Person:John Holding (1)

John Benjamin Holding was born in 1877 at Hayes in Middlesex, son of a brickmaker named George Holding and his wife Annie. The family lived at the hamlet of Dawley, adjoining the Grand Junction Canal, where they appear in the 1881 census. By 1891 John was working on the canals as a boat boy, appearing in that year's census on a boat called the "Violet Bertha", which carried sand and brick and was moored at Paddington.

John's next sighting is in 1902, also in Paddington, when he married Beatrice Ellen Janet Allen. Shortly after their marriage they moved to 84 Hall Place in Paddington, living there until about 1911, when they moved to 54 Devonshire Street in Marylebone, appearing there in the 1911 census. They reported that they had had five children but only three were still living. The 1912 electoral register records John as living at both 84 Hall Place and 54 Devonshire Street.

After the Great War, the family settled at 99 Princess Street in the Lisson Grove area of Marylebone.

Beatrice died in 1926, aged 43. John survived her by just three years, dying in 1929, aged 52.

1.   Births index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   b. John Benjamin HOLDING, December Quarter 1877, Uxbridge Registration District, Volume 3a, page 40

2. ↑ Baptisms register, in Hayes, Middlesex, England. Parish Registers.

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Hayes in the County of Middlesex in the year One thousand eight hundred and Seventy seven
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents' Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   594	1877 Nov 4th	Benjamin John	George & Annie	Holding	Hayes	Labourer	J. Godding

   This baptism has been linked to the John Benjamin Holding who married Beatrice Ellen Janet Allen on the basis that on their marriage certificate John said his father was a brick maker named George Holding, and the census after their marriage (1911) says John was born at West Drayton, which is near Hayes. The 1881 census confirms that George Holding worked in brick making.

3. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 1328; Folio 89; Page 22, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: 2 Dawley Field on the bank of canal, Dawley, Harlington, Middlesex
   George Holding, head, married, male, 36 [1844/5], Brickfield lab, b. Heston, Middlesex
   Ann Holding, wife, married, female, 32 [1848/9], b. Heston, Middlesex
   George Holding, son, male, 11 [1869/70], Scholar, b. Heston, Middlesex
   Emily Holding, daughter, female, 9 [1871/2], Scholar, b. Heston, Middlesex
   Ada Holding, daughter, female, 5 [1875/6], Scholar, b. Hayes, Middlesex
   John Holding, son, male, 3 [1877/8], b. Hayes, Middlesex
   Charles Holding, son, male, 1 [1879/80], b. Hayes, Middlesex

4. ↑ England. 1891 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG12; Piece 10; Folio 41; Page 78, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: Canal Boat 10038 Name "Violet Bertha, Vigers Wharf, Fermoy Road, Paddington, London
   Henry Walker, boatman, single, male, 19 [1871/2], Boatman in chage - Employed in Sand & Brick, employed, b. London Paddington
   John Holding, boatboy, single, male, 13 [1877/8], Boatman boy to assist - Employed in Sand & Brick, employed, b. London Dawley nr Hayes

5. ↑ England. 1911 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom: The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), (formerly the UK General Register Office.))
   Class RG14; Piece 567; Schedule 193, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: 54 Devonshire Street, Lisson Grove, London NW
   2 rooms occupied
   John Holding, head, male, 32 [1878/9], married 9 years, 5 children born, 3 children still living, Water side Labourer - Canal, worker, b. West Drayton, London
   Beatrice Holding, wife, female, 27 [1883/4], married, b. Paddington, London
   William Holding, son, male, 5 [1905/6], b. Paddington, London
   John Holding, son, male, 3 [1907/8], b. Paddington, London
   Beatrice Holding, daughter, female, 1 [1909/10], b. Paddington, London

6.   London, England. Electoral Registers.

   1905: 84 Hall place, Paddington North
   Holding, John
   1912: 84 Hall-place & 54 Devonshire-street, Marylebone West
   Holding, John
   1919: 99 Princess Street, Paddington & Marylebone
   Holding, Beatrice
   Holding, John
   1921: 99 Princess Street, Paddington & Marylebone
   Holding, Beatrice
   Holding, John
   1923: 99 Princess Street, Marylebone
   Holding, Beatrice
   Holding, John
   1925: 99 Princess Street, Marylebone
   Holding, Beatrice
   Holding, John
   1926: 99 Princess Street, Marylebone
   Holding, Beatrice
   Holding, John
   1927: 99 Princess Street, Marylebone
   Holding, John
   Holding, William
   1928: 99 Princess Street, Marylebone
   Holding, John
   Holding, William
   1929: 99 Princess Street, Marylebone
   Holding, John
   Holding, John (junr.)
   Holding, William

7. ↑ Deaths index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   d. John B. HOLDING, December Quarter 1929, Kensington Registration District, Volume 1a, page 192, aged 52 [1876/7]