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Alfred William (1) Hogger was born on January 23rd 1879 at Groton to parents Benjamin (1) Hogger and his wife Georgianna Adelaide (nee) Golding [Birth Index: Cosford 4a 557, 1879 (March)].
The 1881 and 1891 Censuses find him living with his parents in Groton.
Some mention of him is made in Small Worlds [SW]. This relates that he was known in the family simply as "Bill" and was of short physical stature; his primary career was with the Royal Navy; he was anecdotally credited with a heroic action during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 on the China Sea, when he stayed alone on an ammunition ship and, by his signalling and devotion to duty, saved the Fleet in some way.
His Naval Service Record survives in the National Archives [ADM 188/297 Piece 179201-179600]. His Official Number was 179580 and he signed up initially for 12 years of continuous service deemed to have begun on his 18th birthday, January 23rd 1897. His place of birth was confirmed as Groton and his occupation as wheelwright. He began service at the training establishment HMS Impregnable and subsequently served on numerous ships, the last being HMS Pembroke I from June 24th 1918 to April 16th 1919. By the end he had served for over twenty-two years. On December 3rd 1907 he "passed educationally" for the rank of Petty Officer. On February 11th 1908 he passed proficiency for Chief Yeoman of Signals, which remained his rank thereafter. During the Great War he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for services rendered in the North Sea in the Battle of Jutland, May 31st to June 1st 1916 [Supplement to the London Gazette, issue of September 15th 1916, p.9087].
The above claim about his personal actions in the Boxer Rebellion currently lack confirmation. However, his Service Record shows that in 1900 he was engaged on HMS Barfleur which had been made the flagship of the China Station's second-in-command. During the Boxer Rebellion this ship sent landing parties whose mission was to storm the Taku Forts and to relieve Tientsin. In January 1902 the King confirmed that the sailors who had taken part in these actions were to be awarded a new China Medal. The book The China War Medal 1900 to The Royal Navy & Royal Marines lists all the ships' personnel who received this honour and Alfred William (1) duly appears among those who had served aboard HMS Barfleur.
After leaving the Navy he worked for the National Provincial Bank (probably in Torquay, Devon) until his retirement.
He married Ella (nee) Copping in Kent in 1903 [Marriage Index: Medway 2a 1411, 1903 (Dec)]. She had been born in Old Brompton, Kent around early 1886 [Birth Index: Medway 2a 632, 1886 (March)] and baptised at St. Paul's, Chatham on September 7th 1887. She has not been found in the 1891 Census but in 1901 was living, with a younger brother William, at 112, Charter Street, Chatham St. Paul's in the household of a sawyer Edward Emberson and his wife Elizabeth, described as their niece; she was then occupied as a sewing machinist.
The 1911 Census finds Ella with her two sons living at 21, Palmerston Road in Chatham. Alfred William (1) was not present, presumably being away with the Navy.
The site owner possesses one mid-quality photograph of Alfred William (1), taken at the wedding of Herbert William (1), in which he bears a striking resemblance to his cousin John Ernest George (1) Hogger.
Ella died aged "50" in 1937 [Death Index: Newton Abbot 5b 198, 1937 (March)].
He has not been found in the 1939 Register for England and Wales.
Alfred William (1) died aged "79" on May 31st 1958 [Death Index: Newton Abbot 7a 509, 1958 (June)]; probate was granted to his son Herbert William (1), then living at "Edale", St. Vincents Road, Torquay and described as a local government officer.
Herbert William was born in Kent in 1909 [Birth Index: Medway 2a 702, 1909 (Dec)]. He married in Devon in 1939 to Isabella Rosalie Nugent [Marriage Index: Newton A. 5b 487, 1939 (Sept)]. They produced just two children - John N. and Michael A. - and lived most of their lives in Torquay. He died in 1989 [Death Index: Newton A. Reg 1189 Vol 21 Page 1674, 1989 (June)].