being done, and a Goldsmiths College (University of London) sign. This document (also downloaded) documents the history of the building: http://southwark.anglican.org/downloads/lostchurches/HAT01.pdf - orginally designed by architect WLB Granville and built in 1854. More on Hatcham here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatcham.

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From Rootschat: Albert Edward Collins served in the Bechuanaland Border Police during the Matabele Campaign from 18/10/1893 to 2/3/1894. His next of kin when he enlisted was given as a sister, Mrs. Kate Cox, 82 St. James Road, Forest Gate, London (regn district for Forest Gate is West Ham). Note that his address may have been updated at any point during his years of service.
The 1891 census for York Infantry Barracks has Andrew Collins, private, aged 20, born Kerwin Cornwall. This must be Albert.
The family at 82 St James Road in 1891 was that of Robert Pearson... Cornwall connection. Robert Pearson's wife Jeanette (nee Barns) was born in St Germans, Cornwall in 1845 (birth registered as Jennet Wooding Barns, mmn Woodward).

This information led to finding his enlistment form (attached as a source), dated 1st May 1890, when Albert enrolled as Albert Edward Collins, aged 18 years and 6 months, as a private in the Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment in Halifax, Yorkshire.
The form is a “Short Service” form, meaning that he signs up for 7 years with the Colours, and another 5 years in the Reserve. This would mean that he’d finish his active service in May 1897, but stay in reserve for a further 5 years (to 1902). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_of_Wellington%27s_Regiment.
http://www.dwr.org.uk/history

There is a story here about a member of this regiment called Henry Daniel Bance, who also served with the Bechuanaland Border Police in the First Matabele War and a different unit in the Second Matabele War (1896-7). http://www.soldiersofthequeen.com/Canada-DukeofWellingtonsAlbumGrou... (It seems that several members of the DWR may have volunteered to serve with the Bechuanaland Border Police.)

Further army and other records were later obtained from FindMyPast website and via a private researcher from the archives in Cape Town. Most of his movements are now recorded as events - see Timeline.

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Resigning from the army in mid-1895 at Pietermaritzburg, he travelled to the Cape and joined the Cape Police, and thereafter lived in Rondebosch.

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At the baptism of his first son in May 1901 at St Paul's Church in Rondebosch, Cape Town : parents listed as Albert Edward and Martha Emily Cock-Collins; occupation Constable. Witnesses Sarah Witney, Frank Dennison and Robert Witney. (Records are found for Sarah and Robert Witney in Cape Town, but the only Frank Dennisons on FS are in England. ??)

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Albert and Martha's son Cecil was born in West Ham (London) in July 1904, when they were visiting his sister Kate (aka Emily Kate). Cecil was born at 20 Corporation St., West Ham (Plaistow). Martha's address on Cecils' birth certificate is given as 146 Caistor Park Rd, Plaistow.

(Possible Cornwall connection (from Rootschat): Arthur Kilonback moved to 146 Caistor Park Road sometime between 1901 and 1911. His wife Ellen (born Ellen Leavers circa 1860) was from Liskeard in Cornwall. But haven't found a connection to Kilonbacks as yet.

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Information on son Leslie's baptism record says Albert was a "Constable"; on Edward's, "Sergeant"; on Cecil's birth certificate, "Police inspector". All names are shown as Cock-Collins.

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He died on July 11, 1915. Death notice attached as a source, and can be seen here: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSQX-9969-Y?i=271&...
A cottage can be seen still standing today (2017) at 29 Falmouth Rd, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925, the address given as his last residence.

A full set of L&D (Liquidation & Distribution of the estate) records have been obtained and kept separately.

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Buried at St Peter's Cemetery in Mowbray, Cape Town, with his wife Martha.

This record gives date and address of death as well as a grave reference: http://www.ancestors.co.za/database/member/st-peters-view.php?q=1634 Died July 11, 1915, aged 43.

It appears that the graves were moved to a "Garden of Remembrance" in 1998, with most of the 10,000 exhumed remains buried in the new site and remembered on a large cube.
http://www.eggsa.org/library/main.php?g2_itemId=276984
http://www.eggsa.org/library/main.php?g2_itemId=174978 (gated entrance to garden)
http://www.eggsa.org/library/main.php?g2_itemId=278785 (plaque about 1998 move)
http://www.eggsa.org/library/main.php?g2_itemId=3324978 (Cock-Collins surname at top of 3rd column on cube).

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Granddaughter Helen E Cock-Collins thought that he died of diabetes mellitus in Cape Town in 1915 aged 43, but cause of death is not recorded on the DN.

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