Genealogy Chat

Wow, thanks Stan, that must have taken you ages!

Hi Kathryn In 1891 there were 149 Hoopers in Stoke Damerel. Elizabeth Hooper lived in the same house as in 1881: 15 Church Street (1 of 3 households) with her remaining unmarried son, George (Elizabeth was 65 in 1881 and George was then 27): Elizabeth Hooper, Head, Wid, 75, Laundress, b. Cornwall Hatt; George Hooper, Son, S, 37, Labour General, b. Devon Devonport. At 14 Church Street lived (again as one of three households): Henry Hooper, Head, M, 34, Labour General, b. Devon, Devonport; Ellen Hooper, Wife, M, 27, b. Devon, Devonport; Francis J. Hooper, Son, 4, b. Devon, Plymouth. This Henry could be the one who was 24 in 1881, when he lived at 59 Tavistock Street with a wife Louisa G aged 24 and a son George H aged 6. The two other children who lived with Elizabeth in 1881 (Francis, then aged 30, and Amelia, then aged 19) are probably as follows: 8 York Place: Francis Hooper, Head, M, 39, General Labourer, b. Devon, Devonport; Florence Hooper, Wife, M, 41, b. Cornwall Gorran. 27Granby Street: Robert G. Croft, Head, M, 32, Boiler Maker, b. Northumberland, Newcastle; Amelia A. Croft, Wife, M, 28, b. Devon, Devonport; Amelia A. Hooper, Step Daur, S, 9, Scholar, B. Devon, Devonport; William J. Croft, Son, 1, b. Devon, Devonport. So Henry was there before George moved to the other side of him. The names in 1901 may be a coincidence, but the repetition of names suggests there was some relationship, and a tradition of naming in the wider Hooper family. Certainly there were several Georges and more than one Francis. Unless you can unravel the links though BMD records I would advise you to avoid making any assumptions - they could be cousins at some considerable remove. I hope this helps though. Stan

Stan - Church Street is in Stoke Damerel (aka Devonport), Devon.

Check them out - I have two families with the same surname in a small village in 1851 - the only two families with that surname, and living in adjoining streets. I thought I had two brothers but it turns out they are not related at all. Sue

Hi Kathryn Please tell us the name of the town or village in which the Hoopers lived if you want to know who was there in 1891. Stan

Various relatives lived in Church St between the 1870s and 1920s - numbers 12 to 15 mainly. I didn't check 1891 for Hoopers because I didn't know that was a relevant surname when I had the Ancestry free trial. Personally, I wish all my relatives were like Jeremiah and Reeson. That same branch has produced Whileys and Hobsons and lots of other wonderfully traceable names! It's such a change, normally I'm up to my eyeballs in Williams.

Stands to Reeson really (ouch*) - coincidence 1 Coincidence 2 They seem to be too close for you not to be able to assume. But as you know, you have to check out all eventualities. I click up and down the road a bit when I get census copies, you never know who you might find! Have you done an 1891 check on these people? Best wishes Ann

In the 1851 census for Wiltshire I have rellies living next door to each other, this is before I knew who the daughters married. They certainly did keep an eye on each other then. Irene

I have instances of rellies living near eachother in my family tree. Also when I first met my husband's Welsh family, his auntie was living at one end of a small terrace of cottages and his grandparents at the other end, with various aunts, uncles, cousins etc all down the mountainside. Handy for babysitting!

I'd say so Kathryn. Definitely warrants more investigation. Nice to see you back by the way! Jeanette

In my tree I have a Jeremiah Presgrave in Lincs. On FreeBMD marriages for Lincs, he is listed on the same page as a Jane Reeson. On the 1881 census, he is married to a Jane. A few years later and there is a birth in Lincs of a Reeson Presgrave. This is too much of a coincidence for Reeson not to be Jeremiah's son. Second Coincidence. From 1881 onwards, four houses in one street seemed to contain all my relatives. I have a mother Elizabeth Hooper with children Francis, George and Amelia in 1881 living there. By 1901, between Elizabeth Hooper's house and George Hooper's house, is a Henry Hooper - with his kids Francis, George and Amelia (among others). Surely this is too much of a coincidence for Henry not to be related in some fashion.

Please see below.