I feel like I am walking around in a vat of honey with it sticking all over the soles of my shoes. The honey represents all the clues to be found about the Holland family and the vat represents all the circles I feel I’ve walked in!
I am ready to review the next set of facts clues about the Holland family. Anthony Holland named his children in his 20 March 1799 will and left them bequests. Yesterday, I noted the marriage of one Francis Holland to Rhoda Rhodes in Bourbon County in 1797. Is Francis in Anthony’s will? Nope, but he is also not found in any other record in Kentucky. The only Francis Holland in the 1800 census is back in Anne Arundel County and he is accounted for. Could this Francis have died soon? Definitely, as Bourbon County was frontier land in the 1790’s. It is also just as possible that he left no children, thus there would be no reason for Anthony to mention him in his will.
The children that were named were, in order that they are mentioned, Ephraim Holland, Ruth Plummer, George W. Holland, Anna Holland, Margaret Penn (wife of Shadrach Penn), Elizabeth Mosby, Henry Holland and William Holland.
There is a lot I don’t know about Ephraim’s siblings. His sister Ruth married Mr. Plummer before 1799. Anthony’s will doesn’t indicate that his children lived elsewhere. George, Joseph and William Plummer are on the 1800 Scott County tax list.
William is still living in 1850, but was a widower living with his son Philemon’s family. At age 82, he was born about 1768, which would be the right age to marry Ruth, who was probably born in the early 1770’s.
I have absolutely no information about George W. Holland. Perhaps a search of Scott County land deeds will shine some light on the matter. George received 110 acres of land, part of the tract his father bought from Moses Bledsoe, plus a slave named Tom, one cow and calf and a bed and some furniture.
Anna Holland is another mystery. I know nothing about her either. She received 50 acres of land from the same Bledsoe tract, a slave named Sall and a feather bed and some furniture.
Margaret Holland married Revolutionary War soldier Shadrach Penn, who was born in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, probably about 1788. The old soldier died in 1831, but Margaret applied for a widow’s pension in the 1840’s, which was denied. Joseph Penn, enumerated in Bourbon County in 1840 had a female aged 70-79 years old in the household, but he was aged 30-39. This is probably Margaret living with her son’s family as she is said to have died about 1843.
Elizabeth Holland married Mr. Mosby. There is a John Mosby on the 1800 tax list of Scott County. He is the only Mosby, so this may be Elizabeth’s husband. Elizabeth had already received gifts from her father, perhaps when she married, so she was given 5 pounds sterling, but nothing else.
Henry Holland received a slave named Ben and nothing more. I have no further information about him. There is a Henry Holland in Washington County, Kentucky in 1810, but he is over 45 so too old to be this Henry.
William Holland received the remainder of the Bledsoe tract of land after deducting the portions given to Ruth, George and Anna.
Are you ready for the next twist in this story?
Quagmire Alert #4 – Supposedly Anthony’s son William died in Harrison County, Kentucky by May 1814. I can’t verify that, but it is a fact that there was an Anthony Holland living in Harrison County in 1820 and that he was over 45 years old. A marriage bond for him is found in Harrison County dated 10 April 1816 to Elizabeth Hogg, apparently a widow who first married a McCall. Both were living for the 1850 and 1860 census. Elizabeth’s probate wasn’t until June 1880 and the Hollands had moved to Smith County, Tennessee. Elizabeth was born about 1793 in Kentucky. Anthony was born about 1783/1784 in – yep, you guessed it – Maryland! Harrison County was formed in 1793 from Bourbon and Scott Counties. Where does this Anthony fit in the big picture? Who knows?
Tomorrow will be a short break of sorts as I will be releasing the slaves of Anthony Holland of Scott County, Kentucky.