Connection between the Boyds and Cockells
Oct 09
All we do know for certain is that Evelyn traveled on the same ship with the Cockell’s. Whether or not they were related is still a mystery.
Oct 09
All we do know for certain is that Evelyn traveled on the same ship with the Cockell’s. Whether or not they were related is still a mystery.
Hello,
I am one of the granddaughters of Allan Macdonnell Cockell, one of the brothers of Lawrie Cockell. The Boyds were related to the Cockells by marriage – Evelyn Boyd was the sister of Lawrie Cockell’s wife, Katherine, known to us as Auntie Kit.
Auntie Kit had one daughter who died very young (I think she was about 5 years old if that) in one of the regular meningitis plagues that would sweep the country. She had no other children. Her nephew Boyd became a Managing Director of a famous tire company – I think it was Michelin – in Canada. You might find a record of him in their archives.
Allan Cockell had gone to live in China after his brother, Lawrie had written to him to tell him of the opportunities over there. Allan himself became a Manager in Collins & Co. He married a person from the French contingent in Tientsin, Alice Braud and they had 6 children before he died very young of a perforated duodenal ulcer while on holiday in Britanny, the country of his wife.
Lawrie Cockell was the Honorary Consul for Great Britain to the Court of Peking. I have a hunch that your photo album would have been put together by him on his journeys, and that the photographer was either Lawrie Cockell himself or one of his staff, who went with him.
I remember that my Grandparents went to Japan for their honeymoon. It seems Japan was a popular holiday destination, although my father’s family would usually go to a seaside resort in China called something that sounds like Chi Wang Tao. So Japan must have been rather more expensive and memorable.
I hope this helps a little. I do have a few photographs, including of my grandparents’ wedding, and might find some resemblances to those you have.
Do you know if you are related to any of these people?
Best regards
Evelyne
Why Evelyne, this is wonderful! Thank you so much for getting in touch. You have confirmed the relationships that we had only suspected and not been able to prove. We thought Kirby ended up in the automotive industry in Canada, too, and now perhaps Karen will be able to track him down a bit further. You know, mystery is addictive and part of me is disappointed to finally get the answers to questions that have been fascinating us for a year or more, but there’s still more to do: we still don’t know what the connection with Wilfred Ansell Argent is, nor how the album came to be lost and then found, nor, of course who on earth was Zalewski! I wonder if you know what the connection with Oxford was (see photos)? It would also be great to see if we can match any of your photos to the group at the end of the album (see high res photo number 4). One of the things that puzzles me about the album is how few photos of people there are. Any thoughts on this?
Best regards,
Peter Winn
Hello, my name is Richard Montague Kirby Boyd and I am the son of Kirby Cosmo Boyd and Iris Anita Boyd born in Montreal Canada 1953. These old photos of my father are wonderful and what a joy to find. My sister, Rosemary E. Boyd has just completed a book about my parents lives and consequent marriage in China spanning from the turn of the century until post world war 2. Fascinating reading that takes you on their trans continental journeys. My father was indeed in the automotive industry until his death in 1975 being the Canadian distributor of Jaguar Automobiles amongst other endeavors. I can obviously put together a lot of pieces to your puzzle and my sister Rosemary has alot of information as well having researched the family extensively for her novel.
Regards,
Richard M. Boyd
Hi, my name is Adam John Tayler. Anita Iris Boyd (nee Tayler) was my great grandfather’s (William Sydenham Tayler) niece. He was always a bit of a mystery man to us because he died just before my grandfather was born and he had no other relatives in Australia – so he was just forgotten, until now. My great grandmother re-married and my grandfather grew up using his step father’s name until he turned 21 when he changed back to Tayler. I’ve read Rosemary Boyd’s book about Anita’s life. Fascinating. What’s really coincidental is that I married a girl from Montreal who grew up in the same suburb where Kirby & Anita settled. We live in Ottawa. Richard, do you still live in Montreal ? Cheers, Adam