Henry Doe and Elizabeth Stones

St Mary's, Great Canfield, Essex

Henry Doe (bap. 19 May 1754 in Great Canfield, Essex), son of John Doe and Jane Brand, married Elizabeth Stones (most likely bap. 14 Apr 1754 in Leaden Roding, Essex), which, if correct, would make her the 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. Jane Doe bap. 12 Apr 1795 (Said to have been born 1790)
6. Dinah Doe bap. 12 Apr 1795 (Born between 1784 and 1791)
7. Jude Doe bap. 12 Apr 1795 (Judith, born ~1792)

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 being the children of Henry and Elizabeth Doe (and were born too early to be the children of son Henry Doe and his wife, also Elizabeth).

There are too many burials of an Elizabeth Doe to be certain which relates, however, instinct suggests considering one in Aythorpe Roding in 1797.

Henry Doe was buried at St Mary's, Great Canfield on 25 Jun 1825.

John Doe and Jane Brand

All Saints Church, Little Canfield, Essex

John Doe (b. ~1730 in Great Canfield) and Jane Brand (b. ~1732 in Little Canfield), a pair of my 6th Great-Grandparents, married at All Saints Church, 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, depending on 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 names in use 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. 19 May 1754
2. Elizabeth Doe bap. 23 Apr 1758 
3. John Doe bap. 20 Sep 1760 (Presume buried 14 Nov 1761)
4. John Doe bap. 20 Dec 1761

There had also been a burial of a John Doe in Great Canfield on 7 Mar 1756. This doesn't mention the age of the deceased and there is no corresponding baptism, but this could have been a further child of this family. The burial, at St Mary's, Great Canfield, on 14 Nov 1761, is clearly stated to be for that of a John Doe 'Infant'. One must, sadly, assume therefore that the subsequent child was named John, immediately after his brother had died.

There was a burial of a Jane Doe in Great Canfield on 18 May 1768 and another in 1803. Either could relate, but there are no ages listed on the transcriptions to give any clues. There was another burial of a John Doe in Great Canfield on 10 Mar 1805. Again it does not mention an age at death, so we cannot be certain, but this could relate to John Doe Snr of this family.

Back 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 named John Doe, whose descendants thereafter followed the common tradition of naming son after father ...

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 (b. ~1765 no clues where he was from) married Susanna Judd (bap. 24 Jun 1764 in Great Canfield), daughter of John and Susanna Judd, on 20 Apr 1784 at her parish of St Mary, Great Canfield. 

Robert and Susanna Stokes 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 around 75, in 1840 S Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 12 Page 52, and was buried on 11 Aug 1840 in Great Dunmow.

In 1841, the widowed Susan Stokes (78) was living with her son-in-law and daughter, John and Jane Byatt, in Hickeys Lane, Little Canfield. 

Susan Stokes died in 1852 M Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 218 was buried, on 1 Mar 1852, at All Saints, Little Canfield. The GRO death registration over estimated her age to 94, but she'll 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

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 may have been with the same employer. With him were Sarah Hockley (25), George Arthur Hockley (3), Beatrice Margaret (1) and Samuel Frederick Hockley (0).

Sarah Hockley died, aged 33, and was buried, 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, 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.

Former police station, Great Dunmow
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Robin Webster - geograph.org.uk/p/4309467
The police station was erected in 1842 and was claimed to be the oldest police station in Essex.

From the Essex Newsman, of 31 Oct 1903: A Policeman Summoned At Dunmow - Case Dismissed Through Lack of Corroboration

At Dunmow Petty Session on Monday, Sydney Robert Page, a police constable, stationed at Great Stambridge, and formerly at Dunmow, was summoned by Beatrice Margaret Hockley, a domestic servant of High Roding, to show cause, etc. Mr J. W. Nutt appeared for the complainant and Mr B L Ackland for the defendant. Mr Nutt said that before this fall the applicant had an unblemished character. The child, which was born on Sept 28, 1902, was now out to nurse at 5s a week. The applicant, who had a baby in her arms, said she had known defendant since the summer of 1901. During the time she was in Mrs Byatt's service, the defendant used to come round after her. On one occasion when she was standing at the shop door Page came across the road, in the evening time, and said, "I am going to kiss my girl," and did so in the presence of Mrs Byatt. He was often round there. In November, 1901, she left Mrs Byatt's and went into the service of Miss Gibbons, at Down House, Dunmow. The defendant also followed her there. On January 3, 1902, Miss May Gibbons told her not to talk so much to the policeman. On December 23, 1901, Page came between ten and eleven o'clock at night and took advantage of her. On January 3, 1902, he repeated his conduct. In April, the night before she left Dunmow, she told Page of her condition. He replied that he had a little money, but not much, and that he was going up to London to join the Metropolitan Police. She went to live with her aunt at Bromley, and from there, on August 7, 1903, she wrote: 

Dear Mr Page, I now write these few lines to you to ask if you intend to pay for your child without being made to do so? I think it cruel and shameful, the way you have treated me. I am shortly coming down to Dunmow to take out a summons against you for the maintenance of your child. Why I have not done so before is, as I have told you, because I do not wish to expose you, but why should I shield you while you treat me as you do? It is now time for me to begin to think what is to become of my poor child and of her future prospects. If you had been an ordinary man, instead of a policeman, I should have taken proceedings against you long ago, but you being a policeman I was afraid it might go against you, but I wish you no ill. You have never helped me and I think it time to help myself. I am very sorry that such a thing should ever have occurred, but everyone is apt to do wrong at times, but the least you could do now is to help keep your child, without it having to be made public. I remain, yours etc. B Hockley

A large number of other letters from the girl to the defendant were read. In one she said, "I have begun to like you rather". Again, so as to stop "the talk" she told someone in Dunmow "the talk about you and me is not true". On the day before she went into Bromley Infirmary she wrote, "I know I am not perfect, but you might have done worse than marry me." After the child was born, she wrote, "She is a sweet, pretty baby", and later, "It is no use for you to say the child does not belong to you, because it is exactly like you, and that is the proof." Letters from Page in reply were read, in one of which he wrote: "I am not in the habit of writing to anyone except my friends, and if I receive any more letters from you I shall return them unopened." Page afterwards wrote that he was surprised at the charge, which he described as unfounded. The defendant, who had been subpoenaed by the complainant, totally denied the charge, or that he had been intimate with her. Mr Nutt stated that Miss Gibbons, whom he intended to call to give evidence, was unwell, and he could not call her. Mr Acland said that never in his life had he been called upon to take part in a case where the evidence was so absolutely uncorroborated as in this. If an order were made against Page no single man in the country would be safe. After the Bench had retired, the Chairman (the Rev. G M Wilson) said The Justices fail to find any corroborative evidence in the case, and the charge against Page is dismissed.

We'll never know, but while I agree there isn't the level of evidence required by the court, Beatrice's tone is mature and reasonable and I cannot see any reason to disbelieve her story, while Page will inevitably have known or been advised to just deny everything, because it was up to her to provide proof. 

Sydney Robert Page (b. 1875 in Hoxne, Suffolk), was the son of Arthur Page and Mary Ann Flaxman. His father, Arthur Page, in 1881, was an Inspector of Police, living at Pighete, Haverhill, Risbridge, Suffolk. In 1901, Sydney Robert Page (25) Police Constable, had been a boarder in Church End, Great Dunmow. Page, by the way, had married Ethel Annie Purser, on 7 Oct 1903, in Stifford, Thurrock and in 1911, they were living at 1 The Limes, Great Stambridge, with two sons: Arthur Sydney (6) and Edward (4), as well as Sydney's sister, Millicent E Page (33) Certificated teacher.

Sydney Robert Page died, at 67, on 20 Jun 1942 in Braintree.

The child she had named Millicent Beatrice Hockley, b. 28 Sep 1902, reg. D Quarter in BROMLEY Volume 02A Page 495. 

In 1911, Beatrice Hockley (27ish) from Great Canfield, Essex, was a Parlourmaid to Anna Maria Blakemore, Widow of Private Means at 4 Devonshire Terrace, Paddington, London. There was a Millicent Hockley (8) listed as an Orphan at a school in Stone Road, Broadstairs, Kent. 

In 1921, Beatrice Margaret Hockley (38ish) born in Great Canfield, Essex, was a Parlour Maid to Ronald Malcolm, Banker, Director of Coutts & Co at Headley Grove, Epsom, Surrey. Meanwhile, Millicent Hockley (18) Domestic Servant, born in Dunmow, Essex, was a Patient at Braintree Union Workhouse, Bocking.

Millicent Beatrice Hockley married Frederick Thomas Mace (b. 10 Jul 1907) in Hendon, Middlesex in 1937.

In 1939, Frederick T Mace, Baker, and Millicent B Mace (Sewing machinist) were living at 10 Algernon Road, Hendon. Millicent's year of birth is listed as 1907, presumably to match her husband's, but her day and month were still given as 28 Sep. At 32 in 1939, Frederick will have been within the age group to be conscripted during the war, but as someone in a job such as baking, may have been exempted. The couple don't appear to have had any children. Frederick Thomas Mace died, in Hendon, in 1975. Millicent Beatrice Mace died, in Hendon, in 1987. Her supposed birth year had slipped forward a further five years to 1912. She will actually have been 85.

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.