Most Wanted

We are looking for a photo of Tom Smith, born 1853 in Cosby, Leicestershire, died 1885 in Brisbane, Australia. A photo was taken before he went to Brisbane in 1883, as his grandaughter Olive Downs (nee Smith) remembered seeing it when she was young, but it was lost when the family in Leicester died out and the house at 27 Mowbray Street, Leicester was cleared in the 1950's.

This photo was passed down by Alice Willis (nee Holland). The original photo was on glass. She was described as 'Granny in her widow's weeds'.

It is thought to be a photo of Mary Ann Holland nee Boyett, grandmother to Alice Jessie Holland, and was probably taken in the late 1870's.

If anyone can date the photo from her outfit or knows for definite who she is please let us know !

UPDATE: After asking a family history forum for their opinion and asking them to date the photo they said that the fact that the photo is on glass should date it to the 1850's or 1860's but her clothing dates it to the early 1880's when photos on glass still existed but were less common. The line of buttons up the bodice, which can almost be seen behind the bonnet sash, looks more like early 1880's.

Her dress is definitely not mourning but the bonnet material looks like it could be a fine-mesh gauze. The head covering seems to have a lighter-coloured band around the base of it, which darkens toward the centre, this headdress might have had a lighter protective bit to keep dye out of the hair, and the dye has run into it at the centre. The headdress would have been dyed black for mourning. The photo is reversed and she is showing her wedding ring in the photo on her left hand.

If the photo dates to the early 1880's that would tie in with the grandmother Mary Ann Holland (nee Boyett) born in 1846 as she was widowed sometime between 1877-1881. Alice's other grandmother, Sarah Ann Welch (nee Biggs) was not widowed untl 1894 which is too late for this photo to be her.

If it goes back a generation further the four possible ladies are :
Sarah born 1819, married 1842, widowed 1884
Charlotte born 1804, married 1827, widowed 1866
Priscilla born 1804, married c.1843 but died before her husband in 1868
Jemima born 1812, married 1834 but died before her husband in 1886
So that seems to rule the last two out as they could not be in mourning for their husbands. Sarah and Charlotte also seem to be ruled out as they would both be in their sixties when they were widowed and the lady in the photo looks to be in her thirties.

Possibly a sister of Eleanor Downs née Fordham. Do you recognise her ?

This photo was in an album belonging to Frank & Emily Smith (nee Tatlock). Do you recognise the location ?