DNA, Cousins and a Promotion

by Glenn N. Holliman

This writer and another writer, Tina Peddie, both Hollyman family historians, gathered in Tennessee 8 October 2016 to discuss genealogy. Tina has moved recently from California to Tennessee.

Joining us for the 3 hour session on DNA analysis were Glenn's two sisters - Becky Holliman Payne and Alice Holliman Murphy.  Alice has explored her husband's Irish roots, and Becky is seeking DNA analysis of her children's Payne background.

Tina has for decades been a force to research and communicate Hollyman history. In the 1980s, she expanded and reissued George Holleman's 1953 ground breaking history of this American family. In 1999, utilizing the technology of the early Internet era, she opened and directed a Hollyman Yahoo chat room.  Most recently, she is the administrator of the Hollyman Facebook page.  She is the go-to person for DNA guidance and explanation for the family. 

 Becky, who lives near Tina's home in Tennessee, took extensive notes during our 
DNA tutorial courtesy of Tina.

During our discussion, Tina and I reviewed our  Holliman roots.  We, and of course my sisters, are descended from Samuel Holliman (1707-1786) who was born in Surrey County, Virginia and died in Johnston County, North Carolina. James Grantson Holliman was a son of Samuel, and is my generation's 4th GGF.  Tina's ancestor was David Holliman, another son of Samuel, who moved to Georgia and eventually a descendant married a Keene, Tina's maiden name. 

Left, Alice Holliman Murphy, makes Texas her home. Both she and Becky attended the national Christopher Hollyman gathering April 1, 2016 in Isle of Wight, Virginia.  She has been collecting material on the Murphy clan, which included a recent trip to Ireland.

My two sisters and I gathered in Tennessee for the promotion ceremony of Becky's son, Bryan, to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves.  One of Alice's children, Jonathan, is on active duty as a major in the Army. 

Below, some of the members of the immediate family who are veterans gathered in Tennessee for the swearing in of now Lt. Colonel Bryan Payne. Left to right are Glenn N. Holliman (Vietnam), Paul Payne (Viet Nam era), Bryan Payne (Iraq) and the father of this writer, H. Bishop Holliman, b 1919, Seaman 2nd class, a radioman on destroyers in the Mediterranean and the North Atlantic in World War II.  

Bishop is the father of Glenn and grandfather of Bryan.  Bishop's grandfather, John Thomas Holliman (1844-1930) and great grandfather, Uriah Holliman (1820-1862) fought in the Civil War.  Bishop's second great grandfather, Cornelius Holliman (1796- 1862) was a veteran of the War of 1812 and third great grandfather, James Grantson Holliman (1750-1836) served as a patriot in the American Revolutionary War in the North Carolina militia.

For information on placing an article, please write Glenn N. Holliman at glennhistory.gmail.com.  For manuscripts and materials on Hollymans and other associated families, visit the growing virtual archive at www.bholliman.com/ .  For Hollyman Facebook entrance and DNA assistance, write Tina at Tinapeddie@yahoo.com.

Our Family's Colonial Era, Part XI

by Glenn N. Holliman

Some 17th Century Holymans - Who Were They?

Most of us reading this blog are descendants from Christopher Holyman (Holliman, etc.) who was born in England, immigrated in 1650 to Jamestown with a person named Judith, presumed to be his sister, both from either Bedford or Tring, England. Judith disappears from the story, but we know Christopher, Sr. died in Isle of Wight County, Virginia in 1691, having prospered as a planter.

In other blogs, I have shared research by others on Thomas Holeman who in 1635 purchased land at Martin's Hundred, south of Jamestown. There was also one Robert Hollman, who in March 1635 owned land in Henrico County, along the James River. Then there is John Holyman who died in Southampton, Virginia in 1650, a possible brother of our Christopher Holyman and the above Thomas Holeman.

There are still more Hollimans!

Beside the descendants of Christopher Holliman, Sr., other Hollimans also were arriving in the New World. Here is a list I have put together so far, and of course, welcome information, additions and clarification.

1653 - Another Judith Holyman and a second Christopher Holyman arrived three years after our Christopher Holyman Sr. and the original Judith Holyman stepped ashore at Jamestown. Most genealogists believe they were relatives, perhaps a son, a daughter or a mother?

1656 - On April 25, 1656 one William Holliman arrived, transported courtesy of Thomas Rolfe. Who was Thomas Rolfe? None other than the son of John Rolfe and his famous wife, Pocahontas, the daughter of Powhatan, chief of the tribes when Jamestown was founded. Well....my goodness....By 1658, William Holliman was a land owner. All this from Nell Nugent, Volume 1, pages 328 and 377, Cavaliers and Pioneers.

Above in this 1994 photograph, my son, Christopher S. Holliman and my nephew, Bryan Payne, pose at Jamestown in front of the statue of Pocahontas. Both are direct descendants from their multi-great grandfather, Christopher Holyman, Sr., who landed at this site in 1650.

1658 - February 26, one John Hollman transported by John Dorrant. A Holliman simply slightly misspelled?

1659 - How about some indentured servants, poor people who bought their passage to Virginia in exchange for years of work? Labor to work tobacco fields was very scarce in the colony. There was Jane Hollyman, unknown family, who on September 10th was ordered to serve her master an extra year at the end of her indenture for running away. This freedom loving female Hollyman had escaped for six months from one William Cox. The county was York, Virginia. Interesting, our Christopher Holliman, Sr. was transported in 1650 by one John Cox. Relationship?

1675 and 1681 - The names of Thomas Hollyman pop up twice, both times in Lancaster County, Virginia as indentured servants. Are they the same person or two named Thomas Hollyman? The second in 1681 is listed as a servant of Lt. Colonel John Carter, ah ha, of the famous Carter family. Later the Carters will cease using indentured servants and instead utilize African slaves. This John Carter will die early eventually leaving the entire family estate to Robert "King" Carter who will become the wealthiest man in Colonial Virginia, acquiring over 300,000 acres and 1,000 slaves. This John Carter got his start in Isle of Wight County in the 1640s, the same country were our direct great grandparents would put down roots.

For citations on Jane and the two Thomas Hollymans, go to the Immigrant Servants Database on the web. Citations in original records are given. A very neat web site where one can cross check numerous family trails.

From whence did these Hollymans come? Bedford or Tring, England? Some other part of the England? Are these distant cousins? Perhaps, probably, perhaps. Joe Parker has identified even more Hollimans who lived in Virginia in the second half of the 17th Century. So there are more stories to tell.

More on Colonial Virginia and the Family of Christopher Holyman, Sr. in the next post....