William Henry Stocks, Eliza Hobbs and Sarah Ethel Forth

St George's Road, Kingston upon Hull
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Bernard Sharp - geograph.org.uk/p/3821598
At the junction with Woodcock Street, the Church of St John the Baptist, consecrated 1878. Known as the "Fishermen's Church" due to its location in the heart of the city's old fishing community. The memorial to lost fishermen is situated within. An Introduction to The Fishermen's Church, Hull

William Henry Stocks (b. 4 Jun 1858, in Stettin, Germany, now Szczecin, Poland), son of Frederick and Sophia (Annie) Stock, married Eliza Hobbs (b. 1859), daughter of Thomas Hobbs and Eliza Welburn, on 2 Jan 1881 in at the Fishermen's Church [see video], of St John the Baptist, St George's Road, Newington, Hull. Witnesses to their marriage were Thomas Hobbs and Maria Hobbs (wife of John).

William and Eliza had five children:

1. Thomas Stocks b. 1882 D Quarter in SCULCOATES Volume 09D Page 222
2. Herbert Stocks b. 1884 D Quarter in SCULCOATES Volume 09D Page 188
3. Ethel Stocks b. 1886 M Quarter in SCULCOATES Volume 09D Page 194
4. Stanley Stocks b. 27 May 1898 J Quarter in SCULCOATES Vol 09D Page 140
5. William Henry Stocks b. 27 May 1898 J Quarter in SCULCOATES Volume 09D Page 140

The mid-life surprise twins were both baptised, in Hull, on 10 July 1898.

Stanley and William Henry jnr's baptism records confirm that both boys were born on 27 May 1898; their father's occupation as Butcher and the family's address as 8 Newlands Arcade, Hull.

In 1881, the recently married couple, William Stocks (22) Butcher from Stettin, Germany and wife Eliza Stocks (22) were living in her father's household at 1, Little Grafton Street, Newington, Sculcoates, Yorkshire. 

In 1891, William H Stocks (32) Butcher from Germany, with wife Eliza Stocks (32), Thomas Stocks (8), Herbert Stocks (6) and Ethel Stocks (5) were all living at Bowes Terrace, Sculcoates, Yorkshire.

In 1901, at Newland Arcade, Beverley Road, were William H Stocks (43) Butcher purporting to be from Hull; wife Eliza Stocks (42), Thomas Stocks (18) Butcher, Herbert Stocks (16) Butcher, Ethel Stocks (15), Stanley Stocks (2), William H Stocks (2), Betsy Ann Hobbs (54) - Eliza's sister - and Eliza Hobbs (78) Widow - Betsy Ann and Eliza's mother.

In 1911, William Henry Stocks (52) now a Master Butcher (meaning he has taught apprentices), but again purporting to be from Hull; wife Eliza Stocks (52), Ethel Stocks (25), Stanley Stocks (12), William Henry Stocks (12), Betsy Ann Hobbs (59) and Beatrice Stocks (4) Granddaughter (Thomas Stocks' daughter). 

There was a mass internment of registered Enemy Alien men aged between 17 and 55 following the sinking of the Lusitania in May 1915, which German-born William Henry Stocks appears to have avoided, literally, by the skin of his teeth. He was 56 at that time. The record for him in this set Britain, Enemy Aliens and Internees, First and Second World Wars, shows he was assessed during the First World War: 

STOCKS William H. 60/59. BB wife. 5 ch. Butcher. Classes 5 & 7. Residence interrupted by 2 visits to Australia in all nearly 2 1/2 years: does not know German languages.

I've not found any records to confirm those supposed visits to Australia.

Eliza Stocks (née Hobbs) died, aged 59, in 1918 D Quarter in SCULCOATES Volume 09D Page 295.

On 2 Aug 1920, William Henry Stocks (62) remarried to Sarah Ethel Forth (b. 30 Mar 1882 known as Ethel), daughter of John Fryer Forth, a Printer with his own business, and Emma Phillipson, at St John's Church, Newland. Witnesses were a Joseph Pearson and Sarah Ethel's sister, Edith Helen Forth (b. 1883).

William Henry Stocks had one daughter by his second wife:

6. Irene Stocks b. 25 Feb 1924 (Vol 9D Page 440)

In 1921, William Henry Stocks (63) Master Butcher, listed his place of birth as 'Unknown', 'Resident' in the UK and added 'Believed to be Danes'; with Sarah Ethel Stocks (39), William Henry Stocks (23) Studying for Board of Trade Examination; Betsy Ann Hobbs (71) Sister-in-law and Lilian McKenzie (4) Visitor. (Daughter of John McKenzie and Gertrude Elizabeth Forth, Sarah Ethel's younger sister.)

In 1939, William H Stocks, Sarah E Stocks and Irene Stocks, were living at 18 Golf Links Road, Kingston Upon Hull (on the border with Cottingham). 

William Henry Stocks was still on the authorities' radar as an Enemy Alien, as he was issued with a certificate declaring that a Tribunal had found him Exempt from internment (presumably on the basis of his age), dated 4 Nov 1939. 

William Henry Stocks died, aged 82, on 19 Jul 1940, in Cottingham. Probate was granted on 14 Aug 1940, with beneficiaries being Sarah Ethel Stocks, Rose Adelaide Austin and Herbert Marshall Austin. (Rose Adelaide Forth (b. 1888) was Sarah's younger sister, who married Herbert Marshall Austin, in Hull, in 1916.)

Sarah Ethel Stocks died, in her 89th year, in 1971, in Hull.

• Herbert Stocks married Ella Murial Wharton, in Hull, in 1910. In 1911, Herbert Stocks (26) Butcher's Assistant and Murial Stocks (22) were listed living in East Sculcoates. Ella Murial Wharton, b. 1888 D Quarter in SCULCOATES Volume 09D Page 204, daughter of James Wharton and Emily Frances Marshall. James Wharton was a Police Constable. 
• Ethel Stocks married George Henry Shaw (b. 1879 in Nottingham), in Sculcoates, in 1911. They had two sons: Cecil Shaw b. 1914 S Quarter in SCULCOATES Volume 09D Page 226 and George Rowland Shaw b. 1923 J Quarter in SCULCOATES Volume 09D Page 207.
• Stanley Stocks was awarded a Mercantile Marine Medal, for his participation in World War I, in 1919. He married Jessie Stephenson, in Sculcoates, in 1922. In 1939, Stanley Stocks, Cook Steward, SS Teano, was living at 28 Lambton Street, Kingston Upon Hull. SS Teano sunk on 8 Nov 1943, after being hit by another vessel whilst at anchor on the River Humber. If Stanley was still attached to that ship in 1943, he was clearly one of the survivors. Stanley Stocks died, aged 62, at sea, on 17 Sep 1960 from infarctus myocardii (myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack). It appears he was taken to Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden. At the time of his death, Stanley Stocks, of 6 Lambton Street, Newlands Avenue, Hull, was Chief Steward of the SS Cicero (II), which made a regular run between Hull and Gothenburg. Jessie Stocks died, in Hull, in 1968. 
• William Henry Stocks Jnr, like his twin brother, was also awarded a Mercantile Marine Medal, for his participation in World War I, in 1919. He married Ethel Blanchard on 11 Oct 1924. Immigration records show that William Henry Stocks was 1st Mate of the SS Molesey, arriving in Boston, Massachusetts in August 1928 and July 1929. On 25 Nov 1929, the Molesey was lost, ran aground off Skomer, Jack Sound, Pembrokeshire. Among the persons lost were Ethel Stocks, Stewardess. (Plan of wreck). William Henry Stocks remarried to Marion Lazenby on 23 Dec 1933. In 1939, William Henry Stocks and Marion Stocks were living at 87 Highfield, Kingston Upon Hull. Marion Stocks (b. 9 Oct 1902), died in 1979. William Henry Stocks died in 1981.
• Irene Stocks married Robert John Fletcher on 10 Apr 1948, in Hull. They had one son, born in Hull, in 1952 (still living). Robert John Fletcher (b. 14 Jul 1920) died in 1991. Irene Fletcher died in 1998 (DOR Q4/1998 in BEVERLEY (5422) Reg 53B Entry Number 74).

Wreck of the SS Molesey APNews 2 Dec 1929