For now Daniel is the earliest of my Hockley ancestors that I can follow a trail of records to and be fully confident are correct. He was reputedly the son of Daniel Hockley and Sarah Turner - and thus brother of Sally Hockley - but I've found no record of a birth (or baptism) to prove this. There is, however, a listing of a Daniel Hockley, baptised in Broxted on 21 Feb 1790, son of John and Mary Hockley, which looks to be a far more likely candidate.
Youngest child, James, falls within Civil Registration and, the General Register Office record confirms the mother's maiden name as MASON.
In 1841, at Halfway House, Great Dunmow, were Daniel Hockley (50), Sophia (45), George (25), Eliza (20), Tamar (15), Sophia (10), William (8), James (2) and Lucy (0), daughter of Eliza Hockley, Single Woman [1]. Mary Hockley (18ish) was working as a Female Servant in the household of William Piper (30) Chemist & Druggist in High Street, Great Dunmow, Dunmow.
Sophia Hockley died, aged 46 - which agrees with a year of birth of 1796 - in 1842 D Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 12 Page 55 and was buried, on 23 Oct 1842, at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow.
In 1861, the widowed Daniel Hockley - age estimated to 62 - was living in the household of son William Hockley (27), married to Charlotte (née Cock) (27), their daughter Sarah C (1) and William's brother, James (23).
Daniel Hockley died, his age estimated to 81, in 1868 S Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 267 and was buried on 8 Jul 1868.
[1] Lucy Hockley (b. 1841 M Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 12 Page 77), bap. 5 Mar 1841 at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow, daughter of Eliza Hockley, Single Woman. In 1861, Lucy Hockley (20) Domestic Servant was an Inmate of Great Dunmow Union Workhouse. In 1871, Lucy Hockley (30) Domestic Servant was an Inmate of Dunmow Union Workhouse, but, in 1881 Lucy Hockley (36ish) was employed as a Domestic Servant by Charles Cook (70) in Chelmsford Road, Barnston, Dunmow. Lucy Hockley of Dunmow Union Workhouse died, aged 49, and was buried on 22 Nov 1890.
John Thomas Wykes (b. 1864 in Deptford, London), son of William Wykes and Elizabeth Thompson, married Mary Ann Mercury at Baptist Church, Cape Town, South Africa on 16 Jul 1889. John Thomas' job was listed as Waiter.
The couple had five children:
Elizabeth Lilian Wykes b. 13 Mar 1890, bap. (as Elizabeth Mary) on 28 May 1891 in Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa
William Ernest Wykes b. 7 Aug 1892 in Germiston, bap. 9 Oct 1892 in Transvaal, South Africa
Martha Ethel Wykes b. 12 Feb 1894 in Germiston, died aged 20 days and was buried, on 4 Mar 1894 in Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa
John Thomson Wykes b. 16 Sep 1896 in Germiston, Transvaal, South Africa, bap. on 26 Sep 1896 at St Boniface Church, Germiston
Jessie Harriet Wykes b. 18 Mar 1898 in Germiston, Transvaal, South Africa, bap. on 15 Apr 1898 at St Boniface Church, Germiston. Died, aged 3, in Apr-May-Jun 1901, Vol 1D Page 523, in Greenwich.
On the baptisms of the first four children, John Thomas' occupation was listed as Engine Driver, on Jessie's, as a Fitter. John Thomas Wykes' sister, Martha O'Toole, was a sponsor at John Thomson Wykes' baptism in 1896.
Mary Mercury Wykes of 62 Chapel Street, Cape Town, died, aged 34, on 21 Sep 1899 from Phthisis (Tuberculosis). The record of her death lists that she was from Saint Helena and was of mixed race.
In 1901, Lily Wykes (11), Willie Wykes (8) and Jessie Wykes (3) were in the household of John Thomas' sister, Elizabeth Burch, in Deptford, London. Also there was Martha O'Toole, who I imagine took the children to England.
John Wykes, widower, engineer, remarried, on 3 Oct 1901, to Esther Mercury at St Mark's, Cape Town. Born Esther Margaret Mercury on 19 June 1870 in Saint Helena, daughter of Francis Mercury and Rachel Michael, and it appears highly likely that she was either Mary Ann's sister, or her cousin.
But Esther Wykes (née Mercury) of 5 Osborne St, Cape Town, died, aged 33, on 21 May 1904, also from Phthisis (Tuberculosis). The record of her death confirms that she was also from Saint Helena and of mixed race.
In 1911, Elizabeth Wykes (21) Domestic and William Wykes (18) Stationer's Clerk, both born in South Africa, were Boarders in the household of John Trigg (59) Mantle Maker at 388 Evelyn St, Deptford.
Elizabeth Lilian Wykes married Walter James Fisher on 10 Feb 1916, at St Paul's, Deptford. Walter James Fisher (25) of 388 Evelyn St, Deptford, enlisted in the Royal Field Artillery on 29 Feb 1916. He survived two tours in France in 1917-18 and 1918-19. Their daughter, Peggie Irene Fisher was born on 9 Apr 1921 J Quarter in ST. OLAVE (BERMONDSEY) Volume 01D Page 298. In 1939, Walter J Fisher (b. 9 Apr 1890) Clothier Manager; Lilian E Fisher and Peggy I Fisher lived at 16 Sanderstead Road, Leyton, Essex. Walter James Fisher of 43 Greenhays Drive, South Woodford died on 17 Jan 1958. Lilian Elizabeth Fisher of 43 Greenhays Drive, South Woodford died on 17 Jun 1967.
William Ernest Wykes married Martha Irene Griffiths (b. 23 Dec 1890) daughter of Seth Griffiths, Police Sargent and Elizabeth Harries, also in the 1st quarter of 1916, in Greenwich. They had four sons: Leonard William Wykes b. 31 Jan 1923; John Stanley Wykes b. 31 May 1924; Walter Seth Wykes b. 1 Nov 1926 and Alan David Michael Wykes b. 1 Nov 1934. In 1939, the two older boys were at home with their parents at 46 Canmore Gardens, Wandsworth, while the two younger ones were at the Pier Hotel, Cavendish Place, Eastbourne, Sussex, presumably evacuated. Their eldest son, Sergeant Leonard William Wykes, 466 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve was killed in action on 22 Jan 1944 when his aircraft was shot down at De Lutte 2 miles east of Oldenzaal, Netherlands, close to the German border, during a raid on Magdeburg. Martha I Wykes died, at 66, in 1957 in Streatham. William Ernest Wykes died, in 1977, in Thanet, Kent.
John Brown (b. ~1710) married Elizabeth Perry (bap. 27 Mar 1714 in Woolwich, Kent), eldest daughter of Philip Perry and Elizabeth Flemming, at the church of St Dionis Backchurch, located in the heart of the City of London on 13 Feb 1734 (Julian) 1735 (Gregorian). The record reads, "John Brown of the Parish of St Dunstan Stepney in the County of Middlesex Batchelor & Elizabeth Perry of the same parish Spinster were married (by Licence) on Thursday the 13th day of Feb 1734/5."
The records of five children can be attributed to this couple:
Sarah Brown b. Friday, 11 Jan 1740, bap. 5 Feb 1740 (at 25 days old) at St Dunstan's, Stepney. Sarah, daughter of John Brown of Poplar Brewer & Elizabeth
Elizabeth Brown b. Wednesday, 3 Jul 1745, bap. 11 Jul 1745 (at 8 days old). In the records of St Dunstan's, Stepney, it says 'Elizabeth, daughter of John Brown of Poplar Brewer & Elizabeth at Poplar'. Being baptised 'at Poplar' may have been at Poplar Chapel (St Matthias Old Church).
Susanna Brown b. Tuesday, 21 Apr 1747, bap. 19 May 1747 (at 28 days old) at St Dunstan's, Stepney. Susanna, daughter of John Brown of Poplar Brewer & Elizabeth.
John Ephraim Brown b. Wednesday, 14 Feb 1750, bap. 5 Mar 1750 (at 19 days old) at St Dunstan's, Stepney. John Ephraim, son of John Brown of Poplar Brewer & Elizabeth.
Helen Brown b. Saturday, 12 May 1753, bap. 6 Jun 1753 (at 25 days old) at St Dunstan's, Stepney. Helen, daughter of John Brown Poplar Brewer & Elizabeth.
The baptisms all list their father as John Brown of Poplar, Brewer. Additional evidence that these are the children of this family: Sarah was the name of Elizabeth's aunt and sister; Elizabeth is obviously her own and her mother's name; Susanna was another of Elizabeth's sisters; John, clearly for his father, but Ephraim after his uncle, Ephraim Seehl, married to his mother's sister, Sarah; and Helen was the widow of Elizabeth's brother, Philip Perry.
John Brown had died before 29 Apr 1775, because a Codicil to the Will of his brother-in-law, Ephraim Reinhold Seehl, of that date stated he had died. Beyond this, Brown is not the easiest name to research. Without further clues, it isn't possible to determine which of many records are relevant.
William Stone (bap. 1 Apr 1821 at St Peter's Church, Langford Budville), eldest son of William Stone and Mary Thorne, married Hannah Westcott (b. 8 Feb 1831), daughter of Thomas Westcott and Hagar (Ann) Mitchell, at the Parish Church of St John the Baptist, Wellington, Somerset, on 13 Jul 1850. One of the witnesses was Mary Ann Westcott, Hannah's sister. Hannah was baptised Anna Westcott (due to pronunciation, probably) on 19 Jun 1831, at the The Lower Meeting Independent Formerly Presbyterian, Wellington, Somerset and in 1841, Hannah Westcott (10) was living at Tone Wharf, Wellington Somerset with her parents, Thomas and Ann Westcott.
Tracking down the children of this marriage has been proving difficult, with no birth records for half of them, but include the following half-dozen:
William Stone b. 1851 in Devon (listed on 1861 census)
Mary Ann Stone b. 1854 in Ashbrittle, Somerset (on 1861 census)
Hannah Maria Stone b. 1861 S Qtr in PONTYPOOL Vol 11A 122
Thomas Stone b. 12 Aug 1864 in Usworth, Durham
Edith Ellen Stone b. 1866 D Qtr in CHESTER LE STREET Vol 10A 428
Isabella Stone b. 1870 S Qtr in CHESTER LE STREET Vol 10A 479
Those at the GRO, the mother's maiden name is listed as Westcott.
In 1851, William Stone (28), Agricultural Labourer, was at Whipples, Holcombe Rogus, with wife Anah (sic) (21). Whipples Farmhouse, Tracebridge, is a Grade II Listed Building. Living at Whipples also was Henry Tremlett, a Dairyman, for whom William was presumably working.
In 1861, however, William Stone (40), married, Pitman from Holcombe, Devon was a lodger in the house of Elizabeth Archer (50), widow at Nailers Shops, New Row, Usworth, Chester Le Street, Durham. While Hannah Stone (29) from Wellington, Somerset was living at Garndiffath, Trevethin, Pontypool, Monmouthshire, Wales with son William Stone (10) born in Devon, England and daughter, Mary Ann Stone, born in Ashbrittle.
In 1871, living at Washington New Row, Usworth, Chester Le Street, Durham were William Stones (sic) (under estimated to 43) Miner from Somerset; Hannah Stones (39), William Stones (19) Miner; Anna Maria Stones (9), Thomas stones (5), Edith Ellen Stones (3) and Isabella Stones (11 m).
William Stone died at 55 in 1875 S Qtr in CHESTER LE STREET Vol 10A Page 356 and was buried on 24 Jul 1875 at Holy Trinity Church, Usworth.
In 1881, Hannah Stone (49) widow, mother-in-law, was living in the household of Miles Handy (35) Coal Miner from Wallsend, Northumberland and Mary A Handy (27) from Somerset, with Thomas Stone (16) Coal Miner (putter) born in Usworth, Durham, brother-in-law and Isabella Stone (10) born in Washington, Durham, sister-in-law and William Handy (25) Coal Miner, boarder, also from Wallsend, Northumberland, Miles' brother.
In 1891, Hannah Stone (59), widow, was living on her own means in the household of William Handy (34) Coal Miner at New Rows, Little Usworth, Chester Le Street - her home, but he presumably became head as a man. In the household also were Hannah's daughter, Isabella Brack (20) and her husband John Brack (23) from Byker, Northumberland, Coal miner deputy.
In 1901, Hannah Stone (70), widow, mother-in-law, from Wellington, Somerset, was living in the household of John Robert Brack (34) Coal deputy overman and Isabella Brack (30), and their then five children, at 10, New Rows, Washington, Great and Little Usworth, Chester Le Street, Durham.
Hannah Stone died, aged 78, 1909 J Quarter in CHESTER LE STREET Volume 10A Page 317.
William Stone married Ann Jackson in Kelloe on 8 Sep 1873
Mary Ann Stone married Miles Handy in Chester Le Street, in 1872
Anna Maria Stone married John Hodgson in 1883
Thomas Stone married Polly Beaty in 1888
Edith Ellen Stone married William Brabbon Simpson in 1889
Fleming Perry b. 4 Jan 1717, bap. 12 Jan 1717. Fleming, son of Mr Philip Perry, buried 21 Oct 1720 at St Margaret's, Barking
Sarah Perry b. 27 May 1719, bap. 14 Jun 1719. Sarah, daughter of Mr Philip Perry, buried 26 May 1720 at St Margaret's, Barking
Sarah Perry bap. 12 Mar 1720 (Julian) 1721 (Gregorian). Sadly, the church official had stopped putting in the actual birth dates.
All of the baptisms were at St Mary Magdalene, Woolwich. Elizabeth and Susanna, baptised together in 1715 (Gregorian), were presumably born in different years, but the record doesn't show which. Elizabeth is listed first on the baptism, as well as later in her father's Will, so I'm assuming she was the older of the two. St Margaret's Church, Barking a.k.a. the Church of St Margaret of Antioch is where Captain Jonathan Collett, to whom Philip Perry left a bequest, was baptised and later buried. Susanna Perry would seem to have been named after Collett's wife, Susanna Hill (whom he had married at Saint Helen Bishopsgate, City of London on 6 Jul 1706).
The Chronicles of the Blackwall Yard (PDF) by Henry Green and Robert Wigram (published 1881), claim that in 1708: "About this time the manager of Sir Henry Johnson's Yard was a certain Philip Perry, whose history and introduction to Blackwall has been given as follows. In or about the year 1690, Philip Perry was a carpenter on board of one of His Majesty's ships. During a severe storm the vessel was in much danger of foundering from a bad leak, but in consequence of Philip Perry's skill and ingenuity the ship was saved and brought safely back to port. The Commissioners of the Admiralty, to mark their appreciation of his service, gave him an important post at Plymouth Dockyard, whence he was transferred to Deptford, where he greatly increased his reputation. This position he is said to have relinquished to superintend Sir Henry Johnson's business at Blackwall."
Ship's carpenters went on voyages to make running repairs, so I suspect there may be some truth in the story, but it bears all the hallmarks of family making it sound more dramatic than reality. If we were to be really pedantic, the reigning monarchs in 1690 were William III and Mary II, who ascended the throne after the "Glorious Revolution" of 1688, so a reference in 1690 should have been to one of 'Their Majesties' Ships'. It seems more likely this event was after the death of Mary II in 1694, and before the accession of Queen Anne in 1702. Of course this could all just be a completely romanticised family myth. And Green & Wigram's chronology is decidedly suspect.
The earliest reports confirm that Perry's career began in Plymouth and this, I feel, helps make a case for him originally being from that area. Both British History Online and Three Decks think he was born in 1678 (the latter will have got the information from the former). If so, there's a potential baptism of Philip Perry, son of John Perry (and reputedly grandson of Philip Perry) in 1679, in Maker, Cornwall (just across the Tamar from Plymouth), which several people have accepted and I agree that, circumstantially, this looks incredibly reasonable, but may be unlikely to be absolutely proven.
"Perry, a working shipwright, was employed in the Naval Yard at Plymouth during the first years of the eighteenth century.", according to British History Online. He was then posted to Kinsale in 1702, where he was appointed Master Shipwright and there are references to substantiate him being in Kinsale from Mar 1702 until Jun 1705. He'd been sent to Ireland with other shipwrights for the purpose of 'their taking shipping there' at the beginning of the War of the Spanish Succession. Records listed at The National Archives (not downloadable) also confirm these postings: on 18 Mar 1702 "Plymouth Officers on behalf of Philip Perry, Shipwright. A testimonial of the good service of Phillip Perry." Then on 25 Sep 1702 "Philip Perry, Shipwright, Kindsale, Petitioner. He asks to be registered at Kinsale as a skilled man and to receive a higher level of pay." And "Kinsale Officers for Philip Perry, Shipwright, provide a Testimonial on behalf of Phillip Perry, Shipwright."
Then on 6 Aug 1705, "Philip Perry, Sheerness. Regarding his service in Kinsale where he acted as Foreman and assisted in repairs to masts and boats. Requests an allowance to take into consideration his 13 years service, including two spells in Kinsale." And on 17 Aug 1705 "Philip Perry, Sheerness. Further request for acting foreman pay for his time at Kinsale."
The other question that arises is, where and when did he meet Elizabeth? He'd only been in the London area for eight months when they married, but could he have known her longer? Could she have been from Plymouth? It seems that I'm not the first person to suggest this, but no evidence was offered.
The church where all of their children were baptised, St Mary Magdalene Woolwich, is right next toWoolwich Dockyard, also known as The King's Yard, Woolwich, "where many ships were built from the early 16th century". It's some distance (~4 miles) from Deptford Dockyard, the nearest church to which is St. Nicholas, on Deptford Green, so surely attending the church in Woolwich suggested Philip Perry was employed at Woolwich? And indeed, confirmation is in a record listed at The National Archives (not digitised so not downloadable), dated 1708, "Folio 396: Philip Perry. Petition for employment as Boatbuilder at Deptford Yard. Places mentioned: Kinsale, Woolwich. People mentioned: Mr. Stacey, Mr. Philips, Commissioner Wright."
Mr. Stacey was Richard Stacey, English shipbuilder and ship designer. In 1695, Stacey was Master Boat Builder at Plymouth Dockyard; "In 1698 he transferred briefly to Kinsale (until Apr 1705). He then worked for a few months at Sheerness Dockyard in 1705 before being appointed Master Shipwright at Woolwich Dockyard in November 1705." From 1709 until 1715, Richard Stacey was Master Shipwright at Portsmouth Dockyard and this is the only time Perry doesn't go with him. Then in 1715, Stacy was Appointed Master Shipwright at Deptford Dockyard. Stacey, being around 15 years older than Perry could have been his master (with whom Perry served his apprenticeship), or Perry was a highly trusted employee, but they must have known each other, because Perry generally went wherever Stacey went. Did Philip Perry work at Deptford perhaps with Stacey after 1715?
The Master Shipwrights House at Deptford, "... was rebuilt in 1708 for master shipwright Joseph Allin who, dissatisfied with his existing house, persuaded the Navy Board to invest in a remodelling. However, Allin overspent on the house and, amidst rumours of corruption, he was dismissed in 1715." [Source]. That's when Richard Stacey was appointed Master Shipwright at Deptford Dockyard, a position he held until 1742, so he will have lived and worked in this magnificent house for 27 years. British History Online, also tells us that, "In the mid-1730s, when it was rumoured that Philip Perry was about to desert Blackwall for Deptford, he was described as 'the Great Builder'." You can quite imagine this rumour being taken seriously. Philip Perry must have visited there during that time and may have worked there too. And Philip Perry's son-in-law, Philip Gilbert, certainly must have done so, as he was briefly Assistant Master Shipwright at Deptford Dockyard in 1740.
"During the 1720s he [Perry] worked as manager for John Kirby and was later employed in a similar capacity by Collett and Boulton." (As an aside, but nevertheless important to note, Philip Perry's granddaughter, Elizabeth Perry and her husband (my cousin) Elnathan Ayres, gave the middle name Boulton to two of their children.) The baptisms in Woolwich suggest the Perrys were still there until around 1720/1, which confirms the statement, "there is no evidence of his being at Blackwall before 1722". By 1722 Perry was living in Blackwall Yard, where he occupied the mansion house 'and garden adjacent with the garden and terrace walk on the east side of the same'. This mansion house was probably the new house erected, between 1677 and 1679, when Johnson (Sir Henry Johnson) paid two builders, John Rogers and Thomas Marchant, for 'the Alterations of the new house and Repairing the ould'. When the new house was built, Richard Gibbs was paid £26 4s 10d for 'painters work' of a highly decorative nature about the property. One room was painted 'olive wood and tortell shell' (sic) and murals depicted battles and ships built at the yard. The new house was probably the detached house to the east of the wet dock which can be seen in Francis Holman's mid-eighteenth-century painting of the yard (below) and which survived into the 1840s. [Source]
In the parish registers of St Dunstan's, Stepney is the record of the burial of Elizabeth Perry on 21 Apr 1734. I'm certain this is Mrs Philip Perry, because it says "Elizabeth Perry of B'Wall to Poplar", indicating that she was buried at Poplar Chapel (St Matthias Old Church) built by the East India Company in 1654, where her husband, sons and grandson were also later buried.
In his Will, drafted on 20 Jun 1741, "Philip Perry the Elder of Blackwall in the Parish of Stepney in the County of Middlesex Shipwright" ... directed, "My body I commit to this earth to be decently buried by walking burial in as frugal a manner as conveniently may be at the discretion and management of my sons Philip Perry and John Perry and my Son-in-Law John Brown (whom I herein make Executors ...)" A walking burial, I assume, is his coffin taken in procession on foot, without hiring expensive carriages. Philip left £120 to Abraham Cropp Esq., "by borrowing securities to him for my late son Thomas Perry deceased". (Thus Thomas must have died before 1741, but I've not found when or where). He made bequests to his said son Philip Perry the Younger; his son John Perry; Son-in-Law John Brown; Captain Jonathan Collett; Captain Richard Gosfreight (Collett and Gosfreight were the principal ship's husbands for whom he'd built many ships); his sister Sarah Price, Widow; Philip Littlepage* (grandson of my said sister Sarah Price ten pounds to put him out apprentice); George Case the Clerk of Blackwall Yard; and his three daughters Elizabeth Brown, Susanna Perry & Sarah Perry. Philip Perry makes no mention of his wife in his Will, suggesting she pre-deceased him, adding circumstantial confirmation to the above. There are various stipulations as to how his estate should be divided among his children, depending upon what the total amounted to and it's obvious he was pretty well off.
*(Philip Littlepage bap. 3 Jul 1734, was the son of Sam Littlepage of Poplar, Gent, and Sarah Price, who married on 7 Feb 1728 at St John At Hackney, but I've been unable to find a marriage of a Sarah Perry to anyone named Price.)
The Chronicles of the Blackwall Yard (PDF) claims that John Perry and his brother, Philip Perry, became Yard Managers at Blackwall when their father, "Philip Perry, died on the 26 Sep 1732, at the age of sixty-one years, and was buried near the first Sir Henry Johnson, in the ground adjoining the East India Company's, or Poplar, Chapel, as it was now called. After his death the business was carried on by his son, who, as we learn from local records, had become by this time a person of considerable influence in the neighbourhood." Philip Perry died in 1742, not 1732 (although I suspect he retired in 1732, as John Perry was managing the yard from then), and this is probably just a 'typo', but it's also not the first time details in Wigram & Green's account just don't add up and, at best, have probably been wrongly remembered.
Philip Perry died on 26 Sep 1742 and was buried on 2 Oct 1742. The parish records of St Dunstans, Stepney lists, "Philip Perry of Blackwall at Poplar", indicating he too was buried at Poplar Chapel (St Matthias Old Church).
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