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William Hitchcock (b. 1862)

Biography

William Hitchcock and son

William Hitchcock was Alfred Hitchcock's father.

He was born in Stratford in 1862, the fourth son of local greengrocer Joseph Hitchcock and his wife Ann, and had at least eight brothers and sisters

By the time of the 1881 Census, William was living at 80 Windmill Lane, Straford, with his brothers John and Alfred. Both William and Alfred gave their occupations as "greengrocer" whilst John was a "railway clerk".

After his marriage in September 1887 to Emma Jane Whelan, the daughter of Irish-born policeman John Whelan, William moved to 39 Chandos Road, Stratford, where his son William John was born in August 1888. A County Court judgement for fruiterer Mrs Emma Hitchcock in July 1889 gives the family address as 103 Leytonstone Road.

By 1891, they had moved to 29 Louise Road where their daughter Ellen Kathleen was born in September 1892.[1] At the same time, William's sister Mary was living at 13 Louise Road.

At some point in the mid-1890s, the family moved to a greengrocery store at 517 Leytonstone High Road] where their last child, Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, was born in August 1899.[2] Sometime after the beginning of 1907 the family moved once more, taking on the leases of two fishmongery stores on Salmon Lane, Limehouse.

A widely reproduced photograph appears to show William Hitchcock dressed in a military uniform outside a greengrocery bearing the name "W. HITCHCOCK Fruit Salesman". Alongside him is a pony carrying a young boy, also dressed in a similar uniform. Although many sources claim the young boy is Alfred Hitchcock, the evidence points towards it being Alfred's older brother, William John Hitchcock.

William Hitchcock died in December 1914, aged 52, from chronic emphysema and kidney disease.

He is buried at St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Cemetery, Leytonstone.

William Hitchcock's Houses

See Also...

Image Gallery

Images from the Hitchcock Gallery (click to view larger versions or search for all relevant images)...

Genealogy

Siblings

Birth

Marriages

Emma Jane Whelan (b. 1864)

  • born 1864[4]
  • daughter of Irish-born policeman John Whelan (b. ~1837) and Emma Whelan (b. ~1840) née Mears
  • sister of John Berth Whelan (b. ~1861), Frederick John Whelan (b. 1861), William Henry Whelan (b. 1870), William Whelan (b. ~1881), Florence Maud Whelan (b. 1879) and Mary Ada Whelan (b. 1885)
  • married 26/Sep/1887 to William Hitchcock in a Roman Catholic ceremony at the Church of St. Antony of Padua, Upton, Forest Gate, by priest Father Alfred McLaughlin (b. ~1855)[5]
  • marriage witnessed by William Wilfred Tench (b. 1852) and his wife Mary Josephine Tench (b. ~1858) née Carter[6]
  • died 26/Sep/1942[7]

Children

William John Hitchcock (b. 1888)

Ellen Kathleen Hitchcock (b. 1892)

Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (b. 1899)

Death

Family Tree

1

Census Data

1871

  • address: 80 Windmill Lane, Stratford
  • Joseph Hitchcock (aged 42) — head, occupation: greengrocer (employing 2 men)
  • Ann Hitchcock (aged 44) — wife
  • Alfred Hitchcock (aged 10) — son
  • Charles Hitchcock (aged 18) — son
  • Ellen Hitchcock (aged 4) — daughter
  • Emma M. Hitchcock (aged 2) — daughter
  • John Hitchcock (aged 6) — son
  • Joseph Hitchcock (aged 14) — son
  • Mary Hitchcock (aged 17) — daughter
  • William Hitchcock (aged 8) — son

1881

  • address: 80 Windmill Lane, Stratford
  • Alfred Hitchcock (aged 20) — head, occupation: greengrocer
  • William Hitchcock (aged 19) — brother, occupation: greengrocer
  • John Hitchcock (aged 16) — brother, occupation: railway clerk
  • Isabella Herbert (aged 65) — housekeeper

1891

  • address: 29 Louise Road, Stratford
  • Wm Hitchcock (aged 28) — head, occupation: greengrocer
  • Emma Hitchcock (aged 24) — wife
  • William Hitchcock (aged 2) — son

1901

  • address: 517 Leytonstone Road
  • William Hitchcock (aged 35) — head, occupation: fruiterer shopkeeper
  • Emma Hitchcock (aged 32) — wife
  • William Hitchcock (aged 12) — son
  • Nellie Hitchcock (aged 8) — daughter
  • Alfred Hitchcock (aged 1) — son
  • Emma Macguire (aged 22) — occupation: greengrocer's shop assistant[16]
  • Florrie Whelan (aged 23) — occupation: greengrocer's shop assistant
  • Adie Whelan (aged 15) — occupation: greengrocer's shop assistant

1911

  • address: 175 Salmon Lane, Limehouse
  • William Hitchcock (aged 48) — head, occupation: fishmonger dealer
  • Emma Hitchcock (aged 46) — wife, occupation: assistant in business
  • Ellen Hitchcock (aged 18) — daughter, occupation: assistant in business (unmarried)
  • Alfred Hitchcock (aged 11) — son
  • Louisa Kelsey (aged 61) — servant (cook)[17]
  • Ellen Snow (aged 21) — servant (domestic housemaid)[18]

Other Documents

Marriage (1887)


Research Notes

  • Donald Spoto incorrectly claims that the Hitchcocks didn't live on Salmon Lane and that the daily commute to Limehouse contributed to his death. The 1911 Census, along with electoral registers and telephone directories, show the Hitchcock family living at 175 Salmon Lane.

Notes & References

  1. The 1891 Census implies that they also shared 29 Louise Road with another family — Arthur and Margaret Ridgewell, and their son Arthur.
  2. Number 517 was about 2 miles north of Stratford on the Leytonstone road.
  3. Birth registered Q4 1862 West Ham.
  4. Birth registered Q3 1864 West Ham.
  5. Marriage registered Q4 1887 West Ham.
  6. William worked as an engine fitter and was born in Fareham, Hampshire, and Mary was born in Forest Gate, West Ham. They married in 1883. In 1891, they were living on Cedars Road, Stratford, with 4 children. By 1901, they were living at 55 Louise Road, Stratford, with their 6 children. Mary died in 1908 aged 50. In 1911, William was an unemployed widower living at 32 Maneby Grove, Stratford. He died in 1924.
  7. Death registered Q3 1942 Surrey South Western.
  8. Birth of William John Hitchcock registered Q4 1888 West Ham.
  9. Marriage registered Q3 1911 Fulham.
  10. Death registered Q1 1943 Surrey South Western.
  11. Birth of Ellen Kathleen Hitchcock registered Q4 1892 West Ham.
  12. Marriage registered Q4 1915 St. George in the East.
  13. Marriage registered Q2 1931 Fulham.
  14. Death of Ellen Kathleen Ingram registered Q1 1979 Bromley.
  15. Death registered Q4 1914 Southwark.
  16. Daughter of Thomas Maguire (b. ~1858) and wife Emma (b. ~1857). Sister of Mary A. Maguire (b. ~1881).
  17. Born around 1850 in Canterbury, Kent. Married to tobacconist William Kelsey. Mother of Florry L. Kelsey, William Kelsey, Charles Kelsey, Janette Kelsey and Maud Kelsey.
  18. Born 1889 in Poplar, London. Daughter of engineer William Henry Snow (b. ~1866) and Mary Ann Snow (b. ~1871) née Moor, who married 1888 in Poplar. Ellen married 23/Mar/1913 to tailor Henry John Wharton (b. ?) at St. Michael's Church, Bromley.