History of Great Yarmouth and Gorleston-on-Sea
Septimus Waller Cockrill
| Parents | William Cockrill Sarah Scott Cockrill, nee Ballard |
| Born | Bulls Lane, Gorleston. (Friday 20th September 1861) |
| Married | Ada Elizabeth Kelsey Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Lowestoft Road, Gorleston. (Sunday 1st June 1889) |
| Children | Hilda Cockrill Culmer Hurst Cockrill Frank Leslie Cockrill Gertrude (Rita) Cockrill Stuart John (Jack) Cockrill |
| Died | At Home, Redenhall House, 25 Lowestoft Road, Gorleston. (Tuesday 25th November 1924) |
| Buried | Gorleston Old Cemetery. |
Septimus Waller Cockrill
Septimus was, as his first name implies, the seventh child, indeed the seventh son, of William and Sarah Cockrill, although only six of his elder brothers had survived infancy.
Whereas all the preceding sons went into Trade, Business or a Profession on their own account albeit after a period of time working with their father, in his building and undertaking businesses. Septimus however always worked in his father's businesses. Initially as a bricklayer and a plasterer and subsequently to manage them for a good many years up to his father's death in 1911. After his father's death he continued the same businesses, at 189 High Street, Gorleston, until his own death in 1924. In those years the firm built very large quantities of housing in Gorleston and did repairs, renovation and updating in various forms on an even larger number of old Gorleston buildings.
For many years he was an active worker for the Wesleyan Methodist Church and was for some time a Trustee and Secretary. Later he was a Chapel Steward, a position he retained right up to his death.
Septimus latterly lived at 'Redenhall House' on Lowestoft Road; he was very much a Gorleston man and a family man, in his parents' old age he was frequently at their home in 'Drury House' visiting and reading to his father. He was, together with his brother William Ballard Cockrill, an executor of their father's will.
When he was 63 he had an operation for bowel trouble from which complications ensued and he died about a fortnight later, having been an active man right up to the time of the operation.
Some comments from the account of his funeral at the Wesleyan Church are worth recording: "An open carriage filled with choice floral tributes preceded the hearse, wherein the flower-strewn casket was placed by seven of his oldest employees who had served their time with his father, - - . The flag was struck on the church buildings when the procession arrived from Redenhall House." In the address the minister, Rev F J Howden said that " - - he had left a record of service which would become a fitting memorial to his memory."
