Our Family's Colonial Era, Part XVI

by Glenn N. Holliman

Who Were the Children of Christopher Holliman, Sr.?

In 1952, George A. Holleman, formerly of Chicago and later Columbus, Mississippi, wrote and published privately a work called The Hollyman Family. To my knowledge this work, which was expanded and reprinted by Holliman genealogist Tina Peddie, is the first and still the only comprehensive volume to discuss the founding of our Holliman family and to list hundreds of names of Holliman descendants. It is a monumental piece of research for the pre-internet age. Those of us who are his distant cousins are grateful for this volume, and Tina's work to update it and keep it alive.

The 350 odd page volume is available from Tina Peddie, desabla1@yahoo.com.

In this book George Holleman published, probably for the first time, a list of the children of Christopher Holyman Sr.

They are:

Thomas Holyman - ? to 1734

Christopher Holyman, Jr. - ? to 1731 in Isle of Wight Co.

William Holyman - 1661 - 1704

Richard Holyman - ? to 1711 in Surry Co.

Ann Holyman who married John Atkinson in 1691

Mary Holyman who married James Atkinson (John's brother) in 1691

The genealogists, reports and data I have read seem in agreement that primarily Hollymans, Hollemans, Hollimans, Hollomons, etc. in the United States are descendants of this family. This is not to say that other Hollimans could not have migrated later to other colonies or that other Virginia Holymans, such that have been discussed in other postings, did not leave families also.

However, to my knowledge (and I wish to be corrected if in error), most if and not all Hollimans (and variations) trace their lineage through Christopher Holyman, Sr. Personally, this is my branch, so those of you related to me through grandfathers and great grandfathers are descendants of dear Christopher Sr.

And thank you George A. Holleman for your pioneering work!