Katherine Holdcroft (Bedfield School mistress 1881)

[Weeford HoldcroftS]

I am trying to find information of Katherine Holdcroft born Lichfield, Staffordshire in 1854. On the 1881 Census she is listed as living at the school house 69 Mill Road, Bedfield, Suffolk. Then the trail goes cold. I cannot find a marriage, death or emigration after 1881. She was 36 so she should be on the 1891 census. Any help welcome.

[giggsycat]

Hi

I think you have transposed the numbers in her birth year? She appears to have been born 1844/45 rather than 1854? Not that it helps any 'cos I still can't find her!

[Worlygigger]

My interest is because she taught at Bedfield.

She is living with her parents, George and Sarah Holdcroft in the 1871 census in Lichfield, which confirms her year of birth as 1845 within one year either way. There is a Kate Holdcroft who married in 1888 to either Henry Corbishley or Edward Brown (FreeBMD record search) but this is a younger KH. I have not been able to find her in either the 1891 or 1901 census records, which is surprising. There are no relevant deaths between 1881 and 1902. She had been replaced at Bedfield School by 1891 by Joseph Mawrey and his wife.

No mention of her leaving the school in local papers.

Sorry I can't help any further.

[Keziah2]

A search of Free BMD between 1843 & 1846 only brings up one possibility for her birth in the Lichfield area:

Sarah Catherine HOLDCROFT DecQ 1843 Lichfield RD Ref 17/72

If this is her it is feasible that if she married/died it may have been registered with her given names rather than just Katherine/Kate but there is nothing obvious coming up on FreeBMD.

K

[Worlygigger]

I notice that her father died in 1884 aged 73. This might have persuaded her to leave Suffolk and return home. Her mother died in the 1870s. Her brother George died in 1892.

[Dulverton]

Baptised  Lichfield, Staffordshire 12th December 1843 - Sarah Catherine Holdcroft

Recorded as "Katherine" on the 1851 &1861 & as "Kate" on the 1871 & 1881 census records

A Catherine Holdcroft married Stanley Dawson in Lichfield RD March Qtr 1893?

[Annette7]

'Katherine' was indeed Sarah Katherine/Catherine Holdcroft - birth reg'd Dec.1843 Lichfield - mmn Bowley - who was later shown as Kate.

She married in Scotland in 1883:

David McMillan Robb 32   Club Master      76 Haigh (or High) Street, Dundee, son of George Robb, Clothier and Jane, nee Wishart

Sarah Katherine Holdcroft  32   Schoolteacher     Witnesham, Suffolk      daughter of George Holdcroft, Hotel Proprietor and Sarah, nee Bowley (deceased).

Married 24/12/1883 Dundee

In 1891 Kate Robb is a widow but has a daughter - Georgie G. Robb who was born 13/5/1884 Dundee as plain Georgie.  Clearly Kate was pregnant when she married.   She is shown in 1891 living at Hawick, Roxburghshire, and a Certified Teacher, born England.   

In 1901 she is in Edinburgh shown as Sub Matron of an Institution, born Staffordshire, England.

She died as Katherine Robb on 19/4/1923 Schoolhouse, Kingslassie, Fife - shown as widow of David M. Robb and informant was son in law (present) Norman Johnson.   Correctly shows her father as George Holdcroft but mother shown as Sarah (correct), nee Appleby (wrong - as shown on her marriage certificate and her birth her mother was Sarah Bowley). 

For a schoolteacher she was not very good at maths - she was born late 1843 but in 1881 states 36, married 2 years later as 32, in 1891 she's 40, 50 in 1901 and 77 when she dies 1923!!

Daughter married as Georgie Graham Robb to Norman Miller Johnson in 1912 St. Giles, Edinburgh.  Norman was a school teacher too.  Husband David McMillan Robb died 1891 Hawick (presumably just before the census).

Annette