Monday, April 18, 2011

The Hollimans of Alabama

by Glenn N. Holliman

Back to the 19th Century...A Series of Articles on the Hollimans and Related Families of Fayette County, Alabama

By 1836, several sons of James Grantson Holliman (1750 - 1836) and other associated families had migrated to Fayette County, Alabama from Lancaster, South Carolina.  Cornelius (1792 - 1862), Charles (1795 - 1850) and Warren Holliman (1801 - 1876) were part of the westward movement of the American nation and my family in the 19th Century.  


Warren would later move on to Arkansas and father many Holliman descendants in that part of the United States.  Cornelius, Charles and many of their descendants remained in Fayette and adjoining counties.  Many others went to Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.


An Excursion into History....
On April 9, 2011, Glenda Norris, a descendant of James Grantson and Cornelius Holliman families, led fifteen of her distant cousins through the cemeteries of her many great grandparents to share their stories.  She would be the first to tell you that she stands on the shoulders of her grandfather, Cecil Rhodes Holliman, and his son, her uncle, Dr. Rhodes Holliman.  The research about to be shared comes from their hands and also of the late Walt Holliman, a descendant of James Grantson and Charles Holliman, his son.


Glenda Norris reports:

"The first stop of the tour was Charles Daniel Lucas, Jr. burial site. It was unseasonably hot for April (92f) even for the Deep South. But that didn’t slow anyone down. Everyone was more than willing to take a short ‘hike’ into the woods, up a small hill and then a left turn into the forest to view the ‘old Indian burial ground” where Charles Daniel Lucas, Jr. gravesite is located.

Here is a photo of everyone getting ready to make the walk. Left to right are: Jeanette Holiman Stewart (Austin, Texas), Glenn Holliman (Newport, Pennsylvania), Lenwood Holliman (Gordo, Alabama), James Franklin Holliman (Sulligent, Alabama), Bishop Holliman (in cap from Avilla, Indiana and the oldest at 91), Laura Vonceil Duckworth (Reform, Alabama), Wally and Tommie Holliman (Irondale, Alabama), Faye Gardner (Kennedy, Alabama), Bill Holliman (Horn Lake, Mississippi), Jean Holliman (Irondale, Alabama), Joey Holliman (Florence, Alabama) and Tyler Duckworth (Tuscaloosa, Alabama and at age 15, the youngest on the trip). Obscured is Robert Holliman and taking the photograph is Norman Holliman (both brothers from Marysville, Tennessee)."


All the above are either descendants of Charles (about 1795 - before 1850) or Cornelius Holliman (1792 - 1862).  Of course, all have the DNA of Christopher Holyman, Sr. (1618 - 1691), the Englishman who left Bedford, Bedfordshire and immigrated to Jamestown, Virginia in 1650.


Above, Glenda Norris shares information at the grave site of her 4th great grandfather, Charles Daniel Lucas Jr. whose daughter, Mary 'Polly' Lucas married Uriah Holliman, a son of Cornelius Holliman.  Below, Glenda points out a Creek Indian burial site.  Charles Daniel Lucas, Jr. was a Federal Indian agent and may have been the son of a  Catawba Indian mother from South Carolina.  When he died, he requested to be buried with his Native American friends.  His wish was granted and he lies today sharing the sandy soil with first Alabamians.




Next post on Fayette County, Glenda provides detailed information on the Lucas family....

1 comment:

  1. Ms. Norris,
    I've been reading your posts on various sites about our common ancestor, Charles Daniel Lucas Jr. I am a direct descendant by his son John Hastings Lucas Sr. One matter that I can clear up for you is the reference to "Black Dutch"; it's what English ears made of "Platt Deutsch" for 'low' meaning 'south' German. This misunderstanding led to the creation of the "Pennsylvania Dutch", who were actually not Dutch at all, but Deutsch (German). I can assure you that this is not merely conjecture, as I have a clock that has been passed down through the males of the Lucas family from Charles Jr. until my own grandfather Lucas, and since he had no sons, to me. The clock is a Seth Thomas, circa 1835, with a hand-painted hex symbol on the lower glass pane, in a portion originally left clear so that one may watch the pendulum swing. Feel free to email me at burne003@crimson.ua.edu -L. E. Burnette

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