Winniefreda Cooper

[sarahjones]

Winniefreda Cooper is my Aunt. She was born on 6th March 1928 in Bowden. Her father was a police constable, Wilfred Cooper, and he was posted to Dukinfield after she was born. They lived at 13 Park Street, Dukinfield. However, I can't find a Park Street on online maps.
My Aunt would like a copy of her baptismal certficate. Trouble is she doesn't know which church or how old she was when it happened! Does anyone know if the local churches have records on line, or is a question of writing to them?
Hope someone can help. Cheers Sarah.

[lindylou]

Hi Sarah with so few specifics it's a big ask but maybe not impossible. Do you know if she was Catholic/methodist etc so some churches could be eliminated. Also are there any siblings born in Dukinfield so a date for her dad coming to Dukinfield might be pinpointed. I can't find Park St either I'm afraid. Baptisms aren't on line but if you can do some eliminating as I say it might not be impossible just tedious!

[lindylou]

Hi again Sarah, I was looking at the image archives available on tameside local studies web site and was stunned to find a photo of the interior of 13 Park St Dukinfield! How about that? The ref is t07863.

[Woody]

Hi Sarah

Just a bit to add to Lindylou's amazing photographic find, and when you look at it, there's a photo/ picture hanging in pride of place above the fireplace which might well prove to be one of your ancestors. That's the exact place my own grandparents hung the picture of my great-grandparents.

I acquired a few old maps of Tameside when I was doing my Polish ancestors’ research so I had a quick look for Park Street. I found it on a 1934 street map of Dukinfield and, then, it was a street running parallel to Wild Street (still there) and perpendicular to Foundry Street (still there) which it bisected. There were about 12 houses on either side of the street.

Today, the approximate line of Park Street would be from the modern houses in Parkin Close across Foundry Street to Chapel View. You’ll find these all places on-line at ‘Streetmap’ or similar, but if you send me a personal message with your e-mail address, I’ll send you a scan of the 1934 map.

While I was in the library for something else today, I also looked at the 1930 Register of Voters which has John Gilbert and Sarah Winifred Bushell living at 13 Park Street. Unfortunately, 1930 is the only surviving Dukinfield Electoral Roll for that era.

Lindylou makes a critical point about religion. The closest church for a baptism would be almost next door to Park Street – the Unitarian Chapel at Chapel Hill (Congregational then). I think the parish church would be St Michael at Ashton, but there’s also St John, off High Street (B6175) on the way to Stalybridge which seems to be equidistant. Somebody else is sure to be better informed about churches than me.

I’m pretty sure your aunt’s birth was registered at Dukinfield as ‘Winnie Freda Cooper’, and that she married in the Altrincham area in 1951. She then migrated by sea from Southampton (where she may well have had roots) to New York on 7 May 1951 on board the USNS ‘General Alexander M Patch’. She arrived in New York on 15 May ultimately destined for 2 Monticello, Maine.