Frederick John & Emma Selina HOOKINS (Tree A)

Apicture of Fred and Emma with their first 4 children - Grace, Daisy, Bill and babe in arms Fred. This will therefore have been taken around the end of 1914 or the beginning of 1915 at a time when Britain was at war with Germany. Obviously arranged in a photographer's studion and the lady standing at the rear of the picture is unknown at present.

Willie HOOKINS (Tree A)

William (Willie) HOOKINS was born on 3rd August 1898 at Pawlett in Somerset and was baptised 25 days later. He was a horseman in the Army but his regiment is not yet known. He is believed to be pictured here in Army uniform with a lady believed to be his mother Susan so this will have been taken somewhere around the 1920 period. Willie was best man at his brother Henry's wedding in 1920 quoted as Billie but he died of consumption in 1924.

Frederick John HOOKINS (Tree A)

Although Fred lived in Peasedown St John for a large part of his life he aactually began his business in the village of Mark in Somerset. At that stage he boasted the trade of wheelwright as well as the building, decorating and undertaking business which his sons Bill and Fred would eventuallt take over as Hookins Brothers. Here is a picture of Fred outside his workshop in Mark in the early 1900s. His sons would later benefit from motor vehicles but Fred had only a cart to transport his ladders and materials around the Somerset hills.

Frederick John & Emma Selina HOOKINS (Tree A)

I love this image of my grandparents family unit. Frederick John is seated with his wife Emma Selina flanked by their children Grace, William (Bill) and Daisy (back row), Albert (Bert), Jesse and Fred in the front. This will have been taken in the mid 1920s.

William John & Gladys Mabel Amy HOOKINS (Tree A)

William John HOOKINS was the eldest son of Frederick John & Emma Selina HOOKINS and was born in 1908. He married Gladys Mabel Amy CLIFFORD in 1934 and they had 4 children. Bill took over his father's Building and Decorating business along with his brother Frederick Charles and Fred dealt with the Undertaking part of the business. Bill died in 1969.

Emma Selina HOOKINS (Tree A)

Emma Selina HOOKINS (nee COBB) came from the Bath firm of COBBS renowned locally for their bread and cakes. She married Frederick John HOOKINS at Hay Hill Baptist Chapel in Bath in 1906 having originally been born in Swindon in 1879. They lived at Bloomfield Terrace in Wellow but at the end of their lives lived at Dilkusha, 1 Eckweek Road, Peasedown St John from where Fred ran his Building Decorating and Undertaking business. Emma outlived Fred by almost 18 years and died at the age of 95.

James HOOKINS (Misc Tree)

Another Hookins has been added to the Miscellaneous database in the absence of conclusive enough proof to place him with a family. I located James on the Parish Records Collection for Burials on the Findmypast website. He was buried at Brompton Ralph in Somerset on 22nd Oct 1870 and was just 8 months old when he died. Brompton Ralph are where my relatives came from and he seems to fit into a family which was in Brompton Ralph at the time. His birth fits in with the births of siblings and the father in that family was also a James. That family however is not yet linked to my Family Tree. The father of the father in this family - little James' grandfather - was a John and John's details so nearly match that of a John in Brompton Ralph who is on my Family Tree. But each John is married to someone with a different christian name and the birth dates in the two families overlap - even though annoyingly some have the same names but different birth dates! - so in the absence of John leading a double life inside his own village with two Hookins wives (unlikely isn't it?) I have nothing to link them yet. Don't you think like me that they must be connected somewhere along the line?

Albert Edward HOOKINS (Tree A)

In 1946 Albert Edward (Bert) HOOKINS started a lubricant firm in Bampton Devon. At that stage apparently a gallon of tractor oil cost just 3 shillings 6 pence. He gradually grew the business supplying many agricultural clients over a wide area until such time as he became the largest distributor of Elf Oil lubricants in the country.
By 1946 he had completed 50 years in the business and was presented with a special 50th anniversary decanter set by the local MP Angela Browning.
Eventually the firm was sold to a major company obviously keen to remove such a formidable competitor as Bert's firm

Frederick Charles HOOKINS (Tree A)

A final series of pictures from the war-time service of Frederick Charles HOOKINS. Fred was in the Faroe Islands for part of the war although all of the pictures do not seem to be from there. If the limited scenery gives anyone any clues it would be helpful and appreciated.

Another HOOKINS and another Family

It isn't just the research done personally that brings results. Over the years I have had contact the a large number of people who bear or who have borne the HOOKINS name in the past or have connections to it. Because of the numbers involved many of these are reduced to the annual Christmas card with our newsletter updating them all on our news. Many reciprocate with their own newsletters or snippets they have discovered about HOOKINS people. One such note came last Christmas and notified me of a marriage which had taken place last year. I had suspected that it had but had received no confirmation until then. So it gave me one more person (the bride) for that Tree and for the database as well as them being a new family unit. That brings the total individuals on the database to 1514 and the number of families to 395. Quite often these snippets of information can start further investigations, suddenly link individuals or families together so if you find any HOOKINS people or events surrounding them I will be glad to hear of them.
Bob

John & Henrietta Jemima HOOKINS (Tree 2D)

John and Henrietta Jemima HOOKINS have been languishing as a married couple in the Miscellaneous database as I haven't been able to confirm the link between John and his father. That has now been rectified thanks to John's entry in the 1851 Census where he is living with Henrietta at Brow Cottage, Devizes as a 50 year old solicitor with 3 servants - 1 man and 2 women and both the latter were born in France. More importantly his birthplace is shown as Yeovil which links him with the son of another John HOOKINS who was christened in Yeovil. John (Junior) was also married in the church which covers the same Parish in which his mother died in 1840 in Southampton. The couple eventually moved to Bath - coincidentally where my immediate family came from although I can't see a connection as I am not currently aware of any children from this marriage. After John had died Henrietta seems to have continued to live comfortably because in 1871 she had a Lady's maid, Parlour Maid, a Cook and a Helper in Housework living at her property at Invermay, Bathampton where she died in 1889.

James & Mabel JEFFERIES (Tree A)

James and Mabel JEFFERIES were the maternal grandparents of Bob HOOKINS. Mabel is pictured above left with two of her daughters, Eunice (on the right) and Hilda Lucy Florence later to be HOOKINS the mother of Bob, Patsy and Joan. On the right James and Mabel are pictured with Hilda probably in 1916. Hilda was born in Weymouth during the first World War but the family home was in Bitton, between Bristol and Bath.

Frederick Charles & Hilda Lucy Florence HOOKINS (Tree A)

Final image of Fred and Hilda on their wedding day in St Mary's Church Bitton in 1937 with a black kitten for good luck

1911 Census

I've managed to print off a list of the people purported to have the HOOKINS name in the 1911 Census. They total 208 although looking through the listing I don't think some of them "belong to us" probably because the name has been transcribed incorrectly. I have just finished printing off the actual pages for the 1861 Census and some of the entries which are allegedly HOOKINS are names like HOSKINS as the "s" and "o" is sometimes difficult to decipher. Little excuse however for the entry which I found which was fairly clearly JENKINS!! Clearly there will be other HOOKINS people whose names have been transcribed as HOOKINGS/HUCKINS etc and further investigations will need to be done to ascertain the fate of those people who have seemingly disappeared since the 1901 Census.
Interestingly enough I've just had a quick look through the various Trees and I estimate that the name of HOOKINS people currently living according to my records is still about the same as in 1911. Obviously there have been births of new children and wives taking on the name which have been countered by deaths and those daughters who have married and taken another name so at least our numbers are holding steady to keep the name going.
Bob

Frederick Charles & Hilda Lucy Florence HOOKINS (Tree A)

Frederick Charles HOOKINS with Hilda Lucy Florence HOOKINS, son Bob and future daughter in law Jackie POWELL pictured at a family wedding in 1969 just 3 months after Bob and Jackie's own marriage

Frederick Charles HOOKINS (Tree A)

Frederick Charles HOOKINS was a Builder, Decorator and Undertaker by trade and so was working by day primarily at building and decorating but was often called upon during the evening and night in relation to his undertaking responsibilities. He therefore had little time for leisure activities. He enjoyed watching boxing on the television when he could be was also th captain of a skittles team at the Prince of Wales pub between his home village of Peasedown St John and the village of Dunkerton. This is a picture of Fred (back row 4 from left) at an awards ceremony where he is holding the trophies he and his team had won that year. His son in law Mick Harding was also in the team and is pictured back row 2nd from right.

National Burial Index

I've been checking a few entries on the National Burial Index tonight. Two of the records I couldn't relate to any other details I already hold so they are down as two new people which have been put on the Miscellaneous Tree database. One was a Henry HOOKINS who was buried in Cardiff in 1907 aged 61 having lived in the Union Workhouse, another was Elizabeth HOOKINS who was buried 12 Jan 1701 at Taunton but no details of age appear there. A James HOOKINS was buried 27 Jan 1815 aged 4 in Mitcham which I am pretty sure relates to a James on a very small Tree (2R). Another James buried 13 Aug 1828 in Brompton Ralph Somerset I already know about as he is on my own Tree and another Elizabeth was buried 16 May 1817 aged 8 months at Mitcham which I can reasonably tie into an individual record I already hold. The last one was an Ida HOOKINS the information for whom enabled me to locate her birth so I will order that certificate to find out parents' details and so hopefully position her into a Tree.
So a bit of a mixed bag but at least some new information was found.

Frederick Charles & Hilda Lucy Florence HOOKINS (Tree A)

Two more pictures of Frederick Charles & Hilda Lucy Florence HOOKINS. Above left during the 1960s and on the right on their wedding day in 1937. Hilda's bridesmaids were her sisters left to right Eunice, Marjorie and Gladys. Behind Gladys is Eunice's husband Raymond.

Frederick Charles HOOKINS (Tree A)

Frederick Charles HOOKINS 1914-1982 father of Bob Hookins pictured in the 1930s (?)

Bob HOOKINS (Tree A)

Family outing in Weymouth approx 1949/50. I am in the pushchair being pushed by my mother Hilda Lucy Florence HOOKINS. My father Frederick Charles HOOKINS is on my mother's right walking in front of my mother's parents, Jim and Mabel JEFFERIES. Walking alongside my mother is also her brother Mervyn JEFFERIES.

I am pictured here again around 1949/50 in the back lane of my mother's parents' home in Bitton nr Bristol with my father on a motor cycle which probably belonged to my mother's brother Dennis

Henry & Carolina HOOKINS (Misc Tree)

Have just recorded a document relating to the marriage of Henry and Carolina on 19 January 1749 which appeared in the Fleet Registers for marriages performed according to the Rules of the Fleet London. This seems to have been because Henry was in the 1st Regiment of the Foot Guards. There is no mention of the place of marriage but it is known from the register page that Henry was a widower at the time of the marriage and Carolina a widow having been formerly known as BROOKS. So two new people are added to the ranks in the Miscellaneous Tree database.

Frederick John & Emma Selina HOOKINS and family (Tree A)

More pictures of Frederick John & Emma Selina HOOKINS and their family.

Top left Richard HOLMES who married their daughter Daisy next to him, son Jesse and Hilda (nee JEFFERIES who married son Frederick Charles.

Top right Frederick John in his Undertaker's outfit, the part of the family business taken over by son Frederick Charles.

2nd row left Frederick John and Seilna with their first daughter Grace.

2nd row centre Frederick John and Emma Selina

2nd row right Emma Selina in later years

3rd row Frederick John and Emma Selina with sons William John, Jesse and Frederick Charles together with Hilda (nee JEFFERIES) who married son Frederick Charles

Frederick Charles HOOKINS (Tree A)

Frederick Charles HOOKINS (1914-1982) pictured on the left with an Army pal during Army service.

Father of Bob HOOKINS

Frederick John & Emma Selina HOOKINS (Tree A)

Frederick John HOOKINS 1883-1956 and Emma Selina HOOKINS (nee COBB) 1879-1974 outside the family home at Dilkusha, 1 Eckweek Road, Peasedown St John, Bath. They were married at Hay Hill Chapel Bath on 4th June 1906 and had 4 sons and 2 daughters. They are the grandparents of Bob Hookins

Hilda Lucy Florence HOOKINS (Tree A)

Hilda Lucy Florence HOOKINS (nee JEFFERIES) on wedding day October 1937 with father James JEFFERIES at the front of the family home Mill House, Bitton situated next to the Paper Mill where James worked. Hilda married Frederick Charles HOOKINS at St Mary's Church Bitton and they were the parents of Patsy, Bob and Joan

No progress there then!

Despite the recent rise in the cost of getting certificates (now £9.50) from the General Register Office I still order those which will hopefully answer questions rather than pose new ones. I was intrigued by an Elizabeth Ann from my own Tree (A) whom I thought had possibly married in 1880 but was found in the 1881 Census still using her maiden name. So I ordered the marriage certificate only to find that she is not the same Elizabeth Ann although both fathers had the same name of William! I now believe that the one I am looking for married in 1887 but I now need to get the birth certificate for the other to find out where she belongs.
For another certificate I wanted to prove that two John Hookins' I was looking at were actually one and the same as his former wife had died. There was a death of the Ann HOOKIN(G)S name I was searching for in 1844 but now I have the death certificate I find it relates to a baby who died at 3 weeks of age oh Whooping Cough. Her father registered the death so that's another family started! - and I'm no clearer on the two John's!
Never mind - more information gained - just not the bits I was looking for!

Frederick Charles & Hilda Lucy Florence HOOKINS (Tree A)

Frederick Charles HOOKINS 1914-1982 married Hilda Lucy Florence JEFFERIES 1915-1995 at St Mary's Church Bitton. Fred son of Frederick John & Emma Selina HOOKINS. Fred and Hilda parents of Patricia (Patsy), Bob and Joan. Photos thought to have been taken at Weymouth in the 1930s. Fred was a Carpenter, Undertaker, Builder and Decorator in the family firm with his brother Bill. Family home of Fred, Hilda and family was 7 Gordon Road, Peasedown St John.

Margaret HOOKINS (Tree Misc)

One new person added to the Hookins records today is Margaret HOOKINS who unfortunately died in 1780 at the age of just 18 months. I found some Middlesex Burial records on line which indicated she came from St Martins in Fields in Middlesex. Burial seems to have cost 3 shillings! I know no more about her than that so have added her on to the Miscellaneous Tree record which houses all those belonging to extremely small Trees or as in this case no Tree at all as yet.

Frederick John & Emma Selina HOOKINS (Tree A)

Frederick John HOOKINS 1883-1956 born Pawlett near Bridgwater son of William & Susan (see previous posts). Undertaker and wheelwright. Married Emma Selina COBB 1906 at Hay Hill Chapel Bath. They had 4 sons and 2 daughters. Began own business as Hookins & Sons (Builders Decorators & Undertakers) later run by 2 of his sons, Fred and Bill from their parents' home address - Dilkusha, Eckweek Road, Peasedown St John, near Bath. Fred and Emma are grandparents of Bob Hookins.

Family Home of William and Susan HOOKINS (Tree A)

The house on the left hand side is No 10 The Common Pawlett which was the family home for William and Susan HOOKINS and over the years 11 children one of whom was Walter pictured a few pictures ago on this blog. Over the years I have spoken to a few people who remember their visits to this home. William and Susan are the great grandparents of Bob Hookins.

Nellie HOOKINS (Tree A)

(#37A) Nellie 1885-1914 was a daughter of William and Susan HOOKINS. She was born in Pawlett and lived with her parents and 6 other siblings at 10 The Common, Pawlett (see next photograph) in the 1891 Census. At the age of 15 she was a Domestic House Maid at the home of Rev Cooper and his family at the Old Vicarage in North Curry. She died of consumption.

Henry and Willie HOOKINS (Tree A)

Henry James HOOKINS (left) 1893-1977. First volunteer in his Parish at outbreak of WW1. Son of William and Susan HOOKINS (Tree A)

William (Willie) HOOKINS (right) 1898-1924. Died of consumption. Son of William and Susan HOOKINS (Tree A)

1861 Census William & Sarah HOOKINS (3N Tree)

Just checked another family on the 1861 Census and found William with his wife Sarah and 2 children William G and Mary E. At that time William was a Civil Guard in Portland Prison and was living at Portland. He was previously a Bombardier in the Royal Artillery from which he was discharged in 1856 being no longer fit for service. His discharge papers descreibe him as of exemplary character. He was also a poet and is alleged to have sent poetry to Lord Tennyson. He also is believed to have been acquainted with Charles Dickens who attended the church where William and Sarah were married. Sadly Mary died when aged only 13 and William G as well as possibly another brother Arthur also pre-deceased their parents. Only Alfred J 1871-1942 seems to have outlived their parents.

Charlie and Walter HOOKINS

On the left Charles (Charlie) HOOKINS 1895-1919. Died of consumption as a result of service in France as Bombardier in Royal Field Artillery.
On the right Walter HOOKINS 1887-1974. Managed Daisy Hill Care Homes with wife Gertrude (nee HOLMES) 1884-1967.
Both are sons of William and Susan in previous posts.