John and Elizabeth (Barker)
John and Elizabeth were both born in Essex county in England. According to the British census records, Elizabeth was born about 1843 in Navestock, which is just about twenty miles east of London in modern day England. Acoording to birth records, John was born May 23, 1844 in Kelvedon Hatch, Essex, England, his parents were John and Hannah (Turner).
View John's Birth CertificateAccording to the 1841 census, John (43) and Hannah (33) were living in the Poor House in Navestock. Their children were James (14), Henry (9), Ann (5) and Susanna (2).
In 1851, nine-year old Elizabeth Barker was living in Navestock, next door to James Hasler and his wife, Ann - Ann was actually Ann Barker, Elizabeth's sister). They both lived under an area referred to as Water Hales, which is in the general area of Navestock. A few pages earlier in the census, which would indicate close proximity, is the rest of the Hasler family listing only the children (John and Hannah are not listed). The children listed are Henry(19), Ann(14), Sussanah(12), John (6) and George(4). The census shows John as being born in Bobbingworth. All the children, except Henry are listed as a pauper. John and Elizabeth most certainly knew each other as children and were married on June 1, 1868 in St. Paul, Bow Common (London).
View John and Elizabeth's Marriage CertificateAccording to the 1871 census, their first child, Elizabeth, was born in Navestock about 1865. In 1851, Elizabeth had the following siblings; William (13), Susan (12), and Emma (9) and only her father, James (51) was listed at the residence.
According to the 1861 censes, James, Henry and Susannah were still living in Navestock. John and George were living with their mother, Hannah, who had re-married William Stokes.
According to the 1871 census James, Henry, John and their families had moved to Blackthorn street in the east London borough of Bromley. John at number 226 and James and Henry at number 1. In 1871 John listed his occupation as carman.
John and Elizabeth appear in the 1881 census under the name Asler living on Gale street in Bromley. Also, of the other two Hasler families that were living on Blackthorn street, one (Henry) had moved (and does not appear to show in the 1881 census at all) but the oldest son of James (William) had taken up Henry's residence. From comparing the 1871 and 1881 census Blackthorn street had gone through a re-numbering and possibly part of it had been re-named. In 1881, John and Elizabeth had two other children besides John, namely Eliza (born about 1875) and Emma (born about 1877). Their daughter Elizabeth from the 1871 census no longer appears.
In the 1891 census, John listed his occupation as dock laborer and two more children appear. Putting all that together, the entire family probably was Elizabeth (1865), Eliza Ann (1874), John (1876), Emma(1879), Rose (1881), and Lilly (1884). Which shows John as the only male heir.
In the 1901 census, John was living with his oldest daughter, Elizabeth and her family.