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This site is dedicated to my mother, Virginia Ruth Holton, who always insisted that researching "her side" of the family would be more interesting. By the time I realized that she was right, Alzheimer's disease had taken its toll and I was no longer able to share all the interesting facts I had found on her ancestors. I know that you are helping me now Mom.

John Holton I disappearance from records after 1840 indicates that he may have been a fatality of the Great Potato Famine of Ireland. He lived with his family in the Townland of Kilmurray along with a brother James. The first documentation found on our family is............

Children's Names	Birthdates
Edward	03 Mar 1822
Anna	29 Feb 1824
Margarite	25 Jun 1826
Catharin	14 Dec 1828
Michael	19 Mar 1832
Mary	09 Jun 1834
Bess	25 Sep 1836
John	09 Apr 1839
James	1842
Masy	03 Feb 1846

On April 5th, 1849, the ship "Metoka" arrived at the Port of NY from Dublin. Among it's passengers were Mary Holton and her children Margaret, Catherine, Edward, Elizabeth, John, William Marcy and James. They settled in Verplanck's Point, Westchester County, NY. Later many other Holton cousins would follow and start their new lives in Westchester County. In 1855 Mary, Edward, William and James moved to Wayne County, Michigan. John and his sisters remained in NY. Church records suggest that Margaret Holton married Samuel Stinson and that Elizabeth (Betsy) Holton married (1) "P.B." Phillip Beverley Springsteel.They had a son John. Elizabeth's second husband was Robert Hard. The 1870 census indicates that they were residing in Westchester County with their children Elizabeth, Robert, Benjamin, Mary, Philicene, John and Agnes. John's sister Catherine remains a mystery.

Mary lived with her son Edward, a farmer, in Taylor Center, Wayne County, Michigan.. William Marcy Holton became a Representative for the State of Michigan and held the offices of Justice, School Trustee, Supervisor of Dearborn and Postmaster. James was also a farmer. Mary died at age 66 in March of 1870. She is buried in Dearborn along with her son Edward and his wife, Mary.

My great grandfather, John Holton, enlisted in the Union Army on August 20, 1861 in Peekskill, NY. He is described as 21 years old, 5 foot 3 inches tall, light complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He fought in the Civil War with the 48th Regiment, NY Infantry, B Company. On July 18th, 1863, John was wounded in the head and shoulder in the attack on Ft. Wagner, So. Carolina. He received the Gillmore Medal of Honor for his injuries. After the war, John married Mary Jane Stinson and they lived in Greenpoint, Long Island. They had 3 children, Mary, Eliza and Edward Vincent Holton. Mary and Edward Vincent were living with their grandparents, Robert and Catherine Stinson in Verplanck's in the 1880 census. I assume that Eliza died at some point. Edward Vincent married Rilla Estelle Grosse in 1900 and became an undertaker in Detroit, Michigan. I have not found either Edward V. or Mary after that.

After the death of Mary Jane in 1873 of Remittent Fever, John married Margaret Graham. Margaret was the daughter of David Graham and Margaret Whyte of Paisley, Scotland. John and Margaret lived on Long Island and had 4 children, Everett, John W., William Wilbur and Lillian. John Holton died in December of 1884 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY along with his son John.

With a lot of help from cousins Dick Holton in Las Vegas, Karina Holton in Ireland and Rob Temps in MD, we have managed to piece together some of our family's history. Thank you for all of your help!

If you have any information on the Holton family please contact me! I would love to hear from you! Other names mom mentioned that are associated with this family are Mc Avoy and Whelan. I have not found those connections yet but I am sure they are out there.

There are many Holton researchers on-line however most of their ancestors originated in England. If you are researching the Holton name, join the Holton mailing list!

WELCOME TO THE HOLTON'S OF KILDARE GENEALOGY WEBSITE!!

The Holton's of County Kildare, Ireland