hankins

[Chilis]

Evening Dalek39

Where do I start?  You know that Herefordshire has the highest number of those with the surname HANKIN/HANKINS in the whole of the United Kingdom.  There are dozens of them and all with Richard, William and John for forenames.

Now, I have been looking to work backwards from the point where you stated your known relatives were John HANKINS and Hannah Maria.  Is that an ABSOLUTE FACT, as we can start from that point for certain?

If, as you state, they married in 1845 at All Saints, then let's look at them in the 1851 census.  We have them in Commercial Road, Hereford, with John apparently an Innkeeper.  Hannah, as has already been pointed out, calls herself 'Maria'.  Not only have they got the four children (first two born Swindon, Glos. and the other two All Saints, but they have John's brother William (married ? and a 'retired farmer' ? at the age of 32, born Lugwardine.  NB: looks like 'Sugwas' on the census, but you can see the 'dine' underneath.

OK. So, let's look at the 1841 census, before John's marriage.  He is in Bartestree - Bartestree Court actually - and he is listed as 'Independent'.
His brother William is with him, also Independent and their father Richard, aged about 65, Farmer and also stated to be 'born within the county of Herefordshire'.

I'll carry on a separate posting, as the page jumps up and down.  There's probably a simple answer to this, but it'll do for now.
Chilis
   

[KirstyG]

I had wondered where the reference to Hagley Hall came from.  Then I found it:

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=TS18800603.2.7&e=-------10--1----0-all

[Chilis]

Dalek39
We now come to 1861 in Lugwardine, the Hagley Hall bit.  John is a Commercial Traveller in Wine & Spirits.  That follows, since he was an Innkeeper last time round.  He clearly states he was born in Bartestree, so we were right with the 1841 census return.  Definitely his father was Richard, the farmer. 

I would imagine that John and Hannah were renting Hagley Hall, something that was particularly common in those days and I presume they are relatively alright for finances.  Alternatively, there is probably a connection through Hannah Maria and the Herberts which can be looked at. It should be possible to ascertain that later.

In the meantime, John's brother William has left Herefordshire and is in Towcester, Northants where he's lodging at an Inn in the High Street on the night of the census, but his work is as a 'Relieving Officer', so he probably moved about.  He's unmarried, which was probably the case in the 1851 census, but difficult to read.

You have said that John and Hannah Maria left Herefordshire for NZ, so I'll carry on checking on father, Richard HANKINS and brother William, as well as sifting through everything else. 

It may be that all this should be done through personal messages or outside of the forum, but no doubt someone will point this out if so.

Chilis

[Glamis]

OK so we're dealing with the 'smiths' and 'browns' of Herefordshire.(no offense meant to Smiths and Browns- just the fact that these surnames are amongst the most difficult to look out in terms of genealogy because of the frequency of them) Chillis , you are so clever sorting this lot out. I am J H Hankins' (Lawyer NZ) Great Grand daughter through ASWD. I watch with interest as Dalek39 posted and I never knew until then as my Mother didn't that he was one of 10 children. Thank you.

[Glamis]

Wellfound KirstyG, It still doesn't tally though with the Inhabitants list I found earlier. No Hankins mentioned.

http://freespace.virgin.net/the.woodies/inhabitants.htm

[dalek39]

Thank you Glamis for that...whether they stayed there or rented I dont know, I just found my info on the Hereford Gazette Website, but no mention of their names either, but it was 1876..long after John Hankins left for NZ...I was just interested in whether he lived there or not, and where it was...

[KirstyG]

That list seems to be of the inhabitants of Longworth Hall - not Hagley Hall. It only mentions Arthur Hutchinson esq. as living at Hagley Hall, although in the 1876 Littlebury directory he is listed as living at Hagley Park. Perhaps the property at Hagley Park was also known as Hagley Hall?

There are however Herberts living at Longworth House in the 1851 census on that website. No way to know if they are related to Hannah Maria yet though.

edit: I now see you already have this information on the "other" Hankins thread that you started.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,416270.0.html

Chilis mentioned establishing John and Hannah Maria as definitely being your relatives as a starting point for working backwards. To that end I have found the family on the passenger list for the Canterbury in Lyttelton January 1864 arriving in New Zealand. Can you confirm that this is correct?

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ourstuff/Canterbury1864.htm

[dalek39]

Yes Kirsty G...that is correct... I have the printout with their names and children...John was 41..Maria 36.  Ship Canterbury left London 21 Sept. 1863..arrived Lyttelton.. Jan 10th 1864. His occupation was Veterinary Surgeon...All 10 children were with them......

[dalek39]

I just looked at the site you gave me, and my source was a different one..but it confirms what I said.....thanks for that....