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William Edward Holman

3 Gloucester Road, Portsea

1 Poors Court, Portsea
6 Trimmers Court, Portsea
No. 2 Donald’s Court, Warblington Street, Portsea

Occupation: Royal Navy Seaman 

William Edward Holman

The Portsmouth Evening News. July 11 1879

William Edward Holman joined the navy on 15 April 1875. The Seamen’s Service Register found on Ancestry describes him as being 5ft 3 inches tall with brown hair, grey eyes, with a fair complexion and tattoos on his left arm. He served on HMS Asia, Hector, Euphrates Shah and Vernon. His service was described as either ‘Good’ or Exemplary’ throughout his five-years and in July 1879 he was awarded a medal for good conduct. He soon developed sight problems though which led to him being invalided out of the service in November 1880. Whether he viewed his leaving the navy as a good thing or not we don’t know William married Priscilla Mary Unwin in February 1880, in the parish church of St. Thomas’ in Portsmouth and it is here that all six children of their children were also baptised.

St. Thomas’, Portsmouth

He found employment as a labourer at the docks which is where in August 1897 William was severely injured in an accident whilst helping to ‘break up’ an old ship in the Camber Dock, Portsea. He was hit by a piece of solid oak that was being sawn through above him. As it fell it hit him on his back paralysing him. He was rushed to hospital where he died several months later from his injuries aged 42.

Portsmouth Evening News October 30 1897

At the inquest William was made to be at fault for the accident. The representative of the shipyard claimed that William failed to follow instructions. Unfortunately, William’s family had no money for a solicitor and therefore no one to fight for compensation for his family. His wife, Priscilla, attended the inquest and must have been distraught when she was sent away empty handed. She was left with six children to support. 

Portsmouth Evening News – Tuesday 02 November 1897

Harry, her eldest son, found employment as a fishmonger though he was later to join the merchant navy and gained a position on the doomed RMS Titanic. Pricilla died in 1905 so was not to suffer the loss of her eldest son.

Sources and further reading:
Newspaper image © The British Library Board. All rights reserved.
With thanks to The British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
 Photographs – Sharon Morris