James Coward and the White Feather

James Coward (1888-1917)

When you begin researching your family history the experts tell you to interview your living relatives first. The knowledge of our parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents is priceless, and if not recorded will one day be lost forever. The tragic life-story of James Coward (1888-1917) told to me by my mother and grandmother is a perfect example. 

The information I gathered about James Coward, the older brother of my grandfather, unlocked a door for me about those long dark days during the Great War. And after four months of research I was lucky enough to contact some of his direct descendants.

It was shortly after James's funeral in October 1917 that my gran, Ada Coward née Harris (1903-1999) and grandad, John Coward (1902-1966) first met. She later lodged with the Coward family where she would have heard the whole tragic story.

I was initially told that:

"James  Coward worked at the local gas company when World War I began. Because he was employed by a public utility he was excused call-up. But one day on his way home from work, a woman getting off the train dropped a white feather in his lap. This signified that he was a coward and should be with the rest of Britain's young men fighting at the front. James was so ashamed that he immediately joined up. He was killed in action the following year."

As a family historian I was intrigued and had to find out more. It has become the most poignant research I have ever undertaken.

James Henry Coward was born in Islington during the early months of 1888 (Jan/Feb/March 1888 Islington 1b 265). He was the second living child of Walter Coward (1861-1936) and Harriet Coward née Elsden (1863-1947).

Descendants of Walter Coward

We can see James, 3 years old, with his family in the 1891 Census, taken on the 5th April of that year.

1891 Census RG12/143

James and his family, along with both his uncles' and grandfather's family, are shown as living at 69 Rupert Road, a three-storey house in Islington, London.

Walter Coward, aged 29 (my great-grandfather) was the head of the household. His occupation was as a general labourer and he was born in Shoreditch, London. Next is Harriet, his wife, aged 28 - an Ironer, born in Great Wakering, Southend-on-Sea, Essex. Their eldest living son was Walter, 7, who was at school. James, 3, is found beneath his older brother on the census, followed by my one year old grandfather, John. 

All Walter and Harriet's children were born in Islington.

Also included in this household was my great-great-grandfather John Coward (1823-1897), and his wife and family.

Twenty years later, the 1911 Census (taken on Sunday 2nd April)  shows that James and his family were now living at 55 Tavistock Terrace, Upper Holloway in Islington.

1911 Census RG14/10/16

As head of the household, Walter Coward filled in this census page in his own hand. His occupation is still listed as a general labourer, but his age is now 49 and he was born in 'London.' Next is his wife Harriet aged 48. In the section described as 'Particulars of Marriage' we can see that they had been married for 28 years, 12 of their children had been born alive - six were still living and six had died. Harriet's place of birth is recorded as Southend.

James Coward is now showing as 23 years old and working in the 'Mantle Department' of the local 'Gas Company'. Below him is his brother Joseph, 17, working as a 'Bakery Boy' and Kate aged 12. Next is my 8 year old grandfather John Coward who was still at school.

The exact details of James's occupation is unknown. But information in a company leaflet reveals that he worked in Mare Street, Hackney as a 'Mantle Maintanace Fitter'.

Mare Street, Hackney, London. c.1909

What Was a Gas Mantle? 

Before the introduction of electric lighting, a mantle was originally a roll of cloth attached to a gas burner, which was impregnated with chemical salts so that it gave off a brilliant white incandescent light which lit up the room when it burned. Household lamps had two chains: one to turn the gas on, and the other to turn it off. These chains also adjusted the flow of the gas and hence the brightness of the mantle.

An interior gas mantle

There were more gas jets in a street light, and each jet had its own mantle. Shops also had their own gas lights, often placed outside in the street to light their window displays. These gas mantles became an important provider of much-needed street lighting. 

Various street lamps

When the light from the mantle flickered, this was an indication it needed replacing. They were extremely fragile and, once heated, crumbled very easily. So they required regular maintenance which was possibly the 'mantle maintenance' that James Coward might have been involved with.

In 1903, the Institution of Gas Engineers held their first meeting. They had initiated a national scheme of education about gas supply, gas engineering and gas fitting, a part of which dealt with installing gas lighting units on premises of various kinds. The remainder of the syllabus dealt with gas burners, illumination, high pressure gas, street lighting, domestic lighting and mantles.

James was employed by the local gas company. Would that be an occupation too important for him to enlist in the army (as the family anecdote describes)? I consulted members of an online military forum and was unanimously told no. 

So this prompted me to look at recruitment into the army at that time. 

'Kitchener's' poster of WWI

Army Recruitment

For over 100 years Britain had been against conscription, but when war broke out in August 1914, Lord Kitchener, the Secretary of State for War, realised that Britain needed more troops.  He did this by creating a new volunteer army, which became known as 'Kitchener's Army.' Through a hugely effective poster campaign he made a direct and personal appeal to the men of Britain. This included the famous poster in which his finger is pointing out to a passer-by with the words: 'Your country needs YOU.'

Volunteers joining 'Kitchener's Army.'

What followed was massive flag-waving patriotism. Men were promised honour, glory and that the war would be over quickly. Over one million men volunteered (many lied about their age, some being as young as 13 and 14) but soon more were needed.

In August 1914, another 100,000 volunteer soldiers were needed, and by September over 750,000 men had joined up. 

But by mid 1915 numbers were dropping rapidly and the National Registration Act was created. It was a list of all the men fit for military service who were still available. 

Because there had not been enough volunteers to fill the ranks, conscription was introduced on the 27th January 1916 under the Military Service Act. Voluntary enlistment ended. Now all single men (un-married or a widower) between 18-41 could be conscripted. Some men, however, were exempted from the draft such as the clergy, teachers and some classes of industrial workers where their roles were described as 'scheduled' or 'reserved' occupations.

On 25th May 1916 the Military Service Act was extended to married men.

WWI poster

That was the historical background. But what can existing documentation tell us about James's life during WWI?

Why Didn't James Join Up?

Britain declared war against Germany on 4th August 1914. James was 26 and married Laura Sayer at All Saints Church, Tufnell Park, Islington on September 26th of this year (Islington 1b 664). The married couple are living at 15 Grove Road, Upper Holloway and James gives his occupation as a 'Gas Fitter.'

James and Laura's wedding certificate (Islington 1b 664)

As a married man, he would not have been expected to volunteer during the early stages of the conflict. 

James H. Coward

The couple had a daughter, Edith Laura Coward, on the 3rd June 1915 (Islington 1b 252).

Edith Coward

Sadly, the following spring, James's wife Laura passed away from Bright's disease. This is an old term for a disorder caused by the inflammation of blood vessels in the kidneys. She was just 29 years old (Islington Apr/May/Jun 1916 1b 253). 

Laura Coward

Laura was buried in May 1916 at East Finchley cemetery. Her grave is recorded as 20333 section 7, but today nothing remains of her stone, just undergrowth and trees. Her former address is given as Salterton Road, Holloway.

As we have seen, it was on the 25th May 1916 that conscription was extended to married men. But James was now a widow with a dependant child, so once again his circumstances probably would have exempted his call-up.

Descendant of James Coward

After completing this research, my mother gave me the contact details of some of James's direct descendants. They confirmed that in 1916 he was given a white feather during a train journey home from the gas works. We know he worked in Mare Street, which runs north to south through Hackney in London and about four miles from his home in Holloway.

I trawled local trade directories of the period and discovered that the Gas-Light & Coke Company had premises at 129-133 in Mare Street about this time. It was probably during a journey home from this place that a woman cruelly dropped a white feather in his lap.

The White Feather

Below is an interesting article describing 'The White Feather Movement':

"The White Feather Movement was a propaganda campaign in England during WWI to enlist in the army. White feathers (a symbol of cowardice and failure to fulfil their male duties) were distributed by women of the Order of the White Feather to any man they saw who seemed capable of joining the army that was out of uniform. The idea was that men should be shamed by realising women viewed them in this way, and other men would be so afraid of receiving a feather that there would be a great movement of men all over the country being persuaded and intimidated into going the army. The White Feather Brigade was started by Admiral Fitzgerald on August 30th 1914, when he gave out white feathers to 30 women, giving instructions to hand them to men who had cowardly not enlisted in the army.

The idea of the white feather as a symbol for cowardice and disapproval comes from a popular novel written by the British author A.E.W. Mason in 1902, during the Boer War. In the story the main character decides to not follow his troop as they go to fight in Sudan, with a reasonable justification. He receives three white feathers from fellow soldiers, and a fourth from his fiancé, who breaks up with him. He is so ashamed at what has happened, but eager to redeem himself he travels to Sudan, ends up saving his troop and becomes a hero. Proving his masculinity and bravery, he returns the feathers to the soldiers, earns the respect of his father and wins his fiancé back. This story was the base for what the White Feather Movement was supposed to create; they were hoping stories like this would start taking place all over Britain. As a completely volunteer based army, it was necessary to have very powerful recruitment campaigns in order to have enough soldiers. Women were already used effectively in propaganda to encourage men; however this took it to a whole new level. This was a very active campaign that was difficult to ignore; unfortunately much of it brought about negative consequences from the rash and unjust actions of the women.

The white feather was a very effective idea, as it targeted the masculine ideal of being strong and brave. The culture in Britain during WWI put a lot of emphasis on masculinity, and to have women call you ‘coward’ and ‘a disgrace’ was very insulting. This was especially so with the younger men, as, knowing that women viewed them in such a way was extremely shameful. They were basically displaying their disappointment, and that they would not like to be associated with them. White feathers targeted specifically public shame and the disapproval by any potential wives or lovers to scare men into not receiving one."

Peter J. Hart "The White Feather Campaign:A Struggle for Masculinity" - Student Pulse 30 November 2011 

James was so ashamed to receive this white feather he told his family: "That's it, I'm going!" He was determined to join the army. 

James Coward Enlists 

There were rumours that after his wife's death, James felt he now had nothing more to lose (even though he had a baby daughter), but I have since discovered from his descendants that he was engaged to a woman called Florrie.

James Coward in the uniform of the West Kents

James enlisted in Wood Green on the 13th October 1916. He was given the military number 24680 and was sent to the 1st Queens's Own Royal West Kent Regiment. But in less than 12 months he had been killed. He died of wounds received in action on 4th October 1917.

Lord French with Wood Green volunteers 1914-1918

I was given details of the front line position of James's regiment on that fateful day, by an administrator on the military section of Roots.com:

"...your man was just outside of Ypres on the Menin Road and East of Veldhoek awaiting orders to advance on the 4th October 1917. On the 2nd October the Germans (1st Guards Reserve) attacked following a heavy barrage from the artillery and got into the British trench, but were driven back. On the 3rd October they attacked again but only got within 100 yards of the trench before retreating. 

Most of the British casualties of the 1st Battalion came from B Company."

Below is a map showing the positions of the 1st Queens's Own Royal West Kent Regiment 2-4th October 1916.

Position of 1st Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment 2-4th October 1917

More information was given to James's descendants by The Passchendaele Archives project in 2008. They were told:

"The West Kents were ordered to move up to the west of Ypres together with their 13th Brigade on the 26th September. On the 4th October, the 5th Division were in attack at Geluveld. Their aim was to reach the centre of the town of Geluveld.

The West Kents were in the attack just north of the Menin Road, close by the Sheria river.

Why is James Henry buried at Lyssenthoek Cemetery, which is miles from Geluveld? Most probably he wasn't killed in action but died of his wounds. Soldiers who were severely wounded were evacuated to the advanced dressing station or casualty clearing stations close to Ypres and Poperinge. He must have been severely wounded and then transported for surgery to Poperinge, but died very shortly after there. He was buried next to the hospital."

Troops of the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment at Ypres

James lies buried at Lijssenthentoek Military Cemetery in West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. His grave reference is XX. D. 10 

Lijssenthentoek Military Cemetery, Belgium

Headstone details of J.H. Coward

James H. Coward' in the grave register

James was later commemorated along with other soldiers in 'The Co-Partners: Journal of the Gas Light & Coke Company Roll of Honour.'
It states:

"Pte. J.H.Coward died of wounds received in action on the 4th October 1917. Before enlisting on the 13th October 1916 he was a Mantle Maintenance Fitter at Mare Street. A letter has been received from his officer stating that he earned the respect and admiration of the whole platoon by his determination never to give in and his refusal to shirk anything. The letter concludes; ' I cannot express my great admiration and respect for him, or say how deeply we all deplore his loss. Our only consolation, and I am sure you will take a little comfort from the fact, is, that he died as he lived, a man.'"

James Coward was one of over 9 million soldiers killed during the Great War of 1914-1918. There were also 20 million wounded and 359,150 men missing in action. 

Edith Coward

With both her parents now dead Edith, was raised by her grandmother Harriet Coward née Elsden (1863-1947) and grandfather Walter Coward (1861-1936). 

My grandmother, Ada Harris (1903-1999) also lodged with the Coward family about this time, where she learned of James's death. She later married John Coward (1902-1966), the younger brother of James. And my mother Joyce Wait née Coward, vividly remembers visiting her grandparents and seeing Edith.

Edith with her Aunt Katherine Coward

Walter Coward, Edith and Harriet Coward

William Philips and Edith Coward

Edith married William J. Philips at the beginning of 1935 (Islington 1b 218) and Ronald T. Franks in the spring of 1956 (Islington 5c1700). In the early 1990's Edith was finally taken by her sons on an emotional visit to see her father's grave in Lijssenthentoek, Belgium. 

She lived until she was 87. She often cried, lamenting that she never knew her father. All she had was a crumpled photograph of him that she treasured for the rest of her life.

James Coward's Memorial Plaque

Above is the bronze Memorial Plaque issued to James's family after the war. Known as a 'Dead Man's Penny' it was given to the next-of-kin of service personnel from Britain and the Empire who had been killed in action.

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This has been the most absorbing research I have ever undertaken and I would like to thank Edith's descendants, Edna Flipping, Donald Phillips and Robert Franks for their invaluable help. Not only have they answered my questions, but also sent many of the images displayed. 

I would also like to thank my partner Jules Frusher for editing my work.

James Coward's headstone

Hopefully my account of James's life-story will be testament to the sacrifice he made for his country and prove to future generations he was a truly brave Coward.