William John Hopkins Barber Army Service Record Help Please

[rosie99]

Looks like he was born in the Canterbury area 
Births Mar 1876   
William John H Barber
Canterbury    2a   783

Can you please confirm whether this is your John if not could you please give his birth date & parents names so we can make sure we are looking for the right person - who did he marry

[dee57]

Thanks for your help. Yes this is the correct John. He married Alice Foreman in 1899.

[rosie99]

Birth registration on GRO index has the H as Hopkins not Henry   
WILLIAM  JOHN HOPKINS BARBER  no mothers maiden name given
1876  M Quarter in CANTERBURY  Volume 02A  Page 783

There are online Army records for a William John Barber bn Canterbury but the age on those leads to the 1872 birth. He was in the 3rd East Kent regt.

Who were the parents of your William as I can only see the William born to William Barber & Jane Amos in 1881

[dee57]

The name of 'Hopkins' was used as a double barrelled surname for many years and he was known as Hopkins-Barber; this was eventually dropped to just using Barber. William was illegitimate and his father's name unknown to our family. He adopted his mothers surname with another family name added as a middle name.

The middle name quoted of Henry is therefore a mistake and it should be Hopkins.

So we are actually looking for William John Hopkins Barber born 4th Feb 1876. I will amend the original post to read this. Thanks



 

[rosie99]

Who was his mother - did she marry

[dee57]

Having looked up records today, William's mother Jane Barber, subsequently married John Hopkins in 1886 in Canterbury. John Hopkins was already married and clearly his surname comes under a third christian name on William's 1876 birth certificate. I think it can therefore be concluded that John Hopkins was in fact William 'Barber's father.

[rosie99]

That is extremely likely     

[MaxD]

His medal record is on Ancestry   G/9210 RSM Barber 3rd East Kent Regt (The Buffs), also served with the Kings African Rifles

maxD

[rosie99]

His medal record is on Ancestry   G/9210 RSM Barber 3rd East Kent Regt (The Buffs), also served with the Kings African Rifles

maxD

I thought he was the son of William Barber & Jane Amos bn c1872