Naomi Agnes Constance HOOKINS (Tree A)

A couple of posts ago I featured the discharge of Henry James HOOKINS and mentioned that Henry's wife Naomi died during the 2nd World War. This is the announcement of her death in the local paper and the verse chosen to celebrate her life.

This newspaper cutting indicates that her funeral took place at the Bristol Road Cemetery in Bridgwater and that at that time her only son Bill (William E HOOKINS) was serving in the RAF in the Middle East. It also lists her involvement with the WVS, as a collector for the Red Cross and as a Group Secretary of war savings for her immediate area as well as being a member of a working party for St John's Parish.

The list of mourners included F HOOKINS (Frederick John - my grandfather) who was a brother of Naomi's husband Henry (known as Harry). Fred is also listed with his wife Em (Emma Selina) amongst those providing floral tributes along with Alice (sister of Henry) and her husband Joe.

Long Time No See is Really Not Good

Whilst it's good to keep in touch with everyone having and interested in the Hookins name, because of the numbers involved this gradually changed over the years from regular letters to letters more infrequently and latterly the good old Christmas "round-robin" newsletter. I've used this method with one particular person on my family tree who about 15 years ago provided me with a load of information which virtually doubled my records of our family tree overnight. So we have remained in touch but yesterday he actually knocked on my door as he was in the area and it was so good to seem him and his wife and it made me realise that this sort of contact is so much better than the annual newsletter. The way he found me in this town of 30000 people also shows it was meant to be. He just went into the Tourist Information office and asked if they knew where my road was whereupon someone piped up "I know someone who lives at No 6". My distant relation looked at his notes and replied "Not Bob Hookins?" to which the lady replied "Yes". Unfortunately my wife and I cannot match the description of the lady with anyone we know who might know our exact address and I should point out that you shouldn't bank on this approach when you visit Barnstaple - I really am not that notorious. I hope that I can find out who it is soon so that I can explain this mysterious blonde to my wife!!! But it was really great to see you B & M and hope you don't mind if you get to see us again if we're in your area.

Henry James HOOKINS (Tree A)

No 40220 Private Henry HOOKINS was born at the beginning of October 1893 and was baptised at the end of that month in the Parish Church in Pawlett near Bridgwater. He was the son of William and Susan HOOKINS who have featured previously in the blog postings. Henry was the first volunteer in his Parish at the outbreak of World War I. He was disabled during the war and this is a copy of his honourable discharge dated 1917. He married Naomi Agnes Constance KING in June 1920 at St James Church in Bridgwater and their only child was born the following year. Naomi died during the 2nd World War and Henry married Gwendoline Evelyn GILLINGHAM who had also been fairly recently widowed and another son was born to them. Henry died just after Christmas in 1977.

Milestones Passed

I have just taken the number of individual records I hold for HOOKINS/HOOKINGS members passed the 1550 mark and the number of family units has now reached 400. The 400th family are William and Joane HOOKINS whose daughter Joane was baptised at St Michael's Church in Milverton Somerset on 21st October 1726. She later married a William OWEN at the same church on Boxing Day 1750.
I am gradually working my way through some web page prints for baptisms, marriages and burials of HOOKINS/HOOKINGS folk in Milverton as ther were a few around there in the 1700s.