Photo:  Stephen Parker

 
All Saints, Sutton
 
Essex, England
 
 

Parish Church Register
LDS Microfilm No. 1702601
Transcribed by Darlene Heal – May 2001
Bishop’s Transcripts
General Registers
1800 – 1868
 

No. 5
BURIAL
March 1, 1814
Richard Hockley  Age: 6 weeks.  Abode: Sutton
 
No. 13
BAPTISM
June 15, 1817
Sarah daughter of Robert and Lucy Hockley. Abode: Prittlewell.  Labourer and (husbandy?)
 
No. 16
BURIAL
April 12, 1818
Lucy wife of Robert Hockley. Age: 25  Abode: Prittlewell
 
MARRIAGE WITNESS
July 27, 1818
Robert Hockley witnessed the marriage of William Street and Mary Suckling.
 
No. 5
MARRIAGE
June 22, 1819
Robert Hockley of this Parish, Widower and Sophia Andrews of this Parish, Spinster, were married in this Church by Banns with consent of parents. In the presence of: Henry Clark, Sarah Clark, Thos. Bragg.
 
No. 24
BAPTISM
October 18, 1820
David William son of Robert and Sophia Hockley. Abode: Sutton. Labourer (Privately Baptized)
 
No. 43
BAPTISM
May 29, 1826
Daniel son of Robert and Sophia Hockley.  Abode: Sutton. Labourer
 
No. 62
BAPTISM
July 24, 1831
George son of Robert and Sophia Hockley.  Abode: Sutton. Labourer
 
No. 117
BURIAL
March 19, 1866
Robert Hockley  Age: 72 years. Abode: Rochford Union.
 


 
Other Tidbits About The Above Hockley Family
 
SOURCE:  Michael Holland of the Southend Neighbourhood Watch Internet Site
 
At the above address, under the heading "HISTORY OF NHW" is the following story about a James Hockley:
 
"Before the advent of the modern day police service, the Parish Constable maintained law and order at parish level. He, and it was always a man, would be elected from the parishioners on a yearly basis on Easter Monday of each year. He was unpaid, although he was permitted by law to levy a modest rate of one or two pence in the pound to cover his expenses. He was required to keep a record of both the rate levied and his disbursements (payments made). In the vast majority of cases, the Parish Constable’s full time occupation was either publican or blacksmith, and therefore used to heavy work, likely to be of a muscular build, and able to cope with most prisoners. In the parish of Halstead, records show that a hairdresser served as constable during the 1830s, but this was exceptional.
The main problem with having a policing system based on the parish constable was that he rarely enforced the law on his own initiative, but worked under the auspices of the local Justice of the Peace who would issue warrants for arrests, searches etc. The system worked something like this. Farmer Jones awoke one morning to find that his barn had been raided and that two sacks of peas had been stolen. One of the sacks was torn and a trail of peas led to the cottage of one of his labourers, James Hockley. Farmer Jones immediately sought out the local magistrate, John Lodwick at Rochford Hall, made a statement to him, which was taken by the clerk to the justices. Justice Lodwick considered that there was a case to answer and so issued a warrant for the home of James Hockley to be searched by the parish constable. This was duly done and the two sacks of peas recovered. Hockley was taken before Justice Lodwick and committed for trial at the next quarter sessions. Who paid for all of this? Why, Farmer Jones had to because prior to 1840, the victim was responsible for the costs of all criminal prosecutions, with the exception of murder!! If Farmer Jones belonged to the local Neighbourhood Watch Group, then they would pay the costs. The Neighbourhood Watch Group? But surely that idea came from America in the 1980s. How could Farmer Jones avail himself of a system that has not yet been invented?"
 

 
I sent an email query to the above Internet page to ask if this story about James Hockley was based on a true story and Michael Holland was kind enough to add the following information about Robert Hockley and gave us permission to post it to our page. Thank you kindly!
 
From: Michael Holland
July 2001
 
The example that I used was a variation on a theme. On 20 January 1826 the Chelmsford Chronicle reported that Robert Hockley had been sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with hard labour for staling a quantity of grey pease [sic] the property of Thomas Laver of Prittlewell [Essex]. 'The prisoner, on his way from the granary where he stole them dropped the pease in small quantities up to within 20 rods of his own door.' 
 
As far as I am aware he did not re-offend.
 
The only other thing that I have on Robert is that at some time he owned two cottages in Rettendon. This came to light in an examination by the Sutton overseers on behalf of the Rochford Guardians in 1836. Reading between the lines I think that the property was inherited but was not necessarily in his ownership at the time of his examination. He had applied for relief because his wife was ill and in order to do so had to pass the workhouse test. This was an agreement between the union and the claimant that they would relieve him on condition that firstly he was truly indigent and secondly that he agreed to enter the workhouse to obtain that relief. G/Ro M1 refers. A second entry on 3 January 1837 mentions that he has been granted two loaves of bread by way of relief. There is a further entry, this time in G/Ro M2 30 January 1838 which has a Sarah Hockley being relieved in the workhouse and that the Sutton overseer was ordered to take steps to ensure that Robert maintained her. Finally, on 8 May 1838 (G/Ro M2) a note is made that Robert was discharged of the loan. I take this to mean that the Guardians allowed Sarah to be relieved in the workhouse but treated the cost of that relief to be by way of a loan repayable by her father.
 
I came across this whilst researching for my MA. My actual research field is rural protest crime and its causes. Hence my interest in the poor law. The new poor law is an extremely complex subject and differed from the old system in that all local decisions had to be first ratified in London, causing a vast amount of bureaucracy.
There is a parish in Essex called Hockley which means Hocca's clearing? The second element ley is a corruption of the old English word leah which means clearing. Hocca was probably a tribal leader. The parish was heavily wooded and still boasts extensive woodlands which were used as a hunting ground by King Henry VIII in the 16th century.

 
1881 British Census - Prittlewell, Essex, England
Dwelling: 44 Park Street
Census Place: Prittlewell, Essex, England
Source: FHL Film 1341426 PRO Ref RG11 Piece 1769 Folio 92 Page 28
Marr Age Sex Birthplace
 
David HOCKLEY M 64 M Sutton, Essex, England
Rel: Head
Occ: Laborer
Mary A. HOCKLEY M 50 F Rochford, Essex, England
Rel: Wife
Emma HOCKLEY 18 F Rochford, Essex, England
Rel: Daur
Alice STOWERS 12 F Rochford, Essex, England
Rel: Visitor
Occ: Scholar
William MAYNARD U 16 M Southchurch, Essex, England
Rel: Lodger
Occ: Laborer
Charles J. PALFREY U 22 M Bury S Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Rel: Lodger
Occ: Carpenter & Joiner

 
Hockley Family History
 
 

 

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