James Hockley and Emma Parker

St. Mary’s Church, Great Canfield

James Hockley (bap. 5 Aug 1838 at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow), son of Daniel Hockley and Sophia Mason, married Emma Parker (bap. 16 Jun 1839 at St. Mary’s Church, 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 would 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 (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 yet as to 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.

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.