Annie was the 13th child born to my 2xgreat grandparents, and suffered several losses, including the death of her mother, while still young. She married towards the end of WW1 and lived the rest of her life in Lewisham. Newspaper coverage of her two daughters' weddings suggest she had a keen and colourful fashion sense. … Continue reading Annie Louise Stocking (1892-1975): A love of colourful clothing
Child death
Richard Henry Stocking (1890-1904): A life cut short
My 2xgreat grandparents had a total of 19 children. Richard Henry was their 12th child and one of three to die young. His life was cut short when he was just 14; the family was very close and his death would have had a big impact. Here is what little I know of him, and … Continue reading Richard Henry Stocking (1890-1904): A life cut short
Elizabeth Bridgetina Stocking (1886-1960): Gent’s Hat Trimmer
'Lizzie' Stocking married Arthur William Evans in 1910, aged 23. They lived their married life in London, leaving little documentary record other than the death in infancy of their only baby, enumeration in the decennial censuses and long-term residence in Ringstead Road, Catford. There were, however, more convoluted connections between the Stocking and Evans families, … Continue reading Elizabeth Bridgetina Stocking (1886-1960): Gent’s Hat Trimmer
Mary Alice Stocking (1899-1899): The ‘missing’ child
For years I thought I had traced all 19 of my 2xgreat grandparents' children, including three who died young. Recent (January 2025) research to verify earlier work shows just how wrong I was. I had incorrectly assigned Violet Stocking, born and died in 1899, to the family, but she was my great aunt Emma's illegitimate … Continue reading Mary Alice Stocking (1899-1899): The ‘missing’ child
Charley and Lavinia Brown: A short marriage
My maternal great grandparents Charles Brown and Lavinia Seaby married fairly late in life; he was 30 and she was 32. Both had had careers before marriage, he as a soldier in India, she as a Cook in London. Their marriage was sadly cut short by Charley's early death. What do we know of their … Continue reading Charley and Lavinia Brown: A short marriage
Great grandmother Phoebe Caroline Gibson: A comfortable North London childhood?
My Dad's maternal grandmother Phoebe Caroline Gibson was born in Hornsey, a North London suburb, in 1877, the daughter of a Looking Glass Frame Maker. The few records from her childhood give little insight into what life was like. Can I find out more about the areas and houses she lived in? From Hornsey to … Continue reading Great grandmother Phoebe Caroline Gibson: A comfortable North London childhood?
James & Mary Ann Stocking: 325+ descendants
My 3xgreat grandparents James Stocking (1829-1883) and his wife Mary Ann Collins (1828-1881) had eleven children between 1851-1869 who in turn produced 121 children of their own, although not all survived infancy. I believe I have found records for: 11 children; 121 grandchildren; 174 great grandchildren and 21 great-great grandchildren (although I have not researched … Continue reading James & Mary Ann Stocking: 325+ descendants
The ‘put out’ children of Prince Arthur Stocking
Newspaper reports of June-August 1903 show that my 2xgreat granduncle was summonsed by local magistrates for 'over-crowding' his home at The Mint, Godalming, Surrey. In April 1903, an inspector found the improbably named Prince Arthur Stocking (1869-1940) and his wife Eleanor Annie Young (1871-1953) squeezed into four rooms with five children. With another baby born … Continue reading The ‘put out’ children of Prince Arthur Stocking
Henry John Stocking: Tripe Dresser of Bermondsey
My 3xgreat grandparents James Stocking and his wife Mary Ann Collins had over 127 descendents in two generations (their children and grandchildren). Their ninth child - my 2xgreat grand uncle Henry John Stocking (1866-1938) - and his wife Alice Matilda Vidler had ten children, although four died in infancy. He otherwise had a fairly uneventful … Continue reading Henry John Stocking: Tripe Dresser of Bermondsey
The lost family of William Thomas Stocking
My 2xgreat grand uncle William Thomas Stocking (1864-1923) had 13 children with his wife Elizabeth Ellen Smith. By the time he died in 1923, aged 58, they had been married 38 years. Four of their children died in infancy. World War I also took its toll, on a son, daughters and sons-in-law. Their stories are … Continue reading The lost family of William Thomas Stocking
My Stocking Roots 