Great x3 Uncle Frederick Boobier (1874 - 1945)

My Great x3 Uncle Frederick (1874 - 1945) was a labourer and fireman at a coal yard, father of five, and a younger brother of my Great Great Grandfather Walter Boobier (1871 - 1924).

Frederick Boobier was born on 31st October 1874 in Exeter, Devon to William Boobier (about 48), a journeyman stone mason, and Jane Boobier (nee Mutter) (about 37).

Frederick was baptised on 22nd November 1874, in St Leonard, Exeter.

Frederick had eight older half siblings (six older half brothers and two older half sister) from his father William's first marriage to Emma Kimmings:

• William Edwin Kimmings  1850 - 1851 (14 months)
• Thomas Philip  1851 - 1907  (55 years old)
• William Donald  1854 - 1855 (about 1 year and half)
• Emma Grace  1855 - 1911  (54 years old)
• Edwin John  1858 - 1???
• William Edwin  1861 - 1916 (55 years old)
• Lucy Janet/Jeanette  1863 - 1863 (0 - 3 months)
• George Albert  1864 - 1925 (61 years old)

Frederick was the youngest of four sons born to widower William and his second wife Jane Mutter:

• Robert 'Bob' 1869 - 1926  (56 years old)
• Walter  1871 - 1924  (53 years old)
• Alfred  1873 - 1904  (31 years old)
• Frederick  1874 - 1945  (70 years old)

Fred and his older brother Alfred attended Dames school. Then from August 1878, Alfred, aged five, and Fred, aged four, attended Rack Street School

In 1881, Frederick and his family could be found living on Jubilee Street in Exeter.

1881 Census:

In April 1886, when Frederick was eleven, his father William passed away, aged fifty-nine, in Exeter.

Five years later, in Jan/Feb/Mar 1891, when Frederick was sixteen, his mother Jane passed away, aged fifty-three, in Exeter. The eldest, Robert found work as a carpenter, whilst his younger brothers, including Frederick, worked as labourers. In 1891, the young brothers were living at Weirfield Place, Exeter.

1891 Census:

On 23rd April 1892, seventeen-year-old orphaned Alfred and his friends - Walter Dorothy (17), Frederick Pike (19) and John Milton (18) - were drunk and disorderly in Whitestone (a village 4 miles west of Exeter). 

They admitted they had come from the Royal Oak Inn in Nadderwater (another village just outside Exeter), where they had had liquor, being friends of the landlord. They were each fined 6s 3d. 

The young men were employed at the wine and spirits vaults of Messrs Kennaway and Co, and, apart from one of them (I do not know who), had to leave their situations. I do not know if they were drinking because they had lost their jobs, or lost their jobs because they had been drunk and disorderly.

From the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette of 4th May 1892:

Sometime in the 1890's, Frederick and his brothers moved from Weirfield Place to 5 Paragon Place, also in Exeter.

1901 Census:

On 4th April 1904, Frederick (29), a labourer at a coal yard, married Emma Elizabeth Rottenbury (29), a domestic servant, in her native Ilfracombe. Frederick's older brother Robert acted as witness.

Frederick and Emma had five children (one daughter and four sons):

• Emmeline Jane  1905 - 1905 (0 - 3 months)
• Harold  1907 -
• Stanley Frederick  1908 - 1908 (6 days)
• Reginald Frederick  1912 -
• Leslie William  1914 -

The couple settled in Frederick's native Exeter.

Sadly, Frederick and Emma's eldest child and only daughter Emmeline, passed away, aged zero to three months, in Oct/Nov/Dec 1905, in Exeter.

Their third child and second son, Stanley, sadly also passed away as a very young baby, in Oct/Nov 1908, in Exeter. He was buried on 15th November 1908, in St Mary Arches, Exeter.

1911 Census:

1921 Census:

In 1926, Frederick's son middle Reginald, aged fourteen, won a junior technical scholarship. He would go on to work as a clerk and timekeeper.

1939:

The youngest, Frederick was the longest living and last surviving of his half and full siblings

In Jan/Feb/Mar 1945, Frederick passed away, aged seventy, in Exeter.

In Jan/Feb/Mar 1952, Frederick's widow Emma passed away, aged seventy-eight, in Exeter.