Jacqueline Patricia Hollier

Jacqueline Hollier contacted me; the first correspondent to use the new web-form on my website. She pointed out that her name seems to be in error on my master list on the website and tells me she is descended from the Sharnford Holliers. I look forward to more information, as I had never been 100% sure of her 20th century ancestry.

Christopher Hollyer 1947-2006

Brian Hollyer phoned me to pass on the sad news that his brother Christopher, who worked in films in New Zealand, had died last month. For some time he had suffered from Multiple Myeloma and I note that his support web-site http://web.mmsupport.net/ is now dedicated to his memory. Chris had been in correspondence with me since 2002 and I had helped trace his brother Kenneth (1929-1970) who the family had lost track of when he went to the USA. I also helped him retrieve some of his family's war medals that were being auctioned on eBay.

He never mentioned his health problems and was always one of the most warm-hearted and appreciative of correspondents.

Sydenham Hollier Family Tree

Over the years I have had more contacts from the descendants of the Sydenham Holliers (mostly from Australia and New Zealand) than any other family group. I have now added a feature to the website to allow the viewing of the Sydenham Hollier Family Tree. You can access this from here. Do let me know if you find any errors on this tree.

Anne Marion Row

Anne Marion Row (née Hollier) first contacted me about her Hollier ancestors in 2003. She got in touch again as she had lost material on her computer I sent her. Since then, I have established that her line descends from the Sharnford Holliers. She descends from Edward Hollier born 1861 in Loughborough, son of Edward and Hannah Hollier. But by 1871, Edward (snr) had remarried and there is no trace of Edward (jnr). Curiously, he had another son Edward in 1872 by his second wife Ann. In 1881, Edward (jnr) is shown as a nephew of Thomas & Hannah Handley in Hallow, WOR. In 1887 he married Joanna Buyers in Quetta, India where he was serving with the Worcestershire Regiment, but the marriage is also recorded in the Scottish marriage records, as Joanna was born in Scotland. They had three children in India before returning to Pershore, WOR where their 4th child was born. In 1901 the family is at Pershore where Edward is shown as an Army Colour Sergeant. It was only when another descendant of this family bought Edward's birth certificate was it possible to prove who Edward's parents were.

Wills Index 1858-1962

I have now added an index of Wills 1858-1962 to my website archive, see here.

Nora Kate Holyer

Joanne Jones contacted me about Nora Kate Holyer (1877-1963), about whom I knew little until now. It seems she 'married' William Baldwin and had a string of children with him from 1895 to 1916, one of whom was registered as a Holyer, the rest as Baldwin. Nora's family descended from the Brickmaker William Holyer (1821-1884) of Warehorne, via his son George, who was born in 1843 but whose fate is unknown - in 1881 he was in Tonbridge Infirmary.

William and Nora's family is missing from the 1901 census, although Nora's mother Eliza Holyer and an unidentified Doris Holyer are present in Cambridge Road, Bexhill where they should have appeared.

Holliers at Hagley, WOR

While researching his ancestor Elliott Hollier at Worcestershire Record Office, Geoffrey Kernan came across other Hollier wills and references relating to Holliers at Hagley. I aleady know that some of the Barton under Needwood Holliers moved there in the late 18th century, including Henry Hollier of Cardiff (1755-1830) who retired there. But some of the material he found suggests an earlier link in the mid 18th century - I knew that some 9 Holliers died there 1751-1762 but have never known anything more about them.

Harold Victor Hollyer (1895-1964)

Queries come in twos! In the last fortnight, I've had two enquiries from descendants of Harold Victor Hollyer from the Lock-keeper Hollyer family. Second Cousins Terry Smith and Miriam Anderson have both been in touch. I wonder if they know each other?

New Feature Articles

I have added two more feature articles to the website. One is on Joseph Wilson Hollyer and his bizarre death from drinking acid and the other on the long search for Emilia Hollier, whose birth was finally found to be as Emily Billington.