Robert Stokes and Susanna Judd

St Mary, Great Canfield - East end
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © John Salmon - geograph.org.uk/p/5059305

Robert Stokes (bap. 28 Apr 1765), son of Robert and Prudence Stokes of Great Dunmow, married Susanna Judd (bap. 24 Jun 1764), daughter of John and Susanna Judd, on 20 Apr 1784 at her parish of St Mary, Great Canfield. 

Robert and Susanna had five children:

1. Jane Stokes bap. 29 Aug 1784 in Great Canfield
2. John Stokes bap. 5 Nov 1786 in Great Canfield
3. William Stokes bap. 8 Nov 1789 in Great Canfield
4. Joseph Stokes bap. 25 Sep 1792 in Great Canfield
5. James Stokes bap. 28 Aug 1796 in Little Canfield

Robert Stokes died, aged 75, and was buried on 11 Aug 1840.

In 1841, the widowed Susan Stokes was living with her daughter, Jane Byatt, in Hickeys Lane, Little Canfield. Susan Stokes was buried, on 1 Mar 1852, at All Saints, Little Canfield. She will have been 88.

William Crow and Judith Doe

St Mary's, Great Canfield, Essex

William Crow (b. ~1789) married Judith Doe (b. ~1792), daughter of Henry Doe and Elizabeth Stones, on 17 Mar 1814 at St Mary, Great Canfield. 

Confusingly, there were several people called William Crow, born around 1789-1791. One of the others was born in Little Waltham, in 1791, who I can trace, later appearing in other places, so that one is definitely not our man. Unfortunately, on some websites, the distinction has not been spotted and the two conflated. There was a William Crow bap. 29 Mar 1789 at St Mary the Virgin, Broxted, son of Thomas and Elizabeth Crow, who I believe to be a possibility, but this would need much more evidence for confirmation.

The following 15 children, however, can be attributed to this couple: 

1. Elizabeth Crow bap. 7 Aug 1814 at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow
2. William Crow bap. 24 Dec 1816 in Great Canfield
3. Henry Crow bap. 6 Apr 1817 at St Mary the Virgin, Great Canfield
4. Charlotte Crow bap. 25 Apr 1819 in Great Dunmow
5. Eliza Crowe (sic) bap. 18 Jun 1820 at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow
6. Jane Crow b. 21 Apr 1822, bap. 29 Apr 1825 at Dunmow Chapel
7. John Crowe (sic) b. 16 Nov 1823, bap. in Great Dunmow [1]
8. George Crow b. 17 Sep 1825, bap. in Great Dunmow [1]
9. Thomas Crow b. 9 May 1827, bap. in Great Dunmow [1]
10. Stephen Crow b. ~1830, said to have been bap. 10 April 1831
11. James Crow b. 10 Nov 1830, bap. 10 Apr 1831 in Great Dunmow
12. Robert Crow b. 16 Mar 1832, bap. 27 May 1832. Died, aged 2, and was buried on 7 Feb 1834 at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow
13. Matilda Crow b. 8 Oct 1833, bap. 29 Jun 1834 in Great Dunmow
14. Mary Crow b. 28 Mar 1835, bap. 8 Sep 1835. Died, aged 4 in 1840 M Qtr in DUNMOW UNION Vol 12 Page 63 and buried on 17 Jan 1840.
15. Sarah Crow b. 20 Jul 1836, bap. 5 Oct 1837 in Great Dunmow

[1] John, George and Thomas' baptisms were listed together with birth dates in what appear to be the Non-Conformist (presumably the Congregational Chapel) records, so they may have also been baptised together, clearly after Thomas' birth, the most likely date appearing to be 14 Dec 1828. 

In 1841, William Craw (sic) (50) Ag Lab was living at Philpot End, Great Dunmow with Judyth (sic) (40), Henry (20), Jane (20), John (20) - ages rounded - George (17), Thomas (13), Stephen (11), James (9), Matilda (6) and Sarah (4). William Crow (25) was a M. S. [Male Servant] in the household of Thomas Smith (30) Farmer at Mudwall Farm, Bishop's Green, Dunmow.

The 1851 Census returns for both Great and Little Dunmow are missing.

In 1861, we find William Crow (70) Agricultural Labourer, with his birthplace given as Great Dunmow; wife Judith (69) and son Stephen Crow (24) Agricultural Labourer still living at Philpot End, Great Dunmow. 

William Crow died, at 72, in 1861 D Qtr in DUNMOW UNION Vol 04A Page 214 and was buried on 23 Nov 1861 at St Mary The Virgin, Great Dunmow.

Judith Crow (70/71) died in 1868 M Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 218 and was buried on 20 Feb 1868 in Great Dunmow.

Daniel Hockley and Sarah Skinner and Mary Ann Hurry

Aythorpe Roding Post Mill
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Michael Trolove - geograph.org.uk/p/3392678
Aythorpe Roding Windmill near to Roundbush Green, Essex

Daniel Hockley (b. 1845), son of George Hockley and Eliza Crow, married Sarah Skinner (b. 1855), daughter of Samuel Skinner and Margaret Smith (née Harrison), on 23 Dec 1876, at St Mary's Church, Great Canfield. 

Daniel and Sarah Hockley had nine children:

1. George Arthur Hockley b. 1 Dec 1877, reg. 1878 M Qtr in DUNMOW Vol 04A Page 453, bap. 30 Dec 1877 at St Mary's, Great Canfield
2. Beatrice Margaret Hockley b. 1879 S Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 466, bap. 31 Aug 1879 at St Mary's, Great Canfield
3. Samuel Frederick Hockley b. 1880 S Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 488, bap. Frederick Samuel Hockley (which he was known by thereafter) on 26 Sep 1880 at St Mary's, Great Canfield
4. Rose Hockley b. 1882 S Quarter in DUNMOW Vol 04A Page 523
5. Herbert Hockley b. 1884 J Quarter in DUNMOW Vol 04A Page 558
6. Ernest Hockley b. 1885 S Quarter in DUNMOW Vol 04A Page 559
7. Amy Hockley b. 1886 D Quarter in DUNMOW Vol 04A Page 594
8. Christopher Hockley b. 1888 D Quarter in DUNMOW Vol 04A Page 596
9. Margaret Hockley b. 1890 M Quarter in DUNMOW Volume 04A Page 657, but who died in the same quarter, 1890 M Quarter in DUNMOW Volume 04A Page 398 and was buried on 27 Feb 1890 at St Mary's, Great Canfield with the burial record giving her age as 17 days.

In 1881, calling himself Daniel George Hockley (32) Coachman was living at Fitzjohns, Great Canfield, Dunmow. He didn't have that middle name, but it was his father's name and this is the 2nd time this week I've found someone adding their father's name as a middle name, so I wonder if it was a 'thing'? And it was useful later on. Fitzjohns, it appears from the census schedules, is next door to the cottage he lived in ten years previously, so he may have been with the same employer. With him were wife Sarah Hockley (25), George Arthur Hockley (3), Beatrice Margaret (1) and Samuel Frederick Hockley (0).

Sarah Hockley died, aged 33, and was buried, also at St Mary's, Great Canfield, six days before her last child, on 21 Feb 1890. It probably doesn't require a medical degree to work out what contributed to her cause of death.

In 1891, Daniel Hockley (40) Coachman, Widower, was still living at Fitzjohns, Lodge Gates, Great Canfield, Dunmow, Essex with George A Hockley (13), Betsy M Hockley (11), Frederick Hockley (10), Rose Hockley (8), Herbert Hockley (6), Ernest Hockley (5) and Amy Hockley (4). Meanwhile, Christopher Hockley (2) was being looked after by his aunt, Mary Ann Hockley (wife of Daniel's elder brother, William Hockley) in Poplar, London.

Unsurprisingly, Daniel Hockley then remarried, to Mary Ann Hurry (b. 31 Jul 1861 in Depwade, Norfolk), daughter of Samuel Hurry and Jane Moyes, also at St Mary's, Great Canfield, on 25 Jul 1891. At the time of the 1891 census (5 Apr), Mary Ann Hurry (29) had been employed as a General servant in the household of William J Peacock at Claremont, Lewisham Park, Lewisham.

Daniel and Mary Ann added a further three children:

10. Daniel Samuel Hockley b. 14 Feb 1894 M Quarter Vol 04A 700
11. Alice Jane Hockley b. 7 Jan 1898 M Quarter Vol 04A Page 750
12. Stanley Hockley b. 24 Dec 1902, reg. 1903 M Quarter Vol 04A 893

In 1901, Daniel Hockley (49) had moved to Near Pennyfeathers, High Roding, where he was employed as a Coachman gardener, living with Mary A Hockley (39), Ernest Hockley (15) Farmer's servant; Amy Hockley (14), Christopher Hockley (12), Daniel S Hockley (7) and Alice J Hockley (3).

In 1911, living at Round Bush Green, Aythorpe Roding, were Daniel Hockley (65) Stockman, Mary Ann Hockley (51), Daniel Samuel Hockley (17) Labourer; Alice Jane Hockley (13) and Stanley Hockley (8) At School.

Daniel George Hockley, of Round Bush Green, Aythorpe Roding, died aged 73, and was buried on 10 Sep 1918 at St Mary's Church, Great Canfield. 

In 1921, Mary Ann Hockley (60) Widow, was still at Round Bush Green, Aythorpe Roding, Dunmow, with Daniel Samuel Hockley (26) and Stanley Hockley (18), both Farm Labourers at Brook End, Little Dunmow.

In 1939, Mary Ann Hockley, widow, lived at 4 Round Bush Villas, Braintree with son Stanley Hockley and his wife, Emily, and son Daniel S Hockley.

Mary Ann Hockley died, aged 81, and was buried on 27 Aug 1942 at St Mary's Church, Aythorpe Roding.

James Hockley and Emma Parker

St. Mary’s Church, Great Canfield

James Hockley (b. 1838), son of Daniel Hockley and Sophia Mason, married Emma Parker (bap. 16 Jun 1839 in Great Canfield), daughter of William Parker and Jane Burton, at St Mary's, Great Canfield on 24 Oct 1863.

James and Emma had ten children:

1. Anne Hockley b. 1864 S Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 345, bap. Annie on 13 Nov 1864 at St Mary, Great Dunmow
2. Jane Hockley b. 1866 S Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 341, bap 9 Sep 1866 at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow
3. Fanny Hockley b. 1868 J Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 372, bap. 14 Jun 1868 at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow
4. George Hockley b. 1869 D Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 378, bap. 9 Jan 1870 at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow
5. Alfred Hockley b. 1872 M Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 416, bap. 14 Apr 1872 at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow [1]
6. Emma Hockley b. 1873 D Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 394, bap. 8 Feb 1874 at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow
7. James Hockley b. 1875 D Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 412, bap. 12 Dec 1875 at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow
8. Alice Hockley b. 1877 D Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 444, bap. 9 Dec 1877 at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow
9. Kate Hockley b. 7 Jan 1880 M Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 511, bap. 11 Apr 1880 at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow
10. Mary Ann Hockley b. 24 Sep 1881 D Quarter in DUNMOW Volume 04A Page 519, bap. 11 Dec 1881 at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow

[1] The baptism record for Alfred Hockley lists the parents as William and Charlotte Hockley (James' elder brother and his wife), but he was James and Emma's son, as he appears on census returns with this family and the GRO registration shows his mother's maiden name as PARKER. Both brothers had numerous children baptised at St Mary the Virgin and one imagines both couples could have attended each other's children's christenings, so you can imagine how the curate could have been confused whose infant it was.

Some of the baptisms give James' occupation as Labourer, others Painter.

In 1871, James Hockley (33) Farm Labourer was living at the 'End of New Street, Great Dunmow', with Emma Hockley (31), Annie Hockley (6), Jane Hockley (4), Fanny Hockley (2) and George Hockley (1). 

In 1881, at Minchin Farm, (Part Of), Great Dunmow, were James Hockley (42) Agricultural Labourer, Emma Hockley (41), Jane Hockley (14) Domestic Servant; Fanny Hockley (12), George Hockley (11), Alfred Hockley (9), Emma Hockley (7), James Hockley (5), Alice Hockley (3) and Kate Hockley (1). 

In 1891 they were at Minchin Farm, (Part Of), High Wood, Great Dunmow, with James Hockley (52) Agricultural Labourer, Emma Hockley (51), George Hockley (21) Agricultural Labourer, James Hockley (15) Agricultural Labourer, Alice Hockley (13), Kate Hockley (11) and Mary Ann Hockley (9).

In 1901, James Hockley (62) was a Horseman on farm at Gate House Farm, Great Dunmow, with Emma Hockley (61), with just James Hockley (25) Horseman on farm and Mary A Hockley (19) still at home.

In 1911, James Hockley (72) Farm Labourer, Emma Hockley (71) and Kate Hockley (31) were back at New Street, Great Dunmow.

In 1921, James Hockley (82) Old Age Pensioner; Emma Hockley (82) Old Age Pensioner; Emma Hockley (47) Useful Maid and Kate Hockley (41) were still living in New Street, Great Dunmow. 

James Hockley (84) died in 1922 S Qtr in DUNMOW Vol 04A Page 621. 

Emma Hockley died the following year, aged 83, in 1923 M Quarter in DUNMOW Volume 04A Page 844.

Henry Doe and Elizabeth Stones

St Mary's, Great Canfield, Essex

Henry Doe, son of John Doe and Jane Brand, married Elizabeth Stones (bap. 14 Apr 1754 at Saint Michael and All Angels, Leaden Roding), daughter of John and Mary Stones, at St Mary's, Great Canfield on 20 Oct 1773.

Henry and Elizabeth appear to have had 7 children:

1. Elizabeth Doe bap. 16 Jan 1774
2. Eleanor Doe bap. 25 Dec 1774
3. Henry Doe bap. 20 Sep 1778
4. Sarah Doe bap. 9 Sep 1781
5. Dinah Doe bap. 12 Apr 1795 (Born between 1784 and 1791)
6. Jude Doe bap. 12 Apr 1795 (Judith, born ~1792)
7. Jane Doe bap. 12 Apr 1795

The first four children were baptised at Great Canfield and the last three, all baptised together at All Saints Church in Little Canfield on 11 Dec 1799, were also listed as the children of Henry and Elizabeth Doe.

Henry Doe died in 1825. He was buried at St Mary's, Great Canfield.

John Doe and Jane Brand

All Saints Church, Little Canfield, Essex

John Doe and Jane Brand, a set of my 6th Great-Grandparents, had married at All Saints Church in Little Canfield on 1 Oct 1750 to become John and Jane Doe. After the requisite pause for giggling at this unlikely combination of names, I wondered when and where the custom had began to call people who you couldn't identify, either John or Jane Doe, according to gender.

We mostly tend to hear the term when an unidentified corpse turns up in a US crime drama, but in fact, the origins are in medieval English law, beginning perhaps as early as the reign of King Edward III (1327–1377).

Originally, John Doe was a sham name used to indicate any plaintiff in an action of ejectment (a legal action to regain property) in civil court. Richard Roe was the counterpart, to indicate the defendant. These fake names were used in delicate legal matters, a practice that was abolished in English law in 1852. Since then, John Doe has been used to indicate any man of unknown name, with Jane Doe used for females. - The Old Farmer's Almanac

Quite why these particular names were picked, however, is lost in time. It may have been simply because they were among the most common at the time.

It would appear that John and Jane Doe had four children (or at least there are records for four), all baptised at St Mary's Church, Great Canfield:

1. Henry Doe bap. on 19 May 1754
2. Elizabeth Doe bap. on 23 Apr 1758 
3. John Doe bap. on 20 Sep 1760
4. John Doe bap. on 20 Dec 1761

There is also a record at St Mary's, Great Canfield, on 14 Nov 1761, for the burial of a John Doe 'Infant'. One must, sadly, assume therefore that the 4th child was named John, immediately after his brother had died.

In 1731, at this same church, there was a burial of a 4 year old John Doe, listed as 'son of John Doe'. These could simply be just very common names - all the more spectacular to be able to trace them back so far - or, I suppose one must entertain the idea that, once upon a time, there was a parish foundling, who the overseers had named John Doe, who's descendants thereafter followed the common tradition of naming son after father ...

George Arthur Hockley and Evangeline Dowell

Long Grove Asylum

On 9 Jun 1897 George Arthur Hockley, Footman, b. 1879 in Great Canfield, Essex, enlisted in the Royal Artillery at Woolwich. At that time he was 18 years and 6 months old; 5ft 7½in, weighed 127lbs, with a fresh complexion, hazel eyes and brown hair. The record lists his father as Daniel Hockley and siblings as Frederick, Beatrice and Rose, in Great Canfield, so there can be no mistake. However, only 35 days later, on 13 July 1897, he was discharged, having been found to have given a false answer at attestation. Among the questions on his application form, was "9. Have you ever been sentenced to Imprisonment by the Civil Power?" He said no, but George Arthur Hockley had been convicted of a felony, tried and imprisoned by Civil Power. 

A report of the Aylesbury Petty Sessions of Saturday, October 24th, in the Bucks Herald of 31 October 1896 provides some details:

THE ROBBERY AT THE LILLIES, WEEDON

George Arthur Hockley, footman, was brought up in custody charged with stealing £7 17s in money, the property of Mr G A Brittain, of The Lillies, Weedon. Supt. Pitson said that up to the present time the defendant had been a footman in the employ of Mr Brittain at The Lillies. On Friday morning, when the defendant got up at seven o'clock, he reported to his master that the house had been broken into. In consequence of this, Inspector Bunker and he (the Superintendent) went there and found that apparently someone had entered the house by the drawing-room window, opened the door into the hall, and then gone into the library, which had been completely ransacked, the drawers of a writing table having been forced open, and money amounting to £7 17s stolen. In consequence of the circumstances of the case, Inspector Bunker and P S Shore went there that morning to complete the inquiries, which resulted in the arrest of the defendant now charged with the offence. He asked for a remand until such time as he could go into the case. The Chairman: Can you name a time? Supt. Pitson said that he had to send to London over the case. He would ask for a remand until Wednesday. Defendant offered no objection to the remand, and the Bench adjourned the case until Wednesday, when Mr G Butcher further remanded the defendant until today (Saturday).

I haven't had access to a record of what happened next in the case.

The next event, in the 3rd quarter of 1904, George Hockley, son of Daniel Hockley and Sarah Skinner, married Evangeline Dowell (b. 17 Sep 1884), daughter of Edwin Dowell and Ellen Jane Jones, in Epsom, Surrey.

Evangeline was born in Dartmouth, Devon and brought up in Southsea, Hampshire, her father having been a Chief Band Master, Royal Navy.

In 1911, George A Hockley (33) was an Attendant at Long Grove Asylum, while Evangeline Hockley (26) was a Nurse at the same institution. 

Long Grove Hospital, formerly Long Grove Asylum, later Long Grove Mental Hospital, was a mental hospital in Epsom, Surrey, regarded as a showpiece and attracted excellent medical staff.  By 1911, four years after it had opened, there were 2127 patients - 1121 males and 1006 females.

In 1939, George A Hockley, Mental nurse (retired) and Evangeline Hockley, Nurse (retired) were living at 2 Marlow Road, Brighton, with Alfred G Russell, Professional Musician, and his wife Nellie,  Evangeline's sister.

George A Hockley died, age estimated as 86, in Brighton in 1966.

Evangeline Hockley died, at 87, in 1971, also in Brighton.