Jacky and John’s Kids
Henry KOSBAB was born sometime around the late 1870’s. The 1881 Census gives his age as 4 years, the 1891 Census, give 14 years and his marriage certificate 24 years, all of which would give a birth year of 1876/77. Both Census state he was born in Twickenham, Middlesex, but I have been unable to find a copy of his registration.
Henry was born to Louise HU(E)NCHEN and Henry? Frantz? Otto? KOSBAB. Unable to find Henry’s birth registration, I sent for his sister Henrietta’s. She was registered as Louise Henrietta, and born 17 March 1878 at 8 Coles Buildings, Twickenham and her mother’s maiden name is given as HINCHEN and her father as Henry KOSBAB.
The 1881 Census gives the name of the Head of the Household as Frantz. aged 40 giving a birth year of 1840/41 and they are living at 12 Queen Square, Twickenham. Both he and Louise give Germany as place of birth, with Louise adding Berlin. They were actually found under the name HUSBERT, and it looks like a combination of enumerator and transcriber’s error.
In the 1891 Census he becomes Otto! His age is given as 50 – is he Frantz, a twin brother or just telling fibs? They are now living at 93 St Margarets Grove. Again both give Germany as birth place, This time they were found under the name KORBUT, again probably an enumerator’s error.
Otto KOSBAB is then found in 1886 in Hutchings & Crowley Directory and Kelly’s Directories from 1887 to 1888 under the name of KUSBAB, (this is probably due to the ‘o’ being pronouced as ‘oo’), first at 7 Ventnor Cottages, Twickenham then at 93 St Margarets Grove. Otto KOSBAB died in 1892, and the name stays in the directory with Louise and then after her dead in 1897, with her daughter Henrietta. KUSBAB finally becomes KOSBAB with our grandfather’s entry in 1900. He is at this time living at 5 Hampton Cottages, Michels Row, Richmond, Surrey when the name becomes KOSBAB.
Henry? Frantz? Otto? Are they one and the same or are they all different? We have one daughter of Henry and Maud who, whilst very happy to provide Westlake information refuses to help with the Kosbab family! She has stated that to dig up the past will hurt a lot of people. Perhaps, like me, she found the same information and thinks that her gransmother was a little free with her affections. YET it could well be that it was one man and that he used all three of his names. I have read that in Germany boys were often given three names, and these names would all be used. One by parents, another by siblings, and the third by friends and other relatives.
My Gran told me when I was little that our Grandfather’s father had been a ‘Professor’ of Mathmatics at Twickenham University; that he spoke several languages other than his own and English, and that he met his wife, who was a Student at the University. This doesn’t tie in with what I have found, so far. But Gran was right when she said that they were both from Germany. On Louise Henrietta’s birth certificate her father’s occupation is given as Gardener. On the 1881 Census as Domestic Gardener, and a Market Gardener, Employer in 1891. On Maud and Henry’s Marriage Certificate, it is given as Gardener.
According to my Gran, she met Henry KOSBAB in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace, and she said he looked real handsome in his uniform. Henry KOSBAB and Maud Mary WESTLAKE were married on the 4th May 1901 at The Register Office in Brentford, Middlesex. Witnesses to the marriage were Ellise And J Avery. The address Henry gives prior to his marriage is 28 Orleans Road, Twickenham the home of Mr John Avery, and Maud was living at Cedar Lawns, Ailsa Road, Twickeham.
My Dad tells me that his Mum was still working at Ailsa Road, when he was a kid. Cedar Lawns is no longer there, but there is a large cedar tree where the house would have been. 28 Orleans Road is still there, and is unbelievably tiny, but visiting these homes from the past, helped bring the grandma I knew and loved and the granpa I never knew, a little closer.
Henry Kosbab picture is the one at the top left-hand corner of this page, and I have been trying to discover the regiment he served in during World War I. Having spent many long hours going through insignia and cap badges I finally found what looked to be a near match. The regiment has a web site, and I sent an e-mail asking if the badge belonged to their regiment. I have received a reply agreeing that it is the cap badge of The Queens (Royal West Surrey) Regiment. Now we hope that the PRO at Kew has his service record, and that they were not among those irretrievable lost to German Bombers during WW II. If as Gran said, he was in uniform when they met, then there is the real likelihood that there are other service documents awaiting us at the PRO – I have my fingers crossed that he was with the same regiment.
In peacetime, Grandpa Henry was a journeyman house painter, and he died in 1936. This is all the information that I have on him at present, but hope to be able to add information at least about his service to Britain in the not too distant future.
We have yet to find out where Henry Frantz Otto KOSBAB came from in Germany and where he and Louise married. There are a number of KOSBAB’s on the IGI in Berlin and many in what was Pomerania, which is now part of Poland. There are KOSBAB’s in America who have traced their ancestors back to Pomerania, and we have been in
contact with them and with Gerd KOSBAB in Germany whose family also hail from there. Unfortunately we have not been able to connect our family with any of these KOSBABS.
At the present time, it looks as if these brick walls are here to stay. Unless you have the information we need …
