Hobbs Family History

THE HOBBS FAMILY HISTORY

"People will not look forward to posterity, who never looked backward to their ancestors" Edmund Burke [1729-97]

"Without a family, man, alone in the world, trembles with the cold." - Andre Maurois

"I saw behind me those who had gone, and before me those who are to come.
I looked back and saw my father and his father and all our fathers,
and in front to see my son and his son,
and the sons upon sons beyond.
And their eyes were my eyes.
As I felt so they had felt, and were to feel, as then, so now, as
tomorrow and forever.
Then I was not afraid for I was in a long line that had no beginning
and no end.
And the hand of his father grasped my father's hand and his hand was in mine,
and my unborn son took my right hand and all, up and down the line that
stretched from
Time That Was to Time That is Not Yet,
raised their hands to show the link.
And we found that we were one......" - Richard Llewellyn

The surname HOBBS has a long history.

The very oldest is from the Saxon term for the Celtic High Priests who presided at Religious Ceremonies. The Saxons called them HOBS which is their term for a Nature Spirit. These same priests were also called Wizards and Witches because they were the Wise Men and Women of the Community. They were the most powerful people in the entire United Kingdom and literally had the power of life and death. They were higher than a King, in terms of status. However because of the ferocious persecution that continued throughout the Middle Ages, their practice of Witchcraft went underground and they stopped keeping written records. However the fact that the family survives at all shows that they succeeded in surviving. This is where my family descends from. The holder of the position of High Priest and/or Priestess was known as a HOB. The Priest or Priestess in charge of a Religious gathering, which in Saxon was known as a COVEN, was passed down generation to generation. You could be initiated as a Witch but you could only be born a HOB. For a Hobbs, being born was their initiation into Witchcraft.

The next oldest origin is from the Viking and Saxon name HRODBEARTSON or HRODBEARTSSON but this term is usually only in the north of England, especially Yorkshire. This means Son of Robert.

The third oldest comes from the French term for someone who HOBBYS, meaning somebody who hunts with a Falcon instead of a Hawk. This term comes from Gloucestershire.

Finally Hobb was a pet form of the name Robert (where there is a mention of Hobb). The Norman invasion in 1066 brought countless new names to England, but the local population had trouble pronouncing the Norman version of a preceding "R" so they used "H" in many cases, which was easier for them to pronounce. That is why Dick became a nickname for Rick (Richard), and Hobb was substituted for Rob (Robert). Hob, Hopp, Hobbin, Hoblin, Hobling, Hoblyn are variations. Patronymic (that is where the name is taken from the father) forms include Hobbes, Hobbs, Hobbiss, Hobbis, Hobson, Hopson, Hobbins.

Incidentally the family crest featured above is a Heron Sabel Beak and feet Gules fish in mouth.

THE HOBBS FAMILY TREE may assist you in navigating part of the site for it shows the first three generations going back to my great grandparents. The FULL FAMILY HISTORY INDEX is on a separate page.

"When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. When you die, you rejoice, and the world cries". - Ancient Tibetan Buddhist saying

"Since the day of my birth, my death began its walk. It is walking toward me, without hurrying". - Jean Cocteau

The two photographs are shown below are of the author:

The photograph on the left was taken at Greenhill County Infant School Sheffield circa 1960 whilst the second was taken at the Northern General Hospital Sheffield May 1998. There are earlier photographs taken of me outside our house at Old Park Avenue, Greenhill, Sheffield in the 1950's.

I have also posted a brief history and description of Jessops Hospital For Women, Leavygreave Road, Sheffield the place where I was born, as well as content that shows what a "sixties childhood" was all about.

The above photograph was taken circa 1936 at Hill Top near Penistone, South Yorkshire. In the centre of the photograph is my father Gordon Clement Hobbs [1920 - 1999]. Standing alongside him is his father Clement Douglas Hobbs [1894 - 1975] and mother Rose Hobbs nee Sanby [1894 - 1986]. Clem and Rose are my paternal grandparents.

Clem was the second youngest son of James Hobbs [1854 - 1934] and Elizabeth Margaret Hobbs nee Thomas [1860 - 1947] my great grandparents whilst Rose was the youngest daughter of Edwin Sanby (1856 - 1910) and Mary Sanby nee Broomhead (1857 - 1904)

The photograph was taken in Bournemouth, in the summer of 1954.The woman pushing the pram on the right (with yours truly in it) is my mother Jean Hobbs nee Hemsworth [1930 - 2011]. To her right is her mother Lily Hemsworth nee Shirt[1901 - 1984] and father Sydney Hemsworth [1900 - 1973] (my maternal grandparents). I was about nine months at the time the photograph was taken and I believe that it was my first-ever holiday

Acknowledgements

"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others." Cicero

I would like to extend my great thanks to the late Mr. Kenneth Langler of West Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A. for the time and trouble he has taken in supplying me with additional information on the Hobbs Family.

The same depth of gratitude also extends to Mrs. Barbara Bradley (nee Hobbs) of Woodford Green Essex who has also given me great assistance in this project. The same depth also extends to the late Joyce Gunn (nee Hobbs) of Braintree Essex and the late Margaret Griffiths (nee Hobbs) of Newport for the time and trouble they have taken in helping me "sort out" our common ancestors.

Through their efforts I have established contact with the family of my Grandfather's younger brother Reg Hobbs. They have also been very kind in sharing their memories and thoughts with me. Special mention must be made of the late Ray Hobbs whose untiring efforts and perseverance has led to discoveries that I would never have thought possible. His brother Dennis Hobbs has also been highly supportive of this venture and my appreciation goes out to him as well. Their help and encouragement was and still is greatly appreciated.

Much of the information on Mary Anne Sanby (1826 - ) was obtained by my fourth cousin once removed Allan Colley - our common ancestor is JOSEPH SANBY (1806 - 1876).

The large amount of information that has been posted to the site about the Lewis Family is a result of the information that has been researched and supplied by a number of people most notably Margaret Harvey and Ruth Hay .

As with all content on this site, the errors and omissions are mine and mine alone I also welcome information from all authentic sources as well as copies of Family Trees.

Copyright Note I am very happy to share, completely free of charge, the fruits of my genealogical research with bona fide Family History researchers for their own private use, but not for use by professional genealogists for commercial purposes or financial gain.

"Our death is not an end if we can live on in our children and the younger generation. For they are us, our bodies are only wilted leaves on the tree of life". ~ Albert Einstein

"Those we love don't go away,
They walk beside us every day,
Unseen, unheard, but always near,
Still loved, still missed and very dear."

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This page was last updated on 25/01/25 15:31