George Bennett HOOKINS (Tree A)

George Bennett HOOKINS was the 5th of 10 children born to William HOOKINS and his wife Lydia Jane whose maiden name had been given to George as his 2nd Christian name. He was born in 1853 in Weston-Super-Mare where his father was a Master Shoemaker.
At his first Census in 1861 George was living at 4 Ambrose Terrace in Chelsea where the family seem to have moved to shortly after his birth as siblings births from 1856 took place in Chelsea. Three children had been born between George's birth and the Census but one had died shortly after her 1st birthday so Ambrose Terrace housed Gordon and his parents plus 6 of his siblings.
By 1871 George had followed his father into the shoemaking business. By this time the family had moved again to 68 Marlborough Road in Chelsea and now consisted of George himself plus his parents and 4 other siblings. Whilst two more children had been born, one of these again died in infancy. One other sister had married and a brother was away from home training to be a Methodist Minister.
The family was still at Marlborough Road 10 years later listed as HOOKING with George living at home just with 3 other siblings although George's mother was missing. George's brother John had by now been ordained as a Methodist Minister and had married a few years earlier and was living in Batley in Yorkshire with his wife who had just given birth to their 2nd child and Gordon's mother was there obviously assisting the young family. They are listed there as HOOKINGS. Also staying at Marlborough Road was a niece of Gordon from his sister's family the rest of whom were living at their family home in Islington.
Unfortunately at the beginning of 1891 George's mother died so at the Census a short while later George remained at home with his widowed father and younger brother who was also by now a shoemaker. A domestic servant had also employed to care for the three shoemakers.
George's father was also to pass away 7 years later so in 1901 George was still at Marlborough Road together with his brother who had by now married with a young family, and the two brothers continued in their shoemaking business.

104 Landor Road, Stockwell

By 1911 they had all moved to 104 Landor Road, Stockwell and in 1915 the brothers continued their business at 70 Draycott Avenue in Chelsea. George's brother died in 1924 just short of his 60th birthday whilst George continued on until 1932 when he died in Battersea having never married but seemingly devoted to his shoemaking craft. His brother only had one son but he did not follow the employment of his father and uncle.