Henry and Sarah HOLLAND

[Mosaic]

Henry HOLLAND, a travelling brazier/cutler and his wife were my gt gt grandparents. Their son, my gt grandfather was George Henry Holland (also a grinder/cutler) who was christened at Blackfordby, Leicestershire in June 1861. The address given was Ashby Wolds, Leicestershire. Also being christened the same day was Edna SMITH the child of another travelling brazier, Thomas SMITH and his wife Beattie. Maybe there were related???
This is the only information I have been able to find on Henry and his wife and I have not managed to trace any other children for them.

Their son George Henry Holland married a Caroline Johnson born 1864 at Rugeley, Staffordshire. She was a pedlar/hawker/umbrella mender and the daughter of a Joseph Johnson born 1825 Uttoxeter, Staffordshire who was a sweep. Their children were all born at Rugeley, Staffordshire and one, James HOLLAND, was a scissor grinder and the youngest was called Harkless HOLLAND which I think appears to be a gipsy name, so he may have been named after a relative?

I did trace a Henry HOLLAND, scissor grinder, born 1840, Walsall, Staffs at Great Barr, Staffordshire in 1881 census, but with a different wife Emma and young son William. There was also a Patience Holland there with some of the SHERRIFFS.

I would be so grateful if anyone has any information on Henry and Sarah Holland or their other children as it seems odd that I can find nothing on them.

[Mosaic]

Thank you and I really appreciate your efforts to help me. I got the details from the baptism cert at the local records office and there were no middle names shown for the parents. I also got a copy of George's marriage cert and there is no middle name for his father, Henry, on there. I tried tracing a birth cert for George but couldn't find one for Leicestershire so thought like you that maybe he wasn't registered or was registered elswhere. I can't even find George in any census before 1891.

It is so frustrating to know there were travelling HOLLAND families in the Midlands, yet not be able to find a link to them.

[Mosaic]

Yes, that is the right family Notanotherminer, I have those and the 1901 details. The Brotherby/Blothby bit threw me for a while as I hadn't heard of it. I have since found out that Blackfordby used to be locally pronounced Blofferby!

[Mosaic]

No I haven't done much on Caroline Johnson yet. I think her mother was a Sarah Ann Crutchley born 1879 Rugeley, Staffs. She was a rag and bone dealer in 1901. She was married to ? Elstone before she married Joseph Johnson. Thanks again.

I must go to bed now....have to be up early tomorrow....will look in later.

[Mosaic]

You have blown me away Notanaotherminer and certainly found plenty of info and food for thought on my gt gandmother Caroline Johnson. For a long time I hadn't thought she had a traveller ancestry, but it seems she does. I suppose travellers would make things like besoms to sell too.

I must dig out the copy of her and George's marriage cert today to check whether George's father Henry HOLLAND was shown as deceased or not when they got married. I don't think he was, but if I could find his death I suppose the informant on that might help. I can't believe that I can't find Henry, his wife Sarah or their son George before 1891.

[Mosaic]

Many thanks again Notanother miner. I think the baptism you found is likely to be the right one. You have given me a lot of useful info to look at.

I have looked at George and Caroline's marriage cert 1882 and they were married at St Michaels church, Brereton, Staffs. The father Henry Holland is not shown as deceased so he must have died at a later date, but I can't find a likely trace for him. The two witnesses shown are Thomas Wright and Martha Woods. I need to do some searches on those, but if they were travelling people, with no dates of birth, it could be tricky too.

I am beginning to think George and his parents were hiding on census dates 1861, 1871, 1881! Otherwise I suppose they could have missed being transcribed or were wrongly transcribed.