These three old photos I bought from the Postcard Fair at Clyst St Mary in Devon last month. I had a quick glimpse at the time and saw a bit of writing so I thought I would buy them and take a chance on being able to identify the family.

Of course when I got home and looked properly I was surprised to see this photo above was the only one that had any writing on! It said “Violet and Ambrose 1910” then after it said “Ambrose 1939” which doesn’t relate to anything I have so maybe a photo that was kept or lost?

As Ambrose was a fairly unusual name I thought I would just search the 1911 census first, which I did entering Ambrose, exact, born 1910, in Croydon, Surrey with a Mother called Violet, exactly. Wow did I get lucky! There was just one result, amazing, I did make a few other broader searches but this first one was undoubtedly the right family.

I started a family tree for the family on Ancestry with the details from this census and carried on from there. I’ve gone back a couple of generations but have not put a great lot of detail on the tree that is now public, direct link here: Ambrose Holman Family

The three photos that I have were taken by a Photographer’s in Croydon, Surrey. All were inside a card folder, and the seller assured me they were all the same family. Would this second photo below be Ambrose the son standing at the back with his parents and sister. It looks the most likely according to what I’ve found.

The Father below is I believe Ambrose Edgar Holman who was born on 6 December 1881 in Topsham, Devon to parents Ambrose Creedy Holman (A Master Mariner) and Mary Sarah Bolt, who had married in 1864. Mother, first photo and family group is Violet Payn who was born on 14 September 1880 in Blackheath, Kent, her father was Walter Payn, he was in 1891, a Manager at a Muslin Lace Manufacturer, also a Wesleyan Lay Preacher and her mother was Elizabeth Igglesden.

Back to baby Ambrose, in the first photo and group, Ambrose Walter Holman was born on 14 January 1910 in Croydon, Surrey. He married Patricia O Swanton in October 1969 in Bristol, Gloucestershire. He died on 19 July 1988 in Bristol, Gloucestershire, at the age of 78. I haven’t found any children of the couple as yet.

His sister was Elizabeth Mary Holman and was born in April 1911 in Croydon, Surrey. She tragically died on 4 December 1930 in Godstone, Surrey, at the young age of 19. Her death was recorded in the Croydon Times on 10 December 1930, with the family saying that she was known as ‘Beth’, but it didn’t give the cause of death.

This above is the digital cause of death from the GRO, what a terrible tragedy for such a lovely young woman, she was beautiful and it’s especially sad that her photo is the last of the three images I have.

As always if you are a descendant of this family, do get in touch either by leaving a comment on here or by email to lynnswaffles@gmail.com.

Till next time then…….