Ruth Ismena Tindal Cockell was born in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia in 1911. Her father was Teesdale William Cockell and her mother Mary Ismena Cockell (Nee Woodward). Ruth’s father Teesdale with his wife Mary, had embarked from Plymouth on the 4th March 1899 to Sydney. He held the post of Anglican Priest at St Thomas’ Anglican Church, Beaudesert from 1899-1903. In 1900 the couple had a daughter Gewndoline Mary Joan, who was born on the 27th February. Sadly Gewndoline died on the 16th March 1900, aged just over two weeks.
In 1904 Teesdale became rector of St. James Anglican Church at Toowoomba and in March of that year Mary gave birth to a second daughter Margaret. On the 21st December 1911 Ruth Ismena Tindal was born.
Ruth Ismena Tindal Cockell 1921
By 1921 the family had returned to England where Teesdale was Rector at All Saint’s Church, Plumpton in Sussex. Margaret was at boarding school in Brighton but Ruth was only attending school part time. In 1923 the family returned to Australia, Teesdale to take up the position of Rector at St Mary’s Church of England Church at Kilcoy, Queensland. He held his first service there at the beginning of January 1924. Sadly only a few weeks later on 27th January 1924 he died, aged 54, before being able to take up his position as Rector of the Parish.
The Bell Tower at St Mary’s Church was erected in Memory of Rev. Teesdale William Cockell on June 1926 and he is buried in Section 8 at the Kilcoy Cemetery.
Mary remained in Queensland with her two daughters until in September 1926 when Margaret returned to England on her own to marry Moore Dermot Macrory Neligan on the 21st December 1926. Mary and Ruth returned to England in 1932 taking up residence in Midhurst Kent. On the 1939 Census Ruth is listed as “incapacitated” but she and her mother had taken in two evacuees.
Mary died on the 14th November 1952 age 77 and Ruth died on the 18th March 1964 age 52, leaving £8626 to her brother-in-law Moore Neligan. Mary and Ruth are buried together in Carron Lane Cemetery, Midhurst, Kent.