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

When We Were English, Part 60

by Glenn N. Holliman

Distant Cousins Unite at Holyman Sites in England....

In the last article in this space, we published information on the positive DNA analysis that demonstrated that Glenn N. Holliman of Pennsylvania, USA and Lindsay Holliman, Braybrooke, UK share a common male ancestor.  Both Lindsay's and Glenn's paper trails lead back to Buckinghamshire.  On June 18, 2014, both distant cousins, their wives and local historians visited Holyman sites of earlier centuries.

Below, Glenn and Lindsay swap information at the Long Crendon Manor House in Buckinghamshire, England.  Lindsay's great, great grandfather, John Holliman (1831-1907) worked at the house, which was first constructed in the 12th Century.

Below the exterior of the manor house, located only 3 miles from the Holyman farm in Cuddington, Buckinghamshire.  Lindsay's great grandfathers were born in Cuddington, and in the 1790s, a multi-great grandfather, James Holliman relocated to Long Crendon.

Below, Lindsay discusses 'grave' matters in the St. Nicholas parish church cemetery in Cuddington with the warden, who was doing lawn work.  Twenty years ago Lindsay found, still readable, one of the stones of Mary Holliman, which read 'In memory of Mary, widow of James Holliman, who died 28 day of May 1817, age 77 years'.  She was a first cousin, 7 times removed.  Unfortunately time has now erased her name from her gravestone.  Many great grandparents of American and English Hollimans (and various spellings) are resting in and around the church.

Below, at the Cuddington Crown Pub, left to right: Anne Holmes of Buckinghamshire whose genealogical skills have opened up exciting new understandings of Holliman family history; Lindsay Holliman; Caroline Stonham, the owner of the Holyman's Farm today and an accomplished geographer; Barbara Holliman, wife of Glenn Holliman, and Madeleine Holliman, wife of Lindsay.

Next post, more on the English roots of the American Holymans (Hollimans et al)....

When We Were English, Part XIII

by Glenn N. Holliman

Leaving the Lovely Village of Cuddington

Below a photograph of sheep grazing on a Chiltern hillside near Cuddington, Buckinghamshire. This pastoral scene is typical of the landscape around Tring, Cholesbury, Aldbury and Berkhamstead where the name Holyman pops up in parish registers and legal documents in the 17th and 16th centuries.

The folk of Cuddington, including Peggy Cattell and Caroline Stonham, were kind and generous with their information on the Holyman family. Below is Nancy Cattell who showed us around the parish church and village. Notice the thatch cottage on the right. It dates to the 1500s. The last reproduction (bottom photo) gives some idea of what an English cottage looked like in the 1600s, something akin to how our ancestors were domiciled.




Next we try to connect some ancestral dots....

When We Were English, Part XII

The Holyman Farm of Cuddington has Secrets to Reveal

by Glenn N. Holliman

To the left is a typed family tree of the Holyman farm prepared by its present owner, Caroline Stonham.

Below is an 19th century description of the farm from the Buckinghamshire County Museum. In the 1800s a Mr. Scott owned the property. Double click to enlarge. Photos by Barb Holliman.

Below is a wing of the 1698 thatched cottage on the Holyman Farm.

Next post, we say good bye to our eventful visit to Cuddington....

When We Were English, Part XI

by Glenn N. Holliman

More on the Holyman Farm, Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, England

In the past few posts, I have been sharing information and photographs of a Holyman farm, described in some English sources as a former 15th century manor house. In the photo below is a contemporary plaque attached to one of the barms, now a residence. This sign celebrates the name of the farm and its most famous namesake, Brother John Holyman (1495 - 1558), a monk and later the Rt. Rev. John Holyman of Bristol. Photo by Barbara Holliman

Below from The Monuments of Buckinghamshire is a description of the 17th century thatched cottage that we have featured in previous posts (see archives). Click twice and the manuscript will enlarge.

The current owner of Holyman Farm, Mrs. Caroline Stonham, has prepared the following family tree of the Holyman family and others that lived on the property. Perhaps it is of some use to those studying deeply into our English past. Through it one may be able to connect the family to our other English ancestors reportedly from Tring and/or Bedford. Where there are no last names, insert Holyman. Again, click twice and the document will enlarge. Photos by Barbara Holliman

Next posting, more research on our English roots....

When We Were English, Part X

by Glenn N. Holliman

Continuing the Search for our Ancestors in England

In the above 17th century thatch cottage lived great nieces and nephews of The Rt. Rev. John Holyman who was born on this farm in 1495. Numerous legal papers and research tell of the family. Below are copies of research from Caroline Stonham, current proprietor of the Holyman Farm in Cuddington, Buckinghamshire. Click on the documents to enlarge them.

Page 1

Page 2
These documents may be of use to any Hollimans who research our English roots....unfortunately the names of John Holyman (1572 - 1650) and Christopher Holliman (1631? - 1691) have not appeared in documents from the Holyman Farm. The search continues for our direct ancestors....

When We Were English, Part IX

by Glenn N. Holliman

Bishop John Holyman's Will, 1558

In my recent postings, I have been chronicling the life and times of The Rt. Rev. John Holyman, probably a distant uncle of our Holliman family. During my recent visit to the village of Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, England, this photograph (below) was taken of Mrs. Caroline Stonham and myself in the back garden of her 17th century thatch cottage.

What is remarkable about this cottage is that it rests on the Holyman farm, and Holymans used to live in the residence in this photograph!

In an earlier posting, I dropped in a photograph of the location of the old 'manor' house where 16th century Holymans lived, approximately 200 yards from where Caroline and I are sitting.

We are reviewing Holyman papers she has collected in the twenty years she has lived on the farm. She is a geography teacher and has a keen appreciation of the history of her home. She kindly shared of her research and gatherings with me, allowing my wife to photograph the many documents. With her permission, I now share them with you.

One of the papers we reviewed is below. It is the 1558 will of Bishop John Holyman. It is a transcription but it does contain a bit of Shakespeare era English. Being celibate, John had no children, but he did have servants whom he remembered and he left funds to colleges and the parish where he is interred. Notice he left funds to pray for the repose of his soul. For one who had been a monk, and had taken a vow of poverty, he left a sizable estate although no land.

If one places the cursor over the document and clicks, the will should enlarge for easier reading.

Page 1

Page 2

This will was transcribed under the direction of Bob Hollyman-Mawson of Wales, for whom we all are indebted.

Next posting, more on the Holyman farm and family documents in Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, England....