The Elusive George Henry Hawkins

[Jomot]

Possibly a coincidence but a George Henry Hawkins enlisted in the Royal Engineers in 1895 & bought himself out on 11 Sept 1896 - the exact date of birth   the day before the birth of your George Henry Hawkins.

Born Otterbourne, Nr Winchester and was aged 22 years & 11 months when he enlisted in Jan 1895, occupation Bricklayer.

On enlistment it said he was still living in the home of his father, but Next of Kin was listed as his mother, Ann Blowes of Otterbourne.

Service record shows him in South Africa 16 May 1896 to 11 Sep 1896.

If this is your George Henry's father then possibly he wasn't married to the mother at the time GHH was born, in which case he would be registered under a different surname.

[needleinhaystack]

Hello Jomot, gosh, how did you find out all that?! I think this is a good lead. You have given me a few avenues to go down. Think I'll try looking through some censuses, 1901 I think, and see who was living with the George Hawkins' mother, incase the baby George was there. The parents not being married would fit with the lack of a birth record. Thank you for your detective work

[rosie99]

Hi

Welcome to rootschat.

What was his fathers name. 

[Jomot]

Hi Rosie

Yes, I saw you'd already asked for his father's name, but as it hadn't been answered I assumed the OP had missed the question so I asked again.  Unfortunately we still don't have an answer.....

[needleinhaystack]

Sorry for missing the question. On both marriage certificates George Henry hawkins's father is down as George Henry Hawkins, Sargent in the Royal engineers, deceased. This fits Jomots findings. I shall have to dig deeper. Thank you

[stanmapstone]

The parents not being married would fit with the lack of a birth record.

Not being married has nothing to do with registering a birth. A penalty not exceeding £2 was introduced in Section 39 of the 1874 Registration of Births & Deaths Act, for the non-registration of a birth (the wording of the Act is actually for “failing to give information concerning the birth…….. as required by the said Acts”).

Stan

[Jomot]

Ignore - Im not awake yet!

[rosie99]

Hi Rosie

Yes, I saw you'd already asked for his father's name, but as it hadn't been answered I assumed the OP had missed the question so I asked again.  Unfortunately we still don't have an answer.....

I was also thinking OP had missed the question    Not sure that the info has helped though. 

I did try searching for a George Henry ....... bn Farnham reg district Sep & Dec qtr 1896 but the only one that came up was a George Henry Stubbs - parents George & Elizabeth (nee Westlake).  Do you think I can find them later to totally eliminate them     The trouble with birth registrations in that area is they could be Army and gone abroad.

[Bookbox]

I did try searching for a George Henry ....... bn Farnham reg district Sep & Dec qtr 1896 but the only one that came up was a George Henry Stubbs - parents George & Elizabeth (nee Westlake).  Do you think I can find them later to totally eliminate them 

Yes, they are in Portsmouth in the last census.

(... just watching from the wings)