Alfred was the 8th of 11 children born to George HOOKINS and Caroline (nee TRASH) and was brother to Albert Henry HOOKINS mentioned elsewhere on the blog. Alfred was born on 14th February 1892 at the family home in Bath Road, Mitcham and was baptised in Mitcham on 2nd April that year.
In his first recorded Census appearance he was living at the same address with his parents + 7 siblings and his maternal grandfather. His father was to die 2 years later and in the 1911 Census he is still at the same address with his widowed mother and 5 siblings with an occupation as a Factory Hand which he ws still doing in 1916 when he married Florence Emily STALLARD at Mitcham Parish Church.
Just 1 year later Alfred ad enlisted in the Middlesex Regiment 29th Batallion and his attestation states that he was just 5'3" tall and weighed 110 pounds (less than 8 stone). At that point he was resident in Belgrave Road, in Mitcham and his occupation described as a Packer.
Once the war was over Alfred and Florence had 4 children and at various times his occupation is stated to be a Packer in a Varnish Factory (1930) and a Clerk in a Paint Factory (1951).
He died on 30 May 1956 in Surrey.
