David Parkinson's Story.
EARLY LIFE
David Parkinson Cockayne was baptised on 20 July 1880 at Christ Church, Macclesfield, the son of Mary (née Williams) and Alfred Cockayne, a blacking manufacturer and general dealer. In 1881, baby David was living at 86 Great King Street, Macclesfield with his parents and older siblings Margaret (8), Alfred (7), Mary (4), William (3) and Ethel (2), along with a general servant and a nurse. By 1891 the family had moved to 20 Whalley Hayes and also included four more younger children: Alice (7), Earle (6), Beatrice (5) and Frank (4).
David left home and in 1901 was living at 89a High Street, Tunstall, Staffordshire, working as an assistant grocer. Ten years later he was still working as a grocer's assistant but this time at 55 Lawton Street, Congleton.
On 22 April 1916, after joining the Army, David married Elizabeth Steventon, a school teacher, in Wellington, Shropshire. Elizabeth lived with her father George and brother Thomas at 2 Mansell Road, Wellington.
WW1 SERVICE
David attested in Manchester on 30 October 1915, joining the Royal Army Medical Corps and starting his training in Aldershot on 3 November. After 15 months of training and service in the UK he was drafted overseas; he left Devonport on the Hospital Transport ship "Shropshire" on 9th January 1917 and disembarked at Salonica on 30 January.
David was admitted to No 28 General Hospital in Salonica on 25 September 1917. He was later admitted to No. 50 General Hospital on 4th October and thence to No. 65 General Hospital on 19th October. On 1st November a cable was sent to London to say he was dangerously ill and he died from dysentery on 5th Novemebr 1917.
David's death was reported in the Macclesfield Times on 16 November 1917:
SOLDIER'S DEATH IN SALONICA
Pte David Parkinson Cockayne, Royal Army Medical Corps, son of Mr A Cockayne, Ivy Bank, Whalley Hayes, Macclesfield, died from dysentery at Salonica on Nov 5th. Pte Cockayne, who was thirty-six years of age and married, was educated at the Modern School, and in civil life was in the employ of Mr Morris, grocer, Lawton St, Congleton. He enlisted just over two years ago and went to Salonica in January. Deceased was formerly connected with Christ Church, where the flag was flown half-mast on receipt of the sad intelligence. Two brothers are serving, namely Pte Frank, Ches Regt. (in Egypt) and Pte Harold, Notts and Derby Regt (in France).
COMMEMORATION
Private David Cockayne is buried in Grave Ref. 33. of the Kirechkoi-Hortakoi Military Cemetery, Greece. His wife asked for the inscription "THY WILL O LORD BE DONE" to be added to his headstone. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission holds casualty details for Private David Cockayne, and he is listed on the Imperial War Museum’s Lives of the First World War website.
In Macclesfield, David Cockayne is commemorated on the Park Green, Town Hall, St Michael's Church, Christ Church and Macclesfield Grammar School war memorials.
Elsewhere, he is remembered on a gravestone in Wellington Cemetery, Shropshire.
NOTES
Brother of Private Frank Cockayne, who served in Egypt with the Cheshire Regiment; and Private Harold Cockayne, who served in France with the Notts and Derby Regiment. Both are believed to have survived the war.
SOURCES
GRO Indexes: Births, Marriages
Cheshire Parish Registers (Find My Past)
Census: 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911
Army Service Records (Find My Past)
Lives of the First World War website
Commonwealth War Graves Commission website
Macclesfield Times: 16 November 1917
Research by Rosie Rowley, Congleton.
Research by Rosie Rowley, Congleton.