HALES OWENROOTS
The
Hodgkins Of Halesowen.
William and Mary
Hodgkins had the following children all christened at Halesowen,
Edward christened 28
November 1750 died 22 February 1756
James
christened 27 October 1752
William
christened 25 July 1755
John christened 29
June 1757
Ned
christened 31 August 1759
Joseph
christened 25 March 1764
Christopher christened
29 June 1766 died 20 December 1767
William
, born 1755, married Hannah ? and
they had the following children all christened in Halesowen:
Sarah christened 4
August 1779
Thomas
christened 18 February 1781
Thomas
married Elizabeth Raybould 21 February 1805 at Halesowen. They had the following
children in Halesowen,
Benjamin
christened 17 August 1806
Samuel christened 17
April 1808
Henry christened 24
February 1811
In the 1851 census,
Elizabeth was living with Samuel at Little Cornbow Halesowen
LITTLE CORNBOW
HODGKINS Elizabeth Head W 77 Proprietor of houses WOR Stourbridge
HODGKINS Samuel Son U 42 Annuitant WOR Halesowen
Neither Benjamin nor Henry can be located in the 1851 census and
Elizabeth was a widow
Ned Hodgkins born 1759 married
Sarah?. They had the following children. All christened in Halesowen
Mary christened 4 June 1780
Frances christened 5 May
1782
Ann christened 5 August 1787
George christened 8 May 1792
Edward christened 20 May 1801
Benjamin
Hodgkins born 1806 , married Sarah Thomas at
St Phillips Church Birmingham on 22June
1828.
They had the following children, all christened at Halesowen:
Thomas christened 24 May 1829
Francis
christened 16 January 1831
Elizabeth christened 27 February 1833
Emma christened 20 December 1835
Henry christened 3 December 1837
Benjamin christened 1 December 1839
Edmund christened 12
November 1841
Sarah christened 4 October 1843
Harriet 1849
The 1851 census shows:
SPRING GARDENS HALESOWEN
HODGKINS Sarah Head W 40 Annuitant HEF Dilwyn
HODGKINS Thomas Son U 21 Cordwainer WOR Halesowen
HODGKINS Elizabeth Daughter U 18 WOR Halesowen
HODGKINS Henry Son 13 Scholar WOR Halesowen
HODGKINS Benjamin Son 11 Scholar WOR Halesowen
HODGKINS Edmund Son 9 Scholar WOR Halesowen
HODGKINS Sarah Daughter 7 Scholar WOR Halesowen
HODGKINS Harriet Daughter 2 Scholar WOR Halesowen
Francis
born 1831, married Ann Williams at Oldswinford on 23 September 1850. They had the following children, all
christened in Halesowen:
Thomas christened 23 February 1851
Benjamin christened 30 April 1854
George christened 26 November 1856
William christened 25 September 1859
Helen christened
Mary christened 25 December 1864
Elizabeth christened 31 March 1867
And possibly another daughter Helen in 1861
The following extract from the 1851 census shows Francis, Ann and family
living at Little Cornbow Halesowen with Ann’s parents. Pricilla Williams was
Ann’s daughter
LITTLE CORNBOW
WILLIAMS William Head M 69 Nailor WOR
Halesowen
WILLIAMS Ann Wife M 69 Governess WOR Hagley
HODGKINS Francis Head M 20 Nailor WOR
Halesowen
HODGKINS Ann Wife M 25 Nailor WOR Halesowen
WILLIAMS Pricilla Daughter 4 WOR Halesowen
HODGKINS Thomas Son 6M WOR Halesowen
The
1861 census shows:
LITTLE CORNBOW
Francis HODGKINS Head M 29 Nail maker
WOR Halesowen
Ann HODGKINS Wife M 35 Nail maker
WOR Halesowen
Priscilla HODGKINS
Daughter 13 Nail maker WOR Halesowen
Thomas HODGKINS Son 10
scholar WOR Halesowen
William HODGKINS Son 2 WOR Halesowen
The following extract shows Francis and family in 1871:
LITTLE CORNBOW
Francis HODGKINS Head Widower
40 Nail maker Wor Halesowen
Thomas ditto Son Unmarried
19 Bricklayers lab Wor Halesowen
William
ditto
Son
11 Scholar Wor Halesowen
Ellen
ditto
Dau
9 Scholar Wor Halesowen
Mary
ditto
Dau
7 Scholar Wor Halesowen
Mary Hodgkins was born on 3 May 1864 at Cornbow Halesowen
and her birth was registered on 24 May 1864.
The informant was her mother Ann Hodgkins.
Tracey Hodgkins writes:
You said on your site that you were particularly interested in knowing about the children of Benjamin and Sarah Hodgkins, who, you might recall, are my great-great-great grandparents. I have spent quite a bit of time researching that line, because of the obvious connection I suppose, and I have some dates and information I thought you might like to know. Some of it I am sure you must already know by now, but I have found out quite a bit and thought it worth sharing. I am still looking for evidence for some of my information, but still consider it worth sharing.
As you will know, Benjamin and Sarah had nine children. Thomas born in 1829, was a cordwainer. I know you know that. I researched Thomas and was able to find him on the 1841 and 1851 census, but thereafter there was nothing. I couldn’t find a marriage that fits either. However, very recently I found a death for a Thomas Hodgkins in 1853 in King’s Norton, now known as Smethwick, where, ironically, my Dad originated from. I have also found a burial record for a Thomas Hodgkins in Halesowen. The age of the deceased would be the age our Thomas would have been in 1853. I wondered about whether or not it was possible that Thomas could have died in King’s Norton and still buried in Halesowen, but something tells me that it is him. At some point I will get the death certificate. I’m hoping the informant of the death might be a family member. That might indicate something.
Francis Hodgkins, my great-great grandfather, was born in 1831. As you know he married Ann Williams in 1850 in Old Swinford. I still want to ascertain whether Francis was the father of Priscilla, born to Ann in 1847, and I hope to get her birth certificate soon. However, I know for sure that they certainly had 7 other children together, one of whom, Mary, I think you said is related to your wife? I have information on most of the children, including Ellen, born in 1861. She married William Samuel Eborall in 1885 and had children with him, two boys and a girl. In 1907 the family left the country and moved to Canada. Ellen died in 1949 in Ontario, Canada. I am sure Francis Hodgkins himself died in 1894.
However, back to Benjamin and Sarah’s other children. Elizabeth, Benjamin and Sarah’s first daughter, was born in 1833. I believe she married William Watkins in November 1851. They had seven children together. I have found an Elizabeth Watkins of the right age (give or take) on census’s up to 1881. I am still looking for an 1891 census for her, but I believe she died in 1897.
Emma Hodgkins was born in 1835. I believe she married George Hadgkiss/Hodgkiss (still trying to ascertain which name is right, but believe it is Hadgkiss) in 1856. They had two children together that I know of (from the census’s). Emma died in 1897.
Henry Hodgkins was born in 1837 and married Sarah Bayliss in 1863. I knew of five children they had together, from the census’s, however I think I have found two more, twins who did not live long. In my research I have found an Edith Hodgkins born to a Henry and Sarah Hodgkins in 1872. She was christened on 7th January 1873 and died on 12th January 1873.
I have also found a George Thomas Hodgkins, born in the same period as Edith to a Henry and Sarah Hodgkins. George Thomas must have either died shortly after birth or was stillborn as no age is shown.
Henry Hodgkins himself died in 1896.
Benjamin Hodgkins was born in 1839. Benjamin was difficult to trace because I found him easily up to 1851 and then lost him. I think I found him at some sort of barracks (army?) in Gosport, Hampshire, in 1861. The Benjamin Hodgkins on that census was born in Halesowen at around the right time, so I believe it is him. I couldn’t find him at all on the 1871 census, but I am still looking. I found him on a Scottish census in 1881, in Govan Church, Lanarkshire, Scotland, by which time he is married to a Scottish woman called Marian. I have no idea when or where they married. In 1891 I found both Benjamin and Marian back in England in Smethwick. In the 1901 census Benjamin appears to be in the King’s Norton Union Workhouse, now Selly Oak Hospital. However, I have found his wife in Birmingham, living with a daughter, also called Marian, who was born around 1892. They appear to have had other children, six, who have all died. I am wondering if there are sets of twins involved. I could not find Benjamin on the 1911 census, but I did find his wife, who is down as a widow. I tried looking for a 1911 death for a Benjamin Hodgkins, but found nothing. However, I did find a 1912 death for a Benjamin Hodgkins who would be the right age, give or take. It is hard to tell for sure that it is him, except that the age is about right. I just wonder why his wife would say he was dead before he actually was, if that was the case, and why he isn’t on the 1911 census, at least as far as I can find out. I’ll get the death certificate for this Benjamin Hodgkins and see if it tells me anything useful.
Edmund Hodgkins, born in 1841, is another confusing one in that I lost him really early on. Eventually I found what I am convinced is a marriage for him, at St Phillips in Birmingham in June 1860, to Emma Oakey. Thereafter I lost him again, but I am beginning to think I have discovered him on the 1861 census in Birmingham. He is down (I think) as just Hodgkins, though his wife is there as Emma. The only thing I have to go on is that this Hodgkins was born in Halesowen at around the time our Edmund was, and I know Edmund Hodgkins married an Emma. This Hodgkins is also the right age. It gets worse on the 1871 census, where his first name has somehow become Edward, or almost that. It is hard to tell if it is an error or a name change for some reason. However, by this time the couple have a child, John, whose age, according to Ancestry, is fourteen, but looking at other places for information, I believe he was in fact born in 1861. In 1881 I believe I have found Edmund (again as Edward) and Emma in Yorkshire. However, I have found a death record for an Edmund Hodgkins in 1884 in Aston, Warwickshire. I need to get certificates to verify some of my information, I know it all sounds a bit shaky to say the least. I will let you know when I know more.
Sarah Hodgkins, as you know, was born in 1843 in Halesowen. She married Robert Lytton Edwards in December 1861 at Aston Juxta. They appear to have had one child before they were married, a girl, Martha Maria Edwards. However, it gets interesting from then on. At some point, I don’t know when, Sarah and her husband left the country. They moved to Australia. I am still sorting out how many children they had there, but I believe it is 11. It just depends on whether or not I have one child down twice under two different years of birth. Anyway, what I do know for sure is that Sarah died in Australia in 1918.
Finally, in 1849 Harriett Hodgkins was born. She married Charles Lea in 1872 and they had one child that I know of, George Harry Lea, born in 1879. I believe she was widowed in 1885. Harriett died in 1911, and interestingly I have a probate record for her. She left her son £110 13s and 6d in her will. I know from the 1911 census that her son was a commercial clerk. I believe he enlisted into the army in 1916 at the age of 37. I have a record to show this. I am still looking for further records for George Harry Lea, but I think he survived WWI.
I hope some of that is helpful.
Anyone who wishes to contribute information about the Hodgkins should :