Most researchers have the likely children of John and Esther as follows - but, as always, we have anomalies:
1) John Jr. (disabled - Veteran?)
2) James - married Sarah Hall. Moved to Fairfield District, SC.
3) Moses - married Rosannah Hagen. Moved to Fairfield District, SC (see below)
4) Nottley - married Anastasia Taylor. Moved to Fairfield District, SC.
5) Edward - Moved to Fairfield District, SC.
6) Burr/Burrell (noted in a land record as his son)
7) William (noted in a land record as his son)
There may have been more sons.
The only discovered daughter of John & Esther is Sibella / Isabella.
The Ravensworth website has information for John Hollis that cites links to pay records and war records for a Burr Hollis, William Hollis and John Hollis - it is not known how they relate to one another but most likely they are referring to John and his sons. We also have the Pohick Church/Truro Parish records that indicate that he had a disabled son John (Jr.). Was John Jr. injured in the French/Indian War?
So, we have proof of John, Burrell and William but the other sons are speculation based on documents found in NC and SC that place them in the same area and having dealings with one another. We have no Fairfax records for his other sons except possibly James and Edward might be named in the Fairfax County court records.
One potentially large anomaly is a rent agreement between Henry Fitzhugh and John Hollis dated 1758 where only 2 sons of John are named: Burr and William. Why are only 2 sons named? Did he only have 2 sons or were these the only 2 sons that he chose to handle this particular agreement? I don't think it is conclusive that these were the only 2 sons that he had - he may have simply named 2 sons to handle this affair and they might have been the 2 sons that had an interest or capacity at the time to handle the transaction in John's absence. Or, they simply might have been his 2 oldest sons.
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(?), SC November (?), (????) My dear Mrs. Owens I was very glad indeed to hear from you and to learn something of the
family history from your letter. I am interested more and more as I grow older in the history of my people and would like to find out what has happened to the ones that went to Alabama. My information as to the founders of the family is the same as yours - my father told me that three brothers came down from Virginia or Maryland and settled on the Wateree Creek in Fairfield County, South Carolina. I don't remember which of the brothers is our ancestor or what any of the brothers were named, but I do remember that Moses was the first of the family that our branch came from. Moses had six children, viz Capt. Jno., Moses, Berry, Elijah, Berry and Mrs. Miller. Capt. John and Moses married sisters, they were Knightons. Capt John's children were Col. John (Jack), Darling, Daniel, and David. You know Col. John's history. Darling went to Alabama and we have no record of him. Daniel was a negro speculator and was killed by the negroes. David married a Griffin and they had five children, Viz Mary who married a Gibson, Jno. never married. Daniel never married but was killed in the Civil War, Darling who
never married and was also killed in the Civil War. Jim married a Ford and their children now
live in Winnsboro, SC. This is all I
know of Capt. Johns family. Capt.
John's brother Moses who also married a Knighton had six children, Mary,
Mounsey, Peter, Brunson, Berry, Moses.
Mary married Elijah Hollis and moved to Alabama. Mounsey never
married. She died in this county. Peter married Elizabeth Wilson and they had
seven children. Rosannah who married a Mayben. They moved to Texas. John who married Mary Mayben. He lives near me and is 82 years old. They had two children John and
Clarence. The both have families and
live in Chester County. Mary married a
Fudge and they live in Rock Hill, SC.
They have two children., Ella and Walter. David died when a boy. Susan never married and she had died. Peter T. is my name. I married Victoria Gaston and we had seven
children. Joe who married Annie Lyle
and they have ten children. They live
near me. Porter (who visited you)
married Mary Walker and have two children William Gill(?) who married Gertha
Henderson they have foru children and live in Columbia, SC. Elizabeth, who married James Reid and they
have five children. Page 3 Anna married James Lynn and they have three children. Lawrence married Elizabeth Clyde and they
have three children. The live in
Greenville, SC. Dan Saye married Maude
McFadden and they have four children. They live with me. Eliza married John Terrell (Fennell?). They have seven children. Eliza and Mary are both living. Capt. John's brother Berry and Elijah had families but I don't know
the history. One of them had a son
Elijah who married my father's sister Mary.
Peggy married a Patterson (history not known) one of the sisters
married a Miller (no history). Brunson and Berry moved to Alabama.
I met Capt. Bankhead and Green Holliday, John Hollis (Berry's son)
during the war. I would like to find
out something of their families. My father and his Uncle David (Capt. John's son) were the only members of the family who stayed in South Carolina. I hope you can get something from this and would be glad to hear more from you. Yours (?), Peter T. Hollis ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From this letter we can glean the following info: Moses Hollis was one of the 3 brothers who arrived in SC from VA and his children were: 1. Capt. John - married a Knighton (sister of Moses' wife) 2. Moses - married a
Knighton (sister of Capt. John's wife) 3. Berry - had a family 4. Elijah - had a family 5. (?) 6. Mrs. Miller 1.Captain John's
children were: 1.
Col.
John (Jack) 2.
Darling
- went to AL 3.
Daniel
- Negro speculator; killed by negroes 4.
David
- married a Griffin 1.
Mary
- married a Gibson 2.
John
- never married 3.
Daniel
- never married, killed in the Civil War 4.
Darling
- never married, killed in the Civil War 5.
Jim
- married a Ford 2. Moses' children were: 1.
Mary
- married Elijah Hollis and moved to AL 2.
Mounsey
- never married 3.
Brunson
- moved to Alabama 4.
Berry
- moved to Alabama 5. Moses 6.
Peter
- married Elizabeth Wilson 6. Peter's children were: 1.
Rosannah
- married a Mayben and moved to Texas 2.
John
- married a Mayben lived in SC near Chester; Sons John & Clarence 3.
Mary
- married a Fudge lived in Rock Hill, SC; Son Walter; Daughter Ella 4.
David
- died as a boy 5.
Susan
- never married, deceased 6.
Eliza -
married John Terrell (Fennell?) 7.
Peter T.
- author of the letter - married Victoria Gaston 7. Peter T's children were: 1.
Joe
- married Annie Lyle and have 10 children 2.
Porter -
married Mary Walker and have 2 children 3.
William
Gill - married Gertha Henderson and they have 4 children 4.
Elizabeth
- married James Reid and they have 5 children 5.
Anna -
married James Lynn and they have 3 children 6.
Lawrence
- married Elizabeth Clyde and they have 3 children 7. Dan Saye - married Maude McFadden and they have 4 children |
As Paul Harvey used to say, we now have the "rest of the story" and can fill in the missing pieces. There were likely four brothers: Moses, James, Nottley and Edward and they all wound up living along the Wateree River in Fairfield District, South Carolina. Click on the links below to follow the research.
Click here for my research of MOSES HOLLIS
Click here for the FAIRFIELD DISTRICT HOLLISES
This page was updated on 12/6/2022