Thank you to Janet Mata for the following research.
Frederick Hake was born on August 25th 1888 in Dorking to mother Sarah and Frank. His parents had married in Oxfordshire and it would seem from records that the family only spent a short time in Dorking, the young family seems to have been regularly on the move. The 1891 census shows Frederick and Sarah Hake, and two year old Frederick along with his four month old brother, who was also born in Dorking, were living in Leafield, Oxfordshire, where Frederick Hake sr was the innkeeper of the Fox Inn. Frederick and Sarah had another boy, Wilfred, born in London in 1895. Sadly, Frederick Hake died in 1896 aged 34, in Caterham.
By the time of the 1901 census, Frederick Hake Jnr was living in Oxford with his mother, now married to Robert Rogers, a domestic gardener, and George’s two younger brothers.
Frederick joined the Royal Navy in June 1904 and saw service first on HMS Impregnable. His service record shows Frederick to have brown hair, grey eyes and a fresh complexion. He had two tattoos; one of a dragon and another of a heart and arrow. He served as a telegraph messenger.
He was discharged from the Navy in January 1913, and was placed on the reserves list. He then joined the Oxfordshire Constabulary, but was recalled to the Royal Navy in August the following year, joining the battle cruiser Black Prince. While on shore on leave in October 1915, he married Edith Elsie Stanley in Chipping Norton.
The Black Prince was involved in the Battle of Jutland. The ship was lost with no survivors from the 857 men on board. The ship must have become separated from others during battle as there are no accounts of her loss from Allied records. German accounts tell that the Black Prince, having been separated from other British ships, approached the German Navy but rapidly turned away. However, she was within point blank range of six German battleships which opened fire and the Black Prince went down within 15 minutes.
Able Seaman Frederick Hake’s name is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.
| Born | Dorking, Surrey | |
| Son of | Sarah and Frank Hake | |
| Husband of | Elsie Stanley | |
| Regiment | HMS Black Prince. Royal Navy | |
| Number | 230875 | |
| Date of Death | 31st May 1916 | |
| Place of Death | Battle of Jutland | |
| Cause of Death | Killed in action | |
| Age | 28 | |
| Memorial | Portsmouth Naval Memorial |
