Hawkes Family

The HAWKES family of Warmington

(The family has a large graveyard plot in Warmington churchyard, on which are recorded many members of the third, fourth and fifth generations. The plot is on the right side of the path leading towards the church from the village steps).

Michael HAWKES, c1776 – 1839, was the first of the name in Warmington. In 1802, he married Sarah KEY whose family had been established in the village over a hundred years. Sarah died in 1810 leaving one child. Michael remarried in the following year. His second wife, Rebecca GRANT, c.1767 – 1841, had no recorded children. The only child of the first marriage was George, 1806 – 1858. George was a shepherd and he married Elizabeth COGGINS, 1806 – 1866, at Warmington in 1830. They had six children

1. The first child of George and Elizabeth was William, 1831 – 1909. By trade a blacksmith, he was also a carrier, school attendance officer and parish clerk for 32 years. He married in 1859 Rhoda BAUGHEN, c. 1830 – 1896, daughter of Henry BAUGHEN a sawyer of Bloxham. Their only child, Henry (Harry), 1867 – 1955, was a carpenter and undertaker, employing several men in the business he ran from his home, now known as The Orchard. He was also parish clerk. He married twice. His first wife, and mother of his two children, was Mary Alice HAYWARD, 1866 – 1917, daughter of Robert HAYWARD, an innkeeper. Their elder child  William, 1897 – 1917, was killed in the Great War. Their younger child Rhoda May, known as Jessie, 1903 – 1994, married a Warmington boy, William George FORD, known as Will, 1907 – 1994, son of the landlord of The Plough, Arthur William FORD. Some ten years after the death of his first wife, Harry HAWKES remarried, his bride being Emma Whitting WALDEN, nee STURGES, 1875 – 1941, widow of Warmington farmer, Hedley WALDEN.

Harry Hawkes’ undertaker’s accounts provide a social commentary on village life.

Emma Hawkes’ will benefited both parish church and Methodist chapel equally by the sale of a Warmington field.

2. The second child of George and Elizabeth was George, 1833 – 91, a labourer, later a roadsman. He married Martha BAKER c.1840 – 1911, born in Middleton Cheney. Martha was leader of the village leazing (gleaning) party. George & Martha had ten children

a. The first child was George, born 1862.

b. The second was Joseph Baker, 1864 – 1932, a shepherd and a bachelor,  who lived in part of the house now known as Underedge with his younger brother Jack.

c. The third child was Elizabeth, born in 1866 who married in 1900 Louis LAMBERT, a gardener of Cropredy.

d. The fourth child was William, born in 1869, an agricultural labourer.

e. The fifth child, Sarah Ellen, 1871 – 1953, married John GARDNER who died in 1934.

f. The sixth child Fanny was born in 1873 and married in 1895 Jim KETCH, a labourer of North Newington, son of Henry KETCH.

g. The seventh child Thomas was born in 1875.

h. The eighth child, John, (Jack), 1880 – 1967 worked on Frank BAWCUTT’s farm.

i. The ninth child, Bertha was born in 1882.

j. The last child was Emma born in 1884.

3. The third child of George and Elizabeth was Sarah, 1835 – 37.

4. The fourth child was Ann, born in 1838, who married Mathew COX in 1866. Mathew had been born in Warmington in 1831, but was a labourer in Shotteswell when they married.

5. The fifth child was another Sarah, born 1843. She had a daughter Adel in 1865, before marrying in the following year George BUTLIN of Boddington, Northants.

6. The last child of George and Elizabeth was Michael, born in 1846.