This section will look at the people involved with the schools.

Around the time of the Great War there were 2 schools at Cockfield, the “top school” being the Council School [the County Mixed School] and the “bottom school” being the Church of England School.  Pupils passed from one to the other at will until they reached the age of 13 when they could leave to find work.  Work was usually at the pit, typically Gordon House Colliery owned by the North Bitchburn Coal Company Ltd.  Some pupils did work elsewhere and a few sought further education at Bishop Auckland Grammar School.  Durham County Council was the education authority.

This work researches those on the Cockfield Council School Roll of Honour displayed in Cockfield Primary School undertaken by Rachel Wood with contributions from John Hallimond & KNR.  It is published here with Rachel’s permission.

One additional member of staff, Ambrose Miller Lockey has been identified and teachers employed at Cockfield Church of England School have also been included in this work.  Their full names and the regiments in which they served is given below [or ships in the case of RN servicemen].

Click on the name for a brief account of their war service.

COCKFIELD SCHOOL ROLL OF HONOUR

STAFF

Pte. John Davis Capstick 1^st/8^th DLI 2608,300351

Pte. Norman Wilson Chambers 22^nd DLI 929

Sgt. William Forsyth 18^th DLI 1091

Pte. William Lemmon 12^th DLI 30461

Edward Gray

Lt. Thomas Oliver Hill DLI 16^th/King’s African Rifles

Sgt-Mjr. James B. Salkeld London Regiment 2721, 630905

STAFF BUT NOT ON THE ROLL

Pte. Ambrose Miller Lockey 18^th DLI 319

Cpl. Percival Hunt Nunney 10th Notts. & Derby 18735

OLD BOYS

Pte. John James Bayles 2^nd/13^th DLI 96007

Stoker2 Harry George Buttle Royal Navy K.50318

Pte. Joseph Thomas Buttle 2^nd DLI 95321

Pte. Herbert Buttle RAMC 2001

Robert Chambers

Pte. Norman Clarry Guards Machine Gun Regiment 6049

Pte. James William Clennell Machine Gun Corps. 2020/24302

Pte. John James Close 14^th DLI 32627

Pte. William Edgar Corner 6^th DLI 4117/203856, Royal Engineers 458760

Arthur Davison

Pte. John George Dowson 1^st East Yorks. Regiment 51598

Pte. George Dowson Gargett 1^st/6^th, 2^nd DLI 3600, 12^th Northumberland Fusiliers 35331

Pte. Charles William Brown Hall 2^nd/4^th, 1^st/5^th, 7^th, 2^nd/3^rd, 1^st Lincs. Regiment 202346

Air MechanIc Joseph Wilfred Hammond RNAS & RAF K224506

John Richard Hodgson

Pte. John William Holliday 1^st/6^th DLI 2704, 13^th Northumberland Fusiliers 35320

Pte. Percy Hood 16^th Northumberland Fusiliers 323

William Hunt

Pte. Matthew Henry Hunter 1^st/6^th DLI 3997

Pte. Bertie Kirby RAMC 2^nd Northumbrian 1671

Pte. Jasper Kirby Northumberland Fusiliers 83728

Pte. Jeremiah Cameron Lee 1^st/6^th DLI 3666

Ordinary Seaman Robert Alfred Morrell Royal Navy J86102

William Henry Pounder (Heaviside)

Harold Lawson Renwick

Pte. Frank Robson 2^nd/20^th DLI 96194

Pte. Joseph William Robson RAMC 1676

Pte. Sydney Sams 13^th DLI 78450, 12^th DLI 55832, 9^th York and Lancs. Regiment

Joseph Sewell

Pte. Eldred John Spence Machine Gun Corps. 161830

Pte. Eric Marmaduke Spence RAMC 1682

Ordinary Seaman Richard Redvers Stirk Royal Navy K50317

Cpl. Robert Holliday Walker RAMC 97115

Stevens Walker

George Gladstone Wall

Norman Victor Wall

Pte. Robert William Wallace 1^st/6^th DLI 3974

Henry Watson

John William Watson

James Thomas Williams

Ordinary Seaman Edgar Williamson Royal Navy J78582

Pte. Thomas Edgar Wood 1^st/7^th DLI 277236

 COCKFIELD CHURCH OF ENGLAND SCHOOL

STAFF

Frederick Alexander Archibald Royal Navy M5203

John William Broumley (enlisted but did not serve)

Pte. Norman Christon Prince of Wales’s own Regiment 1^st/5^th 54339

Pte. Joseph Guy Coldstream Guards 23955

Pte. Charles Edwin Hardy Inns of Court Regiment

Sgt. James Halstead Nutter RAMC 64337

John Joseph Sanderson

John Sinclair

Pte. Robert Trewick 9^th DLI 66458

Pte. W. Gordon B. Walker 3^rd DLI 36093