Henry James HOOKINS (Tree A)

Henry James HOOKINS was born on 1st October 1893 in the village of Pawlett, which is just north of Bridgwater on the A38. He was the 9th of 11 children born to William HOOKINS and his wife Susan (nee MASONS) - my great grandparents - and he was baptised at the local church on 29 Oct 1893.

Thereafter his first appearance in official documentation is the 1901 Census when he was living at the family home of 3 Common Cottages in Pawlett with his parents + 5 siblings as 2 siblings had already died, my grandfather was living with the family of his mother's sister in Huntspill, and 2 other siblings were working and living elsewhere.

By 1911 Henry was lodging at Prospect Cottage in North Petherton at the home of Arthur J BROWN and family, working locally as an Assistant Milkman and Groom.

He enlisted in the Army on 20th October 1914 and served in the 6th Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment No. 40220.

He was shot in his left arm whilst serving in France and was discharged due to his wounds on 29 May 1917. He was evacuated from France on HMS Asturias.

                         HMS Asturias

A letter to his mother indicates that he was transferred to the 3rd Western General Hospital in Newport Monmouthshire. He also perhaps later served with 2nd Battalion of 1st Regiment of Gloucestershire Hussars No 2580.

Henry married Naomi Agnes Constance KING in 1920 at St John's Church in Bridgwater.

                                                         St John's Church Bridgwater

Henry James HOOKINS & Naomi Agnes Constance KING Wedding

Their only son William Ewart was born in July of the following year at Edward Street in Bridgwater.

The next public record is the 1939 Register where we find Henry and Naomi living at the home of Naomi's parents at 16 Edward Street Bridgwater. There is also a hidden entry which probably relates to son William as he is not found anywhere else and children's names were often blanked out. At this stage Henry was described as a Clay Tempurer at a Brick and Tile works.

Brickworkers - Henry thought to be seated right

Sadly a few years later in 1943 Naomi passed away whilst in hospital in Weston-super-Mare.

Henry was to marry again in 1947 to Gwendoline GILLINGHAM (where he is indexed as HOSKINS) and they had 1 son together.

Henry died on 27th December 1977 in Bristol.

Henry Edward HOOKINS (Tree 3Q)

 Henry Edward HOOKINS was born on 6 June 1872 at 25 Reverdy Road in Bermondsey.

 

                                25 Reverdy Road, Bermondsey

He was the 2nd of 4 children born to Henry Adolphus HOOKINS and his wife Clara Elizabeth (nee HOLLAND).

At the first Census after his birth, in 1881, Henry's home was at 92 Sumner Road in Camberwell where he lived with his parents + 2 siblings + 2 step-uncles. The family name recorded is HOOKENS and Henry Jnr. is identified with his second forename of Edward.

By 1891, still known as Edward, he is with his parents and 3 siblings at 23 Castle Street, Blackthorne Yard, St Martins in the Fields where he is recorded as being a Clerk.

On 24 November 1908 Henry married Grace Elizabeth HALE at St Philips Church in Clerkenwell but, by that time, they had already had 9 children! By the 1901 Census Henry and Grace had already welcomed Arthur Edward in 1896, Walter Ernest in 1898 (although he died 2 years later), and Grace Daisy in 1900 (but she died of TB shortly after the Census was taken). So at that Census they were living in 2 rooms at 80 Brook Street in Lambeth with Arthur and Daisy. Henry is described as a Commercial Clerk and Grace was recorded as his wife even though their marriage was 7 years away at that time.

More births followed with Fred later in 1901, May in 1903, an Unnamed child who was born and died in 1904, Stanley in 1905, Violet in 1906 but who died within a year, Ivy in 1908, Sidney in 1909 and Leslie in 1910. So by the time of the 1911 Census, Grace had given birth to 11 children but only 7 had survived. The remaining family were living at 4 Manson Street on the Old Kent Road. Henry is still a Commercial Clerk although he had been recorded as a Newsagents Clerk in 1908.

Amazingly childbearing continued with the arrival of Rose in 1911, Edith in 1913 and William in 1914. Grace was only 46 when she died in 1921 leaving 10 children between the ages of 7 and 19, although Arthur was to marry just 1 month after his mother's death. Grace died at 11 Otto Street in Kennington of Pulmonary TB.

Henry himself was to pass away 7 years later on 4 September 1928 at Lambeth Hospital at the age of 56. He died of Uraemia and Nephritis which points to kidney problems and he was buried 8 days later in Southwark.

Henry Charles HOOKINS (Tree G)

 Another Henry Charles HOOKINS biography details the life of a child born on 5 January 1894 at 1K Peabody Buildings in Holborn London.

Henry was the first of 11 children born to Henry Charles HOOKINS and his wife Amy Jane (nee TIGG). His baptism took place at St James Church in Clerkenwell on 8 July 1894.

By the time of the 1901 Census Henry was living at 27 Rosaman Street in Clerkenwell with his parents and 3 other siblings. By 1911 he was working as an Errand Boy in an Oil shop and was living at 1 Field Place, St John Street in Clerkenwell with his parents and 5 siblings.

On 20 October 1918 Henry married Jessie Beckingham ROGERS at St Marks Church in Clerkenwell.

At the time of his marriage Henry was identified as a Cook's Mate in the Royal Navy. His naval career shows that he served as a Cook's Mate and later a Cook at HMS VIVID in the Naval Barracks in Plymouth in 1914, 1915 and 1917, on HMS Impregnable, a training ship based in Plymouth in 1915 and 1918, on HMS Cumberland, an armoured cruiser in 1915/6, Diligence, a Scout and Depot ship in 1919, and the battleship Repulse in 1919. He was also a Cook's Mate on HMS Tiger. His total service lasted 12 years from 23 November 1914.

HMS Tiger

The couple do not appear to have had any children and unfortunately Henry died before 8 years of his marriage had elapsed in 1926 and his widow Jessie married again the following year, but it seems that she may also have died in 1931.

Henry Charles HOOKINS (Tree G)

Henry Charles HOOKINS entered the world on 24 June 1839 at 4.30am in Bond Lane, Mitcham. He was the 7th of 11 children born to William HOOKINS and his wife Sarah (nee HOWARD).

Two years later in the 1841 Census Henry was at Locks Lane, Mitcham with his parents and 5 siblings as one had already died before Henry's birth.

In 1849 Henry's father died of Phthisis aged just 36 leaving his Widow Sarah with 10 children aged between 2 and 22 years of age, one of whom was to die the following year shortly after his 4th birthday. In the 1851 Census therefore Sarah is now recorded as a Laundress and is living with  8 children at Bull Yard, West Fields, Mitcham as one daughter was, it seems, a patient at the Middlesex Hospital in Marylebone, although recorded as HAWKINS.

By 1861 Henry had moved out of the family home and was a Porter lodging with a Thomas MASON in Bethnal Green, whilst his mother was at the family home in Palestine Grove with 4 of his siblings and his married sister Hagather/Agatha and her 3 children.

In 1866 Henry married Caroline BAKER at Christchurch Spitafields. Henry was now a Packer living at 96 Brick Lane in Spitafields whilst Caroline lived at 10 King Street.

Their first child, Emily Sarah, was born in August of the following year followed by Rose Ellen in August 1869. Emily was born at 162 Central Street in St Lukes and Rose at 32 Rahir Street. In the 1871 Census the family is recorded as HOCKINS and living in Britannia Street, Shoreditch with Rose under the name of Rosina. Henry Charles Junior was born later in 1871 at 19 Britannia Street, Eliza in 1874 at Whitechapel, Frederick Frank in 1876 at 5 Crown & Shears in the Minories (although he died the following year), Maud Mary in 1878 at Duke Street, Aldgate, and William John in 1890. All through the 1870s father Henry continued in his Porter role.

In the 1881 Census the family is recorded as HOOKINGS. By then the family were living at 12 Worley Court in St Botolph although Emily was not with them as she was a scholar at the John Carr (probably CASS) School in St Botolph. Henry is described as a Market Porter.

During the ensuing 4 years two more children were born - Albert Edward in 1883 and Griffiths Arthur in 1885, both born at Worley Court.

By 1891 Eliza was away from the family in service in Bromley, and Emily was not with them but due to marry in July of that year. The remaining family were at 7 Royal Albert Buildings in St Botolph with Henry now a Wine Packer.

By the time of the next Census in 1901 Emily, Henry and Rose had all married and father Henry is believed to have died at the beginning of that year as Caroline is recorded as a Widow and living in Newington with her youngest son. Henry would have been 61 years old at the time of his death and Caroline was to outlive him by a further 23 years.

Henry HOOKINS (Tree 4A)

Henry HOOKINS was born on 8 July 1852 at Bridge Street in Cookham, Maidenhead. He was the 3rd child of 6 born to William HOOKINS and his wife Sarah (nee SMITH) - one of two William HOOKINS in my records who married a Sarah SMITH. Henry's family moved about a bit probably due to father William's occupation as a Railway Porter. By the time of Henry's birth the family already included William born in Willand in 1846 and Jane born in Paddington (hopefully not the station!!) in 1849/50.

The birthplace of sister Louisa born in 1855 was in Hitcham, Buckinghamshire and brother Frederick 3 years later was born in High Wycombe. So by the time of the 1861 Census, where the family is indexed as HOOKINGS, they were all together at Chipping Wycombe which is the form name of the ancient borough of High Wycombe.

The birth of sister Eliza took place in 1863 in Rotherfield Grays, Henley where the family seemed to finally put down roots. They were there in Greys Lane in the 1871 Census although brother William had just married and is recorded elsewhere. Louisa is also not present and her location is at present not known. Henry himself, just short of his 19th birthday is recorded as being a Painter.

Henry himself was to marry in November of that year at the Register Office in Henley where his bride was Louisa HUGHES and Henry was still engaged in the same occupation. The next decade brought a series of joys and sorrows for Henry and Louisa. Son Henry was born in 1872 and Arthur in 1874 both in Rotherfield Grays, but both were to sadly die shortly after Arthur's birth. Further sons were however born in 1875 (Frederick), 1877 (Walter), and 1881 Sidney, although again sadly Sidney was to die shortly after his birth. Henry's mother had unfortunately died early in 1872 so sadly would not have seen any of Henry's children and by the time of the 1881 Census Henry and Louisa, along with their surviving children were living as lodgers with Henry's father, brother and sister back in Greys Lane. By this time too Henry had added the title of Glazier to his Painter profession.

In 1882 Henry and Louisa's first daughter Florence Maud was born followed 3 years later by Kate, and both were baptised at the Trinity Chapelry in Rotherfield Grays. The family were together in 1891 although Florence is recorded by her second name Maud.

Death came again for the family in 1899 when the eldest surviving child Frederick died at Albert Road, Grays of Phthisis at the age of 24. The remaining members of the family were still at Albert Road in 1901 with the exception of Walter who had married 2 years previously. Florence was to marry in 1907 where Henry is mysteriously referred to as being a Mechanic although in 1911 when he is living with his remaining family (Louisa and Kate) at Albert Road, he is restored to his House Painter title. Kate herself was to marry in 1915. Henry was however to pass away on 6 June 1917 at 48 Deacon Street, Swindon, still recorded as a Painter and Decorator Journeyman just short of his 65th birthday. Louisa was to outlive him by a further 27 years.

48 Deacon Street Swindon