Coop, Leonard Clifford (also Smith)

Leonard was born and name registered as Leonard Clifford Smith in Warwick District in Q3 1888.  He was baptised at Quinton on 10th Feb 1889 by mother Emma Smith and there was no father listed.

On the 1891 census he is listed as Coop as his mother had married Thomas Coop on 7th May, 1889 in Quinton.  His brother John A is also listed, aged 9 months.  The family were living at 42 Mill Street, Warwick in 1891.

The next census in 1901 lists further children – Thomas C (9), Henry (8), William (6) Emily E (3) and Ethel (8 months).  All of those listed, including Leonard, are listed as Coop.  However, we have not found a birth certificate so do not know if Thomas was Leonard’s father.  Perhaps not – as Leonard continued to use the surname Smith throughout his life.

Bu 1911, Leonard was the oldest child of ten children – seven boys and three girls and the family were living at 8 Joyce Pool, Warwick. His father, Thomas Charles, worked as a clerk for a Printers and his brothers John, Thomas and Harry were also at the printers, John was a machinist and Thomas and Harry were apprentices.

Leonard married Ethel Charlotte Mary Smith in April 1915.  They  had a child, Leonard George, who was born on 19th February 1916 in Lambeth but died two years later on 22nd February 1918 in Norwood.  The family were living at 12 Gladstone Terrace, West Norwood, Surrey

Leonard’s parents were living at 45 Brook Street, at the time of his death.  His wife, Ethel remarried – to Clement Arthur Piper in 1920.