Can anyone help me trace my nannas family?

Question

My nanna was called Jessie Holroyd.She was born in the 1900s.She has two sons John and David.Also a stillborn baby girl(name unknown)She never married.She was my best friend and i loved her very much.She has been dead now for nearly 17 yrs.But i need to know if anyone here can help me?There are so many things i never got to find out about her.Can anyone please please help me?? Only serious answers please.Any help would be greatly appreciated.My family are like a closed book.XX

Hi and thankyou!! she lived in Hawes and Gayle in the United Kingdom. (farming country)She also had links with Leeds as well. She met a guy(my dads father) My dad never bothered to find out who was his dad was.It doesnt matter to him.But does to me!!So this is our maiden name.This man was supposedly a well respected man. I just wanna know if she was loved and if she had brothers and sisters.I need to know if anyone misses her as much as i do...she was my best friend.I loved her and still do..so very much.So much about her isnt known.I cant get any answers fro my dad as he wont speak to me.I know my dads brother attacked my nan with an iron bar once and nearly killed her.He is called David.Older than my dad.My dad is 60. hope this extra stuff helps
X

candolim??This is my nanna. Born 1910. 11th November!!!!! died in May 1990!! i know this as my daughter was only 6 months old at the time and my nanna thankfully got to see her before she died!!!Thankyou so very much!!!! I am going to order a birth certifcate. You dont know how grateful to you!!! Big Kisses XXXX

Answer 1

You haven't said which country you are asking this question from, what is it that you would like to know about your nans (gran ) family history. If you would like to edit your question and give a location as well that will really help the researcher with their search. There are some excellent researchers that frequent this forum, I'm sure you will get the help you need.
I have just seen your edit, how old was your nan when she died, did she die in the UK, and have you any idea where Hawes and Gayle is. I have had a look on the gazetteer but that's saying there is nothing matching those names. I came up with around 108 Jessie Holroyd. I would think they came from Yorkshire having the name 'Holroyd', I shall carry on searching, if you could possibly find out the age of your nan and the place she died that would really help.
I have emailed you with some information I think may be your dad, could you let me know please.

Answer 2

As you said she died 17 years ago, I ran a search on deaths and found Jessie Holroyd died May 1990 in Wensleydale, North Yokshire. Her birthdate was 11th Nov 1910 and another 21st Nov 1917 -Jan 1991 Halifax, Yorks, both of which are just over/under 17 years ago.

I've checked the full birth index and there is no Jessie Holroyd registered in the december quarter of 1917, which suggests Holroyd was a married name (which rules her out in this case). There is, however, one registered in Bedale in December quarter (Oct-Dec) of 1910. So this looks like your grandmother.

Her registration details are Bedale volume 9d page 642. You can use this to order a birth certificate to confirm her parents (assuming you can confirm by death date/birthday that this is the right person). This will also confirm an exact birthplace and her father's occupation.

However, I will try to give some information that might give some clues about her family (but this includes some guesswork, as genealogy on the web is difficult after 1901)

In July-Sept 1910, a Thomas Holroyd married Maggie I'Anson. This may be your great grandparents' marriage. There are no Holroyd births in Bedale district in the previous 8 years, so it looks likely that Jessie was the first child of this marriage. The marriage was Bedale 9d 1255.

In 1912 Thomas and Maggie had a son, John T Holroyd. The mother's maiden name listed as Ianson.

Bedale district covers the towns:
Ainderby Myers with Holtby
Aiskew
Bedale
Burneston
Burrell with Cowling
Burton-on-Yore
Carthorpe
Clifton-on-Yore
Crakenhall
East Tanfield
Exelby, Leeming & Newton
Firby
Gatenby
Hackforth
Howgrave
Ilton-***-Pot
Killerby
Kirkby Fleetham with Fencote
Kirklington-***-Upsland
Langthorne
Masham
Nutwith & Roomer Common
Rand Grange
Rookwith
Scruton
Snape with Thorp
Sutton with Howgrave
Swainby with Allerthorpe
Swinton with Warthermask
Theakston
Thirn
Thornton Watlass
Well
West Tanfield

Assuming Thomas was married between the ages of 15 and 55, there is only one in the 1901 census who was living in one of the towns listed above:

Thomas Holroyd aged 18, servant for the Pearson family in Crakenhall.

There's a Margaret Ianson visiting Askew, which is in the above list, in 1891, aged 1 born Hunslet, Yorks with mother Ada and brother George.

However, these census returns are not conclusive. The best advice I can give is to use the birth registration I provided above for Jessie to order her birth certificate. This will confirm whether Thomas and Maggie are her parents. If so, you can order their marriage certificate which will provide their ages, professions, and fathers' names & professions. Certificates can be ordered from the General Register Office online at http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/
Certificates cost £7 if ordered online with the GRO reference supplied (the volume and page numbers I listed with the events). They take approximately 3 weeks to be returned by post.

Answer 3

my advice is to drop justme a note through her profile. She may not have come back and picked up on the fact that you are in UK. She is very generous with her skills in the UK. One problem is that the US census opens with 1930 and prior, while your census is closed for 100 yrs.
I'd just send you a personal hug. Even if dad wanted to find out, it is not always possible. Unwed parents are a fact of life for hundreds of years, but that does not change that the children often feel the pain or disgrace. They should not.
Your love for nanna is the real thing that does matter. You can probably trace her family.. that is a factual, cut and dry thing. Being your best friend is a reality that does not need to fit the standard pidgeonholes. You can honor that love by learning about her background, whatever others may have thought.

Answer 4

Ancestry.com lists three young girls named Jessie Holroyd all born in England in 1900. The 1901 Census gives information on two of the Jessies.

A Jessie Holroyd was born in 1900 at Shelf Nr Halifax, Yorkshire, to Robert (born 1872) and Margaret A. (born 1871). The civil parish is listed as Bradford and the ecclesiastical parish is listed as St. Mark's.

A Jessie Holroyd was born in 1900 at Sheffield, Yorkshire, to Charles (born 1861) and Annie (born 1863). The civil parish is listed as Nether Hallam, and the ecclesiastical parish is listed as St. Phillip.

An individual family tree notes that a Jessie Holroyd was born in either April, May or June 1898 in Rishworth, Yorkshire. Her parents were Fred Holyrod (born in 1862) and Annie Mellor (born in 1865).

Perhaps Yorkshire would be the place to start looking for answers. Good luck.