Connah’s Quay Cemetery, Monumental Stones Volume 1 Page 44 JR6 – 48
In Loving Memory of Elizabeth, Wife of James COOPER born Sept. 22nd 1831 Died Sept. 14th 1913. Also above James COOPER, born March 22nd 1834 Died July 17th 1915. “Until the day dawns”. Also L/Cpl Ernest DODD Beloved Husband of E. DODD & dearly loved son of Joseph & Sarah DODD & Grandson of the above. 1st 10th Scottish KLR Signal Section, who was killed in action & buried in Houchin, France, June 19th 1918 age 23. “Greater love hath no man than this”. Also in everloving memory of his dear brother James DODD late of H.M.S. BARHAM who was lost at sea off the S.S.NEW PIONEER on the night of December 31st 1920 aged 22 years. “They are not lost to us only gone before”.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission additional information: Son of Joseph and Sarah Dodd, of Garston, Liverpool; husband of Elizabeth Dodd, of 72, Whitland Rd., Fairfield, Liverpool.
There is a marriage of an Ernest Dodd and an Elizabeth Edwards in the December quarter of 1917, (West Derby Vol. 8b Page 511), if this is their marriage, they had been married such a short time, as Ernest was to die in June 1918.
Not on any local Cenotaph, as far as I know, but is remembered on the WW1 War Memorial at St Michael’s Church, Garston, Liverpool as that was where Ernest’s family were living at the time, I assume, in any case, as they were there on the 1911 census. However Ernest enlisted in Liverpool, but he was a Connah’s Quay man and the DODD/COOPER families were born and were still living in Connah’s Quay on the 1911 census except for Joseph & Sarah’s family who were living in Garston in 1911.
No Flintshire WW1 Index Card neither “Fallen” nor “Living”.
E-mail from Margaret Dodd who lives in the Isle of Man and who’s husband is related to both the Dodd and Cameron families, (Cornelius Edward Cameron also lost his life and is remembered on the Connah’s Quay & Shotton War Memorial). Please click on the link to read his story.
“In 1881, in Pen Y Llan Place, Connah’s Quay, another master mariner named James Cooper lived with his wife, Elizabeth, two teenaged daughters called Sarah and Prudence, and a little niece of 7, who was Ellen Elizabeth Coppack. By the next Census in 1891, Sarah was a Mrs. Bennett, and Prudence was Mrs. Abraham Lloyd, with a newborn daughter named Margaret Lloyd.
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It was during this period, in May 1893, when he was 34, that Joseph Dodd married the now widowed Sarah Bennett (33) at Garston St. Michael in Liverpool. I fancy that Joseph may have been staying with his brother William and family, as his address is given as no. 27 Dock Road, Garston. She was the girl next door-but-two at no. 21, the daughter of master mariner, James Cooper. (It is likely that Sarah’s first husband had also been a mariner, and may even have been one of several Bennetts who served on the BESSIE ARNOLD for short periods in her early years, at the same time as the ‘Boy’ Joseph, in fact!). The Marriage was witnessed by William Dodd and Margaret Whyte Cameron, his brother and niece. Small details such as this help to prove, conclusively, that we have the correct Joseph Dodd here.
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Sarah Cooper-Bennett-Dodd apparently had no children with first husband Bennett, but she and Joseph made up for lost time, as six children were born to them within twelve years. These were Ernest, Sarah, Joseph F., Margaret, Elizabeth and Annie May. Joseph F. (as it appeared in the Census) was only two in 1901, (when dad Joseph was at sea and Sarah was living with her parents, James and Elizabeth Cooper in Connah’s Quay) but does not appear to be with the family in 1911. They were by then all living at 15 McBride St, Garston, and father Joseph was described as ‘Ship’s Officer, Marine Dept’. with L.N.W.R. Ernest, then 15, was ‘messenger, goods dept’ for the same railway company. Young Sarah was 14, and by then we also had Margaret, Elizabeth and Annie May. Annie May was born in Garston, all the others in Connah’s Quay. However, the column that was included for the first time in the 1911 census showing the number of children born alive, and the number still living, states 6 in both columns, so Little Joe had not died, according to that. You have later provided me with little Joseph’s baptism details, and find that he was Joseph James, born 6th September, 1898 and christened at St. Mark’s on 19th October.
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Margaret continues – And from the information you’ve supplied, it would appear that they called ‘Joseph James’ by his middle name. At first I couldn’t see the James you mentioned, but reading this again, the baptism details were probably supplied by you, and they explain it all. It’s sad that Ernest’s name is not on a cenotaph, but at least he is remembered at Connah’s Quay. What do we know about the SS NEW PIONEER? I will ask Google. James must have continued in the Navy”.
Margaret tells the story so far but Ernest was to enlist and his UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 about Ernest Dodd confirms the regimental details above and tells us that he was born in Connah’s Quay, he resided in Garston, Liverpool, but enlisted at Liverpool.
His British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Card, 1914-1920 about Ernest Dodd does not tell us where his Theatre of War was nor when he entered it.
I cannot find any Attestation Papers for Ernest to find out exactly when he enlisted nor his time in the Army.
Ernest Dodd in the UK, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929 tells us that the sole Legatee was his widow Elizabeth who was paid £10. 14s 2d on the 9th September 1918 and his War Gratuity of £14 on the 13th July 1920.
His youngest sibling Joseph James Dodd, as can be seen above also tragically died on 31st December, 1920 (was he celebrating New Year?) and there is a description of him in his papers, ironically there are papers for Joseph James! – Description of James:-
Height – 5 feet 4 and 1/4 inches
Chest measurement – 35 and 1/2 inches.
Hair – Brown
Eyes – Grey
Complexion – Fresh
Wounds, Scars, Marks, etc. – Clasped hands on Lt. forearm.
According to the Deaths At Sea register (BT 334) James Dodd a 25 year old fireman, last address 15 McBride St, Garston, birthplace Flint was ‘presumed to be drowned’ on the 31 December 1920.
I asked the Great War Forum for any information on the S.S. “New Pioneer, ” this was the reply. –
[S.S. New Pioneer: post #4] Michael Lowrey – Posted Yesterday, 7th March 2014 06:05 PM
The New Pioneer was a 722 grt steamer built in 1905 by W. Dobson & Co., Newcastle for the Co-operative Wholesale Society, Ltd., Manchester. Official Number: 119596. I’m not sure what happen on December 31, 1920, but it didn’t involve New Pioneer sinking — the steamer continued in service with the Co-operative Wholesale Society until 1939, when sold on to Panamanian and then in 1940 Greek owners. She was eventually sunk as the Assimi by German air attack at Krioneri on April 23, 1941.
Many thanks to Michael, ironically connecting to WW2.
