Robert HOOKINS (Tree 3Q)

 This next Robert was born on 10 June 1831 as the 4th of 8 children born to John HOOKINS and his wife Ann (nee SOUTHEY). He was baptised at Holy Trinity in Exeter on 18 July 1833.

Holy Trinity Church Exeter

In the first appearance in a Census in 1841 the family consisting of Robert, his parents and 5 siblings were living at a grand home called Elm House in Brockley with 2 further siblings away at school in Yatton.

Elm House Brockley

Sadly Robert's father died in 1848 aged 45 years and consequently mother Ann moved to Westbury on Trym at Aberdeen Terrace where Robert lived along with his mother, 4 siblings, a visitor and a Servant. His mother is described as an Annuitant whilst Robert himself is described as a General Clerk in probably his first employment.

In 1852 Robert took the big step of emigrating to Australia, arriving in October at that year on board the ship "Cossipore" together with his brother John.

Three years later Robert married Elizabeth Frances SHEPPARD who was born in Cork in Ireland and who had emigrated to Australia the year after Robert and his brother. They were married at the Roman Catholic Church in Emerate Hill, Victoria on 8 September. I have been unable to trace that location so it could be Emeralds Hill in Victoria. At the time of their marriage Robert was living in Williamstown as a Clerk whilst Elizabeth was a Housekeeper. No children appear to have been born as a result of their union.

There is a report in the Australian newspaper called Tocsin in October 1899 which indicates that Robert and his brother were involved in money lending. They are described as being an amiable pair resembling the Cherryblo Brothers immortalised by Charles Dickens. They lend cheerfully at relatively low rates and are as pleasant with the defaulter as they are with the "newly fledged" and the well-credentialled client. Robert himself is described as the grey bearded and usually sleeping partner who invites his clients to stay for a chat while he eats his midday Bath Bun and drinks his glass of milk!

Nothing further is heard of Robert and Elizabeth until the notification that Elizabeth died in1904 in South Yarra. Robert's own death was to follow in 1907 and he was buried with his wife in St Kilda Cemetery. He carried the description of being a Gentleman at his death.

Robert HOOKINS (Tree 3Q)

Robert HOOKINS was the first of three children born to Robert and his wife Mary (nee STAFFORD). He was baptised at St Gregory's Church in Dawlish on 2 Jul 1794.

                                                                    St Gregory's Dawlish

A sister Mary (1795) and brother John (1803) followed Robert's birth and they also were baptised at St Gregory's Church.

Robert's mother died on Christmas Day 1817 and, although his father re-married a year later, Robert himself seems to have married in East Stonehouse in October 1819. His bride was Mary JEFFREY(S). Before the first Census in 1841 seven children had been born to the couple - 6 girls and 1 boy. The first of these was daughter Mary born in 1820/1 who was a dressmaker by the time of this Census and seems to have been born outside of Devon. Elizabeth and Emma were born in 1825/6 in Plymouth, Elizabeth being employed as an Upholsteress by 1841. Then Anna had been born in 1827/8 in Plymouth, Caroline in 1831 in Stonehouse, Samuel in 1834 in Devon and Sarah in 1837 in East Stonehouse. All the family lived in East Stonehouse in 1841.

By 1851 Robert is being described as a Teacher of Mathematics and still lived in East Stonehouse with Mary and children Anna, Caroline, Samuel and Sarah + Mother in Law Martha JEFFREY. Daughter Mary had unfortuately died in 1841 whilst Emma had married in 1847. Elizabeth was a Servant elsewhere in Stomehouse at the home of a Surgeon and his family. In 1852 Robert's family address was 34 East Street, Stonehouse.

In 1861 Robert is described as a Schoolmaster. Anna had moved to Oxfordshire, whilst son Samuel had gone further afield to Australia. So Robert was at home in Plymouth with Mary and daughters Sarah  who had followed her father into the teaching profession and Caroline.

By 1871 Robert and Mary, described as Schoolmaster and Schollmistress respectively, were living in Factory Lane, Ermington - a small village a few miles from Plymouth - with Caroline who has the title School Assistant. Sarah was not at home although her son Fred was there with his grandparents.

That was the last Census in which Robert appeared as he died on 24th June 1879 at Keaton, Ermington. 

Robert HOOKINS (Tree A)

 My namesake Robert HOOKINS appears on my own Family Tree and was baptised in the church at Brompton Ralph.

Brompton Ralph Parish Church

He was the 6th of 13 children born to William HOOKINS and his wife Anne (nee KNOWLES).

He married Mary Ann FOXWELL at the Wellington Parish Church of St John in Somerset on 9 April 1827.

St John the Baptist Church Wellington

5 children were born before the first Census in 1841. These were Samuel in 1830 (recorded as HOOKINGS), James in 1833, Caroline in 1835, John in 1838 and Henry in 1840, all born in Wellington. In that Census in 1841 the family were living recorded as HOOKINGS at Pitt Cottages in Wellington and Robert is recorded as being a Husbandman up to this time.

Further children followed in the form of Elizabeth in 1843, George in 1845 (although he died 2 years later), and Mary Ann in 1850, all born in Wellington. From here on Robert's occupation is stated as Labourer. Like their previous siblings all were baptised at St John the Baptist Church in Wellington.

By the 1851 Census Robert had moved to the Rockwell Green area of Wellington where he lived with Mary and children James, John, Elizabeth, Henry and Mary Ann. Daughter Caroline was living elsewhere and Samuel has not been traced as yet although he had married 3 years earlier.

On 20 February 1859 Robert's wife Mary died at Rockwell Green so in the Census for 1861 Robert is living with his children John, Henry and Mary and his granddaughter Sarah although the location of her mother Caroline has not yet been established.

By 1871 Robert was alone at Rockwell Green and just 3 years later on 13 February 1874 he died in the Wellington Workhouse.

Wellington Workhouse

He was buried in the churchyard of the church where he was married and where each of his children were baptised.

Reginald William HOOKINS (Tree M)

 Reginald William HOOKINS was born on 28 March 1896 at 11 Carlton Terrace, East Stonehouse.

                                                       11 Carlton Terrace, East Stonehouse

His birth certificate however shows the name of HOOKINGS. He was the 2nd child of 7 born to James HOOKINS and his wife Ellen Jane (formerly KNOWLES nee SNELL). Ellen also had 2 sons by her previous marriage and 4 of the children with James were born prior to their marriage in 1902.

Reginald William was apparently known as Bill, the beginning of various usages of his different names including the different surname recorded on his birth certificate. In the 1901 Census he is recorded as William and is living at 1 Willow Plot in Plymouth with his parents + 2 siblings and 1 half sibling.

He is still found as William in the 1911 Census living with his parents, 3 siblings and 1 half sibling at 1 Cambridge Street in Plymouth. Whilst there currently seems to be a Cambridge Road in Plymouth, there seems to be no trace of Cambridge Street.

In World War 1, Reginald William was in the Labour Corps as a Private, Service No 144887 and was awarded the Silver War Badge and a Campaign Medal.

On 2 Aug 1915 he married Lilian Edith COX at the Register Office in Plymouth being know as William HOOKINS on the marriage certificate. At that time he was described as being a General Labourer.

Over the next 22 years 8 children were born to the couple - Lilian Gwendoline in 1916, William John in 1918, Irene Beatrice May in 1922, Betty Violet in 1927, Lucy D in 1929 (although she sadly died the same year), Rose in 1932, Ruby D in 1936 and Shirley in 1937.

In the 1939 Register he is recorded as being William R and is living at 15 Richmond Street in Plymouth. Again currently there seems to be a Richmond Road but not Street in Plymouth but he is living at Richmond Street with his father, wife Lilian and daughter Irene. Children of certain ages are often blanked out of this register and there are 4 hidden entries here whom I suspect to be Betty, Rose, Ruby and Shirley. William's job is now shown as being an Asphalter.

By 1955 all of the daughters had married.

Reginald William's wife Lilian died in the first few months of 1976 only for him to die a month or so later. Interestingly his death is registered in the names of both Reginald William HOOKINGS and William Reginald HOOKINS perhaps to include what he considered to be his proper name of William Reginald HOOKINS but also to tie in with his name as recorded on his birth certificate.

Lyddon Charnock HOOKINS (Tree A)

Lyddon Charnock HOOKINS was born on 9 September 1887 at Berry Brow in Yorkshire to John Lyddon HOOKINS and his wife Sarah Charnock LUMB, Charnock being her maiden name prior to her previous marriage. Lyddon had 2 half brothers and 2 half sisters from his father's previous marriage and was baptised on 9 October 1887 at the Methodist Connexion Chapel in Berry Brow.

For his first Census in 1891 he was lodging with his mother and half sister Evelyne at The Terrace, Corff near Darlington whilst his father was in Kingston upon Hull, perhaps just beginning a new Methodist ministry, although he was thought to be in Newcastle upon Tyne at that point in his Methodist service.

By 1901 the family consisting of the two parents, Lyddon and two of his 4 half siblings, were at 54 Carrs Lane in Kingston upon Hull with a servant also in residence.

From 1903-7 Lyddon served an apprenticeship with Holman Brothers in Camborne, Cornwall whilst taking classes at the Camborne School of Mining. He continued at Birmingham University taking a 3 year course in Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, gaining further experience as a draughtsman in the Steam Department of British Electric Engineering in Loughborough and the British Thomson-Houston Company in Rugby.

In 1911 Lyddon was described as a Mechanical Engineer and was living as a Lodger at 22 Central Road, Loughborough at the home of Metallurgist Ernest BATY.

He was a Sergeant in the Royal Engineers in the first World War and later a Quarter Master Sergeant Army No 49635, serving in France in 1915 for a period of 3 years.

On 28 July 1921 Lyddon married Grace Evelyn BAMPTON at the Providence Chapel in Hampton in Arden, Warwickshire with Lyddon's father officiating at the ceremony.

He became an Associate Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1934 and by 1939 he and Grace were living at 20 Hampden Way in Rugby with Marion STUART, an 81 year old Widow and retired Railway Clerk. A servant was also in residence and Lyddon is described as a Chartered Mechanical Engineer & Steam Turbine Designer.

Lyddon Charnock HOOKINS

Lyddon died in Rugby on 25 January 1951, his address at the time of his death being The Old Forge, Thurlaston, where Grace continued to live until her death in 1972. His obituary indicated that he had been in the service of the English Electric Company for over 30 years and was Chief Technical Assistant in the Steam Turbine Department.

Lucy HOOKINS Tree 3Q

 Lucy HOOKINS was baptised on 15 January 1835 at Holy Trinity Church in Exeter, the 6th of 8 children born to John HOOKINS and his wife Ann (nee SOUTHEY).

Holy Trinity Church Exeter

In the first UK Census in 1841, although only 6 years old, Lucy was not at the family home in Brockley, but is shown as being a pupil at a school in Yatton along with her sister Fanny, both recorded as HOOKINGS.

Lucy's father died in 1848 at the age of 45 and the next Census in 1851 finds Lucy at school in Clerkenwell, London in Hermes House, Hermes Street. This was a small charity school with just 15 girl pupils (the boys had been transferred to Collier Street in1811). Here Lucy is recorded as HOCKINS.

By 1861 Lucy was a Governess and was visiting a Sarah JOYER at 11 Aberdeen Terrace in Westbury on Trym. Sarah was a Landed Proprietor and Lucy is recorded as HASKINS. Interestingly Lucy's mother had lived at 6 Aberdeen Terrace just 10 years earlier which, judging by the 1861 Census, was a school.

By 1871 Lucy was at West Clifton House, West Park, Westbury on Trym as Companion to Thomasine LARDY whose income was derived from Dividends but who died in 1880. So in 1881 Lucy was visiting at 16 Hampton Park, Westbury on Trym where her income now came from Dividends, as did that of the Head of the household L G STEVENSON who came from the West Indies.

By 1891 Lucy had become a Lady's Companion to a Maria CHARLES who lived at 1 Worcester Villas in Clifton, Bristol but by 1901 she had moved away to Coventry where she was living on her own means with her widowed sister Millicent and Millicent's niece at Warwick Close.

Both sisters had moved to Endallion, Grove Park Road in Weston-super-Mare by 1911 together with Millicent's nephew, niece and 2 servants. Sister Millicent died there in 1919 and Lucy stayed in the house until her own death in January 1925.