Who was Edwin Henry Hooker and what happened to him?

[Merry]

Oh good! Fingers crossed.....

[James18]

Okay, now this has well and truly confused me:



Maria was his mother, which makes him legitimate -- why was he born in Egham? Was she not supposed to be in Woking Asylum at this time? Why has he not been counted alongside his siblings on Henry's 1911 census record? (total children born alive 5, still living 4, dead 1)

Can Edwin's date of birth provide any clues? I had assumed the answers to these questions would revolve around the fact he was a bastard and was perhaps living with his mother, but him being Maria's daughter actually seems to have provided more questions than answers!

Any ideas?

[James18]

It's worth bearing in mind that Albert, Edith, Minnie & Janet were all baptized together at Longcross, Surrey on April 16th, 1893. Harry and Edwin Henry were not. I had assumed that Harry, being the eldest, simply didn't want to, or perhaps he had already been baptized in Buckinghamshire, prior to the move to Surrey.

But if Edwin was still alive in 1893, and still living with his father (as he was in 1891) then it stands to reason he'd have been baptized as well - surely?

[kiterunner]

I see that Henry registered the birth. Maybe he lied about who the mother was?

[James18]

Originally Posted by kiterunner

I see that Henry registered the birth. Maybe he lied about who the mother was?

I hadn't even considered that (it can't be common, surely) but given that Maria was in Woking Asylum from 1881 until her death in 1916, I don't see how she can have given birth to a son in Knowle Hill, Egham in November 1883. Even if she did get pregnant by Henry whilst at Woking, she wouldn't have given birth to Edwin in Egham, would she?

I really don't like this, as it's making me think I've made a massive mistake somewhere, but I've followed up other records with sources and I know that Henry had five children, and one (Edith) died in 1906 - these are the children accounted for on the 1911 census (5, 4 living, 1 dead).

Edwin has really thrown a spanner into the works as I am confused at Maria being his mother, and yet if she isn't, I don't see how we can find out who is, and I have no idea what happened to him after the 1891 census. I'm sure that Henry would have had him baptized with the other children in 1893 (he was the youngest afterall) and if he was Maria's child, it makes no sense for him to have been 'forgotten' on the 1911 census.

Something really doesn't add up...

[Merry]

Originally Posted by kiterunner

I see that Henry registered the birth. Maybe he lied about who the mother was?

That's called "doing a Sidney"!!

(Sidney Whelan (1887-1854) had two children with his wife around the date of the 1911 census. They then split up and he went on to have several other children with several other woman. Two of these children he registered with his wife as the mother even though he's not seen her for years!)

[James18]

It does make you wonder what Henry's other children made of it all, though. They were living with Edwin on the 1891 census, and presumably at least Harry (the eldest) would have known their mother was in an asylum and so very unlikely to have been Edwin's mother. I mean, presumably the mother was 'on the scene' at some point.

God, what a horrible brick wall. I don't think we will ever find him now.

[kiterunner]

I don't suppose Henry showed them a birth certificate or told them that he had put Maria's name down.

[Merry]

I looked at men called Edwin with that dob on the 1939 Register, but nothing stood out. If Edwin had a chaotic upbringing he may not have known his dob anyway!

[Merry]

Originally Posted by kiterunner

I don't suppose Henry showed them a birth certificate or told them that he had put Maria's name down.

No. The free short cert doesn't give the names of the parents.