Person:Holiday Hickinbottom (3)

Holiday Hickinbottom was baptised on 22nd September 1751 at Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, son of Elizabeth Hickinbottom, formerly Watts, and her husband Amor Hickinbottom. Holiday was the fourth of ten children and was named after his paternal grandfather, who had died ten years earlier.

On 27th May 1778, aged 26, Holiday married a Fanny Smith. Less than three months later their first son was baptised at Leighton Buzzard. Between 1778 and 1787 Holiday and Fanny had a number of children at Leighton Buzzard (at least four and possibly as many as six), at least one of whom died young. Holiday's father Amor died in 1784, when Holiday was 33. At the baptism of Holiday's youngest child in 1787, he was described as poor.

Holiday's mother died in 1801, when Holiday was 50. His wife Fanny died the following year, being buried at Leighton Buzzard on 9th November 1802. Holiday was 51 when she died - he outlived Fanny by about 35 years.

In 1816, Holiday acted as one of the trustees for his brother John's estate. John had worked as a gardener and owned some copyhold cottages and land in Leighton Buzzard. John's only child had died young, son John's will left his estate to his brothers Holiday and James for them to sell and divide between the surviving siblings.

From the early 1790s until 1831 Holiday acted as town crier and watchman for Leighton Buzzard, as well as working as a gardener to a Mr Dickenson at Prebendal House.

Holiday died in 1837, aged 85.

1. ↑ Church of England. Leighton Buzzard Parish Register Transcripts, 1562-1885. (Bedford: Bedfordshire Record Office).

   Baptisms: 22 Sep 1751 Holiday s Amor & Eliz HICKUMBOTTOM

2. ↑ England. National Burial Index.

   bur. 12 Feb 1837, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire: Hobday Hickinbottom, aged 87 [1749/50]

3.   Chapter XI: Customs, page 55, in Leighton Buzzard and its Hamlets (Robert Richmond, 1928, Leighton Buzzard).

   Holliday Hickenbottom (Lived at a house in Lamsey) was 'Cryer and Watchman' for upwards of forty years, also gardener to Mr. Dickenson at the Prebendal House. He used to cry the hours at midnight and at 1.0 and 2.30 a.m. He was succeeded by John Stairs in 1831 (Vestry Minute Book) and the office of crier is still held by one of his descendants.