Family Photographs 1

My father Sydney Holland was born in Chester on 25th July 1908 and was educated at All Saints Church School in Hoole, Chester.He served his apprenticeship at Messrs. Taplin and Paddock of Chester and during WW2 was employed at the De Havilland aircraft factory in Broughton, Chester. Following the end of the war he worked for the “Observer” later to become the “Cheshire Observer” a weekly paper covering the Chester area. A skilled craftsman in the printing trade he had extensive technical knowledge of Linotype machines. He married my Mother Edith Parker at All Saints Church in Hoole, Chester on 11th August 1940. In his latter years at the “Cheshire Observer” he was Head Reader,an exacting positition aimed at ensuring a minimum of typographical errors in the finished product. Of a quiet and retiring disposition his main hobby was reading. He was Vice President of the Chester branch of the National Graphical Association, of which he had been an active member for many years. He died died on 11th April 1969.

Sydney Holland

My mother Edith Parker was born on 10th January 1916 the daughter of John & Eliza Parker. She worked in the retail clothing trade for many years with jobs at the Chester branches of Etam and Austin Reed. Her experience in the clothing trade helped to develop a keen eye for fashion and she was always noted, even in her latter years, as being a very stylish lady!! One of her early passions was for Ballroom Dancing which earned her various accolades and silverware. For a time she undertook voluntary work delivering “meals on wheels” for the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS). She was devoted to her to her two Grandchildren and died quietly at a nursing home in Malpas, Cheshire on 25th October 2001.

Grandmother Eliza Parker (nee Dodd) was born on 4th March 1886 in Birkenhead, Cheshire the daughter of Robert & Mary Dodd. At the time of her marriage to John in Birkenhead on 10th Sep 1906 Eliza was working as a Domestic Servant. For recreation Eliza was very fond of playing the card game Whist. She was a leading member of the local “Whist Drives” which took place in and around the Hoole area of Chester where she lived. An excellent cook Eliza took great pleasure in her latter years visiting her extended family of grandchildren who lived in Northampton & Scunthorpe.

Eliza Dodd

Grandfather John Thomas Parker was born in Birkenhead Cheshire on the 9th Sept 1886 son of Henry & Selina Parker. John started work as a Commercial Clerk in Liverpool around 1901 but by 1906 had started to work as a Railway Carriage Examiner a job he held until his retirement in 1951. He married Eliza Dodd in Birkenhead on 10th September 1906 and shortly afterwards their first child Edna Caroline was born. By 1908, and still working on the Railway, the family had moved to live in Craven Arms Shropshire and had two more girls called Violet and Beryl. By 1916 the family had moved back to Cheshire and were living in Chester. My Mother Edith and their final child, and only son, John were born in Chester. They lived at 9 Water Tower View in Chester for most of their married life. John was very fond of his many Grandchildren and loved to listen to music. He died in 1957 aged 71 yrs.

John Parker

Always known by me as Nanna, Nellie Holland was born on the 16th July 1883 at 80 Philip Street, Hoole in Chester the daughter of Samuel William and Frances Elizabeth Onions. At the age of 17 Nellie was recorded in the 1901 Census as being a dressmaker but for the majority of her life was occupied looking after her family and their home. The house in which she and the family lived was by the standards of her day a modern home. By today’s standards however it lacked a lot. The only Toilet was outside in the back yard. There was no internal bathroom so the three upstairs bedrooms had wash stands on which were placed large stoneware jugs sitting in a matching basin. Water had to be fetched from the kitchen for the purpose of washing & bathing. Nellie outlived both her children and lived a very contented life until her death on 26th September 1973. She is buried with her husband Richard at Chester Cemetery in Blacon.This picture of her was taken on 9th August 1946.

My Grandfather Richard Holland was born on 17th February 1883 at 62 Cornwall Street, Newtown in Chester the son of Thomas Bagnall and Margaret Holland. He married Nellie Onions at All Saints Church in Hoole, Chester on 24th October 1907. Richard worked in a metal engineering works as a Turner. He enjoyed crown green bowling and is also pictured as an Umpire at a local Cricket match. The picture of him on the 1921 Strike Committee seems to show that he was quite actively involved in Trade Union work. He was very fond of trips with family members to the North Wales Coast where he was often pictured dressed in a lounge suit sitting on the beach.

Gt Grandmother Margaret Holland was born on 3rd December 1855 at Saltney in Chester the daughter of Robert & Emma Thomas. Prior to her marriage to Thomas Holland she was in domestic service. She was an active member of her local Church, Christ Church in Newtown, Chester and also of the local Mothers Union. After the death of her husband Thomas she continued to live at 53 Cornwall Street where she died aged 95 on 10th October 1951. According to a newspaper clipping written on the occasion of her 95th Birthday; “Mrs Holland retains her faculties unimpaired by the passing of the years. She is able to sew and read and listen to the radio, one of her favourite programmes is ITMA. She is fond of serial plays and lively music. Until recently she did not wear glasses for reading”

Gt Grandfather Thomas Bagnall Holland was born on 15th March 1856 in Holywell, Flintshire. He was a Tailor by trade and married Margaret Thomas on 1st June 1878 whilst living in Birkenhead, Cheshire. He eventually moved to Chester and worked as a Tailor for John Smith & Son in Eastgate Row. By the 1901 Census he had moved to 62 Cornwall Street, Newtown, Chester where he lived for 26 years.Eventually the family moved across the road to 53 Cornwall St where Thomas lived until his death on 26th Feb 1922. He is buried at the New Cemetary in Overleigh Road, Chester with his wife Margaret and two daughters Emily & Katie.

My Gt Grandfather Sam Onions was born in Chester on 30th March 1856 the son of William & Harriett Onions. He married Mary Elizabeth Paddy on 18th December 1880 in Chester. He was a Stone Mason for most of his working life and lived at 89 Philip Street, Hoole, Chester for over 30 years. He died aged 61 on 17th December 1916 and was buried at Chester's Overleigh Road Cemetary.

Samuel Onions

Gt Grandmother Mary Elizabeth Paddy was born at Raglan Barracks in Devon on 12 November 1859 the daughter of William & Frances Paddy. She married Sam Onions at Chester on the 18th December 1880. They had 6 daughters and 2 sons.

This rather grainy photograph shows Richard Holland & Nellie Onions on their wedding day on 24th October 1907. They are posing in the back yard of their new home at 122 Philip Street, Hoole in Chester where they lived their entire married lifes. The picture was scanned from a tintype photo and believe it or not has been enhanced to its current form. The clue to its origins comes from the button hole flowers being worn and that Nellie is depicted at the front door of 122 Philip Street in a much clearer photograph (right) wearing the same dress.

Probably taken about 1918 this photograph shows 3 generations of Holland's on the beach almost certainly at either Rhyl or Prestatyn on the North Wales coast. In the centre at the back of the photo is Gt Grandmother Margaret Holland with Nellie Holland to the right of her. At the front right is Gt Grandfather Thomas Bagnall Holland with my father on his knee. In the front centre is my Grandfather Richard Holland and to the left of him his daughter Vera.

My Great Grandfather Thomas Bagnall Holland can be seen standing outside the Talbot Public House in the Newtown area of Chester circa 1930 (2nd from left). No doubt he and his fellow patrons were waiting for opening time! This pub is still in use today

This fascinating picture probaly dated about 1900 shows my Gt Grandfather Sam Onions (sitting 3rd from left ) on site during the construction of an as yet unidentified building, almost certainly in Chester. Note the cat in the arms of the man on the left and the young lady enjoying a cup of tea with the other men on site.