Constance Winifred SIMPSON (1896-1969)

RiD No.: 1514

Personal Details

Birth Q4 1896 Bosmere, Suffolk
Census 1901 (age 4-5)
Constance appears in the 1901 census in Needham Market, with the family of Charles Minns, She is age 4, born Willisham,and is shown as a step-daughter, as detailed in the transcript below.

Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
Charles Minns Head Male 24 Offton, Suffolk
Emma Minns Wife Female 26 Offton, Suffolk
Constance Simpson Step Daughter Female 4 Willisham, Suffolk
Reginald Minns Son Male 2 Willisham, Suffolk
Claude Minns Son Male 1 Somersham, Suffolk
Census 1911 (age 14-15)
Constance appears in the 1911 census living at Needham Market (Parish of Somersham / Reg district of Bosmere) age 14, born in Offton, Suffolk.
Her occupation is shown as "Day Girl - Domestic" but at the same time she is shown on the transcript as a daughter to the head of the house, Charles MInns. See transcript below. The original census return has not been examined.

Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
Charles Minns Head Male 35 Offton, Suffolk
Emma Minns Wife Female 37 Offton, Suffolk
Constance Simpson Daughter Female 14 Offton, Suffolk
Reginald Minns Son Male 12 Offton, Suffolk
Claude Minns Son Male 11 Somersham, Suffolk
Roland Minns Son Male 8 Somersham, Suffolk
Violet Minns Daughter Female 7 Somersham, Suffolk
Lena Minns Daughter Female 3 Somersham, Suffolk
Norman Minns Son Male 0 Somersham, Suffolk
Death Q3 1969 (age 72) Ipswich, Suffolk
The death of Constance Winifred Hewitt is registered in Ipswich in Sept Q 1969, and her date of birth is stated on the registration as 12th September 1896.

Marriage and Family Details

Partner? (unknown)
Children Edna O SIMPSON (1916- )
Constance seems to have had a child in 1916 when she was 19/20 years old and before she was marrried to Bertie. As Edna was registered as a Simpson, wew will probably never know the identity of the father. See Other Details below.

Marriage and Family Details

Spouse Bertie COOK-ABBOTT (1895-1930)
Children Leonard COOK-ABBOTT (1921-1999)
Cyril Claude COOK-ABBOTT (1923-2005)
Marriage Q3 1919 (age 22) Bosmere, Suffolk
Marriage of Bertie C Abbott to Constance W Simpson
Bosmere registration district was abolished on the 1.4.1935 to become part of Gipping, Deben, and Ipswich registration districts.

Marriage and Family Details

Spouse Percy J HEWITT ( - )
Marriage Q4 1931 (age 34-35)
Census (family) 1939 (age 42-43)
1939 Reg shows living at 172 Cemetery Road, Ipswich

Other Details

The following information has been received from a descendant of the Simpson family, Roz Brown. The information fits with Albert and Constance well, but the information on Albert's death and whether Albert was the father of Edna, is still to be confirmed.

"I'm sure there will be a link - it's an unusual surname, and I note from your tree that there was an Ipswich connection. But the Cook-Abbotts are not my main line, so I don't have a lot of information. My grandad's eldest sister Connie, [or as I now discover, his half-sister] married a Cook-Abbott - I don't know when, or any dates, or even his given first name, he was apparently known as Bert. He was gassed in the first world war and later committed suicide [poisoned himself] and left Connie widowed. They'd had 3 children [maybe 4?, Connie's first child Edna is registered in her maiden name]. Two of the children were boys named Cyril and Leonard. Connie then went on to marry Percy Hewitt who was a widower with 3 children ... the 2 boys also being called Cyril and Leonard - must have been confusing!"