Shaun Maturin Cox was born on the 24th April 1914 in Howth, Co Dublin. He qualified from Trinity College, Dublin, in 1934 with a degree in Experimental Science. Shaun married Marjorie Ethel Strong-Heckles on Friday 13 Nov 1936 at St Nicholas’s church in Durham. This was reported in the local paper: Being a scientist he would have scoffed at the superstition of not getting married on Friday 13th and to emphasise this he also walked under a ladder. His wonderful wife bought him a barrel of ale and a dart board!
![](http://southshieldslocalhistorygroup.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Local-Success-Cox-Maturin-Shaun-1936-Wedding.jpg)
During the war he served 5 and a half years in the Local Defence Volunteers.
![](http://southshieldslocalhistorygroup.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Local-Success-Cox-Maturin-Shaun-1940_Volunteers.jpg)
Shaun was Manager of J.A. Jobling & Co, Sunderland (UK manufacturers of Pyrex glass) and was awarded an MBE on 9 June 1949 for his contribution to the war effort:
“He successfully developed a method of producing sintered scientific glassware which had hitherto been imported from Germany.”
![](http://southshieldslocalhistorygroup.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Local-Success-Cox-Maturin-Shaun-1949-MBE-Cut1.jpg)
He became a Director at Joblings in 1950. and lived at Norman Hurst in Westoe Village.
![](http://southshieldslocalhistorygroup.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Local-Success-Cox-Maturin-Shaun-1950.jpg)
He died in 1979 and his wife Marjorie died in 1997. They are both buried in Harton Cemetery section C.
Sources:
British Newspaper Archives
David Fenton