Descendants of William Holderness

Three brothers came from England circa 1750: one settled in the East, one went West, one went South
.....stop me if you've heard this story!
The tradition of William Holderness resembles many of these tales we are all trying to unravel.
I believe the truth is somewhat closer to this: William and his brother James moved to North Carolina after their father died in Virginia. The most compelling document is a deed of James's that William not only witnessed but traveled to another county to prove in court.

It is possible, given locations and family naming patterns, they are sons of a Robert Holderness whose traces are found in Middlesex, Caroline, and King & Queen Counties. . Autosomal DNA matches have also suggested William and James may have had a sister Elizabeth.

I have never been to prove absolutely that William and James Holderness were brothers. James lived in Rockingham County, North Carolina, then moved along with his two children to Wilkes County, Georgia. His McKinney wife had an interesting family - I have provided my research on her family on the Leaves of the Tree homepage. I hoped that research would also prove Holderness relationships but nothing was found.

Kay Haden
See email at upper left.

Created 13 November 2023 with RootsMagic Genealogy Software