HEBBORN FAMILY HISTORY & NEWS -  February 2004

ARTHUR CHARLES HEBBURN or HEBBORN

Arthur Charles Hebburn was baptised at Weybridge, Surrey on the 29 Jun 1853. His parents are recorded as Charles and Mary Hebburn.  Other entries in the parish register suggest that he was their tenth and last child.  He seems to be their only son, preceded by nine daughters:

Sarah Ann Hebburn baptised 13 Apr 1834 and buried 22 Nov 1835.
Sarah Jane Hebburn baptised 4 Aug 1836. and married Henry John Cross at Weybridge 4 Aug 1855.
Georgina Hebburn baptised 14 Jan 1838.
Lucy Rawlings Hebburn baptised 25 Aug 1839.
Ellen Hebburn baptised 3 Oct 1841.
Emma Hebburn baptised 17 Dec 1843.
Kate Hebburn baptised 10 May 1846.
Alice Maude Mary Hebburn baptised 13 Oct 1848 and married London City Reg. District Sep Qtr 1872
Rosetta Ann Hebburn baptised 3 Jan 1851.

When the 1881Census was taken on the night of the 3rd April, Arthur Charles HEBBORN was staying at the Mackworth Hotel, Wind Street, Swansea Town, Glamorgan. He is shown as 27 years, unmarried, a Surveyor and Land Agent.  Although there is a discrepancy in the spelling of the surname, the identity is confirmed by the birthplace “Weybridge, Surrey”. Also at the hotel on that night was James T Robinson, another surveyor and land agent. Perhaps they were working together in the area.

I had not found a reference to the marriage of Arthur Charles. Then by one of those extraordinary chances, Sue Hedges came across a possible child while doing other research at the Berkshire Record Office. The baptism was Edith HEBBORN, daughter of Arthur Charles and Annie Wright at Caversham on 7th February 1902.

This prompted Joan Williams to start searching GRO records for a marriage. She found an entry for Arthur Charles HEBBURN in June Quarter, 1890 in the Wharfedale Registration District. Had his job taken him a long way from home, or was there another person with this unusual combination of names?  The answer was to lie in the 1901 census.

The online version shows a family living in Caversham that ties in neatly with the baptism of Edith. The family are shown as:
Arthur Charles47born Weybridge, Surrey.
Annie38born Horsforth, Yorks. [hence the marriage in Wharfedale]
Henrietta  9born Chertsey, Surrey.
Agnes  8born Chertsey, Surrey.
Grace  5born Horsforth, Yorks.
Charles  3born East Molesley, Surrey.

You have probably noticed I have not mentioned whether the family were Hebburn or Hebborn. Well actually, the online version shows the name as “Hebbard”!  You have probably already heard some rude remarks about the quality of the transcription, some of which was done overseas.
 
As Joan says, “He certainly got around”. No doubt, his work took him around the country.  By 1914, he had moved to 64 Strand on the Green, on the Middlesex bank of the Thames.  He is listed in Kelly’s Directory as a private resident.  He probably saw out his days here, for his death is shown in the GRO index as June Quarter 1921 in Brentford Registration District age 68.

Arthur Charles appears to be a unique combination of names in the Hebburn/Hebborn family. This has made it easier to identify references to him. It is a very different matter when we come to his parents, the combination of Charles and Mary is all too common. It was proving difficult to positively identify their marriage. Could they be the Charles Hibburn and Mary Hinks married on 5 Sep 1831 at Kennington, St Mark?  The breakthrough came with Mary Hebburn’s 1881 census return. She is described as a widow age 75, born at Compton, Dorset. With her on census night were William Lewis, grandson age 15 and Ellen Baker grand daughter age 11.

If the census was right, Mary was born in 1806. I looked on the IGI for the baptism of Mary Hinks in that year.  Here was the evidence I was seeking: Mary Hinks daughter of Thomas and Ann baptised 14 Sep 1806 at Over Compton, Dorset.  So the widow Hebburn of Weybridge was born Hinks, and the marriage at Kennington, Surrey in 1831 did refer to Arthur Charles parents. 

Now, if some kind person with access to the 1851 Census of Weybridge will look up Charles Hebburn’s birthplace, we will know where to start looking for the details of his baptism.

John Hebborn.