Hi there!
Excellent thread.
My Mum was called Annette Olive Maud HOLYLAND. Like has been said previously, the family seemed to migrate from Desford/Peckleton to Leicester in the mid 1800's. From what I've found out so far my Great Grandad, Simeon HOLYLAND was a shoe pressman and lived in the Catherine Street are of Leicester in the early 1900's - he stayed in that general area until he died in 1951, having married twice.
His first wife, my Great Grandma was Maud HARNETT - originally born in Wolverhampton. They married in 1915 at Saint Michael All Angels church on Melton Road.
My Grandad was their youngest child, born in 1925, he was called Herald David HOLYLAND. He met my Grandma Maureen Lucy Rosina DOOLAN in her native Colchester in 1944 - he was a sailor based in Essex (from what I know).
My Mum Annette was the first of their 10 children (born 1947), two girls followed by 8 boys. The two girls and 1st son were all born in Colchester - then in 1952 my Grandparents moved up to my Grandad's native Leicester - where the rest of their children were born.
I have more details, but have tried to be concise - but thought this might be of interest to readers. My Mum passed away in January 2014, my Grandma Maureen in 2010. Herald David died in 1990.
All 8 of the Holyland sons are still with us.
I have started an autobiographical site based around photos - it is early days, but you can find it at
http://www.essonneimage.com if of interest.
Regards,
John NELSON.