William Holloway, 1757-1850, Brooks County

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William Holloway, a Revolutionary War soldier, lived in Bulloch County for many years before moving to the Georgia Wiregrass region. Born on April 1, 1757, in North Carolina, he was the son of William Holloway Sr. It is likely that William married three times:

  1. First Marriage (1788) – William is believed to have married Sally Griffin in North Carolina. Sally was the daughter of Benjamin and Mary (Bryan) Griffin and the sister of Sarah Griffin, who married William’s brother, John Holloway. Sally was born on March 17, 1766.
  2. Second Marriage (1818–1825, possibly to Orpha) – Between 1818 and 1825, William may have married a woman named Orpha. The evidence is unclear, but a child named Orpha was born on May 19, 1825, according to family records. The 1825 death record attributed to William’s wife likely belongs to Orpha.
  3. Third Marriage (1828, to Sarah) – By August 1828, records from Bethel Church in Brooks County list “Mrs. Sarah Holloway” as having joined by letter. She was later expelled on June 4, 1831, for “long absence, having moved out of reach of the church and also for her disorderly walk.” According to Griffin Holloway, William’s grandson, Sarah was unhappy with their new frontier home and returned to her previous residence despite William’s refusal to accompany her. No children resulted from this marriage.

His children were:

  1. Lavina Holloway – born 17 Oct 1790, married Tarleton Swain. Moved West. Lost sight of.
  2. Nancy Holloway – born 14 Aug 1792, married 3 Mar 1814, Ansel Parrish. She died 22 May 1853 and is buried in the Parrish Cemetery in Bulloch County, Georgia.
  3. Matthew Holloway – born 4 Feb 1797, married _______ Wilson. Died about 1840, no issue known. The Holloway Family Bible indicated that Matthew never married.
  4. William Holloway, Jr. – born 5 May 1802, married 17 Jan 1825, Elizabeth Edmondson, daughter of Isaac Edmondson.
  5. James Holloway – born 4 Jun 1805, married 20 Jul 1820, Judith Hendry, dau. of John Hendry. Moved to Florida.
  6. Roxie Ann Holloway – born 7 Apr 1808, married James Alderman, son of David Alderman, a Revolutionary Soldier.
  7. Catherine Holloway – born 9 Jun 1814, married Jessie J. Albritton, son of Matthew Albritton.
  8. Susannah Holloway – born 3 Feb 1819, married William Smith, 08 Jan 1835.
  9. Griffin Holloway – born 9 Jul 1822, married 09 Jun 1842, Sinah Selph, dau. of Thomas and Mary (Moore) Selph.
  10. Orpha Lee Holloway – born 19 May 1825, married 17 Apr 1842, Lasa Adams.
William Holloway grave, 1757-1850
William Holloway grave, 1757-1850

In 1827, William moved his family from Bulloch County to Thomas County, settling in what is now Brooks County. His plantation was located about six miles northeast of present-day Barwick, on what is now known as the Bell place, east of Mule Creek. He passed away on 15 Aug 1850 at the age of 93 and was buried at Bethel Church. In 1951 his grave location was known and Huxford indicated it would be marked appropriately in the near future. This was done by the DAR Hannah Clarke on 10 Jun 1951. Due to his death occurring after 1 Jun 1850 he was not included in the mortality schedule for the 1850 census.

William’s parents and their immediate family were named in a South Carolina equity court case of 1818, Isaac Holloway vs. Reddin McCoy. This case concerned the settlement of the estate of Thomas Holloway of Sumter District SC, brother to William’s father, William Sr. Thomas died intestate (without a will) and left no wife or children. That meant the estate would need to be calculated and then distributed to other family members (brothers, sisters, etc.). During the depositions in the case, William Holloway Sr.’s children were named (William Sr. was deceased by this time):

  1. John Holloway, lived out of state, but gave a deposition on 19 Jun 1820 on behalf of William Sr.’s family and signed it with a mark.
  2. William Holloway (1757-1850)
  3. Jeremiah Holloway
  4. James Holloway
  5. Nancy Holloway, married Thomas Kembull/Kimbook
  6. Mary (Polly) Holloway, married David Pridgen
  7. Elizabeth (Betsy) Holloway, married James Williams

Public Service and Military Record

1950 Application for a Military Headstone for William Holloway
1950 Application for a Military Headstone for William Holloway
  • Military Service: William served in the North Carolina militia during the Revolutionary War (see page 387, Roster of Soldiers from N.C. in the American Revolution).
  • Commission as Captain: On May 15, 1804, he was commissioned as Captain of the 45th District Militia in Bulloch County and served for several years.
  • Justice of the Peace: He held office in Thomas County in the 638th District (1828–1829), 763rd District (1830–1832), and again from 1838–1841.
  • Will and Executors: William’s will, dated November 2, 1844, was probated in Thomas County on October 2, 1850. His sons, William and Griffin, were named as executors. His final years were spent living with his son Griffin.

Property Transactions in Bulloch County

  • Deed of Gift (December 15, 1829): William Holloway Sr. transferred livestock and 2,000 acres on Lott’s Creek to his son James, reserving a life estate for himself. If James predeceased him, the property was to be divided among other children: Roxie Ann Alderman, Lavina (Vina) Holloway, Matthew Holloway, and Griffin Holloway (Deed Book 4-A, p. 517).
  • Bill of Sale (December 15, 1826): William Holloway Sr. sold eight slaves and all household goods to his son William Jr., with similar conditions. If William Jr. died before his father, the property would pass to Catherine, Susannah, and Orpha Lee Holloway.

Slave Ownership

It is obvious by the census records that William owned slaves and worked them on the various plantations he owned during his life.

  • 1820 – William is recorded as owning 14 slaves.
  • 1830 – William is recorded as owning 9 slaves.
  • 1840 – William is recorded as owning 5 slaves.
  • 1850 – William is recorded as owning 10 slaves, 3 born in the last decade.

Conflict Resolutions

Resolving Conflicts Regarding William’s Wives

Determining William Holloway’s wives has been challenging due to the lack of marriage records. The primary conflicts involve:

  1. Orpha’s Existence – Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia by Folks Huxford states that Orpha was William’s first wife, whom he married in North Carolina before moving to Bulloch County, where she died around 1825. It also assigns all of the children to Orpha. However, the Holloway Family Bible does not mention her. The birth of a daughter named Orpha in 1825 adds to the uncertainty. Do not discount Griffin Holloway’s accounting in the Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia that his grandmother was named Orpha.

    There is some confusion by genealogists as to the identity of Orpha who is alledged to have married William Holloway. Some researchers think that she is Orpha White, daughter of Thomas and Anne (Barrow) White. That Orpha White was born 25 Sep 1761. The will of her father, Thomas White, in 1808 lists her as “Orpha Robinson.” Josiah Robinson in his will in 1802 lists his wife Orpha and his father-in-law Thomas White, and daughter Jemima. Orpha Robinson’s will in 1818 mentions dec’d husband Josiah Robinson, daughters Sarah and Jemima. Orpha White is definitely not a wife of William Holloway. This does not rule out some other Orpha, however.

    Other genealogists have named Orpha as Orpha Theany or Orpha Theany White. Theany was a name attached to Orpha by early researchers without a source attached.
  2. Sally Griffin – The Holloway Family Bible identifies William’s wife as “Salley Griffin,” daughter of Benjamin Griffin, with a marriage date of December 15, 1788. However, the number “8” appears to have been overwritten, leaving uncertainty over whether the correct year was 1788 or 1798. A North Carolina Supreme Court case (Coward, Graham & Others vs. John B. Griffin & Others, 1818) confirms that Sally Griffin was William’s wife in 1818, making her the presumed mother of his children up until that time.
  3. Sarah’s Identity – Folks Huxford attributes the death of Orpha in 1825 and assigns all of the children to her. Huxford then states that the second wife of William was Sarah

Possible Marriage Scenarios

Given the available evidence, the most likely order of William Holloway’s marriages is:

  1. Most Likely Scenario: Married Sally Griffin in 1788; possibly married Orpha between 1818 and 1825 (with the 1825 death record belonging to Orpha); certainly married Sarah about 1828.
  2. Second Best: William married 1st Orpha _______ and second Sarah _______, and never married Sally Griffin. Her marriage would be to a different William Holloway, and none of the children listed would be hers. While unlikely, this is possible.
  3. Alternative Possibility: Married Orpha first; married Sally in 1788 or 1798 (she died in 1825); certainly married Sarah about 1828.
  4. Simplest Explanation: Married Sally in 1788, she died in 1825; certainly married Sarah about 1828. In this scenario, Orpha may never have existed or could have been a middle name for Sally.

These scenarios are presented based on existing records, family accounts, and historical context, providing the best possible interpretation of William Holloway’s life and marriages.

Claimed Native American Heritage

Early genealogists claimed that the Orpha who married William Holloway was 1/2 Indian and that the source came from Huxford’s notes for the Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia. I find no evidence which confirms this largely because Orpha is so much of an enigma.

Sources

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