Robert William Holliday

Notes:

In 1892, Robert William Holliday, then a child of 12, kept a detailed diary when he accompanied his father, Hugh Sutton Holliday Sr on an emigration voyage from England to Canada. It's apparent he also intended at least some of it as a letter to his mother back home in Castle Sowerby, Cumberland, England.
Here are some excerpts from that diary entitled My Trip to the New World. [committed to a printed booklet by Merton Beth Cooley]. Note: I have changed punctuation but kept his spellings.
Monday May 16th 1892. [Robert and his father Hugh] came to Liverpool [where he had] a walk through several of the streets. We booked for Winnipeg on Tuesday and sailed on Thursday.
Friday May 20th 1892. Time morning up at 7 passing West Coast of Toe stand, Ship heaving up and down at 10-15 AM in view of Trust Mountains Sea; rather rough waves, like mountains, has been very sick on deck watching the water rolling about. [At 8 pm] the sea still rough been very sick all day about half of the passengers sick and vomiting all over the Deck and I have had nothing to eat all day except one bottle of Soda water.
Saturday May 21st 1892. Fine morning and a calm sea; the ship running very steady but am still rather sick yet but not so bad as yesterday; had some portage for Breakfast. Dad is quite well and has never been sick yet. We are about 600 miles from Liverpool. We are going about 15 miles an hour; we got some terrible heaves yesterday; it was just like a swing Boat up and down But it is very nice this morning; we can walk all over the ship.
[We have] plenty of good things to eat; we can have porridge or Tea, Coffee, Beef steaks, Fish, or Preserves for Breakfast. Our Dinners consist of Roast Beef Fish and Potattoos or Tea if you wish. Your Tea is plane with cold meat.
Sunday May 22nd 1892. Sunday morning Fine with a strong head wind. Dada has just had Breakfast consisting of Ham & Eggs but I could not take any.
Dear Mama when you come to America bring some Tea and a Tea Pot with you. Then you can make your own Tea as I am sure you will not like this Tea. There is a lot of Ladys in our cabin and they all have there own Tea pot. Dada and me is going to church this morning at half past ten.
The White Seagull followed the ship up till last night. Just Finished dinner of Soup, Roast Beef Hot Pot, which was very good; then Plum Pudding and apples. I think Dada had made a good dinner as he has Eaten my Plum Pudding as well as his own. Today we are going to church this afternoon again. Had Tea and Some Fish I am all right now and can eat Plenty. Our Ship Sailed 356 miles on Saturday so we are now 933 miles from Liverpool today.
Monday May 23rd 1892. Just had Breakfast, Porage and milk; Dada had some Beef steak and Onions and Tea. It is a very wet morning hear [and] we have all to remain inside; the ship is not running so study this morning; she is rocking a little and Some of the Passangers has not come to Breakfast. We have two very old Ladys on Board and they are both poorly this morning.
[It is stormy with] side wind the Spray flowing over the Deck and the Ship is rolling about and knocking people about like Cats. Some is very sick and others laughing at them. I do not know how Dada does [it], he has never been sick yet and can go about any way.
It is very funny to see the plates tumbling off the table all up and down the floor; [some people] cry now and again, it is very Laughable yet you dare not laugh for fear it is your own turn next time to fall...the Ship is rocking like a Craddle.
Tuesday May 24th 1892 06:30. Fine morning and the Sea quite calm again with a north west wind it looks like being a fine day as the sky is so clear. We expect to see Land today, the Banks of Newfoundland. Everyone seems to Be on Deck; Some playing at Cards; Some smoking; some singing. It is quite Jolly and the sea is a smooth as a Field. Tell John [John Dufton Holliday, 1882-1961) he will have some fine fun when he comes.
Dear Mama when you come bring plenty of oranges and apples with you as they are Dear on Board. Oranges is 2D apiece, apples, 1 Beer GDP per bottle. You need not be frightened when you come as there nothing to hurt you on a big ship like this. I have been seeing the Germans are on [board; they eat] Potatoes with there Skin on and salt herring. They eat the herring raw, Bones head altogether. They are a rough for People and very dirty.
Our ship has sailed 350 miles today as we are now 1611 miles from Liverpool. It is beginning rain again this afternoon. I hope you are all well at home I often think about you all but I hope that will soon meet again. I am going to send you this book as soon as we get to Winnipeg. Write as soon as you can and address the letters to Dada: HS Holliday, Post Office, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Tuesday May 24th 1892 17:45. Just had Tea and I have been at a concert this afternoon. There was two Fiddles playing and a lot of songs sung; it has been rather wet but the Passengers is all very harty. There is one Lady with a little boy Just like little Hugh [Hugh Sutton Holliday Jr, 1889-1977), he is a fine boy and she has to little girls as well. She is going to her husband in Manitoba.
There has a thick fog come on tonight and the ship is only going half speed So that will keep us Longer of getting to Quebec. She is barely stirring now, almost stopped all together. So I think I will be off to my Bunk for the night hopping that we will have a better morning.
Wednesday May 25th 1892. Our ship has been standing still all night on account of the Fog...They drew the anker at 5 o'clock and we are going ahead now but is terrible cold, that cold you cannot stand on Deck. They say we are passing some Icebergs we expect to see Some Land today. Tell John that I have given a boy a smack on his ear this morn...he would not let me alone.
Dad is not so well this morning he has had a glass of Brandy Hot. He had to pay 4 pence for it. The passengers all Seem to be tired out now and wants to be on shore once more.
The ship is going at a good speed now but we lost about 8 hrs last night. They say we are near Cape Race* now but cannot see anything yet. We have all just been on Deck looking at a Great Iceberg; it is as white as snow and twice as big as Todholes** House floating about.
We have only come 260 miles today; we are passing Cape Clear*** now but cannot see it for the fog; it is very windy and the waves is rolling like mountains again and the ship is heaving up and down. These Icebergs we see is just like a great hall covered with snow. They float about like a Boat. If a ship runs against them it would smash her all to pieces.
Thursday May 26th 1892 08:00. We have seen two or three Vessels this morning. Dada is not so well This morning; he was at the Doctor last night; he has got a cold. We expect to land at Quebec tomorrow morning. 12 o'clock we are 700 miles from Quebec so we will have another 48 hours sailing to put up with yet. I am getting weary of it. Now Dada is in bed today.
[To his mother] mind you be shure to Book Second class cabin, it is more comfortable. The steerage passengers have to put up with a lot of hardships. They are fed like Pigs and knocked about. Anyway People had better pay the extra money and be comfortable.
4 o'clock we have come in sight of Land once more, The Cape St Peter**** they call it (Cape St Pierre). Everyone on Board seems to rejoice at the sight of it in the hopes that They will not be long of landing. We can see on the Hills now. We are getting so near them we can see a lot of Houses. [But they still had a long way to go].
We are entering the Gulf of St Lawrence and have just met another Large Ship loaded with cattle Bound for Glasgow. [Our passengers] are dancing on Deck tonight and all is very merry on Board, Except Dada and he is very Dull. The ship is going very steady now since we have ot out of the Atlantic and it is a great deal warmer. We have traveled 324 miles today so good night again am off to Bed.
Friday May 27th 1892. Friday morning very fine and the Sea is ery smoth, not even a ripple on it. We have passed the Island of Consestin (Anticosti Island) and now we are coming in sight of Cape ______. They say we shall see land all the way to Quebec now up the St Lawrence.
Our ship is running just about half a mile from shore all the way. We can see the people walking on shore. This is the best part of the voyage but we have between 3 and 4 hundred miles to go yet. I have seen America now...it is all forest nothing else but wood. It is what they call the lower part of Canada. There seems to be many thousands of acres of this Forest; we see mountain after mountain; some little place where they are breaking up the land.
2 o'clock we have now got fairly into the river now; there is land on both sides of us; it is a good deal warmer; now we are seeing lots of steamers and other sights.
6 o'clock had Tea which will be the last that we will get on ship Board which is a great Blessing for I do long for a cup of good Tea. The passengers is getting very anxious about getting on shore.
------------------------------------This is the last of Robert's detailed diary. It is assumed they took the train from Quebec City to Winnepeg. The distance between Winnipeg and Qu

Robert married Mary M Francis on 5 Dec 1900 in Neligh, Antelope Co, Nebraska. Mary was born on 2 Nov 1880 in Wisconsin; died about Jan 1975 in Verdigre, Knox Co, Nebraska; was buried about Jan 1975 in Pleasant View Cemetery, Pierce Co, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

It is said Hugh S Holliday Sr and at least his son Robert William crossed the US-Canadian border in 1893 however, Canadian National Archives records begin in 1895. They eventually came to Verdigris Twp, Holt County, Nebraska.
The State of Nebraska does not have the exact date of death of Hugh Sutton Holliday, Sr who died in year 1937.

ObituaryThe Orchard News, Orchard, Nebraska, 25 Jun 1937, Page 1
HUGH HOLLIDAY SR. . After several weeks illness, death claimed Hugh S. Holliday, of this city Wednesday night about midnight [23 Jun 1937]. Mr. Holliday has lived in Antelope county for over thirty-six years; and for the past many years has made his home at this nlace with his daughier, Miss Mary. The deceased would have been 92 years of age the 26th of July [1937]. He is survived by three sons, John and Robert of Orchard. Hugh, Jr of Page [Holt County, Nebraska]; three daughters, Miss Mary, Orchard; Mrs. Vollertsen, Battle Creek, Iowa; and another daughter. Miss Martha. Beverly Hills, California. Funeral - services will be held at the home Saturday morning at ten oclock conducted by Rev. Paul H. Riggs. Interment will be made in the Plainview cemetery beside a daughter who passed away a number of years ago.

(Research):Cumberland is a historic county of North West England that had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. It was bordered by Northumberland to the east, County Durham to the southeast, Westmorland and Lancashire to the south, and the Scottish counties of Dumfriesshire and Roxburghshire to the north. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 (excluding Carlisle from 1914) and now forms part of Cumbria.
Cumbria is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county of Cumbria was created in April 1974 through an amalgamation of the administrative counties of Cumberland and Westmorland after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's county town is Carlisle, in the north of the county, and the only other major urban area is Barrow-in-Furness on the southwestern tip of the county.
Carlisle is a cathedral city in Cumbria in North West England as well as the administrative centre for both Carlisle City Council and Cumbria County Council. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Eden, Caldew and Petteril, 16 km south of the Scottish border. Originally in the historic county of Cumberland, it is now the largest town in the county of Cumbria. The earliest recorded inhabitants were the Carvetii tribe of Britons who made up the main population of ancient Cumbria and North Lancashire. According to Boethius and John of Fordun, Carlisle existed before the arrival of the Romans who built a timber fort at the site of present Carlisle Castle in the winter of 73 BCE.

Hugh married Jane Dufton about 1877 in Penrith, Cumberland, England. Jane was born on 14 Feb 1846 in Middlesceugh, Cumberland, England; died on 30 Mar 1893 in Orchard, Antelope Co, Nebraska; was buried about Mar 1893 in Pleasant View Cemetery, Pierce Co, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]