Chailey Parish
Magazine first notes that Alfred Cottingham is serving his King and Country in October 1914.
In October 1915 he is recorded as Cottingham, Pte A, 1st Coldstream Guards,
France. The following month though his designation is entirely different
and he is reported as Cottingham, L-Corpl A, Cyclists’ Company, 1st Divisional
Mounted Troops.
This information
is repeated up to February 1917 when the parish magazine notes that Cottingham, now a corporal, has been invalided and discharged. However, he continues to feature in the parish magazine. In December 1917 he is reported as a sergeant and his final entry in the final published roll call in July
1919 reads: Cottingham, Sergt A, Cyclists’ Company, 1st Divisional Mounted Troops.
The National Archives
shows two numbers for Alfred Cottingham: 9835 for the Coldstream Guards and 862 for The Army Cyclist Corps. The number
9835 would have been issued to Alfred in November 1912, so he was certainly a regular soldier. His medal index card
confirms that he arrived in France on 13th August 1914 and therefore that he would have been in the thick of the fighting
early on.
Alfred Edward
Cottingham was the youngest child of William and Esther Cottingham (nee Baker) of South Common Chailey. He was born at Chailey in 1894, his birth recorded at Lewes in the December quarter of that year.
The 1901 census
returns show him living at Chailey with his family. The household comprised William
Cottingham, head of the household, aged 53 and working as a tile maker, his 46 year old wife Esther Cottingham and their five
children: James [Louis] Cottingham, aged 16, a brickyard labourer, William Cottingham, aged 13, a brickyard labourer, his twin brother George Cottingham, aged 13, working as a carter boy on farm, Frederick [Samuel] Cottingham, aged nine, and finally Alfred aged six. There were other children too who were
obviously not at the family address when the 1901 census was taken. In aged order they were: Ellen Cottingham (born
in 1876), Alice Cottingham (born in 1878), Emma Cottingham (born in 1880) and Edith Cottingham (born in 1886).
All of the Cottingham
brothers, (with the exception of George who was medically unfit), served during the First World War. Frederick was killed in 1916 on the opening day of the battle of the Somme. The brothers were also distantly related to Thomas Charles Cottingham.
Alfred received
the 1914 Star (and clasp) and the British War Medal and Victory Medal. The rank of Sergeant is inscribed on the latter
two medals.
Sources and Acknowledgements
- 1891 Census of England and Wales
- 1901 Census of England and Wales
- England and
Wales, Civil Registration Index:
1837-1983
- The National Archives’
on-line medal information card index
- Chailey Parish Magazine
- David Lawrence for information
about the Cottingham family
