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William Daniel SOLLOWAY (1827–1865)
His wife Mrs Kate SOLLOWAY, née Brooks (1828–1896)
St Mary Magdalen section: Row 13, Grave D67

William Daniel Solloway was born at Admington Grounds Farm, Quinton (then in Gloucestershire but now in Warwickshire) in 1827 and baptised there on 7 June. He was the son of the farmer William Daniel Solloway senior and his wife Elizabeth. At the time of the 1841 census William (14) was living at the farm with his parents and his younger siblings Mary (9), Charles (8), Mary (5), and Patience (3).

Kate Brooks was born in St Ebbe's, Oxford in 1828 and baptised at the earlier Methodist Chapel in New Inn Hall Street on 7 April. She was the daughter of the coal merchant Moses Brooks and his wife Ann Reeves (born in London in c.1802), who were both living in St Aldate's parish when they were married at its church on 25 November 1822. (Moses Brooks may also have had a brief earlier marriage, as a Moses Brook of All Saints parish married Ann Brunsden of St Martin's parish at All Saints Church on 26 November 1820.) Six of Kate's siblings were also baptised at the earlier Methodist Chapel in New Inn Hall Street: Clara (1826), Emily (1831), Louisa (1836), Francis James (1838), Albert William (1841), and George Sydney Tompkins (1844). By 1836 the family had moved from St Ebbe's to Holywell parish, and Robson's Commercial Directory of 1839 lists Kate's father as a coal merchant and dairyman at 33 Holywell Street. At the time of the 1841 census Kate (13) was living at Holywell with her parents and her siblings Ann Clara (15), Clara (14), Frederick (11), Emily (9), Miriam (7), Louisa (5), Francis (3), Martha (1), and an unnamed one-month-old baby. By 1851 her family was living at 37 Holywell Street and her father was a farmer of 500 acres.

On 23 April 1849 at St Andrew's Church in Headington, William Daniel Solloway, a butcher of St Clement's, married Kate Brooks of Headington, the daughter of the farmer Moses Brooks. They had the following children:

• William Daniel Solloway junior (born in Jericho, Oxford in 1850 and baptised at the earlier Methodist Chapel in New Inn Hall Street on 19 June)
• Frederic Francis Solloway (born in Oxford in 1851 and baptised at the earlier Methodist Chapel in New Inn Hall Street on 18 September); died near the beginning of 1852
• Henry Walter Solloway (born in St Ebbe's, Oxford in 1853 and baptised at the earlier Methodist Chapel in New Inn Hall Street on 21 August)
• Elizabeth Mary Anne Patience Solloway (born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1855, reg. third quarter)
• Frank Solloway (born in Stratford-upon-Avon in c.1856)
• Major Solloway (born in Church Cowley in 1859 and baptised at St James's Church on 1 April)
• Charles George Solloway (born in Oxford on 29 March 1861 and baptised at the earlier Methodist Chapel in New Inn Hall Street on 20 May)
• Jesse Solloway (born in Oxford in 1863 and baptised at the earlier Methodist Chapel in New Inn Hall Street on 20 May)
• Arthur Frederick Solloway (born in Honeybourne, near Evesham, Worcestershire in 1864 (reg. second quarter) but not baptised until after his father's death, on 1 April 1866, at St James's Church in Cowley)

At the time of the 1851 census William (24), who was a butcher, was living at 4 Great Clarendon Street in the St Paul's district chapelry with his wife Kate (23), his son William junior (1), and his younger brother Charles (16), who was working for him. They employed a 16-year-old servant girl.

The Solloways appear to have moved to St Ebbe's by 1853, and to Stratford-upon-Avon by 1855. By 1859 they were living in Cowley St John, and William was still working as a butcher.

At the time of the 1861 census they were living at 11 Holywell Street in Oxford. William (34), described as a cattle dealer, was home with Kate (33) and their children Henry (8), Elizabeth (5), Frank (4), and Major (1), plus a 15-year-old servant girl. William junior (11) was staying with his grandfather William Solloway, who was a farmer of 75 acres in Quinton, Gloucestershire.

The Solloways had moved from Oxford to near Evesham in Worcestershire at the time Arthur was born in 1864, and then appear to have moved on to Leamington.

By early 1865 they were back in Oxford and living in George Street in St Mary Magdalen parish. George died there that year:

† William Daniel Solloway died at George Street at the age of 38 on 28 March 1865 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 31 March (burial recorded in the parish register of St Mary Magdalen Church).

A notice appeared in Jackson's Oxford Journal on 24 June 1865, stating that “all persons having any claims or demands upon or against the Estate of William Daniel Solloway, late of Leamington, in the county of Warwick, dealer, deceased” should send their claims to his widow Kate Solloway via her solicitor.

When Kate had their youngest son baptised in 1866, she was living in Beauchamp Lane, Cowley (then called Church Street), and described her deceased husband as a cattle dealer.

At the time of the 1871 census Kate (43) was a shopkeeper in Cheap Street, Newbury, Berkshire, and her four youngest children were at home with her: Major (14), was a chair maker, and Charles (10), Jesse (8), and Arthur (9) were at school. She also had two lodgers.

In 1881 Kate (53) was a lodging house keeper at 46 Holywell Street (one of the houses demolished to make way for the Indian Institute), and two of her children were still living with her: Elizabeth (25) and Arthur (16), who was an assistant grocer.

Kate's father Moses Brooks died at his home in the Iffley Road on 5 February 1884, and his personal estate came to £2,910 11s.6d.

At the time of the 1891 census Kate (63) was a lodging house keeper at 14 Holywell Street.

She had moved again, this time to 127 Walton Street, by the time of her death in 1896:

† Mrs Kate Solloway née Brooks died at 127 Walton Street at the age of 68 on 20 December 1896 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 24 December (burial recorded in the parish register of St Mary Magdalen Church).

The register states that her burial was certified under the Burial Law Amendment Act of 1880, which allowed nonconformists such as Kate to be buried without the Church of England service for the burial of the dead.