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| 34 Montague Road Hackney |
Arthur Edward HOOKINS was born on 11th December 1896 at 34 Montague Road Hackney. He was the eldest of 14 children born to Henry Edward HOOKINS and his wife Grace Elizabeth (nee HALE) although it seems that despite carrying the HOOKINS name on her children's birth records and at Censuses Grace had not married Arthur until 1908 by which time 9 children had already been born.
In the 1901 Census Arthur was living at 80 Brook Street Lambeth with his parents and 1sister sibling although she was to die shortly after the Census was taken. By 1911 the family were at 4 Mason Street, Old Kent Road where Arthur lived with his parents and 6 siblings and by that time a total of 4 other siblings had died. 3 further children were born after that Census was taken.
In the first World War Arthur was a Private and subsequently found to be a Sergeant in the 24th London Regiment (Queens). He had volunteered in September 1914 and was sent to the Western Front in March 1915 where he experienced heavy fighting. He was wounded in action at Givenchy and invalided home after 2 months. On recovery he was supposedly engaged in "Special Duties" with the Military Police until 1918 when he returned to France. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star and General Service and Victory medals before being demobbed in June 1919.
He married Chralotte Elizabeth MASON on 17th October 1921 at Southwark Register Office and in the following 12 years they produced 5 children - all girls - who all grew up and married in the 1940s and 1950s. Arthur had been an HM Customs Officer in a Tea Warehouse and Charlotte a Waitress at the time of their marriage.
Arthur died on 14th August 1957 at St Helen's Hospital Carshalton pre-deceasing his wife by 19 years. At the time of his death they had been living at 283 Green Wrythe Lane Carshalton where according to old telephone directories they had been living since at least 1937 when their youngest child was just 4 years old.
