Edith Anna HOOKINS (Tree 3Q)

Shelton Place, Heavitree, Exeter

Edith Anna HOOKINS was born 18 December 1853 at Shelton Place, Heavitree, Exeter. She was the eldest of five children born to Henry Lethbridge HOOKINS and his wife Mary Ann Brand HOOKINS (formerly COCKERAM).

3 Lower Summerlands, Exeter

By the time of the 1861 Census two other siblings, both brothers, had arrived and the family were living at 3 Lower Summerlands in Exeter.

12 Mont le Grand, Heavitree, Exeter

By 1871 the 17 year old Edith had been without her mother for 2 years as she had died at the age of 40 at 12 Mont le Grand, Heavitree, Exeter where the family were still living and which now in addition included a 10 year old brother and 6 year old sister. They were probably the reason why also at the house was Margaret COCKERAM, the sister of Edith's mother, as the other two brothers were no longer at home.



By 1881 just Edith remained at home with her youngest sister, their father and their aunt. Home was now Belvoir House in Alphington, Exeter and Edith is described as a 25 year old Governess possibly supporting her father who was a Classical Tutor.
By 1891 the family had decamped to London and were living at Loretto House in Hornsey Lane in Islington but had also now been joined by Edith's maternal grandmother Sarah COCKERAM and four teenage students and two servants were also present at the property. Both 30 year old Edith and her 24 year old sister have "School" as their occupation so they were probably involved in some capacity with the running of the establishment as a young governess was also employed to look after the students and she also had the same occupational title. Interestingly the four students had quite widespread birthplaces in Monmouthshire, Yorkshire and two from Devon. Edith's father is recorded as being a Classical and Mathematics Tutor.
In 1899 Edith's father died at Loretto House and it was Edith's responsibility to register his death although she omitted to record his second Christian name.

Christ's Hospital School, West Horsham

I have not yet discovered where Edith was in 1901 but by 1911 she had become a School Matron at Christ's Hospital School in West Horsham which had originally been a school in London (until 1902) and which was the name of the school where one of her brothers had been a pupil when he was absent from the family home in the 1871 Census. Currently the school is rated as excellent by the Independent Schools Inspectorate and gives an impressive impression on its website.

67 Loughborough Park, Brixton

Edith died on 6 February 1932 of bronchial pneumonia at 67 Loughborough Park, Brixton at the age of 80 although her name was recorded as Edith Ann. She s recorded as a Spinster and former School Matron.