Wellington
Road still exists but is now known as Wellington Way. John J Hickmott’s house,
No.6, is no longer there, but I have photographed some of the remaining 19th
century houses which may be similar.Hickmott Family History
by Roger Cockett
The main sources used have been the 1881 and 1891 censuses (these are carried out every 10 years in England, but are not available to the public for 100 years!) and the Parish Registers of baptisms and marriages, which comprise the on-line International Genealogical Index.
LONGFIELD
1891
We begin in April 1891 with the census return for Longfield. Occupying one house out of the four in Longfield Court Villas (which presumably are not part of the Court Lodge) is John J Hickmott, brickmaker aged 81, born at Spitalfields, London. Sarah A Hickmott, his sister, also born in London is aged 67. Margaret Seabrook his daughter is a widow aged 53, born at Mile End in London; she has a son, John H Seabrook aged 24 born at Mile End, who is a clerk, and two daughters, Catherine Seabrook aged 20 born at Mile End and Ada aged 18 born at Bromley (Bromley by Bow in London, not Bromley in Kent). Also on the premises are Mary Sharpless (40) their cook, Emily(?) Smith (15) a domestic servant and Elizabeth Jacksitter (26) a visitor.
At Longfield Court itself, there is another Hickmott family. Head of the household is a younger John J Hickmott, a retired timber merchant aged 51, born at Stepney in London. His wife Adelaide is 40 and was born at Ratcliffe, a rather shady part of east London, near the docks. They have 9 children, all scholars except the youngest and all born at Bromley by Bow: John G Hickmott (16), Albert E Hickmott (15), Ethel E Hickmott (13), George F Hickmott (12), Mabel M Hickmott (10), Peter J Hickmott (8), Dorothy Hickmott (6), Frank Hickmott (4), and Stanley Hickmott (2). They also have a school governess Florence Withers (30), a housekeeper Louisa West (55), and 2 servants Ethel Pate (22) and Caroline Gazen (15).
EAST LONDON 1881
The 1881 census finds the family in various places in London: Bromley by Bow, Mile End, Ratcliffe, Shoreditch, Spitalfields and Stepney were all urban districts within a 2 - 3 mile area, east of the ancient City of London. In those days they were nominally in the county of Middlesex, but were considered part of London.
At 6 Wellington Road, Bromley by Bow is the elder John J Hickmott,a timber merchant aged 71. Sarah A Hickmott (56) is his sister-in-law. Otherwise there are only their housekeeper Elizabeth Paxman (59) and a general servant Alice Hopwood (24) occupying the whole house.
At 6 Mornington Road, Bromley by Bow, the younger John J Hickmott is also a timber merchant aged 41, with his wife Adelaide aged 31. Their children John (7), Albert (6), Ethel (3), George (2) and Mabel ( 1) are there and they have an elder sister Adelaide Jane Hickmott aged 8. The youngest children in 1891, Peter, Dorothy, Frank, and Stanley are of course not yet born. There is a nursemaid, Emily Bell aged 14, but no other servants or occupants in the house.
Margaret Seabrook lives at 56 Lyall Road, Mile End. The census notes that she is a corn merchant’s wife and “Husband in Australia not heard of for years”. With Margaret live her daughters Kate Seabrook (10) and Ada Seabrook (8). (Kate’s birthplace is given as Stepney). They have no servants. Margaret’s son John Seabrook (14) is away at school, Caversham House Academy in Oxford. 56 Lyall Road also contains another family, that of 28 year old Henry Bishop, who is a clerk to a notary (a lawyer).
INFORMATION FROM THE PARISH REGISTERS VIA THE I.G.I.
First, the two J J Hickmotts were both named John Joseph Hickmott and were father and son.
The younger J J Hickmott styled himself Joseph J in 1881. He was baptised at the church of St Dunstan’s, Stepney on 2 February 1840. His sister Margaret Sarah Hickmott was baptised there on 9 August 1835. Their parents were John Joseph Hickmott (who we have met) and Jane Elizabeth Hickmott. We do not know the name of Jane’s family.
The elder John Joseph Hickmott was baptised on 8 October 1809 at Christchurch, Spitalfields, Stepney, the son of a John and Sarah Hickmott. He had a brother James, who was baptised there on 15 March 1812. Sarah Ann Hickmott, who went with John Joseph to Longfield, was baptised on 15 September 1824, at St Mary’s Whitechapel, Stepney, but her parents were John and Mary Ann Hickmott. She could have been a half sister to John and James - or perhaps a cousin.
John Hickmott married Sarah Guess on 14 December 1806 at Christchurch, Spitalfields, Stepney. John was the third child of a John and Martha Hickmott and was baptised on 13 April 1783 at Christchurch, Spitalfields, Stepney. His sister Mary was baptised there on 3 February 1782 and he had a brother John, baptised on 14 January 1781 who presumably predeceased him. Sarah Guess was the daughter of Humphrey and Ann Guess and was baptised on 11 September 1785 at St Botolph’s Bishopgate, London. She had a brother Thomas, baptised on 14 March 1784 and a sister Ann baptised on 13 January 1782, both at St Leonard’s, Shoreditch, London.
John Hickmott married Martha Tyler on 23 March 1780 at St Botolph’s Bishopgate, London. He is most likely the John Hickmott, son of James and Mary Hickmott of Headcorn in Kent, who was baptised on 10 December 1758, but this is not certain. Martha may be the Martha Tyler, daughter of Richard and Margaret Tyler of Horton Kirby, Kent, who was baptised on 27 November 1758. Again, the connection is uncertain.
A VISIT TO EAST LONDON, JULY 2001
(Click on thumbnails to view full-seize photos)
Wellington
Road still exists but is now known as Wellington Way. John J Hickmott’s house,
No.6, is no longer there, but I have photographed some of the remaining 19th
century houses which may be similar.
Mornington
Road is now known as Mornington Grove. Again, the Hickmott house, No.6, has
gone, but I have photographed two nearby 19th century houses which
may be similar. Mornington Grove and Wellington Way in fact lie adjacent to each
other and it is possible that one Hickmott house backed onto the other.
Lyall
Road survives and retains its old name. It is a nearly complete street of fairly
small houses, though No.56 is unfortunately missing. Perhaps it was bombed in
the last War. I have photographed the nearby houses.
This area is about 23 miles from Longfield on a fairly direct, though busy road. Without traffic delays, the journey took me 25 minutes. Alternatively it may be accessed from two railway stations, Bow Church (on the Docklands Light Railway) or Bow Road (LT Underground District line).