[1] Rigby was born at Ashford, Kent, England, the second son of Dr William Harriott Coke and his wife, Mary Elizabeth.

At a time when all communication with his artillery group was severed, he made repeated attempts to restore the connection, and personally crossed a river under heavy fire in his efforts to mend the cable and to lay fresh ones.

He showed the greatest gallantry and disregard of danger throughout the operation, and only desisted from his efforts on receiving the direct order from his headquarters to do so.

Their son, Cyril Edward Rigby Coke,[2] a television director, married Muriel Young (1923–2001), an ITV announcer and TV presenter.

[5] He made his first stage appearance in 1900 at the Grand Theatre in Fulham and later toured Australia, United States and Canada.