Miss Annie Luker professional diveréswimmer

[Smokey807]

 Lots of newspaper articles online about the career of Miss Annie Luker up to 1905 but I want to know anything you can tell me about her after 1905. I know she was the wife of Frederick W. Parker. They are recorded in the 1891 census at Westminster St Margaret. He was born 1865 at Woodford,Essex and was an oyster merchant. His wife Miss Annie Luker (her performing name throghtout her career) was born as Hagar Ann Luker 1870 at Abingdon,Berkshire, one of eight children born to swimming professor John Pearson Luker(1838-1915). John had been married 3 times and had children with all three wives. John lived with his family in Tunbridge Wells,Kent 1881 until 1915 but after the 1881 census the last of his children left home, including his daughter Hagar Ann Luker.She obviously found her way to London and embarked on her swimming,and diving career.

What can you tell me about her life after the 1891 census and her career after 1905. There must be lots of references to both her and her father in London for many of her stunts were diving off the London Bridge and swimming long distances in the Thames. I suspect her father, who gave training to the famous English channel swimmer Matthew Webb (in 1875) must also be mentioned in London. Any information gratefully received.

[Andro93]

Hagar and Frederick were married, as you may know, at St George's Hanover Square in Q2 1890.

[Smokey807]

Thank you for the details about the marriage. I knew it was 1890 but didn't know the quarter or the location.

[Doug Mussell]

Annie Luker was my Gt Grand Aunt and Baby May who performed with her was my Grandmother.

[Smokey807]

To Doug Mussell;

I have written a history about the Luker family which will be published on my webite www.allabouttunbridgewells.com in the first week of December 2013. if interested you can go to the website and make a copy of the article with the pictures.

My history of Annie Luker however is not as complete as I would like it and I would appreciate it if you would provide to me more details about her life which I will add to my article and of course give you credit in it for supplying the information. Her performing career seems to have ended in the 1890's and then it appears she devoted her later years as a swimming instructor. I have a record of her marriage but when and where she died is not fully known by me and I have no record of her ever having any children. I will send to you by private message a copy of my article without the images and perhaps you would be kind enough to reply with any additional information you have. I have not heard of Baby May before so I am very interested in what you can tell me about her and how she is connected to Annie Luker. I suspect you must be a decendent of Annies sister Elizabeth who I also provide information on in my article.  I look forward to hearing from you again

[JaneyCanuck]

Hm - actually, Baby May is recorded in censuses as Annie's niece.
(whoops, my carelessness -- that is what Doug's message said.)

In 1901, the two are in Islington, where Annie Parker is recorded as the married head of household, a swimming instructor, and May Waters as her niece.

In 1901, Frederick Waters appears to be a tram conductor boarding in Bromley and reporting himself (or perhaps the head of household assumed) as single. This is the only person who matches his description in 1901 (same age and place of birth as in 1891), and no one else in 1891 matches that description.

May Elizabeth Waters' birth was reg in Tunbridge reg dist in June quarter 1890. In 1891, she appears with parents Thomas, a cycle mechanic, and Kate in Tunbridge, Kent. Kate was born in Abingdon; she seems to have been Annie's sister then.

Thomas Truman Waters and Kate Elizabeth Luker married in Tunbridge in 1889.
Thomas Truman Waters died in 1898 in Tunbridge.
There is a Kate Waters marriage in Tunbridge in 1889.

[Smokey807]

To Janey Canuck; Did you mean to say marriage of kate Waters was in T.Wells 1899 instead of 1889 as given by you? It must be!

[JaneyCanuck]

Yes.

Kate and Thomas married in 1889 and had daughter May Elizabeth Waters in 1890.

Thomas Truman Waters died in 1898, and Kate seems to have remarried in 1899.

http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/cgi/search.pl


I see my mention of the 1911 census has been removed. Such selective attentions ...

This is Annie in 1911 at the free access site FamilySearch:

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XWLB-58G

but I am absolutely blamed if I can figure out how FS has mistranscribed May Elizabeth Waters.

The details are accessible at pay sites.

[Doug Mussell]

Kate and Thomas were married  at St John's Church, Tunbridge Wells 2nd June 1889. My grandmother May Elizabeth (Baby May) was born in Tunbridge Well 13th May 1890. She died She 1st August 1973 in Crewkerne Somerset. Doug.