Hollington Family papers

Collection

Identifier: MS-0983

Staff Only

Collection Overview

Abstract

The Hollington family papers consists of correspondence and a commemorative postcard.

Dates

Creation: January 1, 1874-March 26, 1884, undated

Extent

0.42 Cubic Feet (1 legal manuscript box)

Creator

Hollington family (Family)

Scope and Contents

As previously noted, the correspondence in this collection is primarily to Mary Hollington, between her and her sister and brother-in-law Maria and William Frederick, and correspondence to their parents, Joseph and Elizabeth Hollington. Correspondence from aunts, cousins, and other relatives and friends to these individuals complement the collection. Most of the letters in the collection are accompanied with their original envelopes. There are several postcards and business cards in the correspondence and one wedding invitation in the collection. An additional commemorative religious postcard is filed at the end.

Of special interest are comments in the letters about Bowling Green being named the county seat. There is also a letter from Joseph Hollington that he sent to his family while he was attending the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia with his siblings, and a reference to the event in another letter from one of his nieces to the family. Two letters written by Mrs. H.C. Oldroyd to Mary Hollington describe her move from Bowling Green to Chattanooga, Tennessee and her new surroundings, including visits to area Civil War battle sites. A cousin, Rudolpho Lamb, worked for the railroad industry out of Toledo, and his letters give some insight into passenger train travel during the era.

The collection also includes the letter from William Frederick to Joseph and Elizabeth Hollington announcing his intention to marry their daughter, Maria. Another letter from one of Samuel Lamb's (?) nieces, Laura Lanny, gives a poignant description of the death of her mother after an extended illness. References to residential and commercial building fires, deaths and illnesses, Independence Day celebrations, travel amongst family members around the region, housecleaning, handiwork, building construction, pets, and other everyday occurrences may be of interest to local history scholars of Northwest Ohio.

Biographical / Historical

The correspondence in this collection consists of forty letters addressed primarily to Mary Hollington. It includes correspondence between her and her brother-in-law and sister, William and Maria (Hollington) Frederick, as well as correspondence with their parents, Joseph and Elizabeth Hollington, and various relatives and friends.

Joseph Hollington was born May 21, 1824 in Redditch, Worcester, England to Richard (or Joseph?) Hollington and Mary Perry. Joseph moved to Wood County in 1833 with his family. As a child of one of the earliest settlers to the area, he was enrolled in the first class of the first school in Bowling Green in 1834. In 1847, he married Elizabeth L. Lamb. During the date range covered in this correspondence, the Hollingtons lived in Bowling Green and in Plain Township. The couple had three daughters. Their first child, Mary E., died when she was six years old. Their second daughter, Maria E. "Lill," was born Jan. 29, 1852. She married William H. Frederick on December 31, 1874. The Hollington's third daughter, Mary A. "Mollie," was born in 1855 and suffered from an unnamed illness, possibly epilepsy. She lived with her parents until her death on November 26, 1884 at 29 years of age.

Joseph Hollington's profession was a farmer. He served as the mayor of Bowling Green from 1869-1870 and was one of the founders of the Bowling Green Library Association in 1875. His siblings were Richard (West Unity, Williams Co, Ohio), Mary Ann Waters (Delta, Fulton Co., Ohio), Reverend Ambrose (Delaware, Ohio), and William (Missouri and later San Diego, California). Joseph's father died in 1847 and his mother passed away in 1854. Joseph Hollington died in 1895.

Elizabeth L. (Lamb) Hollington was born March 6, 1829 in New York State to Samuel Lamb and Elizabeth McDonald. She moved with her family to Wood County in 1835. Her parents moved to Michigan in 1866, where her mother died in 1868. Her father returned to Wood County in the 1870s where he lived (possibly with Elizabeth and her family) until his death in 1878. Elizabeth Hollington had six siblings: Cyrus S. Lamb (Center Township), James M., Dr. William G. (San Diego, California), Alfred, Samuel, and Mary. Elizabeth Hollington died in 1902 in Bowling Green.

William Frederick was born May 3, 1841 in Seneca County, Ohio, near Tiffin, to William and Elizabeth (Freet) Frederick. He enlisted in the Union army in 1862 (Ohio 49th Infantry, Company D), and served until he was wounded at the battle of Chickamauga, Tennessee in 1863. After being discharged in 1864, he learned the plastering profession. He moved to Bowling Green sometime around 1874, where he met and married Maria Hollington. Immediately after their marriage, the Fredericks settled in Tiffin, and then returned shortly thereafter to Bowling Green (1877?). The Fredericks were the first owners of the residence located at 504 South Main Street in Bowling Green, where the letters in this collection were found. William had three sisters and four brothers. William and Maria had no children. Maria died in 1915 in San Diego, California, where she and her husband had gone to spend the winter. William died in 1923 at his home on South Main.

Joseph, Elizabeth, and Mary Hollington are buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in Bowling Green, Ohio. Maria and William Frederick are buried adjacent to the Hollington plot.

Conditions Governing Access

No known access restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

This collection is in the public domain.

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The correspondence was donated to the Center for Archival Collections in May 2003 by Janet Knape. The material was found inside the walls of her home, located at 504 South Main Street, Bowling Green, Ohio, during renovations.

Processing Information

Transcripts of the letters were done in June 2003 by student assistant David Kuebeck. The finding aid was prepared by Dana Nemeth, Library Associate I, in May 2007.