Clara Guy was my great-grandmother on my father’s side of the family.  She was born about 1862 (according to the 1871, 1881, 1891 and 1901 censuses) at St. Pancras in London, England.  Her exact date of birth has been difficult to establish as I cannot find her birth registered in the General Record Office’s  Births Register.  I have sent away for 3 possible certificates so far  but none of them was her.

Her parents were Robert Capon Guy, born about1829 in Derbyshire and Mary Simpson, born 1826 in Naples, Italy (noted as being a British subject).

On 17th August, 1879 Clara married Robert Hooker (1858 – 1901) in the Parish Church at Islington, Middlesex. The marriage certificate does not give her age, just notes her as a minor.  Their address is given as 36 Camden Passage, Islington.

Clara & Robert had the following children –

1879 – Robert James (aka Robert William) – my grandfather

1883 – Ernest

1889 – Charles

1890 – Clara

1892 – Mary Ann

1894 – George

1896 – Elizabeth

1900 – Henry.

There may have been other children born who did not survive long enough to be noted in any of the censuses.

Clara’s husband died  in 1901 but she survived for almost another 30 years, and eventually died  on 31st December 1929 at Gravesend Kent.  Her son Charles was the informant on the death certifiicate.

My father’s sister Dorothy remembered Clara when my sister and I visited her (Auntie Doff) in 2006.  Apparently, she was not well-liked by the grandchildren when she came to look after them occasionally while their mother was indisposed (giving birth?).  Both Dorothy and my father, on separate occasions,  described the London relatives as “the scum of the earth” but I’m not sure why, I think it must have been something other than just a different standard of housekeeping.

Censuses –

1871 – Clara living with parents and siblings at 15 Wenham St, St Andrews Finsbury.

1881 – living with husband and 1 year old Robert at 4 Chapel St. St James Clerkenwell.

1891 – living with husband and 4 children at 16 Elliot Gardens, Islington.

1901 – living with husband and 5 children at 16 Elliot Gardens, Islington.

Things to find out –

1. correct birth details – look at other members of family to see if they were registered, perhaps all registered together at a later date?

2.  complete details of her other children

3.Add more detail re husband and parents to complete story for website

4. Read book on London to find evidence re life in these suburbs at that time.