Henry James Morrison Cousens

1883_May_4 Birth of Henry, known as 'Harry" listed in 'Domestic Occurrences' in the Times of India

• Entry from Births 1883
• Surname Cousens
• sex son
• Gender m
• Place Poona
• Year 1883
• month May
• day 4
• Exact Entry May 4th at Poona the wife of Henry Cousens Govt Archeological Survey of a son
• Edition Year 1883
• Edition Date 7 May

1883_July_2 Baptism of 'Henry James Morrison Cousens' by Minister J.S. Beaumont of the Mission Church in Poona.

1901 Scottish Census

- Cousens family were living at 33 University Avenue, Glasgow, Scotland.  Mother Marion age 41, Henry age 17, Gordon age 16, Nell age 12 and Mysie age 9.

Henry and his brother attended Allan Glen's - a selective fee-paying independent secondary school for boys in Glasgow, Scotland. The school's emphasis on science and engineering led to it becoming, in effect, Glasgow's High School of Science.

1901-1904 Received a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) from Glasgow University (Structural Engineer)

1905 Indian Service of Engineers (Public Works Dept)

1906, September 14 Married to Margaret (Peggy) Thomson Macphail (22) Spinster. Harry was 25. Certificate - Extract from the Register of Marriages, Church of Scotland, Poona, India - witnessed and signed by "Nellie Cousens" (sister of the groom) and W.A. Light, Captain, and Chaplain Johnstone Wright. States that Harry was 'Assist. Engineer, P.W.D. Poona"

Peggy was a very distant cousin.

1914_08_30 Birth of his son Henry 'Stuart' Cousens - See 'Report made of Birth in the City and Island of Bombay - dated 30 August 1914 (mentions his parents places of birth as Airdrie, Scotland and Poona, India) - Nationality: British (European). Parents: Pure European and Presbyterian religion.

1915 Superintendent Engineer, Poona

1928 - Harry was living in Ahmednager,a city of Ahmednagar District in the state of Maharashtra, India, on the west bank of the Sina river, about 120 km northeast of Poona [present-day Pune]

1913 appointed Justice of Peace, Bombay

1915 Promoted to Executive Engineer, Poona

1932 October - Divorced from Peggy
[Divorce Court File: 3524. Appellant: Margaret Thomson Cousens. Respondent: Henry James Morrison Cousens. Type: Wife's petition for divorce [WD]. 1932 Held by The National Archives, Kew. Legal status: Public Record]

1933 June 9, Bombay, India: Henry (aged 50) married Mabel Robson Miller (aged 37) - marriage record states he is 'widowed' which is not correct.

1935 Promoted to Superintendent Engineer, Poona

1938 August 22

• Henry (55), Civil Engineer, and his wife Mabel Robson Cousens (41) arrived in Plymouth England on the ss 'Oranje Nassau' (Royal Netherlands Steamship Co.) from New York. Their last permanent residence is listed as India and Country of Intended Future Permanent Residence: England.
• [Source Information: Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and successors: Inwards Passenger Lists. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA). Series BT26, 1,472 pieces.]

1938 Retired. Living on pension at Flat 1, Rosefield, Hastings Road, Bexhill.

1939-45 Home Guard (War Service) - C.Q.M.S. "E" Coy 9 Surrey Bn.

1956 and prior phone Directories list Henry J.M. Cousens living at 'Oakridge', Limpsfield, Surrey (nr, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent)

1959_06_21 Harry died at St. Helen's Hospital, Hastings, of a 'Cerebral Haemorrhage' (ruptured aneurysm) and 'Hypertension'. (Death Certificate registered 1959, 22 June - District of Hastings.)

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Medals and Awards

1914-1919 Badge of the Government of India for voluntary war work in India (WWI) 1935 King George V Jubilee Medal 1937 King George VI Coronation Medal 1939-45 Defence Medal (WWII)