Henry was born as HOOKINGS in the June quarter of 1846 as the 5th of 6 children born to Thomas HOOKINS and his wife Susanna(h) (nee PHILLIPS). Thomas married in the name of HOOKINGS and one of their children had already died by the time Henry was born.
In 1851 Henry was living with his parents and 4 siblings in Cowick Street, Exeter but his father appears to have died just 3 years later. So Henry, by the time of the 1861 Census was an Engine Smith Apprentice and was still living in Cowick Street as HOOKINGS with his widowed mother and just 3 of his siblings as one appears to have married.
At the age of just 20 years Henry married Maria HUNT and their first child, Henry, was born in Dover in 1870. In the Census of the following year Henry, as HOOKIN, was now an Engine Fitter, a trade which 2 of his sons were to follow him into with another son becoming a Driver of a Stationary Engine which was often used to drive machinery etc. The family of 3 were living at that time at 23 Commercial Quay in Dover although the actual road no longer appears to exist.
Further children were to follow during the next decade, Thomas in 1872 and Edith in 1877, both born in Dover and William in 1879 who was born in Faversham. So in 1881 Henry still has the same job and is still known as HOOKINGS. The family of 6 are now living at 19a Adrian Street in Dover although William seems to be known by his second name of Charles. Adrian Street has clearly been redeveloped since that time.
The couples last child, Frank, was born later in 1881 in Dover in the HOOKINGS name and in the 1881 Census Frank is living with his mother and 3 of the other siblings at 26 Adrian Street. However our Henry is living with his second son Thomas in Plumstead at the home of Sarah BOOTY. Both Henry and Thomas were Engine Fitters and could have been plying their trade away from home although eldest son Henry seems to be working at the same trade but living in the family home.
By 1901 Henry and Maria were back together again at 26 Adrian Street and, as three of their children had now married and William was living away from home, only their youngest son Frank was with them. Frank himself was to marry in 1903 but Henry was to die in 1909. Two years later in the 1911 Census Maria was found to be in the Dover Workhouse where she died shortly after the Census was taken.
