George Fuller and Eliza Ellen Hockley

St. Helens and St. Giles Church, Rainham
Max Naylor, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

George Fuller, son of James William Fuller and Maria Phillips, married Eliza Ellen Hockley, daughter of James Hockley and Elizabeth Wilton at St Helen and St Giles, Rainham on 25 Dec 1894. (Eliza's parents married on Christmas Day, 24 years previously, in Great Dunmow.) Rather than being a romantic tradition, it was probably the only day that labourers had free and, churches often offered their services free or at reduced rates on Christmas.

They had a baker's dozen of children, all registered in ROMFORD: 

1. Annie Elizabeth Fuller b. 17 Feb 1895 (J Quarter Volume 04A Page 451), bap. 28 Mar 1895. (Died aged 16 months, in 1896 J Quarter Volume 04A Page 209 and was buried, on 1 Jul 1896, at Rainham.)
2. George Fuller b. 12 Jun 1896 (S Qtr Vol 04A 473), bap. 17 Jul 1896
3. Ada Fuller b. 27 Oct 1897 (D Qtr Vol 04A 506), bap. 7 Jan 1898
4. Emily Fuller b. 31 Dec 1899 (1900 M Qtr 04A 590), bap. 4 Feb 1900
5. Elizabeth Fuller b. 22 Mar 1901 (J Qtr Vol 04A 576), bap. 5 May 1901
6. Daisy Fuller b. 15 Jan 1903 (M Qtr Vol 04A 645), bap. 19 Apr 1903
7. Eliza Fuller b. 18 Sep 1905 (D Qtr Vol 04A 602), bap. 23 Nov 1911
8. May Fuller b. 2 Nov 1906 (D Qtr Vol 04A 635), bap. 23 Nov 1911
9. John Fuller b. 9 Jan 1908 (M Qtr Vol 04A 652), bap. 23 Nov 1911
10. James Fuller b. 2 Feb 1910 (M Qtr Vol 04A 608), bap. 23 Nov 1911
11. Florence Fuller b. 15 Oct 1911 (D Qtr Vol 04A 1148), bap. 23 Nov 1911
12. Ellen Fuller b. 21 Nov 1914 (1915 M Qtr Vol 04A Page 1192)
13. Rose Fuller b. 24 May 1917 (1917 J Qtr Vol 04A Page 936)

The mother's maiden name on the birth registrations is shown as HOCKLEY. The baptisms were all at at St Helen and St Giles, Rainham, but after the bother of the catch up in 1911, didn't find baptisms for Ellen or Rose. 

Back row (L-R): May, John (Jack), James (Jim), Florence (Flo) and Eliza (Lili)
Front row: Rose, Ellen, Ada, Elizabeth (Bet) and Daisy.

In 1901, in Cowper Road, Rainham, we find, George Fuller (34) Wharfe Labourer, Eliza (25), George (4), Ada (3), Emily (1) and Baby Fuller (0) - later Elizabeth. Also staying with them was Emily Hockley (17), Eliza's sister.

In 1911 at White Cottages, Rainham (a.k.a. Whitepost Cottages), were George Fuller (44) Farm Labourer, Eliza (35), George (14), Ada (13), Emily (11), Elizabeth (10), Daisy (8), Eliza (5), May (4), John (3) and James (1). On this census, they listed that they'd been married 16 years, but only listed nine children, all of whom then living, omitting to count Annie who had died.

In 1921, George Fuller (55) General Labourer was working for Canning & Co Inland Wharf Contractor, Horchchurch and still living at Whitepost Cottages, Rainham with Eliza E Fuller (46), Emily Kendal (21), Daisy Fuller (18) Farm Hand; May Fuller (14) Farm Hand; John Fuller (13) Farm Labourer; James Fuller (11), Florence Fuller (9), Ellen Fuller (6) and Rose Fuller (4). Ada Fuller (23) and Elizabeth Fuller (20) were both Barmaids at The Ship, 1 Wormwood Street, London Wall EC2 (The pub was damaged by a flying bomb on 15 Jul 1944 but was repaired and survived until at least 1960.) And Eliza Fuller (15) was a Servant in the household of Herbert John Gladstone (1854-1930) at Dane End House, Little Munden, Hertfordshire. (Herbert Gladstone, 1st Viscount Gladstone, British Liberal politician, was the youngest son of former Prime Minister, William Gladstone. He was a popular figure in the village, loved by everyone, and known to all as 'Lordy').

Eliza Ellen Fuller (née Hockley)

George Fuller, of 150 Upminser Road, Rainham, died, aged 65, on 12 Nov 1931 (1931 D Quarter in ROMFORD Volume 04A Page 441) at 1 Oldchurch Road, Romford, which was, of course, the address of the former Oldchurch Hospital (and before that Romford Union Workhouse). Cause of death was listed as, "(1) a Haemorrhage & Rupture of Aneurysm of left Iliac Artery. (2) Atheroma." G. Fuller, son, of 6 East Close, Rainham was present. 

In 1939, Eliza Ellen Fuller was living with daughter, Flo Wilson, at 1 Pinewood Avenue, Rainham. Eliza Ellen Fuller died on 30 May 1953, aged 77 (1953 J Quarter in ROMFORD Volume 05A Page 455) and is interred in Rainham Cemetery, Grave 491 Section B.