Carolyn Passfield

Another new correspondent, found via Genes Reunited. Carolyn is the daughter of Beryl May Hollyer, daughter of Thomas Shields Hollyer who emigrated to Australia c1925, himself one of a large family of 13, of Matthew George Hollyer (1854-1931) and his wife Ann Ingle (1861-1943). Part of the "City Hollyers". I was in touch with Carolyn's cousin Sandra Owen some years ago but lost touch when her e-mail address changed.

Hollyers of Islington and Aldershot

Frances Castle came back with a large number of photos of the Hollyer family that had been in the posession of Great Aunt Deborah of her partner. But rather than being solely of her close family, many of the photographs are of second cousins of Deborah, namely Reginald and Aquilla Hollyer. Pictured here is Reginald (actually John Reginald George). Reginald was in the Army Service Corps attached to the Royal Army Medical Corps and was a 'Corporal Acting Sergeant'. This is a fascinating collection as it ties in with other photos received earlier from Tim Ellis, grandson of Reginald. All the photos can be found here.

Stilgoe at Deddington

Carol Eden came back to me with some information she has discovered about Ann Stilgoe who married William Hollier at Deddington, OXF in 1708. It seems she was born in 1682 and had both a brother and father called Zachariah and this must be the origin of the tendency of the Deddington Holliers to use the name Zachariah.

Cecilia Harriet Mary Hollyer born 1875

Frances Castle contacted me. Her partner's Great Grandmother was Cecilia Harriet Mary Hollyer born in Islington in 1875, part of the Hollyer family in Islington that ran an Undertaking business. This is a well-researched Hollyer line that goes back via the City Glaziers to Coventry and Brinklow, where Joseph Hollyer married Barbara Brown in 1687.

Reginald Holyer born 1911

John Holyer from Canada wrote to ask if I could help trace his Uncle Reginald Holyer. He was in the 2004 Electoral Roll, but apparently that address in Shoeburyness has not helped. At 94 he may no longer be with us.

More New Zealand data

Bernadette Siebert sent through another batch of Hollyer, Holyer and Hollier data she has culled from various New Zealand web sources - much of this was new to me. Bernadette has been a long-time correspondent who I originally made contact with through our mutual interest in the family name Shale - which is her own One-Name Study. She has often looked out for my 'names' when searching NZ resources, which is extremely kind given she has no direct interest in the name herself. Many Guild members do help one another of course. The largest group of NZ Holliers descend from Henry Bruce Hollier, who was apparently born in Staffs, England c1832 and married in NZ in 1874. Henry's link into the older Hollier families of Staffordshire has not yet been established.

Launton Hollier marriage

David Bright sent through one marriage 'certificate' from the Guild's Bicester Marriage Challenge. This was the marriage of Susannah Hollier to William Long in 1845 at Launton, OXF. This Launton line can be traced back to a William Hollier who married and had a family at Bicester c1746. It's possible this William was born in Deddington.

The Collins-Hollier connection

Dorne Saunders, a long-term correspondent from Australia wrote asking about the Collins family that married into the Holliers in Australia. Thomas Collins married Ann Hollier in 1853 in Melbourne. Ann was the widow of Eden Hollier, one of the original emigrants from Sydenham, OXF to Australia. The Collins family went out on the same boat as the Holliers in 1845. I sent her the Collins family information previously sent to me by Les Collins some years ago.

1841 census

Finally decided to splash out and subscribe to Origins to gain access to the 1841 census indexes and images that they host. By no means complete yet, but several key Hollier counties are there: Somerset, Warks, Staffs, Leics. A number of 'familiar faces' appear, while a few unknowns turn up to provide a few new puzzles. In the case of the "Spoon Polisher Holliers" from Birmingham, the family shown proves my previous hunches based on later censuses. I was also pleased to see James Hollyer (shown as Hollier) in Coventry, the victualler of the Unicorn pub in The Burgess, who I already had records of from Trade Directories and Voters Lists. He seems to have separated from his wife, Susannah, who I couldn't find, though she and her daughter turn up in Coventry in the 1851,61 and 71 censuses - though just to keep me puzzled (for some years!), in the 1851 census, both Susannah and her daughter Susannah, usually shown as Hannah and Susannah, were transcribed as Sarah and Sarah. Anyway, James seems to be the last of the Coventry Hollyers to actually live there. The rest had moved to London and Glamorgan, and ultimately the line flourishes today in the USA.

Frederick Henry Hollyer's sketchbook

Judith Thedvall, who last wrote to me in 2003, enquired about Derrick Hollyer and the sketchbook he has of their mutual ancestor Frederick Henry Hollyer (1825-1895), the Toll Collector at Braunston Lock on the Grand Junction Canal. He sketched in his toll book. Aside from the sketches I have in the Art Gallery on the website, he also sketched amusing headings to the toll table pages, the one on the left being for oats.