We have been given permission to use these family photos by the Facebook page Stroud Valleys Photographs.
The post reads:
“This is a Stroud Family called Cooke of Mum, Dad and 9 children and was taken around 1907/8.
They lived at one time in Lower Street, Stroud and then by1911 Spillmans Road, Rodborough. The children’s names were: Florence (1891), Julia (1893), Charlie (1894), Ivy (1895), Myrtle (1896), Alma (1899), Zina (1902), Martha (1904), Leah (1907).
Some of the girls later emigrated to America and married out there… The remainder stayed around Rodborough with the girls working at the Strachans Cloth Mill at the bottom of the hill.
Myrtle and Zina became famous in 1947 when they were photographed make the cloth for The Duke of Edinburgh’s suit for his wedding to the Queen.
… Hope you enjoy the story and history. Oh I love the dolls as well, can you spot them.”
Charlie Cooke pictured in the family photo was remembered in an interview recorded for Remembering Rodborough. He was a chimney sweep and the interviewee as a small boy had set off in his pedal car down Walkley Hill to meet his father. He was ‘rescued’ and brought back in the sweep’s cart by Charlie.
