George Albert Hooper (born G A Boobyer, died G A Boobier) 1855-1930

[Deirdre784]

Not sure if this is the best board as the story starts in Bridgwater but finishes in Merthyr Tydfil (Glamorgan), and gets quite long with all the details sorry. Known as George Albert Hooper from the age of 6 (maybe earlier) until his death in 1930 - but his birth and death were registered as Boobyer / Boobier.

I've just started helping a friend with her tree and though I've solved a few puzzles over the last few days I've found another one (purely because i like to 'dot the i and cross the t'). It concerns her great grandfather, known as George Albert Hooper, born around 1855-57 in Bridgwater according to all the censuses. No registration found on the GRO. As yet, she hasn't got any certificates but will be getting some soon (once we've decided on the priority list!).

George A Hooper is first found in Aberdare on the 1861 census [ RG9/4070 /66 p48] with his older Hooper siblings and his mother, now 'married' to a James Edwards, who had children of his own with his first wife. They didn't actually marry until 1863 and I've not yet found either of them on the 1871.

George is a boarder in Aberdare in 1871 [ RG10 Piece: 5411  88 Page: 26 : 848036]

George is a lodger in Betws, Bridgend in 1881 [ RG11 /5326/ 4 p 9]. Said to be a widow, but i'm not sure about that.

In 1891 George is 'married' to Mary (born Humphreys) who had 4 children from her first marriage to Thomas Rees who died in 1880.  The Hooper children with them were registered as Melinda Catherine Hooper Rees (1881, mmn Humphreys), Mary (1883, mmn Rees), Elizabeth (1885, mmn Humphreys), and James Edward (1889, mmn Humphreys). [ RG12 /4435/122 p 71]

In 1901 George A is in Merthyr Tydfil with Mary and some of the children [ RG13/5027/102 p21]

In 1905 daughter Malinda Catherine Hooper married Thomas Davies (her name does vary).
 
In 1911 [ RG14 / 32441 Schedule Number: 383] George A and Mary are at 52 Crescent Street, Merthyr Vale, where they lived for some time. It says married 30 years, 6 children, 4 still alive. Need to look for the other two.

In 1921 George Albert Hooper is a widow, living at 52 Crescent St, with son James Edward and his wife and daughters, plus 2 orphaned Hooper grandchildren, believed to belong to George's daughter Elizabeth who died in 1913. 

The electoral registers up to 1930 have George listed as George Hooper, same address.

Looking for his death, nothing came up on the GRO, Ancestry or FindMyPast, but freeBMD had him, with a postem attached - and a 2nd entry - saying 'George Albert Boobier otherwise Hooper died 8 December 1930 at 52 Crescent Road, Merthyr Vale' - so where does that come from.

So back to looking for his birth and sure enough, George Albert Boobyer, registered in Bridgwater, mmn Newman in Sept quarter 1855. His baptism even gives his date of birth. The other Hooper children with mother Mary 'Edwards' are all there too ... James 1846, Ann Melina (Bowbeer, 1850, mmn Newman) and Sarah Jane (1853).

In 1851, James Boobier, born Drayton, Somerset around 1816, and Mary Boobier, born Bridgwater around 1825) are in Bridgwater with children James and Ann M [ HO107/ 1925/110 p 35]. They had married in Bridgwater in Dec quarter 1843. 

I can't find a death for James, so maybe Mary just left him and travelled to south Wales with her children. That sounds difficult, but presumably not impossible. Or maybe James left her and she moved .... did she have to wait 7 years before being able to marry again so maybe when George was a baby and she couldn't marry James Edwards until 1863?

Any suggestions as to how George Albert's death came to be registered as Boobyer when he was a Hooper for all but his birth and baptism (father James was a labourer). How might he have found out (needing a birth certificate for a passport is about the only thing i can think of). 

I have looked through the newspapers, though don't usually have much luck, and can't see anything there. 

Is there any way of finding out who posted the postem on freeBMD? I'm guessing the death certificate itself won't help but will be on the list to buy. There are a few trees on ancestry but they don't have George's death.

Any help with this puzzle would be wonderful; apologies again for the long post but seemed easier to to explain up front what I have found. 

Deirdre

[Paco]

This might complicate your search even more! On FreeREG George Albert Boobyer is listed as being born 22/8/1855 (You don't give his DOB) so don't know if this is correct. He wasn't baptised until nearly a year later 1/6/1856. The family were living in Silver Street, Bridgewater. Parents James and Mary Boobyer, and then there is a note saying Boobyer formerly Newman for Father James.
Regards.

[Deirdre784]

Thanks paco, i hadn't checked freeREG as the baptism was on ancestry, but the dates agree so that's good news. Thanks for reading

[Deirdre784]

Just a thought.... could Boobyer (from Somerset) be 'heard' as Hooper (in Aberdare) and that's how the children came to be called Hooper in 1861? Their mother Mary wasn't married to James Edwards at the time but did marry him as Mary Boobyer in 1863 so wasn't trying to pass herself off as Mary Hooper. She died the following year (Jul-Sep 1864) so could the children just have believed their names to have been Hooper - they all stayed as Hooper, married as Hooper and the men - other than George - died as Hooper. Hooper / Boobyer with an accent..... maybe?

Just to complicate the position even more, James Edwards married again the following quarter (Oct-Dec 1864), to an Eliza Newman (born Bridgwater) who i believe was his wife's younger sister (so presumably against the law).

[Jomot]

Any suggestions as to how George Albert's death came to be registered as Boobyer when he was a Hooper for all but his birth and baptism (father James was a labourer). How might he have found out (needing a birth certificate for a passport is about the only thing i can think of).

His death was registered under both surnames.  If you look at the scan for each of the surname entries on FreeBMD you'll see he's listed under both.  The GRO only lists the Boobier surname, so the 'otherwise known as' must be on his death certificate.

There is a private tree on Ancestry that seems to have quite a few records attached (tree is under the name George Albert Hooper), so its possible that this person has the certificate and added the postem.

ADDED:  Or maybe not - it looks like its your tree, silly me 

[Deirdre784]

Thanks jomot, yes it’s my tree. There are a few others but none has his death. Certificate on order.