Little is actually known about the life of Ephraim Holland. His estimated birth year is 1765, based on the fact that his son, James, reported a birth year of 1791 in the 1850 census. Ephraim married Nancy Kennedy on 21 May 1794 in Bourbon County, Kentucky so he apparently was married at least twice.

The Hollands migrated from Anne Arundel County, Maryland sometime between the 1790 census and Ephraim’s marriage in Kentucky.

Ephraim appears only once during his lifetime in the court records of Scott County. That was during the September 1813 county court term when he was given permission to operate a tavern.

Ephraim, Tavern Keeper

It wasn’t much later that Ephraim Holland’s name was again in the court records, but this time, it was to appoint an administrator for his estate.

Ephraim Holland Estate Administration

I mentioned in an early Holland post that Scott County has some damaged records. I think these images are from copies made of the original records, due to the spaces between some words in entries, which can be seen in this clip.

Notice, too, the date found on the same page:

Court Order Book, 18??

However, this entry was either in March 1814 or 1815 because there is an entry for December 1815 which includes a mention of Ephraim’s inventory recording.

No list of heirs has been found in court records, but a land deed filed in 1836 lists Ephraim’s heirs selling a tract of land from his estate.

1836 Land Deed

I am not going to transcribe the entire deed because for purposes here, the only important sections are noted in red – this land was part of a tract purchased by Ephraim Holland and his heirs are named in the opening section – Henry E. Brown, Abigail his wife, Thomas K. Holland, George W. Holland, Polly Holland, Ann Holland, Montgomery Holland, Mattison (James Madison) Holland and Eli. . . Holland of the county of Grant (Kentucky).

This wasn’t strictly true. Notice that signatures below are by Thomas, Henry E. and Abigail C. Brown, George W. Holland, Polly Holland and Ann Holland. Missing are Montgomery, Mattison and Elizabeth. I have no idea where Elizabeth was living, but Montgomery was in Cincinnati, Ohio and James Madison Holland had settled and married in Howard County, Missouri by 1818.

Ephraim’s wife, Nancy, survived her husband An inventory entry indicates cash received from Mr (?) Holland, which could be “Mrs.”

Is this Mrs. Holland?

Aside from this inventory entry, Nancy Holland is found in the 1820 census of Scott County.

Scott County, Kentucky has a few early marriages, but regular marriage records don’t begin until 1837. If Nancy remarried, no record has been found. I am wondering if, remarried or not, she died about 1836 – hence the reason for the 1836 deed naming Ephraim’s heirs?

Thomas Kennedy Holland was likely named for his mother’s family. He was born about 1799, died 29 March 1856 of a diseased liver in Scott County, Kentucky, but had married and had a large family. The 1850 census shows wife Sarah A. Stone, born 1811 in Kentucky and children – Eliza A., born c1834,  Nancy J., born c1837, Elizabeth, born c1842, John E., born c1846 and William M., born c1849. Based on the gaps in birth years, Sarah might have been a second wife.

Thomas is enumerated in the 1830 census, but oddly, there isn’t a single person, including himself, enumerated in his household.

His 1840 census household shows a male 40-49, which would be him, a female, 30-39, which would be wife Sallie, a female 5-9, which would be Eliza A. and a female under 5, which would be Nancy J. However, there is also a male 20-29 and a female 20-29 living with them. I wonder if this could be the missing Henry E. and Abigail C. Holland Brown?

Daughter Eliza A. died of dyspepsia a few days after her father on 9 April 1856, unmarried. I don’t find Nancy J. after the 1850 census. Elizabeth born in 1842 married James Offutt and they had three children. Elizabeth died in Scott County in 1916. Her father was named as “Canada” Holland. Think “Can-a-day” and you can see a phonetic spelling of “Kennedy.” I have even found a descendant of this line! John Ephraim Holland married at least twice, first to Sallie Moran in 1871 in Lafayette County, Missouri and second to Theodocia King about 1885. He died on 17 November 1929 in Jackson County, Missouri, but had no known children with either wife. William M. Holland died in 1913 in Scott County. He married Lillie (maiden name unknown) and they had one daughter, Sarah, who married Moore Daniel Henderson. There might be descendants of this branch of the family.

I haven’t been able to identify Henry E. Brown and his wife, Abigail C. Holland in any census record, nor have I found a marriage record for them.

Montgomery Holland was born about 1809 in Kentucky. By 1850, he was living in Cincinnati, Ohio. He apparently married there as his wife, Martha Ann Meyers,  was an Ohio native. There doesn’t seem to be much doubt that this is the right man – his children are named George W., Richard, Ephraim, Milton G., Robert and Martha. Ephraim is not that common of a given name and he was probably named for his grandfather. Montgomery died in 1891 and is buried at Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati.

Montgomery and Martha’s family is a bit unusual, as Martha is widowed in 1880, but has all six children still living at home with her and none are married. Their ages range from 45 down to 30 years old.  It appears that there are no descendants for Montgomery’s branch of the family.

I also haven’t been able to find any information on Polly, Ann or Elizabeth Holland, all mentioned in the deed. One of them could be the unknown female 20-29 years old living in Thomas’s home.

The last Holland post will cover Ephraim’s son, James, and his family, which is my husband’s line.