William Holloway, Sr. of Cumberland and Bedford Cos. VA

William Holloway Sr. was born about 1729 in Virginia, probably in Caroline County. He was the son of John Holloway Sr. (c. 1696–1758) and his wife Hannah Spiers of Essex, Caroline and Cumberland Counties. William married Frances Meador in Cumberland County in about 1748. Frances was born about 1730 in Virginia, either in Essex or Caroline County, the daughter of Jonas and Frances Meador Sr. William and Frances owned two properties in Cumberland County during the 1750s. The first was 259 acres, which William purchased from his father in 1750. The second property of 170 acres was a few miles southeast of there, near Frances' parents, which William purchased in 1753. William and Frances sold these properties in 1761 and 1762 respectively, and then purchased 118 acres in Bedford Co., VA in November 1762. They eventually owned multiple properties in Bedford County, as much as 1,084 acres, all south/southwest of the Staunton River. (The part of Bedford County south/southwest of the Staunton was formed into Franklin County in 1786.) These properties were near several of their Holloway and Meador siblings who lived on either side of the Staunton, about 4 miles northeast of the Booker T. Washington National Monument. William and Frances began acquiring property in Washington Co., NC/TN in 1778, where they eventually owned 600 acres. They sold two properties in Bedford County in 1785, identifying themselves in the deeds as living in Washington Co., NC/TN. They made return trips to Cumberland County during the 1780s, where William witnessed the will of his brother-in-law John Bradley in 1782. William also purchased 30 acres there at about the same time. It seems William and Frances may have had an unknown married daughter there, for whom they kept returning to Cumberland. William sold the last of their property in Washington Co., TN in 1798, identifying himself in the deed as of Lee Co., VA. He appears in the tax lists of Lee County from 1799 to 1801. He and Frances seem to have died about that time.

Let me take you to the heart of the problem for my Holloway family on Geni, at least from my point of view. Pasted below is a link to the profile of “William James Holloway” on Geni. I don’t believe there was ever a person with that name at the time in either Cumberland or Mecklenburg County. This profile is for “my William Holloway,” at least insofar as his parents are given as John Holloway & Hannah Spiers of Cumberland County, VA, though their names are mangled. Also, three sons are listed for him: Joseph, Billy and Barnes. This is my family. This Joseph was my 5G grandfather. All the other children listed on the profile were children of William Holloway & Martha Ballard. That William Holloway was born in York Co., VA and then moved with his parents, George & Elizabeth, to Lunenburg County, after which Mecklenburg County was formed out of Lunenburg. The family lived on either side of the county line, though William & Martha were in Mecklenburg County. My William Holloway, son of John & Hannah, was born about 1729 in Virginia, and died after 1801 in Lee Co., VA. He was married to Frances Meador. The Holloway & Meador families moved together from Caroline to Cumberland Co., VA. The Holloway families of Cumberland and of Mecklenburg counties had nothing to do with each other. Y-DNA proves we are not related. William Holloway, husband of Martha Ballard, was born 1834. There’s a complete mashup of these two William Holloways on this profile. It’s an absolute disaster.

William Holloway, Sr. of Cumberland and Bedford Cos. VA