Henry HOOKINS (Tree 3Q)

Henry HOOKINS was born on 9th January 1845 (almost 175 years ago as I write this blog!). His birthplace was in Bartholomew Street, All Hallows on the Wall, Exeter being the outer wall of the city. He was the 4th child born to Henry Lethbridge HOOKINS and his wife Amelia (nee KINGWELL), although two of his siblings had already died by the time of Henry's birth.
When the 1861 Census happened just 6 years later, the two remaining siblings were living with their maternal grandparents at 46 Bartholomew Street whilst their parents were living in Topsham as Schoolmaster and Schoolmistress.

Bartholomew Street, Exeter

Sadly Henry's mother Amelia died in March 1853 of peritonitis during childbirth. There is no record of a child being born so he/she was presumably a stillborn. His father remarried just 5 months later but neither of his children were with him by the time of the next Census in 1861. Whilst sister Emily was a Governess in Tiverton, there appears to be no sign of (our)Henry, but their father is living in Exeter with his new wife and the 3 children born to them since their 1853 marriage.

Henry himself married on 13th June 1868 at St Mary Magdalene Church in Southwark by which time he was noted to be an Accountant. His bride was Clara Elizabeth HOLLAND. Their 1st child Emily was born the following year where Henry is described as a Commercial Clerk, and for the only time is given a second name of Adolphus in the birth registration. Their address was at 1 Nile Terrace off the Old Kent Road, where they were still living for the 1871 Census, indexed under the name of HOKIN and Henry with the title of Book-Keeper.

Their second child, Henry Edward followed in 1872, born at 25 Reverdy Road, Bermondsey. Father Henry is described as an Accountant but 5 years later, when Arthur Ernest was born at 92 Sumner Road, Peckham, his occupation reverted to Book-Keeper. He was however a Clerk in a Printer's Office in 1881 when the family were still at Sumner Road, indexed as HOOKENS. Son Henry was shown by his second name of Edward, and included in the household were two of father Henry's step brothers from his father's second marriage.

Later that year Henry and Clara's next child, Edith Violet, was born at Sumner Road and by the 1891 Census the family were at 23 Castle Street, Black Horse Yard in St Martins in the Fields. Henry is now the Manager of a Carriage Yard and 3 of his 4 children are recorded using their second Christian names - Henry obviously wasn't a budding Family Historian when having his family details recorded!!!!

By 1901 their second child, Henry Edward, is no longer living with the family, but is living as a Manager of Stables in Clerkenwell with his "wife" and 2 children, although records show that their marriage didn't actually happen for another 7 years! The rest of his parents' family are all together at 31 Northumberland Park in Tottenham where, thankfully all the children have reverted to their first names!

By the 1911 Census Henry, as Manager of a Carriage Hire Business, is living at 172 High Road in Wood Green with Clara and their 3rd child Arthur, and the other 3 children are all stated to be still living.

Henry was to die the following year at the age of 67 years and his widow Clara followed just 2 years later, both at 172 High Road.