More in the Art Gallery

I have added some more pictures to the Hollyer Art Gallery. But can you find them all? The illustration (left) is signed by 'Alice Martineau' which is believed to be a pseudonym used by Eva Hollyer for some of her work. A theme in several of the new pictures is the fact that both William Perring Hollyer and his son Gregory would often paint near-identical pictures. I suppose if the theme sold, then why not 'mass produce'?

Frederick Hollyer's Photo Album

Constantia Nicolaides contacted me from the National Portrait Gallery, where she has been cataloguing the photo album of Frederick Hollyer's family. She has suggested I have a second visit to the NPG to review the progress on identifying the various people shown in the album, many of whom are relatives of Frederick Hollyer - though many seem to be more connected with his wife's Armstrong family.

Justine Blake

Justine Blake e-mailed from the USA. Her husband Jonathan is a grandson of Verna Hilda Hollyer (1920-2001). She tells me she has a painting by Verna's father William Stanley Hollyer (1865-1963). It would be good to have a photo of this to add to my gallery of William's paintings.

Conference Weekend

Just returned from the Guild of One-Name Studies AGM and Conference weekend - quite busy time for me as I'm currently Chairman of this organisation. Anni Berman gave me a marriage certificate for a Hilda May Hollier Simmons from 1943 as a result of the Hemel Hempstead Marriage Challenge. Although indexed as Hollier-Simmons, Hollier was in fact one of her middle names and her grandparents were John Simmons and Louisa Hollier who married on the Isle of Wight in 1850.

Got back to 3 queries. Graham Maskell contacted me about Alexander Charles Hollyer (1859-1938) who married Eleanor Louisa Syrett, a Great Aunt of his. Alexander was a painter and decorator from the City Hollyers. Kathryn Hollier who had written to me back in 2002 requested I send her family tree again. Hers is a Leicesterhsire family whose origins were however with the Somerset Holliers. Finally Rod Laird told me about his grandfather Sydney Charles Holyer in rural Kent in the early 20th century.