Vernon John Charles Hawkins 
Born: 11-Aug-1867Died: 1937
Occupation: Company Secretary to Portsmouth and Brighton United Breweries.
Comments: First appears in the 1871 census, aged 3, his place of birth recorded as Portsea, Hants.
At the time of the 1881 census, aged 13, he lived at 4, Gresham Buildings, Portsea, with his parents, brother, and two sisters. Coincidentally, at this time one Mr. William T. Dupree, lived next door at number 3, Gresham Buildings. It seems very likely that this is the same William Dupree mentioned in the article about Vernon's funeral. At this time William T. Dupree is 24, married (to Mary) with one child (Violet I. M. Dupree), and working as a "Brewers Agent Manager".
At the time of the 1891 census, aged 23, he is living on Guernsey. He is recorded here as a boarder in a house in St. Peter Port, the head of the household being one Edward Edmonds. The house number is 25, but the street name is very hard to read - something like Front Canilfiers (?!). After a bit of investigation, I'm now reasonably sure this actually reads "Canichers". Next door, number 26, is named Brunswick House. The ecclesiastical parish is St. John. At this time his occupation is recorded as "Traveller (commercial)", and his marital status is recorded as single.
Vernon must have spent at least a few years on Guernsey, as seemingly he met his wife there and his three eldest children had been born there. He may have moved there originally for business reasons - it doesn't appear that the rest of the family had any links there. His occupation in the 1891 census seems to confirm this. It seems likely he was married in the channel islands, possibly in 1892 or 1893.
By 1896 he had returned to Portsmouth with his wife and three children. At the time of his fourth child Vernon's birth, 1896, he would have been aged 29. On Vernon Junior's birth certificate, Vernon's occupation is recorded as something like "Brewer's Clerk". His address appears to be Deans Road, Cosham.
Around the age of 30 (1897 or therabouts), according to the article below, Vernon would have been appointed secretary of Portsmouth and Brighton United Breweries (as it was known at the time of Vernon's death). It may have had a different name at the time of Vernon's appointment.
At the time of the 1901 census, aged 33, he was living at 17 Darlington Road, Portsmouth with his wife and six children. Here his occupation is recorded as "Secretary To Brewery Company". This correlates well with the funeral article, and he would have been relatively new in the position at this time.
In Kelly's Portsmouth directory for 1902, somebody else appears to be living at number 17, Darlington Road, so it appears Vernon and family had moved again by this time. In the private residents directory there is a Vernon Hawkins living at 49, King Street. Searching the 1901 census, there seems to be only two Vernon Hawkins in the Portsmouth area around this time, Vernon and Vernon's son. So unless another Vernon Hawkins moved to Portsmouth in the following year (and there appears to only be one other in the country!), it is almost certain this is our Vernon.
At the time of his eldest son Basil's marriage in 1916, his occupation appears to be recorded as "Secretary", presumably an abbreviation of company secretary.
The last address Vernon was known to live at was (according to the article below) 24 Tudor Crescent, Cosham. It seems he had remained company secretary right up until the time of his death.
Extract from a newspaper article about Vernon's funeral:
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DEATH OF MR V. HAWKINS
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A Well-Known Portmuthian
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A well-known business man and church (?) worker Mr Vernon John Charles (?) Hawkins, of 24 Tudor Crescent, Cosham, died after a long illness at a Southsea nursing home at 12.5 a.m. on Monday.
Mr. Hawkins, who was 70 (?) years of age, is survived by the widow, five sons, and three daughers (two daughters having died), and 17 grandchildren, who have the sympathy of a large number of friends.
Mr Hawkins was associated since he was a boy with the late Sir William Dupree, Bart, until the time of his death - a period of over 50 years - and was appointed secretary of the Company now known as Portsmouth and Brighton United Breweries, 40 years ago.
The family mourners were the widow, Mr. Basil Hawkins (eldest son), Mrs. and Mr. Crofton (daughter and son-in-law), Mrs. and Mr. Bentley (daughter and son-in-law), Mr Eric Hawkins (son), Mr. Alan Hawkins (son), Mrs. Lucas (daughter), Mr. Dennis Hawkins (son) and Mrs. and Mr. Breed (sister and brother-in-law).
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Sir William Thomas Dupree, Mayor of Portsmouth, died in 1933, and is buried in Highland Road Cemetery in Portsmouth. One of his achievements as Mayor was to obtain Charles Dickens' birthplace (393, Old Commercial Road) after the death in 1902 of it's former occupant Sarah Pearce. Her father had owned the house at the time Dickens was born (1812).
