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Francis Edward Coughlan

Edward-Coughlan

Francis, known as Edward, was born in 1909 in Birkenhead. He died from cancer at the age of 58 on 5 January 1967.

Death Notes
- See memorial at Dukinfield Cemetery.

General Notes
- Birth registered Q3-1909 in Birkenhead. (GRO 8a 539)
  
  Father Coughlan was a curate at St Edward's Church Runcorn before WWII. He was a close personal friend of the Pidcock family and spent a lot of his spare time at 7 Union Street, Runcorn. He had been so close to Winnie that he had expected her to name her first son [that is, me, Peter] after him, but his name was used for my second name instead.
  
  He later worked at parishes in Nantwich and Neston.
  During the War he was an army chaplain and a captain.
  
  On his discharge from the army (about 1954) he became parish priest at St Peter's Stalybridge, but he still visited Runcorn. I remember him pointing out that my second name was Edward, so he must have been quite proud of it.
  Anne Havercan worked for him as a maid or housekeeper when he was a curate, but became his fulltime houskeeper in Stalybridge. They were close friends and we suspect the relationship was deeper than just priest and housekeeper.
  
  My cousin Christine went to stay with Anne about 1960 and I went to visit them in Stalybridge.
  
  He died in 1967 from cancer. When my mum (Winnie) went to visit him in hospital he told her that he had a tumour but that she should not let Anne know about it.
  
  He was designated as VF. This apparently means "vicar forane" or supervisory priest, also known as archpriest or dean.

Occupation Details
- Edward's occupation was Priest.

Click here for details of Edward's family with Anne Winifred Havercan