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| St Mary's Church Lambeth |
Charlotte married William HOOKINS on 13 June 1841 and by the time of the Census taken in the same year the couple were living at Charlotte's parent's home at Galway Street, St Lukes in Finsbury. Also living at the property at that time were Charlotte's siblings - Sarah who was 2 years older than Charlotte, Charles who was 4 years younger, James 11 years younger and Jane 13 years younger. However Charlotte's mother was not present at this Census and could be the Ann SKINNER who died in the September quarter of 1839 in St Lukes.
In April 1842 the couple's first child, Ann, was born, possibly named after Charlotte's mother. At that time Charlotte and William were living at 57 Allerton Street, Hoxton New Town. Their second child, William, followed a year later when they were living at 218 White Cross Street, St Lukes. Two years later child number 3, Charles, arrived when they were at 2 Fountain Court, St Clement Danes.
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| 154 Strand |
1849 was a year of both joy and great sadness for the family. They were living at 154 Strand, St Mary le Strand in London which was only a few doors from Somerset House. In the March quarter the couple's fourth child, Charlotte, was born but later in the year all 3 previous children died - Ann had scarlet fever and William Phthisis. Worse was to follow when their remaining child Charlotte died in the early part of 1850 of pneumonia.
Later in 1850 child number 5, Robert, came along and in the Census which took place the following year William and Charlotte were living at Vine Street, Lambeth with their son.
In Jun 1852 the sixth child, Elizabeth Ann was born at 53 New Gloucester Street, Hoxton New Town, followed by Henry George in East London in 1854 although he died of pneumonia and measles in 1855. Charles was born in July 1856 when the family were at 7 Primrose Street, Bishopsgate although he too died a year later when they were at 55 Moneyer Street in Hoxton New Town.
Child number nine, Alfred, was born in January 1859 in Hoxton New Town and by the 1861 Census William and Charlotte were living at 55 Moneyer Street with the 3 children remaining from the 9 births since 1842. But tragedy had not yet completely left the family as the youngest child, Alfred, died in 1863.
William and Charlotte were then able to hopefully enjoy several years with their 2 remaining children, but in 1869, when the couple were in their late forties, William then died and by 1871 Charlotte had moved to Primrose Street, Newington and was with her 2 children together with a 2 year old visitor called Rose HYNDE.
By 1881 Charlotte had moved out of London and was living with her married daughter Elizabeth, Elizabeth's husband and their son at 52 Coventry Road, Warwick St Nicholas. Charlotte's remaining child, Robert, had however remained in London although he too had died by 1886, leaving Charlotte with just one of her nine children surviving. Charlotte remained with Elizabeth and her family as they moved by 1891 to 4 Church Street, Warwick and by 1901 to 10 Alexander Terrace, Black Boy Road in Exeter by which time Elizabeth had 4 children.
Charlotte died at Alexander Terrace on 21 Nov 1905 of senile decay and chronic bronchial catarrh at the age of 83. What a difficult life but I hope that the last 20 odd years spent with her daughter's growing family would have been some comfort after the constant decimation of her own family.
