Okay, now this is looking like a major brick wall - mainly as I suspect it involves lying about the mother's name on a birth certificate. If anyone can solve this one I'd be hugely impressed!
Edwin Henry Hooker was born 20/11/1883 in Knowle Hill, Egham, Surrey - his parents are given as Henry Hooker and Maria Hooker, formerly Wright. Henry registered the birth. The problem with this information is that Maria was admitted to
Woking Asylum on 26/05/1881 and died there on 08/11/1916. She appears as a patient there on the
1891,
1901 and
1911 census returns. I am not aware of her having ever been released, and I strongly doubt she gave birth to a son in Egham in 1883 despite being incarcerated in Woking in 1881 and 1891. I mean, it
is possible, but also very unlikely.
Henry & Maria had five (other) children, all of whom are accounted for with census and BMD records:
Harry (1872 - 1944) b. Colnbrook, Bucks d. Woking, Surrey
Minnie Maria (1874 - 1964) b. Colnbrook, Bucks d. Woking, Surrey
Edith Annie (1876 - 1906) b. Colnbrook, Bucks d. Woking, Surrey
Albert (1878 - 1959) b. Colnbrook, Bucks d. Weybridge, Surrey
Janet (1880 - 1943) b. Chertsey, Surrey d. Ealing, Middlesex
The four younger children were
baptized together at Longcross, Surrey on 16/04/1893.
Curiously, despite Edwin being registered as the son of Henry & Maria, he seems to have been 'forgotten' after 1891. He can not be found on later census records, he was not baptized in 1893 - despite being the youngest - and by the time of the
1911 census, Henry has only recorded
five children from his marriage; four living, one deceased (Edith). You wouldn't just
forget your youngest son, would you?
Edwin Henry only makes two appearances: (1) his
birth certificate, and (2) appearing alongside his family on the
1891 census. (His name has been mistranscribed, but that's him).
After that... he just disappears. Nothing. Nada. There are of course other Edwin Hookers, but the ones I've found I've discounted.
What happened to Edwin? Who was his mother? When, and as whom, did he die?
For a complete run-down of facts, theories and speculation you can read
this thread.