Last August, I visited Larbert Cemetery for the first time and found the grave of Thomas Cowan. He is commemorated with a headstone from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) as he died while serving in the military. Thomas passed away on October 26 at the Middlesex War Hospital at the age of twenty-seven. His death certificate lists liver abscess and septicemia as the causes of death. However, his obituary mentions that he had been hospitalised for influenza and pneumonia before his death, indicating that the actual causes of death were likely complications from the Spanish flu.
Thomas Cowan was born on January 10 1891 at Longdyke, Bothkennar, Grangemouth, Stirlingshire (now Falkirk) to John, a coal miner, and Isabella (nee Ferguson). He was the couple’s first child.
When the Census was taken in 1901, the Cowans still resided at Longdyke. Since 1891, Thomas’ family had expanded with the arrival of his siblings Cornelius, Hannah and John Jr. At age 10, Thomas would have been attending school.
Tragedy struck the following year when John Sr. died from complications of a stomach ulcer at just thirty-four years of age. His death was likely sudden and unexpected, leaving Isabella to take charge of the family. In 1904, Thomas gained a new stepfather when Isabella married Robert Forsyth. The family expanded further with the arrival of his half-sister, Bella. Sadly, more sorrow befell the family with the death of John Jr., who passed away from septicemia in 1907 at the young age of seven. Thomas registered his death on behalf of his family.
By 1911, twenty-year-old Thomas lived with his mother, stepfather, and surviving siblings. It was not surprising that, as coal mining was a primary industry in the Central Belt, Thomas followed in the footsteps of both his father and stepfather, working as a coal miner at the Letham Pit in Carronshore. His brother Cornelius also worked in the mines.
On New Year’s Eve in 1914, twenty-three-year-old Thomas married domestic servant Catherine Richardson in Falkirk. Their son, John, affectionately known as ‘Jackie,’ was born on June 15, 1915. The timing of Jackie’s birth suggests that Catherine was pregnant before the marriage, which was frowned upon during that era.
Thomas enlisted in the armed services in April 1917, serving in the 4th Battalion of the Royal Scots. In November of that same year, his military service took him to Egypt. He was later transferred to the front line in France shortly before his death. His bravery was recognised with the award of the Military Medal. While in France, Thomas contracted influenza and later developed pneumonia, which led to his transfer to Middlesex War Hospital. His passing left a young woman widowed and an infant son without a father.
Thomas’s remains were returned to Scotland, where he received a military funeral. The cortege departed from his home at 25 Grange Street, Stenhousemuir, before the burial at Larbert Cemetery.
Thomas is honored alongside other locals who fell in the war on a memorial plaque at Bothkennar Church and the Airth Parish War Memorial. Thomas is honored alongside other locals who fell in the war on a memorial plaque at Bothkennar Church and the Airth Parish War Memorial.
Having been widowed at a young age, I believe that Catherine may have remarried.
Sources: Ancestry, Find a Grave, General Register Office, Scotland’s People.
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