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HENRY HOLLAND OF LONDON, ENGLAND

The family in London appears to have begun with JOHN HOLLAND who was imprisoned in the Tower of London and gave birth to his son, Henry Holland, the third Duke of Exeter, in 1430 in the Tower of London. John was known to have a townhouse in London as early as 1397 located at Cold Harbour on the bank of the river near A1L Hallows Lane. It was to this house that his son, Henry, was taken before he was baptised at St. Stephens. John also had two illegitimate sons, WILLIAM and THOMAS b. ca 1435, probably in London. Since the son Henry, left no male heirs, the lineage of John at this point falls to his two illegitimate sons, William and Thomas.

At this point, it is pure speculation, then, that Henry Holland accounted for in the following paragraphs, was a possible grandson of either William or Thomas de Holande.

Hollands were found in the first parish records of St. Margarets at Westminster, London. St. Margarets was the parent- parish of St. Martin-in-the-Fields where additional members of the family were recorded. Henry Holland b. ca 1490/1495 Westminster, London, England, d. 1561 Westminster, St. Margarets, London, England. his burial is contained in the parish records of St. Margarets. Also, his LWT dated 1561 London, England, directs that he be buried at St. Margarets and names Thomas, George, Mary and Henry Holland. He also named a grandson, Edward Holland. Henry was mentioned in trace documents in London with Richard Holland and Thomas Holland. Thomas was buried at St. Margarets Parish, documented in the parish register itself under "Mortuaries", died 7/29/1540. Henry made his LWT dated 1561 at Westminster, London, England. Two other Hollands, John, was buried 8/13/1547 at St. Margarets, and Robert made his LWT 1557 London naming wife, Elizabeth, and son, George. These Hollands, Richard, Thomas, John and possibly Robert, appear to be of the age to be either brothers or close-kin to Henry. The Hollands who attended St. Margaret's and St. Martin-in-the-Field were all related to one another. This was their family seat, so to speak, and the registers reflect their births, marriages and deaths. I have researched with great effort to try and learn if either of them show any connection to Henry, or to determine who their father may be (i.e., a son of illegitimate Thomas or William). In other words, the father of these Hollands, might be a son of either Thomas or Henry, illegitimates. I a inclined to think that it is Thomas Holland, born ca 1455/1465, a illegitimate son of Henry Holland, third Duke of Exeter. This find would indeed provide the missing link.

From the parish records at St. Margarets Parish, Westminster, London the issue of Henry Holland is proved. I have seen comments on the internet that this lineage is not proved, however, there is no better record than a christening ceremony in a parish register which also provides the names the parents. Such is the case here. Issue of Henry Holland:

• John Holland b. ca 1519 Westminster, London, England m. 6/16/1539 Agnes Greenway at St. Lawrence, Jewry and St. Mary Magdalene, Milk St., London, England. Issue:

  1. Courtney Holland chr. 3/16/1548 Westminster, St. Margarets.

• Thomas Holland b. ca 1520 Westminster, London, England d. 8/1566 Westminster, London, England m. 1/30/1541 Agnes Hyde at Westminster, St. Margarets, London, England. LWT of Thomas Holland dated 8/1566 Westminstet, St. Margarets, London,England, named his son Ambrose and brother, George.

  1. Ambrose Holland chr. 4/5/1547 Westminster, St. Margarets, London, England m. 8/20/1571 Anne Rydstone, St. Margarets, London, England.

• George Holland b. ca 1521 Westminster, London, England m. 9/6/1541 Elisabeth Wells at Westminster, St. Margarets, London, England. (Named in LWT of his brother, Thomas, above). He may be the George Holland who was buried in 1554 at St.Margarets Parish Records).
• Agnes Holland b. ca 1524 Wcstminuter, London, England m. 8/3/1544 William Hall at Westminster, St. Margarets, London, England.
• Elizabeth Holland b. ca 1525 Westminster, London, England m. 5/4/1545 John Patenson Westminster, St. Margarets, London, England.
• Henry Holland b. ca 1527 Westminster, St. Margarets, London, England m. 1/30/1547 Hyllary Barwarde Westminster, St. Margarets, London, England. He was named in the last will and testament of his father, Henry Holland, dated 1561. Issue:

  1. Judith Holland chr. 10/11/1551 Westminster, St. Margarets, London, England.
  2. Jane Holland chr. 12/1552 Westminster, St. Margarets, London, England.
  3. James or Jacob Holland chr. 7/23/1555 Westminster, St. Margarets, London,England.
  4. Robert Holland chr. 1/3/1554 Westminster, St. Margarets, London, England.
  5. Alice Holland chr. 10/10/1555 Westminster, St. Martin- in-the-Fields, London, England.
  6. Heugh Holland chr. 10/10/1555 Westminster, St. Margarets, London, England, bur. 11/21/1555 Westminster, St. Margarets, London, England.
  7. John Holland chr. 1/29/1556 Westminster, St. Margarets, London, England d. 10/1628 London, England, bur. 10/26/1628 at St. Martin-in-the-Fields (parish records) m. 3/5/1583/1584 Mary Mollenax, St. Clement Dnnes, London, England.
  8. Anna Holland chr 11/30/1556 Westminster, St. Margarets, London, England.
  9. Edmonde Holland chr. 8/1557 Westminster, St. Margarets, London, England.
  10. Mary Holland b. ca 1530 Westminster, St. Nargarets, London, England.

DESCENDANTS OF JOHN HOLLAND (1556-1628) and his wife, Mary Mollenax. Again, there is no better record to prove the names of the children than the parish register. In one miscellaneous record it is recorded that this John Holland was John Phillemore Holland. I have found no proof of this as yet. Mary was born ca 1565 at Wigan, Lancashire, England,the daughter of John Mollenax, as stated in her marriage document dated 3/5/1583/1584 at St. Clement Lanes in London, England. Her father was deceased at the time of her marriage. This makes John Holland a descendant of Joan Plantagenet and her husband, Sir Thomas de Holande of Kent through the Mollenax (Mullenaux) lineage. Issue:

• Peter Holland chr. 4/25/1585 Westminster, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London England buried 8/19/1593 Westminster, St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Unmarried.
• Hester Holland cbr. 10/10/1586 Westminster, St. Martin-in-the-fields, London, England, buried 9/1/1593 at Westminster, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London, England.
• Constance Holland chr. 4/6/1587 Westminster, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London,England.
• Richard Holland chr. 8/11/1588 Westminster, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London, England, buried 8/16/1593 Westminster, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Unmarried.
• Elizabeth Holland chr. 6/6/1591 Westminster, St.Martin-in-the Fields, London England.
• Leonard Holland chr. 8/17/1593 Westminster, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London,England.
• Michaell Holland chr. St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London, England on 3/15/1595 at Westminster.
• Frances Holland chr, 12/21/1595 Westminster, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London, England.
• Gabriell Holland chr. 2/15/1596 Westminster. r, Martin-in-the-Pields, London, England. See below for descendants.
• Philemon Holland chr. 10/12/1597 Westminster, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London,England.
• William Holland chr. 3/5/1598 Westminster, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London, England.
• Ann Holland chr. 10/12/1600 Westminster, St. Martin- In-the-Fields, London, England.
  
  

  DESCENDANTS OF GABRIEL HOLLAND, Immigrant to Virginia

  
  
  However, a certificate for sailing was issued to Gabriel Holland by the Mayor of Bristol,England, Thomas Parker on 9/1620 to sail in the ship "Supply". In fact, the Mayor certified that the ship sailed on that date for the plantation in Virginin at the charge of Richard Berkeley, etc. With him was Richard Holland. They arrive in February of 1621. Richard Holland, whom we now know to be his brother.... killed at Berkeley Hundred in 1621 during an indiaan massacre.
  
  Gabriel erroneously reported records as having been massacred. however, later reported Gabriel Holland as living at Jamestown, Virginia 3/22/1622, the of the indian massacre.
  
  It appears that he came to Virginia ... single man and did not marry until about 1623 or 1624 a widow woman, Mary. Gabriel Holland vas listed as a Burgess in Virginia in 1623 1624, and 1625 he was sent back to Englnnd with a petition addressed to King Charles I that every male 16 years and older who had been in Virginia a year should be required to pay 4 Ibs. of tobacco by or before Oct. 31st. As the King was refusing to convene Parliament, he did not hear the petition until 1635 at which time Gabriel Holland returned to England to present it again.
  
  Citing Cavaliers and Pioneers 3, part I, by Nugent:
  
  Mary Holland, 12 acres, Aug. 14, 1624, p. 11. Wife of Gabriel Holland, of the Island of James City, yeoman, 1ately in the occupation of William Pink, alias William Jonas (decd), her former husband, who at his death gave her his dividend of 100 acres of which 12 acres is a part adjoining Nathaniel Hutt and Thomart Passmore.
  
  Gabriel Holland served as a Burgess in James City, and ca 1629 was sent to London on business for the colony.
  
  Here is the time-lline:
  
  1620. Gabriell Holland and Richard Holland listed as "doed". Source: Virginia Company Records; Complete Book of Emigrants 1607-1660 by Peter W. Coldham.
  
  18 Sept 1620. Certificate of the Mayor of Bristol for sailing on the ship "Supply". Shipped from Bristol for Virginia 56 persons....Gabriel Holland, et al. Source: The London Compay, page 405.
  
  During 1622 and 1623 an epidemic was in Jamestown and over 500 persons died.
  
  22 Mar 1622, the morning of the massacre of the Virginia Peninsula by Powhatan who vowed to kill all white men. Boddie stated that Gabriel, Thomas and Richard Holland were killed at this massacre. Gabriel was listed as Sergeant Gabriell Holland. Richard probably was killed as no further evidence of him was found.
  
  1623-1624 Gabriell Holland, Burgess.
  
  16 Feb 1624. "List of Names of the Living in Virginia and of those who have died since April of 1623. Living: Gabriell Holland at the Colledge Land." Source: Virginia Company Records; Complete Book of Emigrants 1607-1660 by Peter W. Coldham, Page 21.
  
  1624. Gabriell Holland signed "The Tragical Relation of the General Assembly" where members of the Virginia Assembly responded to Sir Thomas Smyth's attempts to discredit and dissolve the Virginia Company of London.
  
  28 February 1624. "At the Eastern Shore. Report from the Governor and Council of Virginia of James City to the King rebutting the accusations against the plantation made by Captain Nathaniel Butler that 6,000 (not 10,000) persons have been transported to Virginia, who, for the most poart, were wasted by the cruelty of Sir Thomas Smyth's government. Signed by Gabriell Holland, et al. Source: Virginia Company Records; Complete Book of Emigrants 1607-1660 by Peter W. Coldham. Page 46.
  
  14 August 1624. Cavaliers and Pioneers, page 3, Part I by Nugent: "Mary Holland, 12 acres, 14 August 1624, page 11. Wife of Gabriel Holland of the Island of James City, yeoman, lately in the occupation of William Pink, alias William Jonas, deceased, her former husband, who at his death gave her his devident of 100 acres of which said 12 acres is a part adjoining Nathaniel Hutt and Thomas Passmore. Fee Rent: 3 pence. Measured by William Claybourne." Note: The transaction listed below gives the name as "William Soane." This name does appear in the London records for this same time period but I could not find a marriage for William Soane, William Jonas or William Pink.
  
  24 Jan 1625. James Island. "Transported Gabriell Holland and Rebecca, his wife by the 'John and Francis'. Source: Virginia Company Records.
  
  24 Jan 1625. "Gabriell Holland and Rebecca are listed among a census of settlers on James City Island with the information that Gabriell came in the 'John and Francis' and that Rebecca, his wife, was on the same shipp. The ship made seven voyages in 1634. The possessions of Gabriell are recorded as a house, 200 dried fish, 7 barrels of corn, 2 bushes of dried peas and beans, 6 swine, a coat of mail and 6 piece, small firearms for hunting and defense." Source: Virginia Company Records.
  
  In 1625 Gabriell Holland was sent from Virginia to England to present a petition to King Charles I stating that all males over the age of 21 years should pay an annual tax in tobacco. The king was not convening parliament during this years. Therefore, this petition was not heard until 1629. Gabriell Holland's name appears in the indexes of The Chancery Records of London should be examined to discover a more accurate time-line of his travels to and from England.
  
  1 Noc 1627. Cavaliers and Pioneers, page 8, Part I by Nugent: "John Southerne, Gent., of James City, 24 acres in the Island of James City, 1 November 1627, page 55, 12 acres thereof being a neck bounded on East with a marsh parting this from land of John Johnson, West on a marshe called Tuckers Hole, North on the back river and South on the highway leading to black point; 12 acres lying neare adj. to the former, South on land of Mary Holland, the wife of Gabriel Holland, North on land of John Johnson, East on a marsh and West comeing neare unto land of Thomas Passmore; to be accounted parts of his first devdt. of 50 acres due for transporting of William Soane who came in the George in 1621."
  
  Parish Register of St. Martins-in-the-Fields, Westminister, London, England; St. Margarets, Westminster, London, England lists Gabriel and his siblings as sons of John Holland. This branch of the Holland family were long-time members of St. Margaret's Parish, dating from the late 1400's. The parish registers provide christening dates, marriages and burials.
  
  1635. Gabriell and Robert Holland to Virginia on the "Assurance."
  
  Comments: Gabriel Hollland was apparently married 3 times. One wonders who his first child was born when he was 32 years of age. This is because of his many voyages to and from England, estimated to be about 25. There were several ships under frequent sail from Briston, the "John and Francis" and the "George"; also others as reflected in the records of the Virginia Company, the entreprenual colonizer.By 1624, over 6,000 persons had been transported. But conditions at Jamestown were devastating. The reconstructed village is certainly no representation of the village and is actually not on the James Island. When I visited there in the 1980's the guide said that the original island site had lost much of its shore line, etc. The colonists were subjected to frequent Indian attacks. Chief Powhatan was determined to cleanse the area of all white settlements. This meant that the settlers of necessity had to stay inside the fort and suffered from disease and starvation. Indeed, as late as 1676, Nathaniel Bacon of Surry County raised his rebellion because the colonial governor, Sir George Yeardley, ignored the Indian raids, massacres, stealings, etc. and marched on Jamestown and burned it down! At that point, only about two houses survived. However, during the time that Gabriell Holland resided there, various reports from travellers and early court house deeds scattered (and surviving) in the surrounding counties (such as inventories of the estates of settlers in the vicinity) reveal a fragmented community and virtual shacks for homes. So, the the construction as represented in the reconstructed village quickly fell into a state of deterioration. There are three marriages given for Gabriel Holland, all of them plausible. The first one was to Mary Weckes/Weeks on 20 Jan 1621 in St. Mary Magdalene Old Fish Parish in London. I have made a complete study of the parish registers in all of England and only found documented evidence of one Gabriell Holland. Apparently he brought Mary to Jamestown after the marriage. Undoubtably, this Mary did not survive. She could have been one of those massacred (first day of the massacre was 22 March 1622), or she could been one of the 500 persons who died during 1623 and 1624. Interestingly enough, her father, Francis Weeks (as listed on the marriage) settled on a plantation in New England during June of 1623. Apparently other members of this same family came to Virginia, because it is believed that John's son, Michael Holland, was married to Judith Weeks. Second wife. After Mary's (logical) death, then Gabriel must have married the widow of William Pink, alias William Jonas or William Soanes, proved by the above deed dated August of 1624. A later deed of 1627 mentioning the adjoining land of William Soanes who was transported on the "George" in 1621. One might conclude that Mary was still alive, however, that description is the means of speciifying that it is a 12-acre strip on the back river. Presumably, Gabriell continued to reside in this house. The widow Mary must have died sometime during the year of 1624. Afterwards, Gabriell must have been sent again to England where he was married to Rebecca George, because they were transported in January of 1625 to Jamestown. Interestingly enough, Rebecca George was christened in St. Margaret's Parish in London on 24 Oct 1591, as the daughter of John George. I did not discover a marriage there. Apparently he knew her and they could have been married by the captain of the "John and Francis". That leaves some unanswered questions. Suffice it to say that she was from the old neighborhood and that he knew her. Three years later they had their first child, John, born 1628 in the colony. My best guess is that as one of the Burgesses of the colony that Gabriel conducted a great of business for the colony and was frequently on the high seas.
  
  Where Gabriel resided. It is quite clear from the deed transactions above that Gabriel inherited the 12-acre tract on the Back River, which is a tributary that cuts behiind Jamestown Island off of the James River. The inlet is called the Black River. Gabriel was always identified as residing in the "College area" near the falls of the James River. It was in the vicinity of the Marsh Pond. This marsh pond is no doubt the one referred to as Tucker's Hole (Captain William Tucker was one of the first settlers to the area). I wonder if the highway they are referring to is what ultimately became the Jamestown-Williamsburg Parkway. The plans for the College of William and Mary were underway as early as 1618, although it was not built until about 1698.
  
  Gabriel had the following children who were all born to his wife, Rebecca George.
  • John Holland, b. 1628.
  • Richard Holland, b. 1630.
  • Job Holland, b. ca 1630.
  • George Holland, b. ca 1633.
  • Daniel Holland, b. ca 1633.
  • William Holland, b. 1634.
  
  Apparently Gabriel was married before August of 1624, the date of the deed. There was a Rebecca George, daughter of Col. John George of Virginia who named in his LWT, Isle of Wight Co., VA., daughter, Rebecca, relict of Phill. Pardoe, deceased, dated 1678.

In 1430, John Holland was imprisoned in the Tower of London where his wife gave birth to his son, Henry Holland, the third Duke of Exeter. Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London is a historic fortress and scheduled monument in central London, England, on the north bank of the River Thames. The original stark square fortress was built by William the Conqueror in 1078. The primary function of the Tower was to serve as a a fortress, royal palace, and a prison (particularly for high status and royal prisoners, such as the Princes in the Tower and the future Queen Elizabeth I). Also, it was used as a place of execution and torture, an armoury, a treasury, a zoo, the Royal Mint, a public records office, an observatory, and since 1303 and was the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. During the early thirteenth century Henry III (reigned 1216-72) transformed the Tower into a major royal residence and had palatial buildings constructed within the Inner Bailey to the south of the White Tower. Between 1275 and 1285 King Edward I (Plantegenet) built an outer curtain wall, completely enclosing the inner wall and thus creating a concentric double defence. He filled in the moat and built a new moat around the new outer wall. It is significent to note that Sir Thomas de Holande was married to Joan of Kent (granddaughter of King Edward I). After Sir Thomas died, Joan was married to her cousin, Edward III and they had a son, Richard, who became King of England but ultimately lost his throne. Joan had about six Holland children who grew up as step-brothers to Richard, and served him well when he became the King of England. The Hollands held titles and estates, but these were lost by the 15th century because of political maneuverings.


The Anglican church of St Margaret's is the parish church of the British Houses of Parliament, nestled in the grounds of Westminster Abbey. It was founded during the 12th century as the (Catholic) parish church, but was rebuilt from 1486 to 1523. John Holland was christened here ca 1519 and Holland names are in the parish register.


St. Martins in the Fields, London, where Gabriel and his brothers were christened.


Gabriel Holland arrived on the Supply ship of 1624 and served as a Burgess in Jamestown.




James River which transported supplies and goods.