The Hollyman English Ancestry Quest 2019, Part 1

by Glenn N. Holliman

The Hollymans Gather in the Cotswolds

May 17, 2019 

Above, at the Royal Hart Hotel courtyard in Moreton in Marsh, Gloustershire, England, Hollyman cousins from Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, New Jersey, Indiana, Florida, Alabama, California, North Carolina and the countries of the United Kingdom, Nigeria and Italy gather on May 17, 2019, the first night of a tour of Hollyman (various spellings) ancestral sites in England.

Left to right, front row are Glenn Holliman, Alice Holliman Murphy, Rebecca Holliman Payne, Allen Holleman, Marcia Holliman, Mary Lippo, Di Holliman and Madeleine Holliman.  Second row, Lindsay Holliman, Paul Holliman, Susan White (in front of Paul), Bryan Holliman, Matthew Holliman, Marshall Cocke, Ann Holliman Krueger, Alison Holliman Marlowe, Kimberly Holliman, Teresa Holliman, Mary Ann Holliman Fenske, Rob Fenske, and Dr. Jim Holliman.  Third row, in the blue shirt, Glenn and Kathy Joiner, Elisabeth Krueger Ahrens, Karen Holliman, and Kathleen and Jim Holliman.

First Some Background....

Since 2009 upon retirement, I have been seeking information on the paternal ancestry of my Holliman surname.  Birmingham, Alabama (b 1946) is my birthplace and that of my late father, Homer Bishop Holliman (1919-2018).  He told me his father, Ulyss (1884-1965) and grandfather, John Thomas (1844-1930) were from Fayette County, Alabama located near the Mississippi border.  Beyond that Dad had no further information.

With the advent of the internet and time to explore, I discovered the research of Ron Holliman in Dothan, Alabama (a second cousin) and shortly thereafter of Cecil Rhodes Holliman (1902-1986), my father’s first cousin, and his son, Dr. Rhodes Burns Holliman (1928-2014).  Through conversations and emails with Rhodes, I found Glenda Norris, Tina Peddie, Joseph Parker, Lynn Holliman, Maxine Wright, Jeanette Holiman Stewart, Allen Holleman, Jim and Karen Holliman and some wonderful second and third cousins in and from Fayette County.  In 2011, the children of Walter O. Holliman (1927-2003) posted to me 20 boxes of their late father’s prodigious research, over 50 allied families!  I am still scanning and uploading this work.

Along the way, my daughter Grace introduced me to ‘blogging’ and having a bit of my father’s writing bug, I began to record first the stories of my father and his six siblings.  There are 18 first cousins from this generation, and those who could shared letters and photographs for the articles which have been posted since 2010 at http://hollimanfamilyhistory.blogspot.com and http://ulyssholliman.blogspot.com/ .   A few years ago, my stepdaughter, Cyndi, created a virtual archive where I have uploaded over 3,000 manuscripts and records donated by relatives noted above.  That site is at www.bholliman.com.

 Above at the Crown Pub in Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, brothers Rod and Andrew Holliman and Lindsay, their second cousin.  Rod and Andrew live in west England and Lindsay now in Scotland.  In 2013 DNA testing comparing Lindsay of English descent to Glenn N. Holliman, Alabama born, confirmed their paper ‘trails’ that both descend from Thomas Hollyman, d 1558, of Cuddingdon. Thomas was the great grandfather of Christopher Hollyman, 1618-1691, who immigrated to Virginia in 1650.  This Christopher is the ancestor of almost all Hollimans in the USA.

Before long, distant cousins found my web sites and inquiries tumbled in, expanding my knowledge of the extended family and introducing me to some wonderful people interested in our common heritage.  The list is now over 100 email addresses.

During excursions to England I found, with the help of the late Roger Smith, the late Fred Cooper, Jayne Sullivan, Bob Hollyman-Mawson, Lindsay Holliman and genealogist Anne Holmes the ancestral record of Hollymans from the 14^th to the 20^th century in the United Kingdom. 

Eventually I was led to the Hollyman farm in Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, now owned by Caroline and James Stonham, pictured below in front of their 1699 thatched cottage on the site of the 15^th Century Hollyman manor.  This kind couple have welcomed many Hollimans to their historical home.

Last autumn, my two sisters, Becky Holliman Payne and Alice Holliman Murphy, asked if I could take them to the English sites.  As several distant cousins had asked also for a tour, I asked why not offer an organized quest for all who wanted to view the discoveries made over the past decade? 

Above, my sisters Alice Holliman Murphy and Becky Holliman Payne in the garden of the Hollyman 1699 home, now owned by the Stonham family in Cuddington, Buckinghamshire.

Hence May 17-19, 2019, 25 American cousins made the trip over and we were joined by three English cousins – Lindsay and wife Madeleine, Rod and wife Di, and Andrew, all with the last name Holliman, all of us descended from Thomas Hollyman, d 1558, of Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, England.

So with this background, let us proceed to the next blog, peel back the centuries and discover our English heritage and those whose DNA we carry. - GNH

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.

Annoucing a New Holliman Genealogical Resource

by Glenn N. Holliman

The 2013 Holliman Genealogical Forum in Fayette, Alabama

 

 

Gathering for two days of sharing and learning during beautiful autumn southern weather were left to right: Anne Holliman Windel (Alabama), Jeanette Holiman Stewart (Texas), David Jennings (Alabama), Shelia Nichols (Alabama), Glenn Holliman (Pennsylvania), Janie Holliman (Alabama), Lois Sherrill (Alabama), Sarah Hall Holliman Hatch (Colorado), Nell Holliman, sitting (Alabama), Harvey Holliman (Texas), Alice Holliman Murphy (Texas), Glenda Norris (Alabama), Frank Holliman (Alabama), Rachel Lee (Alabama), Eddy Smith (Alabama), Marilyn Wilson Galvan (Texas), Vonceil Duckworth (Alabama), Linwood Holliman (Alabama), Jimmy Holliman (Alabama) and Joseph Parker (Texas)

At the October 2013 Holliman Genealogical Forum in Fayette, Alabama, a tremendous new genealogical web site was announced.  The web site, designed as a virtual archives, can be found at The Hollyman Family at MyFamily.com.  The top portion of the site is visible below.  Note the numerous titles available at the location.

Already on this MyFamily site one will find:

Over 14,000 names on the extensive Holyman Family Tree

 

Dozens of research files and family histories

 

Several thousand photographs

 

 A discussion forum

 

And more information added almost daily!

However for accuracy purposes, the site remains private; that is one needs an invitation to participate.

Whether you live in the United States, the British Isles, Canada, Australia or where ever on the globe, that invitation is easily granted if you email this writer at glennhistory@gmail.com or Jeanette Holiman Stewart at Htreekeeper@outlook.com.

 

Or go to the HOLLYMAN GENEALOGY MyFamily site at http://myfamily.com/group/hollyman .

Then click on "Request to Join" in upper righthand corner! 

 

Below, Jeanette Holiman Stewart double checks her records as Jimmy Holliman and Vonceil Duckworth join her at the Shepherd Baptist Church Cemetery in Newtonville, Alabama.  On this site in 1836, their ggg grandfather Charles Holliman located his family after migration from Lancaster County, South Carolina.  Jeanette monitors the Tree at MyFamily.com and has entered over 14,000 names and thousands of photographs and documents!

 

 

You will be welcomed to this living museum and world-wide resource center, a place where those of us with ancestors by the names of Holyman, Hollyman, Holliman, Holiman, Holleman, Holloman, Hollemon, Hollomon and numerous other variations can find and share family history information. Associated families are encouraged to join us in this program.

This site was founded after extensive discussions following a 2011 reunion in Fayette, Alabama by family historians Joseph Parker, Glenda Norris, Lynn R. Holliman, Jeanette Holiman Stewart, Tina Peddie and Glenn N. Holliman, all descendants of Christopher Hollyman, Sr. (1618-1691). These persons, four of whom are in the group picture above, administer the site.

As regular readers of this space know, this Christopher, Sr. came from Bedfordshire, England to Jamestown, Virginia in 1650, married twice, had six children and prospered leaving a plantation of 1,020 acres at his death in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. While other persons with the name of Holyman (or a derivative) evidently migrated later to the New World, our evidence to date traces almost, but not all Holymans (and various spellings), back to the four sons of Christopher, Sr. Their names were Thomas, Christopher, William and Richard. There were two daughters – Ann and Mary who married two brothers from a neighboring plantation – John and James Atkinson.

The purpose of this MyFamily site is to gather the most complete information possible on Holymans, post and share without fees to the larger family. Our goal is to establish a central gathering place for Holyman Family information and research materials. We have designed our management to be self-perpetuating, to maintain service and enlarge this site as the years and decades pass.

Left, one of the hosts for the Alabama Holliman Forum and dedicated genealogist, is Glenda Norris, descended from Cornelius Holliman, one of three brothers who caught 'Alabama Fever' and migrated to the state from South Carolina in 1836.

Of course, genealogy is a process, and as new information is discovered, lineages and dates may change. If your research differs from what might be contained on this site, let us know and corrections or differences of opinions will be noted. This site is for education only and not for commercial or legal purposes.

               Additional Resources are available!

Join the Hollyman Email genealogical conversation at Hollyman-Subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Or the Hollyman Family Facebook Page located on Facebook at "Hollyman Family".

For more information on these sites, contact Tina Peddie, one of our MyFamily administrators, at desabla1@yahoo.com.  Mrs. Peddie can assist also in any DNA research.

Remember for your Hollyman MyFamily invitation, contact glennhistory@gmail.com or Htreekeeper@outlook.com.

 

Or go to the HOLLYMAN GENEALOGY MyFamily site at http://myfamily.com/group/hollyman . 

Then click on "Request to Join" in upper righthand corner! 


Next week, back to another bit of Holleman history....