John Alexander’s origins are a bit of a mystery and a document that would settle matters has never been located. He was probably born in Wherwell Hants around 1833, but so were several other John Alexanders! In his later years (1881 to 1901 censuses) he was an agricultural labourer.

Sarah Holloway’s origins are known although tragic. Born 29th April 1851, she was christened at Barton Stacey Church three days after her father James Holloway had been buried there. Her mother died of ‘cancer of the face’ a few years later and Sarah and her sister Mary were in the infamous Andover Workhouse for the 1861 census.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andover_workhouse_scandal)

John Alexander (presumably) married Sarah Ann Holloway, as they had seven children. Their marriage does not appear in the national BMD indexes, not in a host of parish church registers that I have searched. A great pity as a marriage certificate would have named his father, or shown that he was illegitimate

Children:
  Henry Herbert Alexander, born 8th July 1870 in Queens Road Winchester. However, neither he nor his parents can be found in the 1871 census. He married Beatrice Lewis in Wherwell on 8th October 1904 and had four children including Ena May called Little Lizzie.
Both Beatrice and Little Lizzie died in the 1918 flu epidemic.
  William John Alexander, known as ‘Bant’ born about March 1872 in the Winchester District. The exact place is not known, although our cousin Tom had the village of Littleton in mind. However they were not there for the 1871 census, nor does the Alexander name appear in Littleton Parish Registers. Bant never married and died in Wherwell in 1938  See photograph on Aunt Jean’s page
  Elizabeth Fanny Alexander (known as Liz, or Big Liz, born about March 1873 in the Winchester area. She married William Henry Longman, they lived in Andover, and had two sons George and Percy.
  Sarah Ann Alexander (Annie) born at Oakcuts, Upper Clatford, about March 1876. She was a witness to our grandparents marriage in 1897. She did not marry and died in 1922
  Susan Kate Alexander, our grandmother, born at Saxley Farm Upper Clatford, 16th July 1878, christened at Abbotts Ann Church om 18th May 1879
  George Ernest Alexander, born in Amport about June 1881. George married Blanche Jones in 1909 and had two children Blanche Rosalie (Rosie) and Frederick
  James Alexander, born in Amport about June 1884, died about June 1885
  .
The family may be seen in the 1881, 1891 and 1901 censuses.