The Holyland thread!

[Taylor94]

It appears that Thomas Holyland of Little Glen (Glen Parva) is the son of William Holyland Sr, who dies in 1710 Desford.

Thomas Holyland marries Margaret Halford, 1712, Newton Harcourt. Thomas is aged around 30 and Margaret aged around 29.
Thomas Holyland bapt 1679 Desford - 1728 Aylestone/Little Glen.
Son of William Holyland Sr and ?Elizabeth Elliot?
Margaret Halford bapt 1677 Wistow/Newton Harcourt - 1750 Aylestone/Little Glen.
Daughter of Andrew Halford and Elizabeth.
They have the following children -
Ann Holyland bapt 1712 Blaby/Aylestone/Little Glen - ?Marries John Twiggs 1751?
William Holyland bapt 1714 Thornton - 1794 Little Glen. Marries Ann Boswell 1744
Stanford Holyland bapt 1715 Thornton - 1774 Little Glen. Marries Ann Biggs 1739.
Thomas Holyland bapt 1721 Little Glen/Aylestone - 1798 Blaby/Little Glen. Marries Elizabeth Rash/Rush/Rath 1747.

Interestingly, Margaret *could be* a great granddaughter of John Halford, Gentleman, of Kibworth Beauchamp. Younger son of Edward Halford, Gentleman, of Langham, Rutland. John was younger brother of Sir Richard Halford, 1st Baronet of Wistow and Newton Harcourt (Whom I also descend from on another line)
John of Kibworth had a son Richard in 1617. Richard had a son Andrew baptised at Kibworth 1654.
*See next post for another probable ancestry for Margaret*

[Taylor94]

On second thoughts, it appears that Margaret, the wife of Thomas Holyland, *could be* a granddaughter of Andrew Halford, Esquire, son of Sir Richard Halford, 1st Baronet.

Nichols Pedigree state that Andrew Halford, Esquire, had a 2nd son Andrew who married an Elizabeth and had 3 unknown daughters.

Newton Harcourt is next to the Wistow seat of the Halford baronets, and Kilby, where Andrew Halford Sr was seated.

When Andrew Halford, Esquire, dies in 1657 he is styled 'Sr' which shows that a younger Andrew is still alive.

I have

Andrew Halford bapt 1641 Kilby, Leicestershire. Son of Andrew Halford, Esquire, and Mary Hackett. Marries an unknown Elizabeth. Has 3 daughters -  Margaret 1677 Newton Harcourt, plus 2 more before 1677.
There is a Mary Halford, daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth who is buried 1685 Wistow/Newton Harcourt.
No baptisms for any other daughter related to a Andrew and Elizabeth apart from Margaret. Around Newton Harcourt/Wistow/Kilby.
Andrew has an admon 1678 (I cant find a burial but he seems to die intestate this year)

[Annie65115]

I have these Holylands on my tree, but ancestry is refusing to load my tree atm!

But yes, in short, Thomas "Holliland" m Margaret Halford in Newton Harcourt in 1712. Thomas had been named on the letters of admon of his father's estate so yes, we know that his father was William who died in Desford in 1710. Also, Thomas's marriage licence suggests a dob of 1682. The closest match I can find is Thomas bapt in 1679 in Desford, son of William (no mother's name given as usual). This all matches what you've put. (This isn't from memory btw, it's from my spreadsheets! I'll need to wait until I can see my tree again before I can see which parents I've allocated to William).

I haven't looked into Margaret Halford's background, but there are other instances of the Halford surname (or similar) cropping up with the Holylands and I've wondered if there was any particular ink, or maybe the families just came from the same villages!

[pwhhh]

Hi,
I have found this thread rather late, it seems.  I have  Holylands, too, though they have been "sleeping" since pre-internet days whilst other more obliging lines get sorted.

Is no one else looking at Stanford Holyland, latterly of Huncote?
I am descended from him through his daughter Mary and her presumably illegitimate daughter Frances (c1774) who is mentioned is Stanford's will.  This Frances, I believe, is the one who marries John Green;  their daughter Ann joined the crowds in St Margaret's Leicester, and Frances her mother as a widow was with the family in 1851.  My line then goes down through yet another daughter, so obviously Holyland is no longer a name in the family - still belong, however!

I had also wondered about the Halford connection, as the only baptism as yet for Stanford would seem to be Thomas and Margaret.  Still looking to prove or disprove this, though.

So all your posts are very interesting, and thank you all for much food for thought!

pwhhh

[Annie65115]

Hi pwhhh, you're not too late to the thread! One of the good things about this site is that threads are still available for years so can be resurrected at any time 

I've got Stanford on one of my trees although he's not my ancestor. I think I've managed to trace him back but with the registers full of Thomas and William H's, it's not easy to be sure!

[pwhhh]

Thanks for the reply, Annie.
I'm still hunting around for clues about Stanford.  I wonder where the name came from?
I'll post again if I find anything else.

[Annie65115]

I don't know where the name originated but I wonder if it came from an amalgamation of STANton (where he was born - not sure if this was Stoney S, or S under Bardon); plus HalFORD - his mother's maiden name!

[pwhhh]

I like that idea!

I have found other Stanfords/Stamfords around, too, interestingly a Stanford Halford whose will is proved in 1723.  He is of Slawston.  I haven't done enough digging yet to find out who this one is.
Nor some of the others, who I think are probably descendants of Stanford's daughter Ann.
Ongoing...

I wonder whether the family were keen on naming children after the local peer - in this case, perhaps the Greys of Groby, who seem to have been Earls of Stamford.  Maybe.  I have come across that happening in other lines I am researching, in other counties.

Interestingly, Stanford's great-granddaughter, in Huncote, named a son Lenford.  He's not my direct ancestor, but a brother with a useful name! That name also seems to have continued down the generations.

All very puzzling.

[Annie65115]

There was a Stanford Holyland bapt in 1785 as well, and a Stamford Holyland in 1825. I can work out the ancestry of the 1785 one, but not the 1825 one - I know his parents were William and Ann, but which William?! There were so many!