Trafford

Born at 6 Branston Street, Birmingham on the 18th October 1876, the birth
being registered during the December quarter 1876 in the Birmingham R.D. -
ref: 6d/234, the son of William Woodman & Annie Maria Rolston (nee Grant).

1881 Census - 23 Branston Street, Birmingham.   Son - aged: 4 - Scholar -
born: Birmingham.    Head of household - William W. Rolston - Married -
aged: 31 - occ: Thermometer Maker, employing 2 men and 2 boys.    Also -
Annie Maria Rolston - Wife - aged: 28 - born: Binley, Warwickshire.   Plus
3 siblings and 2 boarders (the two men that worked for his father???).

Educated at the George Dixon School, Birmingham  Later attended the Royal
College of Science, London and Cambridge University where he joined their
Officers Training Corps.

1891 Census - 28 Clissold Street, Birmingham.    Son - aged: 14 - occ:
Glass Tube Blower - born: Warwickshire.   Head of household - William W.
Rolston - Married - aged: 41 - occ: Meteorological  Instrument Maker.   
Also - Annie Maria Rolston - Wife - aged: 38 - born: Warwickshire.   Plus 5
siblings and 1 visitor.

Married - Amy Clegg during the September quarter 1903 in the Rochdale R.D.
- ref: 8e/55.

1901 Census - Manchester Warehouseman & Clerks Orphan School, Cheadle
Hulme.    Teacher - aged: 24 occ: School Assistant - born: Birmingham.

1911 Census - 60 Silver Crescent, Chiswick, Middlesex.   Head of household
- Married - aged: 34 - occ: Astronomer Computer - born: Birmingham. Also -
Amy Rolston - Wife - aged: 31 - born: Rochdale, Lancashire.   Plus their 2
sons William Anthony (6) and Kenneth (4).

Publicity Editor of the "Cologne Post".

WO374 - He applied for a Commission on the 7th May 1915.  His occupation
was given as - Astronomer.   He was 6 feet in height.    Enlisted on the
3rd June 1915 and Commissioned on that date.   His occupation - School
master.   He served At Home from June 1915 to January 1918.  From January
1918 to December 1918, he served in France & Flanders.  He then moved to
Germany in December 1918 until he died there in 1921.

Died of Hemorrhage of the brain.  The Doctor's report stated that he was a
very under-nourished man.  The report went on "This officer had been
strenuously and continually occupied in sedentary work in an office and
unable to take exercise or obtain relaxation".   There is a long list of
his personal effects found in his billet at "Concordia", Maria AblaB-Platz,
Cologne.

Probate was granted to his widow - Amy Rolston on the 15th September 1921
by the Principal Registry Office (London).  His Estate was valued at £441.
10s. 5d.

By 1923 his widow was residing at 7 Magdala Street, Hopwood, Heywood,
Lancashire.

From Wikipedia - The Cologne Post was a daily paper published for the
British Armed Forces from 31 March 1919 to 17 January 1926. It then
continued as The Cologne Post and Wiesbaden Times from 28 January 1926 - 3
November 1929.   There was also an Upper Silesian edition published from 17
June to 6 August 1921 in Oppeln for the British Forces in Upper Silesia.
William Edward Rolston was the founder and managing editor of The Cologne
Post.   Rolston was a Captain serving in the Buffs (Royal East Kent
Regiment).  The newspaper was printed in Cologne by Kölnische
Volkszeitung.

On 1 August 1923 in a written reply to a question to the Under-Secretary of
State for War, Lieut.-Colonel Guinness stated that "... The Cologne Post
... is an independent organisation not financed from Army funds".

Army Post Office S40 was established in Cologne, Germany in 1919 to provide
postal support of the first British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) and was closed
in 1929 when the force was finally withdrawn from Germany.