Susannah "Sue" was born in Jul quarter 1854 to William Holmes and Caroline née Whateley. She was christened in 14^th Aug 1854 at St Thomas Birmingham.

After her father’s death she looked after the younger members of the family. Her father William died in approx 1871, and at 16 she is the oldest of five children still at home, the others are Joseph (14), Samuel (11), Lucy (9), and Richard (8). Her mother Caroline had earlier died in March quarter 1867. Even after her marriage in June 1877 (in Droitwich) to Joseph Davis, Lucy Ann was still living with her. Susannah died on 4^th January 1925.

Her husband Joseph "Joe" was employed as a brush finisher. He was born in Worcester, Sept quarter 1847 and died Mar quarter 1921, also in Worcester. Joe and Susannah lived in Worcester.

Their Children were: -

Joseph, born abt 1879 (also known as Joe), who married Caroline Cale (Kitty) in Dec 1904, and had two daughters Florence (Flossie), born in 1906 and Ethel born in 1904. Joe was a carpenter and joiner.

Edwin Davis (Ted) was born on 8th December 1879 at St Clement's Worcester. It is clear he travelled widely all round the world, from postcards to his cousin Ada Pullen. It seems remarkable that a brushmaker’s son is able to get into an Oxford College. The following was found in The Times, 10th June 1897

Mr Edwin Davis of The Royal Grammar School, Worcester, has been elected to an open scholarship in Mathematics at Christ Church

He was also later awarded a First Class degree in Mathematics.

Edwin went on to teach mathematics at Sherborne School. He died on the 12^th July 1933 at 20 Devonshire Place London, a nursing home in the Harley Street area.

The following obituary appeared in The Times

MR. EDWIN DAVIS
Mr. Nowell Smith, formerly Headmaster of Sherborne, writes:—
Will you allow me to pay a brief tribute to the memory of Edwin Davis, the senior mathematics and science master at Sherborne School, who died on July 12 after a short illness, at the age of 53 ? Comparison between teachers of different subjects is impossible, but I am sure that I have never known a better teacher than Davis. He was equally good with the scholar just ready for the university or a high place at Woolwich, for the sturdy athlete who needed to qualify for Sandhurst, and for the small boy who had just scraped through the entrance examination. The secret of his success was that he combined one of the clearest and quickest brains with the most imperturbable patience and good humour. His discipline was perfect and sought no aid from anything but force of character: boys could neither fool him nor exasperate him.
No master took a fuller share in the varied life of school. He had remarkable muscular strength and quickness, and for many years excelled in every sort of athletic field. A sound musician with a tenor voice, he was the mainstay of the choral singing, which he could accompany and conduct whenever needed. He was indispensable for running both the Army class and the O.T.C. during the War, and, indeed, during his whole career he was the most indispensable member of the staff for all purposes of organization. Whether for rearranging the time-table, for adjusting the system of marks, for managing the school shop, for straightening out any tangle, whether of machinery or temper, every one from the Headmaster downwards went to “Ben” Davis; and all he gave it the same quiet and tolerant attention and effective aid.
He was one of those bachelor schoolmasters who wed themselves wholly to their schools and are content with a life of unremitting but unadvertised service. As mere eulogy only creates legitimate scepticism, let it be said that he had faults like the rest of us; but his combination of kindness and humour with determination and sense of duly, of brain-power with many-sided practical beneficence, made him a very paragon of that class of men of which perhaps only headmasters know the full value.

Davis Family Pictures

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