Family of Frederick Edward HOLLOWAY and Elizabeth Jane WILLIAMS

He was friends with Ralph Copeland, 3rd Astronomer Royal for Scotland.

He met him when they were both in Gorton in the 1860's.

At the time Fred worked at the Beyer Peacock Locomotive works.

This was before Copeland went off to Gottingen to study.

They met up again in the 1890's and Fred visited Ralph at the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh shortly after it opened.

He was born in Stoulton, as were some of his brother(s) and where his father lived for a time. There is a 1901 census entry for a Frederick Holloway that fits for age and birth-place.

The 1891 census records him, wife Elizabeth, and children Emily, Eliza, Lavinia, Ralph and Ethel all living at home at 19 Newdegate, Aston.

An Engine Turner is/was someone who uses machines (e.g. lathes) to engrave patterns on metal. A typical application is in silver or jewellery work.

It would seem that Fred worked at Gorton Foundry around 1863. This was where Beyer-Peacock made locomotives until it was eventually closed in 1966. Gorton is now part of Manchester. This is probably where he met Ralph Copeland who was also an apprentice there at the time.

He is buried in grave 4652 in Yardley Cemetery (area 8), along with his wife, Elizabeth who survived him until 1922 and Harry Sampson, who died in 1952. Harry's son Ralph Sampson was Elizabeth Percival's (nee Kempson) cousin, who lived at 2308 Coventry Road in Birmingham. Harry's wife was Tissie Holloway. Ralph's wife was Dorothy (who I met once and knew as Aunty Dore.) They had two sons, Colin and Norman. Norman had Down's syndrome. I met him once at Virginia Water - I think it was when I was travelling to Italy to take part in Europatrol in 1973(?)

I am pretty certain that she was born in 1835 - probably March or perhaps April.

There have been a few mis-recordings of her age, including possibly by herself!

16 in 1851 census (30 March) - consistent with brother being 14 - 1835

54 in 1891 census (5 April) suggests 1836 or 1837

63 in 1901 census (31 March) suggests 1837 or 1838

75 in 1911 census (2 April) suggests 1835 or 1836

84 and 3 months in 1921 census (19 June) would make DOB ~ Mar/Apr 1937

Died aged 86 in Jan 1922 - makes dob 1835 or 1836 but more likely 1835!

Clearly something is amiss with recorded ages.

Buried in Grave 4652 in Yardley cemetery with her husband Fred (1906) and Harry Sampson (1952) Burial index number is 19316.

No headstone

Recorded as head of household in 1901 census - although husband Fred was still alive.

In June 1921 census she was visiting son Harry and family along with daughter Phyllis (Nicklin) - 4 Greenleaf Road, Walthamstow, London.

In 1911 census she is recorded as a visitor at her daughter and son in law's residence at 102 Kingsway, Coventry.

There is another Harry Holloway aged 20 there at the same time, who is 20 years old and recorded as an engineer. Don't know his relationship.

In 1921 census she is recorded as a visitor at her son Harry's house.

I don't know if these are just coincidences or whether she no longer had her own house and was being passed around amongst her children.