Charlotte HOOKINS (Tree M)

Charlotte was a daughter of George and Mary FARMER and although apparently born in Kings Brompton in 1830 or 1831 she was baptised 4 or 5 miles away in Upton on 18 Sep 1831. Ages provided in Census returns indicate a possible birth year from 1830-34 but the baptism narrows it down to one of the 2 years mentioned.
10 years later she was living with her parents and 4 siblings at Withy Outlet Cottage in Upton so perhaps it was necessary to move after Charlotte's birth. By 1851 Charlotte was living as a lodger at the home of Sarah HEARD and family at Ridge Cottage, Brompton Regis and her future husband William was also lodging there as HOOKINGS.

Charlotte and William (again as HOOKINGS) were married at the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish Church of Brompton Regis with William's occupation being described as Farm Labourer.







Their first child, Mary was born at the beginning of the following year in the Williton Registration District, followed by Samuel who was born on Christmas Day in the same year. Then came Elizabeth in 1855, Harriet in 1859 and all 4 were baptised in the church at Brompton Regis and all recorded as HOOKINGS. In the 1861 Census the whole family were living at Great Smallmoor in Kings Brompton.
Further children were born, all baptised as HOOKINGS, - Ellen in 1863, although she died the following year, Lucy in 1865, John in 1867, and Rosa in 1870.
In 1871 most surviving children were living with their parents at Smallmoor, which is described as being in Bury near Dulverton and just south of Brompton Regis. The exceptions were Samuel who was living elsewhere as an Indoor Farm Servant and Elizabeth was elsewhere as a Servant.
The next decade saw the births of Henry in 1873 and Frederick John in 1875. There is however a mystery about Frederick as no birth record nor baptism record can be found for him. A record has been found of Henry's and Frederick's school admission in 1879 where William's name is given as father of both and Frederick's birth has been recorded as 19 December in 1875. Henry's name appears above Frederick's in the register but his birth date has been changed from 31 October 1873 (which would fall in line with the quarterly birth index) to read 29 Oct 1875 (just 2 months before Frederick's birth!!) A further twist occurs later in the 1891 Census where Frederick's link to William is stated to be "grandson"!!! so that leads our thinking down another path although no birth entry of a Frederick could be found locally with any surname to identify his parentage.
In the 1881 Census the family are at last called HOOKINS and just 4 children remain at home. By this time both Samuel and Elizabeth had married and moved away from the family home and Lucy was living elsewhere as a General Servant. Lucy's future husband, William COWLIN, was however living with the HOOKINS family.
By 1891 only Henry and Frederick (as grandson) were living with their parents who were now at Somerset Terrace, Treborough.
Evidently Lucy and her new husband moved to South Wales as they are found with their family at 21 Machen View in Risca in the 1901 Census. Charlotte is with them as a widow and as William died there in 1900, with his son-in-law registering the death, presumably he and Charlotte moved to Wales along with their daughter and family.
However tragedy seems to have struck the family with Lucy dying in 1903 and with her we seem to lose sight of Charlotte too because no death has been found for her as yet nor her presence with her daughter's family in the 1911 Census or anywhere else for that matter. So another mystery which needs solving at some point!