Small mystery from 1883. What does this name say and who was Percy Cooke?

[BatsVSBelfrys]

I've picked up an antique jewellery box on my travels - it's very battered and has seen better days but that's all part of the charm I suppose!

Anyway, it has a brass plaque screwed into it. I 'think' it says A D Gough but I'm unsure of the U in Gough. Can you make it out?

Also it was made by Percy Cooke 194 Regent street. (Doesn't add London but I'm assuming this?)

Google doesn't throw up anything - can anyone assist?

Thanks!

Fascinating thread. I’m impressed by the research skills!

Ditto wedding present @TressiliansStone.

What an interesting thread!

@Epicureous I'd love to know more about Percy! And Percy Chambers Cooke is a great name

@TressiliansStone and yes, it could be a wedding gift

Or has to be a date of some note though... wedding, birthday, anniversary. A date that doesn't ever shift

30th June 1883 was a Saturday. Apparently (thanks Google), Victorians preferred to get married on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.

Marry on Monday for health,
Tuesday for wealth,
Wednesday the best day of all,
Thursday for crosses,
Friday for losses, and
Saturday for no luck at all.

I have changed my mind. Not a writing box, but it is also not like a female jewelry box. There isn’t usually a depression like that without a ridge to arrange bracelets around. So more a man’s jewelry box where the depression was for cufflinks?

However, the browsing I did showed that purple velvet was often used to line priest boxes and the depression for those would be for a round case holding sacramental communion wafers. Room for a crucifix, Bible and stole under the tray and a vial of holy water & vial of oil each in the square bits.

Arthur Cecil Gough was a priest as was his father. The initials and dates are done by different engravers so the box could have been in use without one or the other for some time. It might be a hand me down from father to son once he took orders?

I'm fascinated by this thread!

Arthur Cecil’s father, the Reverend Howard England Tunnicliffe Gough, D.D., of Colwall Court, Great Malvern, late Incumbent of Hartshill and third son of Ralph Gough, Esq., of Gorsbrook House, near Wolverhampton, died on 18th January 1867 (before his son’s birth) in his 40th year at Mon Sejour, St. Heliers, Jersey. He was buried there five days later.

Correction: before his son’s baptism, not before his birth.

I feel the key to cracking this case is the significance of 30 June 1883.

If only we could tie it to one of these A C Goughs! I think then we could be reasonably confident of an answer

Ah well - passes the time doesn't it?

I think we should form some sort of history detective club

No takers for my annoying suggestion of A T Gough?

I admit that, on further examination, the extra twiddle on top of the letter is narrow and does not have the broad stroke one would expect if it were the bar of a T.

In a religious family is it a confirmation date?

I've found an Arthur Gough born 30th June 1862, so would have been his 21st birthday.

His father was a farmer of 80 acres in Somerset - I imagine they would have been comfortably off?

The only issue is Arthur doesn't appear to have a middle name

I'm afraid that I have nothing of value to add, but I am completely fascinated with this thread!

She married a Walter French in 1892. They are on the 1939 register, but it gives her date of birth as 10 Jun 1866. I don't imagine her parents would have got her birthday wrong so unless there was an error in the engraving, sadly, I think she's out of the running.

^Picking up my earlier message, the 1901 census gives her age as 34, so that pushes her to the right year. Shall have to do some more looking as I can't find a birth for her registered in 1867, only 1866.

@TeabySea I'm QUITE sure that a fancy stationer such as Percy would never have made an engraving error

So close with her though - and yet so far

Arthur perhaps a good shout

The only thing is that the name and initials engraved appear to be much more finely executed than the date, so possibly someone else involved.
I SO wanted it to be Agnes.

However, the browsing I did showed that purple velvet was often used to line priest boxes and the depression for those would be for a round case holding sacramental communion wafers. Room for a crucifix, Bible and stole under the tray and a vial of holy water & vial of oil each in the square bits.
Are we talking CofE here?

Regarding the different engraving on the box, I have a sewing box that has a similar thing. It belonged to my GG aunt so I am going to make up names just to be safe. May Jones married Mr Bennett, the engraving has May Bennett 1901 in quite fancy writing and then underneath A Jones in quite plain writing. A Jones might be May's sister. I wonder if they used to leave space for extra words as these boxes where handed down so the next owner could add their name. What quite that would mean for the date on your box I don't know!

I think Arthur Cecil Gough was C. of E. - he was baptised at All Saints, Leamington Spa.

Just thought, how about A C Gough dies on 30 June and the date is added to mark his/her death!

@gluggle Thwarted - I cannot find a middle initial for the farmer’s son! It would have been such a good fit…

@Elefant1 Unfortunately I cannot find anyone with these initials who died in 1883. That doesn’t mean there isn’t anyone - just that they’re not recorded on the site I use.