Family of THomas HAWKINS d. 1789 Kings Lynn

[trish1120]

Hi Phil,
Easy to do. Its best to just widen the search and then narrow info down.

Everything I have posted is on FreeREG unless otherwise stated.

Trish

[trish1120]

 

Marriage;
Richard HAWKINS
Mary ABEL, 08 October 1721, St Nicholas, Lynn, Norfolk
(Source Familysearch Pilot)
FreeREG has the Record also Bachelor/Spinster, no Witnesses

Burial;
MARY Hawkins, Wife of Mr Richard Hawkins, 16 October 1755, St Margarets, South Lynn

[Kylie B]

Hi Trish and Phil

I have sent for the actual marriage entry for 1785 in London, and it does appear to match the submitted entry.

No family or recognisable names as witnesses, but I think this must be the marriage.

The will of Thomas Hawkins says of his family:
My beloved wife Sarah Hawkins
My said son Samuel Hawkins
My youngest son George Hawkins
My daughter Jane Hawkins
My sons Richard Hawkins and Thomas Abel Hawkins (who he does not appear to have got on with as he leave them very little, and appoints George as guardian to oversee the raising and schooling of THomas Abel Hawkins children)
My daughter Sarah, the wife of John Norman of St Cross near Bungay in the county of Suffolk, and
My daughter Elizabeth, the wife of the Reverend Reginald Blyth
Also mentions Daniel Hawkins and Elizabeth Hawkins the children of my deceased brother, JOhn Hawkins (of Walsoken)

Does that help??
I am still intrigued with the apparent coincidence of the earlier marriage to Mary Hawkins, but can only think the marriage in 1785 is the correct one....

And I agree Trish- surely Abel is a brother of Thomas- and therefore they are both sons of Richard...and perhaps Richard married to Mary is another brother?? No sign of a confirming birth/baptism for Thomas though....so I am still no closer to finding where the Hawkins family came from (Thomas or wife Sarah) to know whether that might give some clue on the family connections.

Any ideas??

Kylie B

[trish1120]

Hi Kylie B,
Unless Rev Bligh married both Sisters

It would be interesting to know if he was a Widower at his Marriage to Elizabeth.
I will look over this all again later.

Trish

[philnw]

Note: It was contrary to canon law (& remember Bligh was a reverend) to marry your deceased wife's sister until 1907. Of course, that doesn't mean to say that it never happened (I know of cases where it did) and it may have been possible to gain dispensation.
It is also interesting that in his will, he fails to mention Mary at all. I'm beginning to wonder if Mary had died by then, and that he did in fact marry his deceased wife's sister. As far as I'm aware, there was only the one Revd Reginald Bligh around at the time but I will have another look. If that is the case, and if we are to assume (perfectly reasonably) that both marriage records are correct, then the deceased wife's sister marriage is the only conclusion I can draw.
Kylie: Does the 1785 marriage call him "Revd"?
Phil

[Kylie B]

The 1783 marriage to Mary Hawkins lists the groom as Reverend Reginald Bligh.
The 1785 marriage to Elizabeth Hawkins lists the groom only as Reginald Blyth.

THomas Hawkins' will does not mention his daughter Mary- so I too assumed this meant she had died by that time (1786) but I have found no death/burial.

The witnesses to the marriage for Mary were THomas Hawkins, Elizabeth Hawkins and someone else Hawkins.

THe witnesses for the marriage for Elizabeth Hawkins 2 years later were Robert Williamson and Caleb Greville- neither of these names mean anything to me as far as family connections are concerned.

Sarah Hawkins- wife of THomas- mentions in her will of 1791 her daughter Elizabeth Bligh the wife f Reverned Reginald Blyth, and her grandchildren- sarah bligh and mary bligh, daughters of Elizabeth. Again no location given. Elizabeth and Rev Reginald bligh definately had daughters Mary (married Septimus Read) and Sarah (married Mr Peacock) as they were mentioned in the wills of Elizabeth and Reginald Bligh.
Where to now then......!!

Kylie B

[Kylie B]

So I am still working on...aka stuck on!...this family and wondering if anyone can give any advice or help at all??

So I have Thomas Hawkins b. circa 1720
Married Sarah unknown circa 1743
Children-
Richard bapt 1744...not found other mention
Thomas bapt 1746....not found other mention
Sarah bapt 1747- buried 1753
Elizabeth born/died 1749
Jane 1750
Thomas Abel 1752 (married Ann Norman)
Sarah 1754 (married John Norman)
Samuel 1756 (died unmarried)
Elizabeth 1757 (married Rev Reginald Bligh)
Mary 1759 (possibly married Rev Bligh before her sister and then died?!)
George 1762 (married Mary Purseglove)

Thomas Snr is a Wine merchant according to his son's apprenticeship records. He was also a churchwarden.
His will in 1789 confirms his wife and surviving children at the time, plus a neice and nephew (Elizabeth and Daniel Hawkins)- the children of his deceased brother John. His wife Sarah's will in 1792 confirms her daughters and their female children at the time.

The neice and nephew (Daniel and Elizabeth) are the children of John Hawkins and Ann unknown of Walsoken. So John is therefore one of Thomas's brothers. He has died pre 1789 and presumably so had his wife Ann.

I have another will from 1860 for a Daniel Hawkins of Emneth- in his will he mentions his kinsmen John Hawkins and Johns daughter Elizabeth, and another kinsman Thomas Hawkins. He is a Yeoman of Kings Lynn. So another brother for Thomas.

There is a marriage of Richard Hawkins in 1721 to Mary Abel and then baptisms of 3 children to them- Mary (1722), Abel (1727) and Jane (1730).

I cannot find baptisms for a Thomas, John or Daniel in this time period, to Richard and Mary or any other couple......but Thomas's use of Abel, Jane, Richard and Mary amongst his children's names makes me think these families are one.

Abel Hawkins leave a will in 1760- it mentions his father Richard Hawkins, Gavin Hamilton, Robert Hamilton as his executors, and his children- Richard, Elizabeth and Rose.

Abel's sister Jane married Robert Hamilton in 1752- hence the Hamilton family connection in his will.

I cannot find a will for Richard Hawkins Snr post 1761 when he was executor for his known son Abel.
I cannot find baptisms for Thomas, John and Daniel Hawkins- possible other children of Richard and Mary.
I cannot find a marriage for Thomas to Sarah pre 1744 when their first child Richard is baptised.

ANY HELP OR IDEAS PLEASE!!!!!!!!

[amondg]

Samuel Hawkins 1756-1787 left a will, ref ANW 1787 fo 56 #31, at the Norfolk Record Office.
George who married Mary Richardson in Tilney 1788, Mary was a widow. Ref Lease 1816 etc. Ref NRS 8361,24D6 states George Hawkins, married Mary Richardson widow, Rachel Isabel Richardson daughter of Mary Richardson, Mary Hawkins daughter of George and Mary Hawkins.
Other ref to George H is NRS 5732,18C3 dated 1801.

Baptism of Thomas Hawkins son of Thomas 28 May 1746   St Margaret's
Baptism of George Hawkins son of Thomas and Sarah 3 October 1762
Daughter Elizabeth was born 20 October 1757.

Found on Ancestry Richard Hawkins son of Thomas Hawkins, Wine Merchant of Lynn Norfolk apprenticed to William Cruttendon a fishmonger in London, dated 1 August 1758.

[Kylie B]

Hi Amondg
Thanks for all that!
Samuel Hawkins son of Thomas Snr was a batchelor and his will refers only to his parents and siblings.
George died intestate and his daughter Mary Hawkins applied to manage his estate. His wife Mary died shortly after him. He was Thomas Snr and Sarah's youngest child and appears to have been close to both his parents.

Thomas Hawkins Snr had 2 son's apprenticed in London- Richard in 1758 whom you found and also Thomas in 1766 to James Brown and Joiner. It seems Thomas Snr felt that was enough for those 2 sons as in his will he states he has provided well enough for them and does not leave them anything further. I haven't seen anything further on these 2 sons, but perhaps they stayed in London?

Could you find any trace of Thomas Snr and his siblings- John and Daniel? I do think they are all children of Richard Hawkins and Mary Abel- and therefore also sibling to Abel, Jane and Mary whose baptisms I have found. But I cannot find any trace of them.....

Kylie