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I think I have asked a few years ago but still trying to tract my Grandfather's death and burial ? He was James Brooker - possibly a groom or gardener - and born in or around 1880 +. Had connections with Huntingdon area possibly - met but did not marry my Grandmother.(Probably a 'downstairs' romance at a big house where both may have been employed - Lincolnshire or Norfolk) He was not married to anyone as far as we know.l He had a sister or mother called Annie. He served briefly in France 1917 - only a few weeks possibly in the Labour corps. My Mother was born in 1918 in Lincolnshire (Mother And baby home probably) Jim was apparently delighted with the birth of my Mother, Jane and promised to visit- even spoke about bus timetables etc. He never did as far as we know - possibly too ill - but he sent money to set up my Grandmother in a small shop near Edinburgh. She died in 1932- when my mother was 14 and she was then brought up by Aunts etc. I have no-one to ask now. . Someone did suggest my Grandfather was an officer etc in the war - but I don;t think so - Private in the Labour corps and I have a possible name and number - but no record anywhere of his later death..
Any help appreciated.

???
1911census
Engalnd Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
38 Great Northern Street Huntingdon, Huntingdon, Huntingdonshire, England


James Brooker Head Married Male Coachman Domestic 28 1883 Wrestlingworth Beds Transcription
Annie Brooker Wife Married Female - 28 1883 Papworth St Agnes Cambs Transcription
David James Brooker Son - Male - 1904 Papworth St Agnes Cambs

Married 7 Years 1 child born

Marriages Dec 1903
Brooker James Caxton 3b 977
Fox Annie Caxton 3b 977
Caxton covers Papworth St Agnes

1939

REGISTER TRANSCRIPTION
Brooker Household (4 People)
The Priory High Street , Huntingdon M.B., Huntingdonshire, England
Start free family tree View original imagePrint
FIRST NAME(S) LAST NAME(S) DOB OCCUPATION
James Brooker 13 Sep 1882 Club Steward
Annie Brooker 12 Aug 1882 Unpaid Domestic Duties
Eileen Sanderso (Fox) 14 Mar 1920 Cinema Cashier
Albert Fitchmarsh 20 Feb 1894 Incapacitated
Ref: RG101/6348G/007/14 Letter Code:

First name(s) JAMES
Last name BROOKER
Gender Male
Birth day -
Birth month -
Birth year 1883
Age 79
Death quarter 1
Death year 1962
District HUNTINGDON
County Huntingdonshire
Volume 4B
Page 464
Country England
Record set England & Wales deaths 1837-2007
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Deaths & burials
Collections from Great Britain
(c) brightsolid online publishing ltd

This one is still single in 1911 living with two sister and he's a gardener but a long way away.

Name: James Brooker
Age in 1911: 32
Estimated birth year: abt 1879
Relation to Head: Head
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Leigh, Kent
Civil Parish: Speldhurst
Search Photos: Search for 'Speldhurst' in the UK City, Town and Village Photos collection
County/Island: Kent
Country: England
Street address: Harwarton' Lodge, Speldhurst, Tunbridge Wells
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: Gardener
Registration district: Tonbridge
Registration District Number: 50
Sub-registration district: Tunbridge Wells
ED, institution, or vessel: 3
Household schedule number: 17
Piece: 4042
Household Members:
Name Age
James Brooker 32
Ellen Brooker 30
Kate Brooker 20

Said to have served 1 year 17 days

Enlisted in nottinghamshire intending to live at the YMCA


Name: James Brooker
Gender: Male
Birth Date: abt 1886
Age: 32
Document Year: 1918
Residence Place: Y M C A, Camberwell Green, London S E
Regimental Number: 210400
Regiment Name: Labour Corps
Form Title: Proceedings on Discharge
Number of Images: 11
Other Records: Search for 'James Brooker' in other WWI collections
Family Members:
Name Relation to Soldier
James Brooker Self (Head)

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards/board/ancestors/thread/1353389?page=2

(no idea if James on above?)

Chris :)

(from other 'Thread' above)


Chris Ho :) Report Edit Delete 16 Jul 2015 13:39

Baptism
County Lincolnshire
Place Saleby
Church St Margaret
RegisterNumber 528
DateOfBirth
BaptismDate 09 Aug 1918
Forename Jane Houghton Brooker
FatherForename
MotherForename Jane Ewart
FatherSurname
MotherSurname BOURHILL
Abode Thoresthorpe

(you probably have above)


http://www.freereg.org.uk/

Chris :)

(no idea on below!)

1911 (Find My Past)
James Brooker Head Married Male Coachman Domestic 28 1883 Wrestlingworth Beds
Annie Brooker Wife Married Female - 28 1883 Papworth St Agnes Cambs
David James Brooker Son - Male - 7 1904 Papworth St Agnes Cambs
Address 38 Great Northern Street Huntingdon
Parish Huntingdon
Census reference RG14 PN8754 RG78 PN456 RD171 SD4 ED3 SN258


Deaths Mar 1962 (>99%)
----------------------------------------------------------
BROOKER James 79 Huntingdon 4b 464


Deaths Jun 1963 (>99%)
----------------------------------------------------------------
BROOKER ANNIE 80 HUNTINGDON 4B 333


Deaths Sep 1953 (>99%)
-----------------------------------------------------------
BROOKER David J 49 Cambridge 4a 145


Births Mar 1904 (>99%)
-----------------------------------------------------------
BROOKER David James Caxton 3b 417


Marriages Dec 1903 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------
BROOKER James Caxton 3b 977
FOX Annie Caxton 3b 977


Silver War Badge Records, 1914-1920 (Ancestry)

James Brooker
B299272 Hunts Cyclists 290271
(Enlistment. 25/1/15 Discharge 1/1/19 Served Overseas. Yes)

Disability chronic bronchitis and emphysema aggrevatedby M S.

Hello Patricia,

I'm assuming James wasn't listed on your mother's birth certificate?

You said your mother, Jane, was likely born in a mother & baby home- what was the address on the birth certificate.

(not sure if my reply below, copied here from 'other' was answered AQ, needs a read through!)

Chris :)

edits (you say)

"Suspect she gave birth to my Mum in a Mother and Baby home in Lincolnshire.(1918)"

Births Sep 1918 (>99%)
-------------------------------------------------------
Bourhill Jane H _ Bourhill Louth 7a 808

(does it give a clue on above Cert.?)

I wish Patricia would give us the number she mentioned as that could be a help.

Regimental Number 210400

This james Brooker was a Hawker.

Thanks Chis, had a little look, but not wanting to wade through. Hopefully Patricia will get back with full details.

Mel- yes, I agree, if Patricia has a possible regimental number, it could make it a whole lot easier!

Please come back Patricia- we wanna solve your mystery :-D

(below must be where it led me to get SWB info. from, notice I have a 'Tick' against, as previously viewed)

Chris :)

National Roll of the Great War 1914-1918 Transcription (Find My Past)

First name(s) J
Last name BROOKER
National Roll section XII - Bedford & Northampton
Record set National Roll of the Great War 1914-1918
Category Military, armed forces & conflict
Subcategory First World War
Collections from Great Britain

(Great Northern Street, Huntingdon, given on above)


The Huntingdonshire Cyclist Battalions

(quite a bit of info. about, on google search)


https://www.deceasedonline.com/

(above has Cremations, Brooker James, Annie, David James)


https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/#wills

(all 3 on above, Probate)


Marriages Dec 1941 (>99%)
------------------------------------------------------------
Fox Eileen Sanders Huntingdon 3b 913
Sanders Richard V Fox Huntingdon 3b 913

(has connection to above)


Births Jun 1920 (>99%)
-------------------------------------------------
Fox Eileen Fox Huntingdon 3b 533


http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-53599-garden-wall-of-number-83-the-priory-facin#.V-gVwpXrscA

(above would relate to Address on 1939)

Wow - you have all been busy.
I don;t think my Grandfather was married to anyone at all - but had a Mum or sister called Annie who refers to his as 'our dear boy'
. My Mothers birth certificate only states her Mother Jane Ewart Reid Bourhill - a cook (domestic) of Downie Place Loanhead (Midlothian) and my Mother was Jane Houghton Brooker Bourhill born on 30th July 1918 THORESTHORPE , Saleby R.D. Louth in the sub-dstrict of Withern. (I don;t know what the R.,D. stands for) So at least my Mum had Brooker in her name - Houghton - well there is a Houghton Hall where they may have met and both been in servce as apparently my Mother once asked my brother to take her to see Houghton hall. I did contact them and asked politely if they kept lists of employees in the 1900s at all - but no reply.
I am pretty sure this was my Grandfather - born around 1886 - I did find a charred war record on line (Blitz) which put him age 32 - Y,M,C,A, - Reg No 210400. Labour corps. I think I have checked this so many times I have convinced myself this was him. The last postcard from him to my Grandmother was postmarked 1924 - nothing after that. He was delighted to hear about the birth of my Mother but I don;t know if he ever saw or met her as a child.
All I really wanted to find out where and when he died.

I will look up the sources you found Chris Ho and Shirley too - but I reckon you've got the right chap. I wish my mother had said more but of course in those days it was a terrible stigma to be illegitimate.

I can't thank you all enough for your hard work - I have been searching for this for years !
Pat

Well as posted on 'Threads', below looks to be their Marriage...(and does state 7yrs on 1911 image)

Marriages Dec 1903 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------
BROOKER James Caxton 3b 977
FOX Annie Caxton 3b 977

Trouble is, I don't think you can get 100% proof that James Brooker was the Father, lol, the findings perhaps look that way, but...

There are a lot of google images for various years of Huntingdon High Street, and St. Ives Bridge that you have postcards of, which seem to relate, and a place called Houghton, near St. Ives (I was walking on that bridge the other day myself, lol)

All frustrating for you...

Chris :)


Edits (copied over)

Argyll Gran-
Re Postacards from my Grandfather - One of the 'Bridge' St Ives Post Marked 1924(last one)one of the war Memorial Huntingdon, one Post Marked Huntingdon 1916 address to my Grandmother c/o General Brown, Malta House, Alford Lincs. (she was probably in service) one post marked 1916 Huntingdon showing the HIGH St Huntingdon showing a shop Scate - and Annie says Jim used to work oppositein the house between 2 little lamps ? one PC from Annie 1917 with Holmbush House, Faygate > addressed to my Grandmother - Miss Bourhill, The Manor House, Alford, and another to same address 1916 but c/o Col Dennison.
Think she must have been a housekeeper or similar.to the Military folk ? There is really no proper info in the Postcards but it is clear that my Grandfather knew of the birth of my Mother and was delighted and was looking forward to seeing her !


(now found below! 1918)

Creator_Name James Dilley, auctioneer: entries in sales book
Level Item
Title Sale for Messrs. Clayton
Description 1. Number 5 St Mary's Street, Huntingdon, tenanted by Messrs. Bryant and Bryant.
2. 20 and 21 Ermine Street, Huntingdon, tenanted by Mrs Carlton and Mr Smith.
3. Numbers 46 and 47 Great Northern Street, Huntingdon, tenanted by Mr S.Rowe, and Mr James Brooker.
Date 22 May 1918
Repository Huntingdonshire Archives

http://calm.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/calmview/

1911 47 Great Northern Street
Herbert Bullen Brewers labourer 5 rooms

1911 46,Great Northern Street
Samuel Chapman Rowe 1870 Brewers Drayman 5 room
he is still there in 1917.

Maryb.

Were there any postcards from Annie after your mother was born?

Is it possible that Annie was his wife, and that she knew nothing of the birth?

don't think so Austin - just a couple of Post cards from Jim saying he;d be getting the bus up to see my Mother- last one dated 1924 when my Mother would be 5 or 6.
The army record would seem to describe a chap who could bvery likely be my Grandfather - not tall, fair hair, blue eyed etc - and obviously not a fit person - had lung problems from childhood apparently.= exacerbated by mustard gas in France I think
Thanks I will look at the cards again
Pat.

If it was the James Brooker who was in The Huntingdon cyclists battalion WW1 he was No 290271 enlisted 23/1/1915 -1-9/1919
Promotion in the 2/1st battalion on 6/11/1915 name Brooker (A.Co) paid Lance Corp

Beginning of 1917 they were at Sutton le Marsh near Mablethorpe Lincs
March 1917 Alford Lincs
July 1917 Chapel St leonards
May 1918 Skegness Lincs.

Google Thoresthorpe where Jane born 1918 and on the same map it shows Alford on same page so could that be where they met.


If James Brooker with number 210400 who maybe helped Jane to get a shop was the other one a Hawker with health problems really have the means to help her.

Maryb.

Gawd- I'm getting confused Pat (it doesn't take much!).

Not sure why you would think the James Brooker 210400 would be your chap- based on dodgy lungs and being short?!

James Brooker with number 210400 had brown hair (not fair as you posted).
-----------------------------

Surely, based on location, (right place, right time), the chap Margaret has posted (290271) is a more likely candidate?

The fact that they were still in contact after your mother's birth, but still didn't marry, surely indicates there was probably a reason for this- usually it was due to one/ or both parties already being married.