Emma Louisa Cogman My Grandmother

Emma Louisa Cogman

Compiled and Edited by W. Craig Burrell

Key Points

Born: 28 April 1873, Norwich, Norfolk, England

Parents: John Cogman and Louisa Colman

Spouse: Alfred Burrell Sr. Married 11 April 1898, Norwich, Norfolk, England

Emigrated to Utah: 7 May 1937

Death: 25 August 1961, Salt Lake City, Utah

Growing up in the Cogman Family

            Emma Louisa Cogman was one of fourteen children born to John Cogman and Louisa Colman. She was born on 28 April 1873 being the sixth child in the family. Her father was a carpenter. He was involved in contracting work and building. Also he made a lot of coffins. Her mother had an even disposition and was an excellent seamstress. It was said that she seldom went out of her home. Needless to say, with her large family she probably didn’t have the opportunity to leave.

            They lived at 17 Reads Buildings, Globe Street near Rupert Street at Norwich. In those days this area was not heavily populated. She started school in a small Mission Hall before a regular school was built in the area. She attended the Crooks Place School until she was thirteen years old.

            The Cogman children were a jolly crowd and they enjoyed family life together. The family was not at all straight laced in their manners and customs. However, they did have their serious moments. The Sabbath day was observed in their home, not by strict church attendance, but by refraining from strenuous games and activities.

            Not all of Emma’s siblings lived to adulthood. When a baby died in many nineteenth century English families the next baby born received the same name. This was the case in the Cogman family, and it can be confusing for genealogy. Louisa (1867) and Emma (1869) died as infants. Edward (1884) was a twin and died as an infant. Robert (1876) died at the age of four of Typhus fever. Each of their names was used later for another child.

            The Cogman family was very talented musically and they all had a sense of humor. Ernest (1864) was very handy with tools and general building work, and he started working with his father at an early age. Charles (1865) was a very jovial boy and Emma’s favorite older brother. He always took her part when there were problems or quarrels in the family. Louisa (1871) was very close to Emma. She is the one that taught Emma how to pray and encouraged her to attend the Episcopal Church. She had a beautiful singing voice and sang with the Salvation Army.

            Emma had several younger brothers and sisters. Henry (1874) was not one of Emma’s favorite brothers. She said that he had a bad temper. He was quarrelsome and stirred things up in the family. Robert (1876) was a real comedian. Alice (1879) could play any tune on the piano. If you could hum a tune; she could play it. John (1880), who was usually called Jack, was not well understood by the other members of the family. Emma was inspired in a special dream to do his temple work after he died.

            Emma tended to spoil her youngest brothers Walter Sidney (1884) and Edward (1886), who were her favorites. Christmas was a special holiday. Emma and Louie (Louisa) would make special preparations for decorating the tree. Emma would provide special treats for Walter and Edward including clothes to wear and toys to play with.

            Kate (1890) had the nickname of Kitty. She had a happy, jovial personality and liked to entertain Emma and Alfred when they were courting in the parlor.

            The family would entertain themselves with music and comedy. There was no television or radio or even record players. When traveling musical shows came through town, they would learn some new songs. Some of the brothers played instruments. They brought the new music and songs home to add to their entertainment there.

            On a fine day Emma and Louie would make a picnic lunch and take the younger children to the ‘Bluebell Hole’ for an excursion. Open fields were within walking distance from their home.

            Emma loved to sing and recite poems. As an eighty year old woman, she could still recite the poems and sing the songs she learned as a little girl. She loved to play games and at times was a little mischievous.   

            One time she noticed a commotion in front of the house. Two boys had been playing marbles in front of the little front porch. They were fighting and she took the opportunity to slip out and steal all of their marbles. She slipped back into the house without them noticing. When the boys finished with their fight they started looking frantically for their marbles. She slipped out of the door again and asked them what they were doing. After teasing them sufficiently, she returned their marbles to them.

            Her father had a large out building where he kept supplies and equipment for his business. In the loft of this building he stored coffins. The children would play hide and seek in this building. If there was a new playmate, Emma would hide in one of the coffins. When the playmate came by the coffin, she would sit up and make an eerie sound. This would give the unfortunate victim a good scare, and they would all have a good laugh.

            Emma was impulsive and at times a little spiteful. One year on the last day of school, she saw an opportunity to get even with a teacher that had treated her badly. The teacher had a long braid down her back. She snuck up behind the teacher and yanked on the braid. The teacher was so surprised that she did not see Emma dash away.

In business for Herself

            At the age of sixteen Emma had not yet attained the height of five feet. The Cogmans had unusually short legs. Emma told her grandchildren her family had ‘Ducks Disease.’ That is when your tail is too close to the ground. She was quite attractive with blue eyes and golden brown hair. Her attire was always tasteful, and she groomed herself tidily. However, her most endearing quality was her wit and sense of humor.

            John Cogman set his daughter up in a small shop when she reached sixteen years of age. An old workshop adjoined their home at Crooks place. It had been rented by a Mr. Berry to store vegetables. John renovated this building, and it became an adequate little grocery store. He had seen Emma’s potential as a business woman, and he placed her in charge of the shop. She suspected he did it as a means of purchasing groceries for the family at wholesale prices. She made it pay even though the family ate up most of the profits.

            Emma enjoyed this little shop. As the customers came in for a visit, she would keep up to date on all of the news in the neighborhood. She kept a good supply of sweets; it seems she always had a fondness of them. This little business helped John provide for his family. When Emma was married, he said, “I have lost my best girl.”

Dating and Courtship

Emma Louisa Cogman 1898

            Emma had many girl friends and boy friends. Sometimes when a boy invited her out for a date, she would insist on bringing a girl friend along. If the boy questioned the need for a chaperone, she would say, “Love me, Love my dog.”

            Later when she was older, she enjoyed the company of two young fellows. One of them had a successful business; however, he seemed rather arrogant and over persuasive. He was a jockey named Jack Carver. The other boy seemed more quiet and reticent. She did enjoy both of her beaus; however, the time came when she needed to choose between them and she was uncertain.

            One evening, she knelt down by her bed and asked God which of the two men she should marry. She had made a date with both of them for that evening. She left the house walking. Each of the young men was waiting for her at a separate location. As she walked, she prayed that her feet would take her to the right young man. With her head bowed down, she gained a very strong impression that she should meet Alfred Burrell, the quiet young man. This prayerful decision has affected the lives of many.

            Alfred and Emma were married on 11 April 1898.

Emma and the True Gospel

            Emma had been taught Christian principles in her home, but religion did not have a great role in her young life. She had learned how to pray and she occasionally attended the Church of England.

            When she was sixteen years old, she started attending the evening service of the Church of England. On the way home they were passing through the market place of Norwich, and stopped to listen to two young men holding an open air meeting. They were so earnest with their message that she was tempted to listen to what they had to say. Two years prior to this she had been baptized into the Church of England. The sign of the cross had been drawn on her head with a wet finger. She had been convinced that it was all she needed to be accepted into the kingdom of heaven. These two men were teaching that the only true form of baptism was by immersion by one holding the Priesthood which had been restored to the earth in these latter days.

            Emma told her mother about this preaching when she arrived home. Her mother told her that the missionaries were Mormons. Emma confused this strange term with Mohammedan. She explained to her mother that they were not black people. Her mother assured her they were Mormons, and Mormons believe Christ will come to their temple when he returns. Emma thought, “They are presumptuous to think that Christ will come to their temple.” That was the end of her interest in them.

            Doris Burrell St. Jeor wrote of this interesting encounter:

            “In 1898, about five months after Alfred and Emma were married, Aunt Alice, Dad’s sister and his mother, Charlotte, had secretly joined the Mormon Church unbeknown to our mother. She was very antagonistic toward the Church at that time, not having the proper understanding or really knowing what it was all about. Her idea was that they were there in England to get girls and take them to America. She was not going to let them take a daughter of hers! Grandmother Charlotte and Alice asked the missionaries if they would tract down Malvern Road (the road where Alfred and Emma were living). It was a very bad time right then because the newspaper headline read, ‘The Mormons Are Here Again After Your Girls.’ So Mother had made up her mind about them.”

            “When things calmed down the missionaries did tract down Malvern road. One of the neighbors warned her they were coming. She said, ‘I’ll be ready for them.’ She was making pastry at the time; so when she went to the door, she had the rolling pin in her hand. The missionaries later said they wondered what she had planned to do with that. After she had lectured them at the door, they explained a few things to her, and they were able to answer all her questions to her satisfaction. However, it took a lot of time and a great deal of patience from the missionaries.”

            Emma was skeptical about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for many years. Alfred began to feel in his heart that the church and its teachings were true; however, he was patient with his wife that he loved very much. It was not until 1907 when Emma prayed for knowledge that the Church was true. After she received her answer in a special dream, she desired to be baptized. Alfred and Emma were baptized as members of the Church on 12 May 1907.

            The Church became a very important in their family. Emma served as the Relief Society President from 1917 to 1921. She was the chairman of the Genealogical society in the branch from 1928 to 1937.

Children of Her Own

            Emma wrote. “We were married on 11 April 1898 on the Easter Monday and lived at No. 11 Malvern Road, Thorpe Hamlet, Norwich. The next year on 25 March 1899 my first baby was born. We named him Alfred. The next year on 4 March 1900 my second son Herbert was born. Three years later my daughter Gladys Ivy was born on 10 March 1903. Three years after that my son Arthur Louis was born on 16 January 1906. We named him Louis because it was Election Day and the liberal candidate for Norwich was Louis Tillit. He won the seat with a large majority. Three yeas after that on 29 January 1909, my daughter Doris Alice was born. When she was two years old my husband had to move to Yarmouth to work, being an Engine Driver on the Great Eastern Railway. After living there two years we had to return to Norwich. We came to No. 51 Vincent Road. About one or two years after that, two of my children, Arthur and Herbert had diphtheria and went into the isolation hospital.”

Herbert and Wilfred about 1917

            “In the year 1914 war was declared on Germany and on 20 December of that year my son Wilfred was born. When he was three weeks old, my mother died and on the day she was buried I contracted Influenza and being weak at the time Rheumatic Fever followed. For several months I was crippled and not able to leave my bed. My knee was contracted and drawn, and the doctor told me I would never walk again, but would be able to sit in the chair and direct my household. He persuaded me to go into the hospital under their treatment to try and straighten my leg. I did so. After having electrical treatment, my leg was baked in an oven and then twice broken down. (After the first time it drew up again.) The second time it was strapped to a board. I was able to leave the hospital. I had been in the hospital for three months. Then for some time I walked with crutches.”

            “After I came out of the hospital, I was administered to by the Elders. Sister Elvin took me in a bath chair (wheel chair) to the Elder’s lodge at the time of the Semi-annual Conference where President Hyrum Smith was in attendance. I gradually got stronger and was able after eighteen months to attend to my children and home duties. At the time of my illness, my second son was attending the grammar school at Great Yarmouth, having passed an exam and winning a free place in that school while we were living there. On removing to Norwich, he traveled by train twenty-one miles every morning to attend school”

We Join Our Family in Utah

Alfred
Arthur, Gladys and Herbert
After Immigrating to Utah

            As they grew older, Bert, Alfred, Gladys and Arthur immigrated to Utah. They married and started families of their own. Doris and Wilfred remained in England where they supported the little Norwich Branch and grew into adults. When Alfred retired from the railroad in 1937, Alfred, Emma, Doris and Wilfred all left England and immigrated to Utah.

            It was a challenge for Alfred and Emma to move to Utah. It was a financial challenge and it was a challenge for them to leave their friends and family in England. Alfred felt an obligation to the Branch in Norwich. He knew what it was like when stalwart members left for Utah and their strength was taken away from the branch.

            Nevertheless, the positive aspects of the move outweighed the negative ones. They had children and grandchildren in Utah that they needed to become acquainted with. They had a great desire to go to the holy Temple and receive the blessings that awaited their family. At that time, they did not realize how important it was for them to get to know their grandchildren and provide them with an example of a loving marriage relationship.

Alfred 1948

Emma 1948

            In the year of her 50^th Wedding Anniversary (1948) Emma reflected. “At this time I am having the happiest days of my life. My family is all around within calling distance of telephone, and all in perfect harmony with each other. The grandest of all blessings the Lord has given me is the knowledge that they have been guided by the Lord in their choice of a companion for life. Love rules in their homes; love for the Gospel that they know is true. All are married and sealed in the Holy Temple of the Lord. Dare I ask for more as my beloved husband and I sit alone in the evening and review our past and see the hand of the Lord that has guided us all through these many years?”

Credits

This life story has been compiled from material written by Emma Louisa Burrell and also from material written and published by Herbert Burrell and Doris Alice Burrell St. Jeor.