Who was Edwin Henry Hooker and what happened to him?

[kiterunner]

Originally Posted by James18

Oh, curse this damned GRO search.

HOOKER, WILLIAM WRIGHT
GRO Reference: 1870 S Quarter in WYCOMBE Volume 03A Page 464

HOOKER, WILLIAM 0
GRO Reference: 1870 S Quarter in WYCOMBE Volume 03A Page 335

Henry and Maria (Edwin's parents) married in High Wycombe in 1869, and their eldest son Harry was born in 1872, so the timing certainly makes sense. He obviously died very young (registered the same quarter) and it's possible Harry never knew about him ever having existed, hence not listed among the children of his parents' marriage on the 1911 census.

(This doesn't explain Edwin's disappearance, but it's another little piece of the puzzle).

So you think it was the son who filled in the 1911 census form, not the father?

[Merry]

Probably a dumb Q, but when you copy and paste birth reg details from the GRO site how come they never seem to have the mmn included??

[James18]

Originally Posted by Merry

Probably a dumb Q, but when you copy and paste birth reg details from the GRO site how come they never seem to have the mmn included??

They do. In the above case, it's Wright. I think it's just how the paste doesn't include the big tab spaces, Merry.

[James18]

Originally Posted by kiterunner

So you think it was the son who filled in the 1911 census form, not the father?

I believe so, Kate. I have no proof of this, but I'm going by the theory that Henry's (the father) name was always written Henry, whereas his son was called Harry (and registered as such, rather than Henry); the 1911 census form is signed by Harry Hooker, and he has distinguished between Henry Hooker Sr. and Harry Hooker Jr.

So, on that basis, and because William (and Edwin, but that's less clear...) is not counted among the children of the marriage, I would say that Harry Jr. filled in the 1911 census form.

[Merry]

lol *goes to Specsavers*

[James18]

Just to (I hope) help rule out the Matilda Doe link... using the GRO search, I was able to confirm the earlier belief that Matilda Doe was Matilda Brooks, who married Charles Doe in Brentford, Middlesex in 1867.

Going by names of the children on the 1891 census (when they're staying with Henry's family), we can confirm them using the GRO search as:

DOE, JOHN BROOKS
GRO Reference: 1871 S Quarter in YEOVIL Volume 05C Page 468

DOE, MARY LINA BROOKS
GRO Reference: 1873 S Quarter in YEOVIL Volume 05C Page 496

DOE, CHARLES HENRY BROOKS
GRO Reference: 1875 J Quarter in YEOVIL Volume 05C Page 485

DOE, JOSEPH ASHER BROOKS
GRO Reference: 1877 M Quarter in YEOVIL Volume 05C Page 461

I followed up each of the siblings' census records to 1911, but could find no trace of Edwin - although I haven't found Joseph's 1911 census yet. Charles ended up as a clerk, Joseph was a bricklayer, and John went from being a footman and butler to - by 1911 - being a lay brother in the CofE.

It seems Charles Henry and Joseph Asher were known by their middle names.

[Merry]

Originally Posted by James18

although I haven't found Joseph's 1911 census yet.

http://person.ancestry.co.uk/tree/57...32825043/facts

[Merry]

Here' is Joseph Asher Doe's wife and two sons travelling to Canada:

http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/29...nSearchResults

The boys were registered Gilbert Asher and James Edward (mmn Gilbert, 1903 and 1905)

Here's Joseph a few months earlier:

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin...%208&ml_rpos=5

I note they suggest he is single! lol

[James18]

Well spotted, Merry!

Back to the drawing board with poor Edwin, it seems...

[James18]

I don't have a FMP sub atm, but I'm wondering if there might perhaps be something in a local newspaper, relating to a possible kidnapping, disappearance or accidental death (but even then, there'd be a registration of death).

However, last time I looked through the newspaper archives on FMP there wasn't anything for Surrey.