The Fortean himself may be the least interesting member of his family.
Gordon Hollyer was born 16 October 1898 in Canada, descended from a family of artists. His paternal grandfather was William Perrin Hollyer, a famous artist who father ten children, five of whom became artists, including Gordon’s dad, Gregory, who moved from England to Canada, where he met and married Katherine MacDonald, a native Canadian. In 1900, a few years after their marriage, they migrated to Buffalo, where in the next twelve years Gordon would be joined by four siblings. His dad ran an art studio, which apparently was lucrative enough to keep the family in some degree of comfort.
In 1912, Katherine died; Gregory remarried two years later, and fathered another five children with his second wife—matching his own father’s prolificity. Gordon finished high school and became a working man. According to his World War I draft card, in 1918 he was working as a timekeeper. Two years later, he was still living with his father and step-mother, the only one beside his father working: he was a reporter at a newspaper. He would remain a newsman for the rest of his life, a book collector, and a skeptic.
Gordon Hollyer was born 16 October 1898 in Canada, descended from a family of artists. His paternal grandfather was William Perrin Hollyer, a famous artist who father ten children, five of whom became artists, including Gordon’s dad, Gregory, who moved from England to Canada, where he met and married Katherine MacDonald, a native Canadian. In 1900, a few years after their marriage, they migrated to Buffalo, where in the next twelve years Gordon would be joined by four siblings. His dad ran an art studio, which apparently was lucrative enough to keep the family in some degree of comfort.
In 1912, Katherine died; Gregory remarried two years later, and fathered another five children with his second wife—matching his own father’s prolificity. Gordon finished high school and became a working man. According to his World War I draft card, in 1918 he was working as a timekeeper. Two years later, he was still living with his father and step-mother, the only one beside his father working: he was a reporter at a newspaper. He would remain a newsman for the rest of his life, a book collector, and a skeptic.