CHARLES JOHN HORNETT : ca 1829 - 1868 The eldest child of Charles and Elizabeth was Charles John Hornett who was probably born in the area of Marylebone and Paddington in 1828 or 1829. No records of his birth or baptism have been found but his parents were married in Paddington and the evidence indicates that their second child was born in Marylebone; the second, third and forth children were also baptised in Paddington in 1836, suggesting that the family did not move very far in their first few years.
Charles appeared in the 1841 census as a 13 year old, living with his family in Houghton Street, and was still living with them at the time of the 1851 and 1861 censuses; neither of these was specific about his birthplace, simply stating 'London', and his age was recorded as 21 and 32, so slightly at odds with the 1841 record. It seems that Charles was an unskilled worker, being a labourer in 1851 and a porter, perhaps in a nearby market. Charles was unmarried at the time of the 1861 census and does not appear to have married between that date and his death from tuberculosis in May 1868, aged 39. There is an entry in the Atkins' family bible that states :
"Charles Hornett, son of deceased, died May 23 and buried the 31st 1868". This entry comes immediately after that for his father, the 'deceased' referred to who had died in the previous year, and his death certificate states that he was a general porter of 17 Houghton Street. Sadly for the family Charles died on the day of the funeral of his grandfather, John Atkins.