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New boy looking for more info on William Hooper

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  • New boy looking for more info on William Hooper

    I've found the William Hooper that I'm looking for on the 1891 census. He's married to Alice Wildman and living with her parents in Farnworth, Lancashire. He was my great-grandfather. I've actually spoken with several of their offspring in the late 40's and early 50's.

    William died in 1900, so he's not on the 1901 census. The 1891 census records his place of birth as Shipton, Somerset. I live in Somerset myself but there is no place called Shipton. There's a Shipham, but that doesnt throw up anything at all.

    Obviously, I need to locate him on an earlier census to find the name of his parents. I'm quite new to this, so I'd appreciate any advice that's out there.

    Many thanks, Mike

  • #2
    He's in Farnworth in 1881. His birthplace is hard to read; it looks like Sheptonmeet, which I suppose might be a stab at Shepton Mallet.

    Comment


    • #3
      I think you'll need to get his marriage cert to go any further back with certainty, because it'll give his father's name and occupation.

      Comment


      • #4
        Ah, found the marriage on the LancsOPC site:

        Marriage: 3 Jun 1885 St James, New Bury, Farnworth, Lancashire, England
        William Hooper - 26 Commercial Traveller Bachelor of 73 Bennett Street
        Alice Wildman - 24 Spinster of Lea Farm Highfield
        Groom's Father: William Hooper, Gentleman
        Bride's Father: John Wildman, Farmer (Deceased)
        Witness: George Hooper; Bertha Newton
        Married by Banns by: George Holden Vicar
        Register: Marriages 1866 - 1891, Page 190, Entry 379
        Source: Register at Manchester Central Library

        OPC, Online Parish Clerk, family history, local history, free data, parish registers, census, Lancashire


        I should be a bit surprised if his father was really a gentleman, though, as he was working as a grocer's assistant in 1881.

        Comment


        • #5
          As I couldn't find an obvious candidate for William jr in the earlier censuses, or a birth, I've been looking for the witness George Hooper, on the assumption that he might be William's brother.

          There is a family that possibly fits the bill, with father William and children William and George of the right ages, but they were born in Curry Rivel. And father William wasn't a gentleman; he worked as a gatekeeper in 1861, and was an invalid by 1871, when his wife and children were all working, apart from the youngest one.

          1861:


          1871:


          Shepton Beauchamp is only 5 or 6 miles away from Curry Rivel, so I suppose that might be a possibility.
          Last edited by Mary from Italy; 07-01-11, 21:47.

          Comment


          • #6
            If that's the right family, this will be William's birth (Curry Rivel is in the Langport registration district):

            Births Jun 1859
            HOOPER William Langport 5c 514

            (from FreeBMD)

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            • #7
              Mary

              I've seen "gentleman" on several marriage certificates, obscuring the fact that the father was out of work! No one wants "unemployed" on their marriage cert, after all!

              OC

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              • #8
                True, although he appears to have been an invalid and a former gatekeeper, which I would have thought was a respectable enough occupation. But his wife's father was a farmer, so perhaps he was trying to improve his status to keep up with them.

                I had actually wondered if he was illegitimate, and the father William was invented, but I haven't found anything to back up that theory.

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                • #9
                  and the vicar was a Holden. :D:D:D

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                  • #10
                    By the way, OC, did you notice the vicar's name?

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                    • #11
                      Snap

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Snap :D

                        Christine
                        Researching: BENNETT (Leics/Birmingham-ish) - incl. Leonard BENNETT in Detroit & Florida ; WARR/WOR, STRATFORD & GARDNER/GARNAR (Oxon); CHRISTMAS, RUSSELL, PAFOOT/PAFFORD (Hants); BIGWOOD, HAYLER/HAILOR (Sussex); LANCASTER (Beds, Berks, Wilts) - plus - COCKS (Spitalfields, Liverpool, Plymouth); RUSE/ROWSE, TREMEER, WADLIN(G)/WADLETON (Devonport, E Cornwall); GOULD (S Devon); CHAPMAN, HALL/HOLE, HORN (N Devon); BARRON, SCANTLEBURY (Mevagissey)...

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                        • #13
                          I appreciate all of the help; thanks very much.

                          I'm inclined to agree that the Currey Rivel connection is very likely. I'd always assumed that the Hoopers emanated from Lancashire like myself until I was informed by my father that his grandfather, William Hooper, had originated from the West country. Apparently, William eventually became a commercial traveller for a flour manufacturer which is how he came to meet farmer's daughter Alice Wildman.

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                          • #14
                            Hi
                            Bolton will do a 15 minute free search http://www.boltonmuseums.org.uk/bolt...s-and-charges/ if you want to ask them to look for the marriage, you then pay for a copy plus postage. archives.library@bolton.gov.uk

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Megan View Post
                              Hi
                              Bolton will do a 15 minute free search http://www.boltonmuseums.org.uk/bolt...s-and-charges/ if you want to ask them to look for the marriage, you then pay for a copy plus postage. archives.library@bolton.gov.uk
                              That's great, many thanks.

                              Comment


                              • #16
                                Father's occupation was "gentleman"? I've got a couple of those when dear old Dad was nothing of the sort. In my tree it's happened where the marriage is taking place a long way from the family home and there was little change of the neighbours finding out that the bride or groom were trying to sound grander than they were"
                                Looking for Bysh, Potter, Littleton, Parke, Franks, Sullivan, Gosden, Carroll, Hurst, Churcher, Covell, Elverson, Giles, Hawkins, Witherden...

                                Comment


                                • #17
                                  Originally posted by Somerset Sal View Post
                                  Father's occupation was "gentleman"? I've got a couple of those when dear old Dad was nothing of the sort. In my tree it's happened where the marriage is taking place a long way from the family home and there was little change of the neighbours finding out that the bride or groom were trying to sound grander than they were"
                                  I have a marriage-cert farmer in my tree, who was only ever an "ag lab" on the censuses! And that doesn't count the magically discovered father of a child who, at baptism, was described: "believed to have been born in this parish about three years ago. Mother's present residence unknown."

                                  Christine
                                  Researching: BENNETT (Leics/Birmingham-ish) - incl. Leonard BENNETT in Detroit & Florida ; WARR/WOR, STRATFORD & GARDNER/GARNAR (Oxon); CHRISTMAS, RUSSELL, PAFOOT/PAFFORD (Hants); BIGWOOD, HAYLER/HAILOR (Sussex); LANCASTER (Beds, Berks, Wilts) - plus - COCKS (Spitalfields, Liverpool, Plymouth); RUSE/ROWSE, TREMEER, WADLIN(G)/WADLETON (Devonport, E Cornwall); GOULD (S Devon); CHAPMAN, HALL/HOLE, HORN (N Devon); BARRON, SCANTLEBURY (Mevagissey)...

                                  Comment


                                  • #18
                                    Originally posted by Mary from Italy View Post
                                    I think you'll need to get his marriage cert to go any further back with certainty, because it'll give his father's name and occupation.
                                    Hi Mary

                                    You kindly supplied this information:

                                    Marriage: 3 Jun 1885 St James, New Bury, Farnworth, Lancashire, England
                                    William Hooper - 26 Commercial Traveller Bachelor of 73 Bennett Street
                                    Alice Wildman - 24 Spinster of Lea Farm Highfield
                                    Groom's Father: William Hooper, Gentleman
                                    Bride's Father: John Wildman, Farmer (Deceased)
                                    Witness: George Hooper; Bertha Newton
                                    Married by Banns by: George Holden Vicar
                                    Register: Marriages 1866 - 1891, Page 190, Entry 379
                                    Source: Register at Manchester Central Library

                                    Do you think the marriage certificate would hold any more information? I'm wondering what is the best way to find out if this family in Curry Rivel is the one that I'm seeking.

                                    Mike

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                                    • #19
                                      No, you won't get any more information on the actual certificate, except that you'd see the original signatures of the spouses and the witnesses. It's not a bad idea to look at the register if you can, because there's always the possibility that the transcriber has made a mistake, but the LancsOPC transcriptions usually seem pretty good.

                                      Comment


                                      • #20
                                        Originally posted by Mary from Italy View Post
                                        No, you won't get any more information on the actual certificate, except that you'd see the original signatures of the spouses and the witnesses. It's not a bad idea to look at the register if you can, because there's always the possibility that the transcriber has made a mistake, but the LancsOPC transcriptions usually seem pretty good.
                                        Mary, I finally managed to confirm the Curry Rivel connection by concentrating my efforts on the brother George who became something of a bigshot in Guildford. This led me to Mariansleigh in Devon where I was able to view the Parish baptism and marriage records via the Mormon website. That took me back over another 100 years, so thanks again for your help.

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