Weaste Cemetery

Biographies of people buried between 1880 & 89

Ralph Holland (1831 - 1889)


Ralph Holland was a Fustian Shearer and his name Ralph and his trade, went through several generations of the Holland family.


He was born in Collyhurst, Manchester in 1831 and baptised on 14th August 1831. His father was Ralph Holland (born 1800 in Biddulph, Staffordshire) who was also a Fustian Shearer. His mother was Mary (nee Shore) Holland (born 1806 in Manchester) and they were married on 7th October 1827 in Manchester. In 1841 they lived at York Street, Hulme, Manchester, with their children: Mary (born 1829), young Ralph (born 1831), Thomas (born 1833), Ann (born 1835) and James (born 1837). In about 1850 the family moved to Salford, as the 1851 census shows their address as Clough Terrace, Ordsall Lane, Salford, with additions to the family Jane (born 1843), George (born 1845), Joseph (born 1847) and Hannah (born 1849), all born in Hulme.


On 26th January 1854, Ralph Holland married Mary Jane Harford at St Bartholomew's Church, Salford. Mary was aged 21, of Regent Road, Salford and the daughter of Benjamin Harford, a Railway Clerk. She was born in Liverpool in 1832 and baptised at St Peter's Church there on 28th October 1832. The 1851 census shows the Harford family lived at Bank Street, Salford, where Mary Jane's father Benjamin was aged 50, a Public Porter, from Stapleton Gloucestershire and her mother Mary was aged 51 and born in Bath, Somerset. Mary Jane's elder sister Hannah aged 21, was born in Knutsford, Cheshire and her younger sister Sarah aged 11, was born in Liverpool.


In 1861, Ralph and Mary Jane lived at 4 Alport Place, (in the Oldfield Road area of Salford). Their children, all born in Salford were: Hannah (born 1856), Frederick (born 1858) and Thomas (born 1861). In 1871 at West Bank Street, Salford, Ralph and Mary Jane were aged 39, Hannah was aged 15, Frederick was aged 13 Thomas was aged 10 and new arrivals Emily (born 1864) was aged 7, Ralph jnr (born 1865) was aged 5 and Mary Jane (born 1871) was aged 0. Tragedy struck on 9th May 1877 when Frederick died aged 19 and was buried at Weaste Cemetery. In 1881, still at 13, West Bank Street, Salford, Thomas was aged 20 and a Shearer, Emily was aged 17 and her occupation was given as Fht?, Ralph jnr was aged 15 and a Hooker (Cotton Manuf) and Mary Jane was aged 10 and a Scholar. There is no record of Hannah.


On 16th April 1889, Ralph Holland died aged 57 and was buried with his son Frederick at Weaste Cemetery. On 24th January 1891, Ralph's daughter Emily died aged 27 and was buried in the Holland family grave. In the 1891 census, the depleted Holland family still lived at West Bank Street Salford. Mary Jane was a widow aged 58, Thomas was a Cloth Shearer aged 30, Ralph jnr was also a Cloth Shearer aged 25 and Mary Jane was a Cotton Reeler aged 20.


On 16th November 1895, Ralph Holland jnr married Jane Robinson, at Bartholomew's Church, Salford. Jane (born 1875 in Sale, Cheshire), was the daughter of Edward Robinson, Butcher of Sale, Cheshire. They were to have ten children including the last one, a son Ralph, born in 1912. On 16th February 1907, Ralph snr's widow Mary Jane, died aged 77, and was buried in the family grave at Weaste Cemetery.