John and William Hobbs - Paddington

My great grandfathers stepbrothers William and John are shown in the above photograph. WILLIAM is the elder of the two and is seated whilst the one standing is his younger brother JOHN better known as JACK

WILLIAM HOBBS (1866 - 1942)

WILLIAM HOBBS born circa 1866. From the brief information I have I was told that William had married a woman called Marion who came from Swansea in South Wales. A check of the registers indeed revealed that a William Hobbs married a MARION CRETE in the June quarter of 1890 in the Paddington district of London. (GRO volumes : 1a (1889-1930) Page 56). However the 1901 Census shows the following

PRO Reference RG13/4 Page 24 entry 177 - Paddington, London 47 Elgin Avenue, Paddington, London 

Name

Age

Status  - Occupation

Born

William HOBBS 35 Scavenging Contractors Foreman Paddington London
Elizabeth HOBBS 33   Wadford Buckinghamshire

The situation with regard to the Marion mentioned above is unclear but the 1901 Census shows that William, apart from working in the family business as an employee, had married a woman called Elizabeth. Thanks to the efforts of another family researcher, we have pieced together the events in William's life.

Name: Marion Crete Age: 22 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1868 Spouse Name: William Hobbs
Spouse Age: 24
Marriage Date: 14 Apr 1890
Parish: St Mary, Paddington Green County: London Borough: Westminster
Father Name: John Carmichel Spouse Father Name: Thomas Hobbs
(Source Citation: London Metropolitan Archives, Saint Mary, Paddington Green, Register of marriages, P87/MRY, Item 054)

Marion had previously been married to a Mr Crete but had been widowed. Here maiden name was MARION CARMICHAEL. But in the 1891 Census the situation takes another twist. WILLIAM HOBBS is living at 11 Maida Hill West, Paddington, London, England on his own
but the next entry in the census shows his wife MARION HOBBS.

So to sum up the marriage certificate for William Hobbs and Marion Carmichel shows that he was 24 years old bachelor she was 22 year old widow. Marion married using her married name Crete.  Her father was John Carmichel (deceased). We have been unable to locate a record for her first marriage.

Between the census of 1891 and 1901 Marion must have either died or left William since he has a new wife Elizabeth Hackney - details below

Name: Elizabeth Hackney Year of Registration: 1898 Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun
District: Fulham County: Greater London, London, Middlesex Volume: 1a Page: 643

I believe that Elizabeth was born in Wadford, Buckinghamshire, England circa 1868

But by the time of the 1911 census more changes have occurred. I found the following entry for WILLIAM

Personal Information
Name William Hobbs
Relationship to Head of Household Head
Condition Married Gender Male Age 45
Estimated Year of Birth 1866
Occupation Tobacconist and Confectioner Sweets
Employed Yes Working at Home Yes
Place of Birth London Paddington
Enumerator Information
Address Aldenham Road Bushey Parish Bushey Town Bushey Type of Building Shop House Number of Rooms 6 Inhabited Yes
Reference RG14PN7694 RG78PN379 RD140 SD1 ED8 SN267 Administrative County Hertfordshire Registration District Watford
Registration Sub District Bushey Enumeration District 8
 

I was totally surprised that WILLIAM was now living in Bushey and was a shopkeeper. He was, alongside his brother JOHN left the family business by his father THOMAS HOBBS but for some reason decided to break with it totally. Furthermore he left the Paddington district where he had lived all his life and moved to Bushey in Hertfordshire. But what was more intriguing was that fact that his wife was now called KATE.

I checked the BMD records to find out if I could ascertain what had happened to ELIZABETH HOBBS nee HACKNEY. Sadly I found the following entry

Deaths Dec 1903 Hobbs Elizabeth 46 Lambeth Volume 1d page 197

and then little over a year later the following in the Marriage Indexes

Surname First name(s) District Volume Page  - Marriages Mar 1905 Bluck Kate Beatrice Paddington Volume 1a page 12 Hobbs William Paddington William widower aged 39 living at 39 Marylands Road, and Kate aged 27 spinster living at Wrentham Avenue, Brent, Greater London. They were married in St John's Church, Paddington, Middesex, London, England. Kate was the daughter of ALFRED GEORGE BLUCK and KATE BLUCK nee YEALDING. She was born In Kensington London on 1st March 1878

A year after the marriage they had a daughter that was obviously named after her mother

Name: Kate Beatrice Hobbs
Record Type: Baptism Estimated Birth Date: abt 1906 Baptism Date: 26 Jul 1906
Father's name: William Hobbs Mother's name: Kate Beatrice Hobbs Parish or Poor Law Union: Paddington St Saviour Borough: Westminster

and a year later a second daughter

Name: Marjorie Constance Hobbs
Date of Registration: 1 Sep 1907 Registration district: Hendon Inferred County: Middlesex Volume: 3a Page: 267

KATE HOBBS married a GEOFFREY C FEARN in 1930

Name: Kate B Hobbs
Spouse Surname: Geoffrey C Fearn
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1930
Registration district: Cambridge Inferred County: Cambridgeshire Volume Number: 3b Page Number: 1218
but sadly died at quite a young age

Name: Kate B Fearn nee Hobbs
Birth Date: abt 1906
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1962
Age at Death: 56
Registration district: Cambridge Inferred County: Cambridgeshire Volume: 4a Page: 215
 

MARJORIE married a JAMES W CLARK

Name: Marjorie C Hobbs
Spouse Surname: James W Clark
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1929 Registration district: Cambridge Inferred County: Cambridgeshire Volume Number: 3b
Page Number: 1083 

and lived to be 82 Years of age
Name: Marjorie Constance Clark nee Hobbs Birth Date: 1 Sep 1907
Date of Registration: Jul 1990 Age at Death: 82
Registration district: Norwich Inferred County: Norfolk Volume: 10 Page: 1507


Name: Geoffrey Charles Fearn Birth Date: 15 Mar 1906
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1971
Age at Death: 65
Registration district: Cambridge Inferred County: Cambridgeshire Volume: 4a Page: 646

MARJORIE and GEOFFREY had a son and a daughter

Name: Annette S Fearn Mother's Maiden Surname: Hobbs
Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1934
Registration district: Cambridge Inferred County: Cambridgeshire/
Volume Number: 3b Page Number: 550
I believe she married a Bellamy after which she was known as Fearn-Bellamy

Nigel R Fearn Mother's Maiden Surname: Hobbs
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1937
Registration district: Cambridge Inferred County: Bedfordshire Volume Number: 3b Page Number: 545

WILLIAM died in 1942 at the age of 76 -  Birth Date: abt 1866 Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1942 Age at Death: 76 Registration district: Cambridge Inferred County: Cambridgeshire Volume: 3b Page: 986

His third wife KATE outlived him by 15 years

Name: Kate B Hobbs Birth Date: abt 1878 Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1957 Age at Death: 79 Registration district: Cambridge Inferred County: Cambridgeshire Volume: 4a Page: 166

 JOHN HOBBS (1868 - 1946)

JOHN HOBBS - was born two years after WILLIAM circa 1868. Twenty eight years later he was living at 105 Warwick Road, Paddington, London. (the address was given on his mother Emma's death certificate). There was also a piece of information that stated that John had married a woman called LUCY. This was confirmed by the 1901 Census Return.

PRO REFERENCE RG13/8 Page9 Entry 40 41 Blomfield Road Paddington London

Name

Age

Status  - Occupation

Born

John HOBBS 33 Surveying Contractors Assistant Paddington London
Lucy HOBBS  32   Marylebone London
Mabel BRYANT 17 General Servant Domestic Marylebone London

John and Lucy were married in the September quarter of 1891  - 18th July 1891 (GRO Ref Paddington London Vol 1a Page20). The details state that Lucy's maiden name was LUCY JANE MORRIS. A check on the 1881 Census for Middlesex revealed that a twelve year old scholar LUCY JANE MORRIS lived with her parents WILLIAM and LILLY MORRIS nee SIMPSON at 5 Woodchester Street  London (PRO ref RG11 Piece/Folio 0003/4 page 2). Lucy was the eldest of five children. She had two brothers William and Thomas, and two sisters Elizabeth and Lily. 

The marriage certificate shows that John and Lucy were married at the Parish Church, Paddington. John lived at home 18 North Wharf, and Lucy at 62 Woolchester Street, her father was William 1845 a Slater as was his father Benjamin Thomas Lucy’s mother was Lilly Simpson 1849 the daughter of Robert Simpson . 

The business of "Thomas Hobbs &Sons" which was situated at 14,15 and 17 Wharves, North Wharf Road, Paddington, London was left to William and John on the death of their father Thomas in 1907 age 72. John who is given as being present at death gives his address as 108 Delaware Mansions which I believe is in the Maida Vale area of London (see note)

But like his brother WILLIAM, the entry in the 1911 Census was a surprise. He had also lived in Paddington all his life but in 1911 he was living in Bishops Stortford and was a Beerhouse Keeper. He was still married to LUCY though.

Name Lucy Hobbs
Relationship to Head of Household Wife
Years Married Married / 19 Years
Total Children Born Alive 2
Children Still Living 1 Children Who Have Died 1
Gender Female Age 42
Estimated Year of Birth 1869
Employed No Working at Home No
Place of Birth London Marylebone
Enumerator Information
Address 10 Hadham Road Bishops Stortford Parish Bishops Stortford Town Bishops Stortford
Type of Building Public House Number of Rooms 5 Inhabited Yes
Reference RG14PN7496 RG78PN365 RD134 SD1 ED5 SN3 Administrative County Hertfordshire Registration District Bishops Stortford
Registration Sub District Stortford Enumeration District 5

The census also revealed that they had a son JOHN ERIC HOBBS. I found out that JOHN who was born on 23rd February 1903 in Paddington London and baptised in Paddington St Saviour, London, England on 21st June 1903.

But the 1911 census form also revealed that JOHN and LUCY had also lost a child. A check in the BMD registers gave the following entries

Name: Dorothey Evelyn Hobbs Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1893 Registration district: Paddington Inferred County: Greater London, London, Middlesex Volume: 1a Page:56

Name: Dorothy Evelyn Hobbs Record Type: Baptism Estimated Birth Date: abt 1893 Baptism Date: 14 Apr 1893 Father's Name: John Hobbs Mother's Name: Lucy Jane Hobbs Parish or Poor Law Union: Haggerston St Mary

Name: Dorothy Evelyn Hobbs Estimated Birth Year: abt 1893 Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1897 Age at Death: 4 Registration district: Paddington Inferred County: London Volume: 1a Page: 7

A rather sad episode to say the least

The Beerhouse they ran  - Robin Hood, 24 Hadham Road, Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire - is still there but is now a restaurant (see notes)



Robin Hood, 24 Hadham Road, Bishops Stortford - in September 2008

And so the two brothers who inherited the business in 1907 when Thomas Hobbs died both moved to Hertfordshire within the next couple of years, and began businesses that were on a far lesser scale than had been the case in Paddington. The reasons behind the move are a complete mystery to me, but one hopefully I will resolve.

Details of William and John's sister (and my great grandfather's stepsister) SUSANNAH E HOBBS are on a separate page.

JOHN died in Kensington London in 1946 at the age of 78 whilst his wife LUCY died 11 years later in Saffron Walden -

Name: Lucy Jane Hobbs Birth Date: abt 1869 Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1955 Age at Death: 86 Registration district: Saffron Walden Inferred County: Essex Volume: 4a Page: 882

Their son JOHN ERIC died in Colchester Essex in 1969 -

Name: John Eric Hobbs Birth Date: 23 Feb 1903 Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1969 Age at Death: 66 Registration district: Colchester Inferred County: Essex Volume: 4a Page: 1614

Note

 

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This page was last updated on 02/01/23 15:21