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Please can anyone help.

My greatgrandfather William Joseph Hollis who was 25 at the time married Jane Hockings in July 1856 in Clapham

His father also called William Joseph was at the wedding.

What I can't find is any information regarding him or his parents in the census 1941, 1951 and 1961. I do not know his mother's name

In the 1861 census his wife Jane was living at Drury Lane Finsbury with two children, Henry and William but no William Joseph Martin

I also cannot find any brothers and sisters for William

Any help would be appreciated
Ann

For reference:-

Marriages Sep 1856 (>99%)
Hollis William Joseph Wandsworth 1d 681
Hockings Jane Wandsworth 1d 681

The district Wandsworth spans the boundaries of the counties of Greater London, London and Surrey

Thanks for replying

According to a later census he was born in Kensington and all his children were born in London as well.

On the marriage certificate it looks like his father was a greengrocer, but it is not very clear.

At the time of the marriage William himself was down as a cheesemonger, which was his wife's family busines

Ann

Many thanks Catherine, I have a copy of this certificate but can't find out about his parents

Thanks for helping

Can you give me Jane's date and place of birth please.
I know Finsbury is in London but at the risk of looking stupid, which county would that be in 1861?

Jane Eleanor Hockings who married William was born in Lympstone Devon in 1829. Her parents were Samuel Hockings and Martha Denning.

There has been a lot of information on the Hockings side but it all seemed to stop when it got to the Hollis's

In 1861 Finsbury would have come under Middlesex

Thanks again
Ann

I take it this is Jane in 1861:-

Name: Jane Hollis
Age: 30
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1831
Relation: Sister
Gender: Female
Where born: Limpston, Devon, England

Civil Parish: St Giles
Ecclesiastical parish: London
Town: London
County/Island: Middlesex
Country: England

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

View Image

Registration district: St Giles
Sub registration district: St Giles South
ED, institution, or vessel: 2
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 102
Household Members:
Name Age
Eliza H Allen 17
James D Hawkins 19
Henry J Hollis 2
Jane Hollis 30 Sister
William G Hollis 3 Mo
Ann Shears House 38 Head - Cheesmonger
Charles H House 8

Yes you have the right Census - Family

In the next Census 1871 William was back with Jane and they were living at Lewisham.
The name Hollis was spelt Holliss.

For reference:-
1871

Name: William Jos Holliss
Age: 40
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1831
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Jane
Gender: Male
Where born: St Margaret, Middlesex, England
Civil Parish: Lewisham
Ecclesiastical parish: Christchurch
Town: Forest Hill
County/Island: Kent
Country: England
Street address:

Occupation: Cheesemonger

Registration district: Lewisham
Sub registration district: Sydenham
ED, institution, or vessel: 15a
Household schedule number: 109
Household Members:
Name Age
Annie Holliss 1 month
Edward Holliss 1 born: Lewisham, Kent
Frank Holliss 5 born: Walworth, Surrey
Harriet Emma Holliss 3 born: Croydon, Surrey
Jane Holliss 41
Rebecca Jane Holliss 8 born: Lambeth, Surrey
William Jos Holliss 40
Annie E House 21 Sister born: St Giles, Middlesex

Found this in 1841 but?:-

William Js Hollis abt 1833 Chelsea, Middlesex

Boys in the Asylum

Name: William Js Hollis
Age: 8
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1833
Gender: Male
Civil Parish: Chelsea
Hundred: Ossulstone (Kensington Division)
County/Island: Middlesex
Country: England

Registration district: Kensington
Sub registration district: Chelsea South

(Royal Military Asylum for Children)

Yes Catherine you have the right family. Frank Holliss aged 5 was my grandfather.

One of the interesting things about this family is that Annie Hollis aged 1 month is shown in the 1901 census living with her mother Jane and three children called Bloom for which I can find no birth registration.
Thanks again

I think the three Bloom children from 1901 census were all christened Hollis.

Births Sep 1893
Hollis Daniel George B Marylebone 1a 596
(The B is probably for Bloom)

Births Sep 1897 (>99%)
Hollis Mary Ann Chelsea 1a 408

Births Dec 1899 (>99%)
HOLLIS Frank Bloom Marylebone 1a 588

From the 1901 census they are all noted as being the children of Annie.

Many thanks Catherine, that's brilliant.
I never thought to look for them under Hollis as they were Bloom on the census.
This will now allow me to do a lot more research
Thanks again
Ann

Hello Catherine back again
As both Daniel and Frank had the B for Bloom in their name, do you think May could have been

May Annie B Hollis Kensington 1a 126?

Hope this isn't your William but I'm including this record as Jane was living in Finsbury in 1861 and I thought that it was worth keeping on file.

1851 Census:-
Name: William Hollis
Age: 17
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1834
Relation: Prisoner
Gender: Male
Where born: St Luke, Middlesex, England

Civil Parish: St Luke Old Street
Ecclesiastical parish: St Mark and St Paul
County/Island: Middlesex
Country: England

Occupation: Butcher

Registration district: St Luke
Sub registration district: Finsbury

You're probably right there, must have missed that one.

Yes it is a possibility as I believe he was a bit of a rogue.

I have also found an entry in the C1841 of William Hollis living at the Royal Military Asylum Chelsea.

I'm having trouble tracing William too.
I had been thinking that William may have been away buying cheese in 1861, maybe even on the continent, but after having another look at the census records for Jane's sister, Ann House, I noticed that Ann's husband Richard, died in 1861 so now I'm wondering if Jane just went to stay with her sister for a while.
If the 1851 census for William is correct maybe he was a bit of a lad and was back in jail?
How does this sound?
After coming out of jail he was unable to find a job as a butcher and Richard gave him a job in the family business. William wanted the business for him and his family and bumped Richard off and so he was back in jail in 1861................(Oh dear, been reading too many Agatha Christie) I'll just keep looking!!!

I saw the 1841 census record too but was hoping to find another.

Brilliant Catherine, I couldn't have done better

In true Agatha Christie style the names of William and Jane's children also changed. Eleanor Jane Hollis 1863 was sometimes called Rebecca and when she married John Allport in1897 her name changed again to Jennie! Alas it didn't do her any good as she died five years later leaving a 2year old daughter Dorothy.