Transcript of St Sepulchres Church Graveyard, Northampton

[lizzieh4350]

My family is Hollis, is there anything you can tell me, I believe there was a family vault.

The period is mid 1800's. Thanks in advance, Liz Hollis

[djw]

Please could I have the information on JEFFS. Many Thanks.

[tormor]

Hi there Ian and lizzieh4350. I too am interested in your querie and any information on William Griffiths Hollis, assuming that this is the family to whom the query relates. I am related to this man, not his Northampton family but his LONDON family, if you get the picture! It has taken me over thirty years to unravel this oneand I have only done so in the past few weeks. In London he was William George Hannen and his "wife" was one Annie More Heane fron Northampton. She was a very upright Godfearing lady who was a Baptist , given that I can not imagine how the situation ever came about. He had four daughters in London and never appears in any of the London family photos, or any of the censii, and now I know why!Apparently he employed 207 people in his fotwear manufacturing  enterprise. Is there a list of emplyees surviving? Does Annie's name appear on it? What was the manufacturing business called and what happened to it?The affair must have started when she was about 17 as the first child was born when she was just 19. Are there any photographs of his Northampton family? What happened to his youngest Frank? What became of the others? Ihope that there is a mausoleum/vault i would love to read the inscriptions, especially if there is a eulogy.After his rightful wife died ,he married Annie in 1893 at Westminster register Office. He used to write poetry to at least one of his daughters and was obvously a very loving father who cared very much for them and in all the pictures which I have they are very well dressed, not just ordinary aceptable dress. I do hope that ther answers to my quries as I want to pursue this and find out more. He lived at 1a Sheep street. So it looks if WGHollis was your relative we are halfcousins removed xtimes!
All the very best yours aye

Tormor

[lizzieh4350]

Hello Tormor

It appears you are related to my husband, his great grandfather being the said Walter Griffiths Hollis.  Do you have the dates, birth, marriage, death of his children born to Annie?

We are away on holiday, on our return I can give you more info on WGH and his 'first' family.

He was a shoe manufacturer and is buried at St Sepulchre. The family had and married into money and had land around Northampton.

Regards, Liz Hollis

[seahall]

Hi Liz and Tormor

Welcome both of you to Rootschat. 

I wish Ian would answer I really miss him on the Northants Boards. 

The Hollis family you are both tracing, can you give dates of death at all.

I can see some graves in my collection, yet none marry up with your
names at the moment.

Sandy

[seahall]

HI again.

Whilst the family you note above is William Griffiths Hollis, the gravestone
I have seems to be for his Mother and Father who was also a
Shoe Manufacturer living in Brunswick Place, Northampton.

The inscription reads.

IN MEMORY OF
WILLIAM HOLLIS J.P.
WHO DIED 25TH JULY 1876 (Buried 29th)
AGED 76 YEARS

ALSO OF ELIZABETH
WIFE OF THE ABOVE
WHO DIED MAY 6TH 1879 (Buried 10th)
AGED 71 YEARS

Sandy

[tormor]

Hi Sandy

Thank you very much for the info posted above. That is a great help. Do you have any more info on him and his seven children? Do you know if he had any siblings?

Do you know anything about Frank Griffiths Hollis, 1868-1896? What did he do and why did he die?

If I came to Northampton, would I be able to identify any houses or graves? Do you know anything about the factory?

Best wishes

Tormor

[tormor]

Hi Liz

Thank you very much for your exciting reply, after over 30 years poking around, it seems like Pandora's box is opening up.

I am slightly confused as you say Walter Griffiths Hollis, whereas the son we have as Walter George and the father as William Griffiths. I look forward to hearing anything which you can tell me about William G and his first family on your return. You will see my queries to Sandy, which you may be able to answer if he is unable to do so.

From his second "marriage" to Annie, he had four daughters. Annie (known as Queenie), born 9 March 1865, initially married George Hunt whose Dover ferry was bombed by a Zeppelin in the 1st World War. She subsequently married twice more and had two daughters (I think), one of whom is still alive and I have met her and hope to meet her son shortly.

The second daughter was Helen (Nell), born 9 March 1866, married 16 June 1894 George W Scott. She died 30 October 1949. I believe they had 3 sons, all died; the youngest one dying in the Navy in the 1st World War.

The third daugher, Elizabeth Mary, (Aunt Lizzie), born 6 July 1868, married Arthur Eustace, died 21 April 1946. She had 5 children, including twins; only the 3 girls survived, the boys perished in the 1st World War. I am in touch with the last of that line.

The fourth daughter, Emily, born 25 May 1874, married Tom Howell, died 16 August 1950. She had 2 sons.

Do you know if a second family was rumoured? I am convinced that they knew about each other; one of the above had a son, Frank Griffiths! Ostensibly the reason for this was that he was named after a family friend who became an alcoholic, If Frank Hollis was an alcoholic, that would seem to clinch it.

The whole family lived at Camberwell, then in Surrey, described by W G in one of his letters as fair Camberwell, which in those days it was. Annie lived with Emily after W G's death. Do you know anything about Annie? Her father was a mathematical instrument maker. W G was said to have married "beneath himself". However, Ann Sharman was a farmer's daughter. Seems like a bit more camouflage. This is the second attempt at a reply to youas the first onle got wiped. I am not always as prompt as I have many interests so am not always available for a swift response, but will always get back to you as soon as I can.

Best wishes, Tormor

[lizzieh4350]

This is what I have:

William Hollis JP b 5 Jan 1800 d 25 July 1876 m Elizabeth b 1808 d 6 May 1979

Their chilren were:

 *William Griffiths Hollis my husbands great grandfather (see dates below)
and Elizabeth Hollis


 *William Griffiths Hollis (my husbands great grandfather)
 b 27 Dec 1827 d 10 Feb 1903 m Ann Andrew Sharman b 14 Nov 1828 d 30 Mar 1892 - they married 21 July 1852 Earts Barton, Northampton (where Ann Sharman was born)

Their children were:

Walter George Hollis (my husbands grandfather) b 4 May 1863 Northamptom d 28 Oct 1944 Bexhill
Elizabeth Ann Hollis d 1903
Emily Fanny Boulton Hollis d 18 Oct 1937
William Arthur Hollis b 1858 d 20 Feb 1888
Margaret Hollis
Marion Hollis b 7 Feb 1861 d 22 Feb 1956
Frank Griffiths Hollis b 1868 d 21 Mar 1896

I have gone back to 1778 the first William Hollis but will have to get back to you on these  dates etc. Regards, Liz