I think this is a quite beautiful and very unusual headstone and one I had not seen before - that is until I visited the churchyard at St Andrew's Church in Wanborough. Here there is exactly the same style of headstone on the grave of John Tanner who died February 28, 1939 and his wife Minnie who died in November 1949.
At Radnor Street Cemetery this stylish art deco headstone marks the grave of Ernest Henry Cousens. Ernest was born in Little Coxwell in 1885 the son of William Cousens, a carter, and his wife Annie. In 1891 they appear on the census living in the village of Lyford in Berkshire. Ernest has an 11 year old sister Edith Emma and a brother William aged 8.
In 1901 Ernest was lodging at 30 Hythe Road with Henry J. Keen, a butcher's assistant. Sixteen year old Ernest was a butcher's apprentice, so probably worked alongside Henry.
In 1908 he married Laura Young and the couple had four children; Irene born in 1912, Ernest born in 1916, Cecily 1918 and Eric 1922. At the time of the 1911 census he was living over his butchers shop at 15 Bridge Street with his wife Laura who is described as 'assists in business'. The couple were aged 27 and 25 and had been married for three years. The first of their four children was born the following year. Living with them on census night was Ernest's uncle James aged 59, a widower who worked as a general labourer.
Ernest Henry Cousens of 14 and 15 Bridge Street, Swindon died on March 28, 1939, aged 54. Probate was declared in London on June 15 and effects valued at £7,443 1s 8d were left to his widow Laura and his eldest son Ernest William Cousens, a chartered accountant.
