Grace Fulford

Notes:

In 1881, Joseph and Grace Holman are residing at 2 Cooper Street in Bideford, Devon, England.

Grace married Joseph Holman on 1 Oct 1828 in Bideford, Devon, England. Joseph (son of John Holman and Sarah Westlake) was born on 25 Mar 1804 in Bideford, Devon, England; died on 5 Nov 1883 in 1 Cooper Street, Bideford, Devon, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

In 1881 John and Emma Holman are residing on Hills Court, Exeter, St. Sidwell, Devon, England. John is employed as an insurance clerk.

Died:
From undated newspaper article

FUNERAL OF THE LATE MR. HOLMAN

The funeral of the late Mr John Holman of Hills Court, Pennsylvania, who died last week in his 65th year, took place in the Higher Cemetery yesterday afternoon. For a great number of years the deceased had been connected with the business carried on by Messrs W Mortimer and Son, in Bedford Circus. Born in Bideford in 1828 he entered the office, at the age of 21, in 1849. From that year he began his connection with the Western Provident Association, of which he was appointed Assistant Secretary on the death of Mr Wm Mortimer in March 1882. Mr Holman was also the chief clerk at the Provident Permanent Building Society from its start in 1849, and he may be justly said to have had no small share in helping to bring the two Societies to their present highly satisfactory position. People well able to judge have often remarked that Mr Holman was one of the ablest accountants Exeter has ever boasted. After a long and faithful service his loss will be keenly felt.

Mr Holman leaves a widow but no children. Endowed with unflagging industry Mr Holman was a self-educated man, and had accustomed himself to prolong a hard day's work with the self imposed study of French, mathematics, and other subjects. The Literary Society was in this respect of considerable value to him, and from the library and classes attached to that institution he obtained much of the varied knowledge he possessed. In politics Mr Holman was a sterling Liberal of enlightened and advanced views.

The funeral procession arrived at the Higher Cemetery at four o'clock, Among those present at the graveside were - Messrs E H Shorto (Chairman of the Building Society), G R Shorto (Chairman of Western Provident Association), W S Mortimer (Secretary of the Western Provident Association), A J Kernick, Brockington, Sharland, Austin, J Stevens, Marsh, Skyner, Shelley, Baker, Pyper, Piper, Sanford, H Sanford, Rowe, Willey, L S Robins (and for G Robins), Moss, Grant, Lee, W Easton, J M Pinn. H Yeo, R Vodden, W Bailey, W G Palmer, and E T Fulford. The Rev G Slater, of Christ Church, officiated.

The inscription on the coffin was as follows : - "John Holman, died March 16th, 1893; aged 64 years." Wreaths were sent by the following: - The Chairman and Board of Management of the Western Provident Association, Mr R H Shorto, Mrs and Miss Clarke, Mr W S Mortimer, Mr and Mrs Burns, Mr and Mrs T Lock (Bath), Mr and Mrs Stevens, Mr A B Kernick, Sarah Lock, Mrs Cox and Miss Taylor, Mr and Mrs T Lascelles, "The Mortimers,", "A Carlile." Mr and Mrs J H Sanford, "Lena and Will." Mr Rogers, of John street was the undertaker, and Mr Biekford supplied the coaches.

Family/Spouse: Emma. Emma was born about 1836 in Exeter, St. Davids, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Bing lived at 272 Brunswick in Stratford, Ontario. When he died he willed the property to Frederick Joseph Holman.

Family/Spouse: ??. died before 1901. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Mary. Mary was born about 1834 in Morwenstown, Cornwall, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Emigration: 1870
• Census: 1871, Stratford, Perth County, Ontario
• Census: 1881, Stratford, Perth County, Ontario
• Census: 1901, Stratford, Perth County, Ontario
• Census: 1911, Stratford, Perth County, Ontario
• Census: 1921, 264 Brunswick Street, Stratford, Perth County, Ontario

Notes:

Federal Census of 1871 (Ontario Index)

HOLMAN , F J

Stray: Individual bears a different surname than the head of the family
Sex: Male
Age: 26
Birthplace: ENGLAND
Religion: Church of England, Anglican
Origin: ENGLISH
Occupation: HARNESSMAKER
District: PERTH NORTH ( 030 )
Sub-district: Stratford Town ( C )
Division: 2
Page: 26
Microfilm reel: C-9940
Reference: RG31 — Statistics Canada

Frederick married Catherine Craig about 1871. Catherine (daughter of Gilbert Craig and Helen Lowe) was born on 13 Oct 1846 in Tuckersmith Township, Huron County, Ontario; died on 4 Sep 1921; was buried on 7 Sep 1921 in Avondale Cemetery, Stratford, Perth County, Ontario. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Census: 1881, Stratford, Perth County, Ontario
• Census: 1901, Stratford, Perth County, Ontario
• Census: 1911, 109 Ash Avenue, St. Gabriel, Hochelaga, Quebec
• Census: 1921, 272 Brunswick Street, Stratford, Perth County, Ontario

Notes:

Published in "The Stratford Beacon Herald" newspaper on Aug 29, 1956

Father and Son Drew Pension From CNR at Same Time

A man has to have some hobbies when he retires from regular work, says Frederick W. Holman, 272 Brunswick St. Perhaps because he has had several hobbies over the years, the former C.N.R. despatcher is still youthfully active. Slim, swift of movement and alert in thought, he is younger at 83 years of age than many men 20 years his junior.

It is a bit hard to believe that Mr. Holman retired from the despatcher's key back in 1937 after 49 years of service. He gives due credit for his energy to his hobbies. An ardent fisherman, he can still reel them in when friends drive him to favorite streams - he no longer drives a car himself. Only this month he hauled in three beautiful trout from a little creek near the Halfway House on the St. Marys road. They were not as large, of course, as the ones he took years ago around Amulree, when the waters were cold and there were a few deep holes where the big ones could lurk.

PLENTY TO DO

Other major hobbies over the years have been hunting and ekeet shooting. But these he has dropped with the advance of years. Now he spends much of his spare time at his garden and lawn - and as he says, there's always plenty to do.

When Mr. Holman forsook dots and dashes 19 years ago, he and his father, F. Joseph Holman, constituted the only father-son team on the pension list of the railroad at the same time. The elder Mr. Holman had 40 years of service to his credit when he retired as foreman of the GTR bridge and building department in 1914.

The younger Mr. Holman always wanted to go railroading. He has never regretted his choice. Telegraphy led him, mainly because five brothers of his mother were telegraphers. One of them, the late Hugh Craig, worked in Brantford for a time with Thomas A. Edison, later was a telegrapher in the United States Civil War, and went on to become a superintendent of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

Frederick was born in Stratford and attended Romeo public school, and also Central school which stood on a site near the present public library. After two years at the Collegiate Institute, he decided to learn telegraphy. At age of 16 years he started under the tutelage of the late George (Monk) Marr who was an operator at Stratford Junction.

Only a few old timers on the railroad remember Stratford Junction. It was a shanty near the edge of the city, where trains coming in on the Wiarton line went into reverse to back to the station. There was a junction at Tavistock too, Mr. Holman says. The prevalence of junctions, he thinks, could be traced to the amalgamations of competing lines in the Grand Trunk Railway during the last third of the 19th century.

PAY NOT HIGH

His first job as operator with the Grand Trunk was at Camlachie in 1889. Then he worked at Blyth, Wingham and St. Pauls before moving back to Stratford. Pay was not high - but he remembers getting board at Blyth or Wingham for $11 a month, with the landlord sometimes shoving back a dollar if he had been away for a few meals.

In 1892 he was transferred to the general office of the Grand Trunk at Montreal, where he remained for nearly 20 years. When he decided to return to Stratford he found rail officials helpful in locating a post here as relief despatcher. That was in 1911, two years before the present station was built.

He brought back with him his own typewriter - for in those days when a despatcher wanted to type his messages he had to buy his own machine. Otherwise, the messages had to be hand written.

There were far more trains to be routed in the old days than now, Mr. Holman says. Power was small and engines could pull trains of about 21 cars. "Engines were thick in those days," he mentions, recalling when eight passenger trains a day went through Tavistock - two down to Buffalo and two back.



Newspaper article from The Beacon-Herald newspaper, (Stratford, Ontario) Page 1:

VETERAN DESPATCHER RETIRES

FREDERICK W. HOLMAN

Father and Son Now Both Pensioners Of Railway

Frederick W. Holman Has Served as Railway Telegrapher 45 Years; Father, F. Joseph Holman, Now in 95th Year, Retired in 1914; Joint Service is 89 Years

Railroad history was established in Stratford today. When Fred W. Holman, 272 Brunswick street, popular Canadian National Railways train despatcher, left the dots and dashes this afternoon to enter a life of retirement on pension, he joined his father as a retired railroad veteran.

The elder Mr. Holman, F. Joseph Holman, will be 95 years of age next October. He entered his retirement from the Grand Trunk back in 1914, from the position of foreman of the Bridge and Building Department.

Officers of the railroad could not find a similar incident on record. Both Mr. Holman, Senior, and Mr. Holman, Junior, are quite deceiving in appearance respecting their ages. Between them they have to their credit eighty-nine years of service with the Grand Trunk and the Canadian National Railways. Fred W. Holman retires with forty-nine years of active service to his credit and when Mr. Holman, Sr., started his years of retirement he had served forty years.

"Naturally I'll miss the key and everything that goes with train despatching, but I guess I'll find something to do. I have a lawn which needs manicuring and then there is some painting to be done," commented the younger Mr. Holman, in speaking to the Beacon-Herald.

And speaking of painting, he observed that C. J. McKeough who has retired as superintendent of transportation, Stratford division, has taken to painting his house with W. J. Piggott, retired superintendent of the London division, has started painting his cottage at Southampton.

Likes His Work

"When I was a boy a man was around reading the bumps on people's heads. He said I would be either a bandmaster, a physician or a telegraph operator. I took up the latter and I never regretted the move," commented Mr. Holman, who has lived most of his life right here in Stratford.

Born in this city, he attended public school and went to high school for about a year and then came his opening to get to work when he was sixteen. But railroading seemed like the only occupation for him. It was only natural in those days that a son should be a railroadman if his father was one. And in the Holman case, he had five uncles on his mother's side who were all railroad telegraphers.

One uncle in particular, Mr. Holman recalled, worked in Brantford with the great Thomas Edison. He was a telegraph operator during the American Civil War and later was a superintendent on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. He was the late Hugh Craig.

Mr. Holman learned telegraphy from the late George (Monk) Marr, who was an operator at Stratford Junction. No, there's no such a place as Stratford Junction now, but the old-time railroadmen will remember it. All there was to it was a shanty where an operator was located, at the east end of the city. In those days trains coming in on the Wiarton line backed into the Stratford depot from the Junction.

In 1899 Mr. Holman got his first job with the Grand Trunk as an operator at Camlackie. He worked at Blyth, Wingham and St. Pauls and was moved back to Stratford and then in 1892 was transferred to the general office in Montreal. He operatored at Montreal for twenty years and his next move brought him back to his native city and he has been here since.

"I was rather fortunate, I came back here as a relief despatcher and fortunately got located as a regular despatcher on a regular trick," said the veteran telegraph operator.A trick, in telegrapher's language is the stretch of hours at work.

Train despatching has not changed a great deal, as is the case in many other phases of railroading. Some twenty years ago the mouth-piece and the loud speaker were added to the equipment. Despatchers simply speak their orders into the mouth piece which hangs about the neck similar to that of a telephone operator and he listens to orders from the speaker. But the telegraph key is still used extensively and there has been only a few changes to it.

Train despatching plays one of the most important parts in the operation of a railroad. It is a despatcher's duty to know where all trains are at all times. It is his duty to see that unscheduled trains do not interfere with regular trains and to arrange passing points for them.

Mr. Holman believed that the busiest time of his whole railroading career was last spring during the big flood of the Thames River. For three days all traffic, passenger and freight, from the main Sarnia-London-Hamilton line was running through Stratford because of the wash-out on the double line.

When a despatcher goes off duty, he writes in red ink the location of all trains.

As far as hobbies are concerned Fred Holman likes fishing and hunting. He delights in skeet shooting and believes it to be one of the finest sports in existence.

In his possession he has a rifle which is most unusual. It is of .45 calibre and was using during the Fenian Raids. Its fire would carry over about a mile distance and train crews were equipped with these guns during the danger of the Fenian Raids.

Mr. Holman, Sr., is still quite active. He gets around for his daily walk which generally takes him down town and he still keeps up with the events of the world through columns of his daily paper. He resides with his son on Brunswick street.

Frederick married Dora Bowman on 26 Dec 1916 in 30 Francis Street North (initial house address was 19 Francis Street), Berlin, Waterloo County, Ontario. Dora (daughter of Reuben S. Bowman and Louisa H. Geiger) was born on 25 Jun 1885 in 162 Wellington Street North, Berlin, Waterloo County, Ontario; died in 1970; was buried on 10 Jul 1970 in Avondale Cemetery, Stratford, Perth County, Ontario. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
Obituary from newspaper clipping

MRS. F. C. WILKINSON.

The death occurred on Sunday evening, Jan. 29, of Helen Lowe Holman, wife of Mr. F. C. Wilkinson, and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. J. Holman, 264 Brunswick street. Mrs. Wilkinson was born in Stratford and conducted a music studio in the city for a considerable time, and was very widely known throughout the city. By her kindly manner she won the respect and esteem of all who knew her. She was also rated as one of the best music teachers in the city, not one of her pupils having failed an examination. Mrs. Wilkinson was a valued member of St. James Church choir, in which circle her decease will be deeply regretted. She always took an active interest in musical festivities going on in the city. About a year ago she was married to Mr. F. C. Wilkinson. Besides a sorrowing husband, she leaves to mourn her loss, an infant child, her parents, Mr. and Mrs. F. J. Holman, and her uncle, Mr. W. Holman of this city; two brothers, Hugh, contractor of Winnipeg, and Fred, telegraph operator, Montreal. Mrs. R. H. McKeown, 298 Albert street, Mrs. Cawston, 122 Douglas street, are aunts of the deceased.

Helen married Francis "Frank" Campbell Wilkinson on 27 Dec 1909 in St. James' Church, Stratford, Ontario. Francis (son of Hon Frank H. Wilkinson and Grace) was born in Sep 1886. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
Beacon Herald (Stratford, Ontario) 28 October 1955 page 7

Hugh Gordon Holman - Obituary

Hugh Gordon Holman, M.R.A. I.C, a brother of Frederick W. Holman 272 Brunswick St., Stratford, died Thursday in Toronto General Hospital. Mr. Holman was a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Frederick J. Holman of Stratford. He was a pupil at Romeo and Falstaff schools and a student at Stratford Collegiate Institute before moving to Winnipeg in 1895. During the First World War he was a captain in a Royal Canadian Engineers battalion. Prior to his death he worked as an architect with the Toronto firm of Marani and Morris. Mr. Holman was predeceased by a sister, Mrs. Frank Wilkinson the former Helen Lowe Holman, a well-known Stratford pianist. The body is at the A. W. Miles funeral chapel, Toronto where a funeral service will be held.

Hugh married Ivy Bay Valentine Moore in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Ivy (daughter of E. D. Moore) was born in Feb 1886; died about 1910 in 189 Colony Street, Ivy Bay. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Hugh married Kathleen Annie King on 18 Jun 1919 in St Mary's Church, Launton, Oxfordshire. Kathleen (daughter of Charles Albert King and Sarah Annie Hawes) was born on 2 Dec 1898 in Bicester, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Census: 1921, 272 Brunswick Street, Stratford, Perth County, Ontario

Helen married Thomas Manning Coulton on 8 May 1944 in Stratford, Perth County, Ontario. Thomas (son of William Coulton and Laura Fuller) was born about 1920 in Sebringville, Ellice Township, Perth County, Ontario; died on 12 Apr 2006 in Spruce Lodge, Stratford, Ontario; was buried on 23 Oct 2006 in Avondale Cemetery, Stratford, Perth County, Ontario. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Residence: 1953, 12 Park Street, Kitchener, Ontario
• Residence: 1957, 53 Bingeman Street, Kitchener, Ontario

Margaret married Roy William Kibble on 4 Aug 1952 in Stratford, Perth County, Ontario. Roy (son of Alfred Charles Kibble and Alice Esther Finch) was born on 14 Jan 1920 in Cambridge (Galt), Ontario; died on 18 Feb 2015 in Kitchener, Ontario. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: James Arthur Schultz. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Hugh married Living Emberton [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]