John Robert Stocker was born on 22 March 1899, one of the ten children of Robert Stocker (1868-1914) and Frances Fanny Stocker née Hurt (1865-1937). His birth was registered in the 1st quarter of 1899 in the Bethnal Green Registration District, London.
When the census was undertaken on 31 March 1901 he was shown as aged 2 years and living in two rooms within 41 Hague Street, Bethnal Green, with his parents and three siblings: Robert William Stocker (b. c1885) - an errand boy; Florence Stocker (1890-1988) and Caroline Jane Stocker (1896-1946). His father was described as a porter.
He was shown as John James Stocker, aged 12 years on the census return form that was completed on 2 April 1911 by Henry Walter Stillwell (1889-1973) who was his brother-in-law and married to his sister Florence Stocker. He was living in two rooms within 7a Chambord Street, Brick Lane, Bethnal Green, with his parents and his five surviving siblings: Robert William Stocker - a contractor's labourer; Florence Stocker - a cardboard box hand; Caroline Jane Stocker - a confectioner's sweet packer; Lily Phyllis Stocker (b.1901) and Robert John Stocker (b.1906). The census form shows that his mother had given birth to ten children, but that only six were still alive.
When his widowed mother completed her census return form on 19 June 1921, he was shown as aged 22 years, 5 months and a general labourer, employed by a general grocer. He was living in two rooms within 9 Wellington Row, London, E2, with his mother and two siblings whom his mother listed as Lilian Phillys Stocker, aged 19 years, 9 months - a show card worker employed by Websters Show Card factory and Robert John Stocker, aged 14 years, 6 moths and in whole time education. His mother described herself as aged 56 years, a sweeper at Websters Show Card factory.
He married Emily Annie Lidbury (1902-1983) in the 4th quarter of 1926 in the Bethnal Green Registration District and they had four children: John R. Stocker (1927-1928); Emily A. Stocker (1928-2009); Joan Margaret Stocker (1933-1940) and Irene J. Stocker (b.1937).
Electoral registers from 1931 to 1933 show him and his wife listed at 36 Columbia Square, Bethnal Green, but in 1934 they were at 48 Columbia Square, Bethnal Green. The electoral registers from 1935 to 1939 show that they had moved to 19 Kerbela Street, Bethnal Green.
The England and Wales Register that was compiled on 29 September 1939 shows him living alone at 19 Kerbela Street. Bethnal Green. It lists his date of birth as 22 March 1899 and that he was a warehouse porter. It is probable that his wife and their children had been evacuated from London.
He was residing at 48 Hassard Street, Hackney Road, Bethnal Green, when he was killed by a German bomb that was dropped on the Columbia Market air raid shelter on the night of 7th/8th September 1940. His death was registered, aged 41 years, in the 3rd quarter of 1940 in the Bethnal Green Registration District and his on 17 September 1940 in the , Sebert Road, London, E7 0NP.
He is shown as 'STOCKER John 41' on the Columbia Market air raid shelter memorial in the Rose Garden, Old Market Square, Ravenscroft Park, London, E2.
He is also commemorated on the , on the and in that is kept just outside the entrance to St George's Chapel at the west end of Westminster Abbey.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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