Harry Brooker was born 5.8.1848. His parents were Henry Brooker and Emma Hunt and when Harry was born the family was living at 29 Frederick St (Regent's Park).

Harry BROOKER married Edmee Isabel SHORT on 13.1.1877 at St. Philips, Kensington. Harry's occupation is "artist in oils". Edmee was the daughter of a builder William Benjamin Short who owned/rented 38/40 and 56 Earls Court Rd. They lived at no. 40 adjacent to her father, and close to 1a Childs Place where for a year or two Harry's father had a cooper's business and from where Harry submitted his earliest paintings. They had 6 children as follows

Edgar 17.3.1879 Earls Court Rd 18.4.1950 Tolworth
Oswald Leslie (aka Corrie) 20.4.1880 do. 14.11.1952 Bletchley
Ruth Edmee 19.2.1882, 1 Mulgrave Rd, Fulham 7.12.1957 East Sheen
Edwin Ralph 13.7.1883 do. 1965 Putney
Chas. Frederick 1885(2), 1 Mulgrave Rd ? 29.12.1923 Fulham
Elsie Emma 23.6.1894, 14 Shorrold's Rd, Fulham c1970 East Sheen

The West Kensington local directory lists Harry Brooker at 14 Shorrold's Rd, Fulham from 1894 - 1919. Charles James MacLachlan (a cousin of Edmee's) lodged with them for a time. In 1877 Harry Brooker exhibited in Manchester, when for a while he and Edmee lived above a shop at 180 Lords St., Southport & toured in Wales as tutor to someone (C.J. MacLachlan?). He may also have exhibited in Liverpool (e.g., "The Fairy Tale"). A workfolder sketches associated with "Oranges & Lemons" (now in the Geffrye Museum) together with student drawings is in the possession of Eileen Brooker, widow of Harry's grandson William Henry (son of Edgar). In c1873 Harry may have sent paintings to Melbourne Australia while working in the V & A (South Ken. Museum).
It is said that Edmee had a legacy from a relation in France: could this have been the same source that augmented her brother's estate (see below: the SHORT family). The resulting modest prosperity enabled Harry to paint as he wished. Edmee's portrait, "The Treasured Volume" by Harry Brooker was sold at Sotheby's in December 1987 for £13750.
Edmee died in 1920 of cancer but Harry survived until 1940 when he suffered a stroke during an air raid. He is buried in North Sheen Cemetery.