From: Readholland@aol.com
Subject: Ancestral lineage of Charles William Holland (1830-1869)

     My great-grandfather was Charles William Holland, born 1 June 1830 in Smith County, Tennessee and died 28 September 1869 in Simpson County, Kentucky.  Apparently the cause of death was a gunshot according to the death records (roll) of the county.  I am particularly intrested in learning more details about Charles William Holland and his death especially as there are some mysterious aspects of his death according to family lore.  I have established the ancestral lineage of Charles William Holland back in succession through his father  Drury Holland to Stephen Holland to Charles Holland to the first Holland of my line to arrive in Virginia, Peter Holland(1683-1752) who arrived in Essex County, Virginia in 1699 from Middlewich Parish, Cheshire County, England as an orphaned indentured servant.  Peter Holland's son Charles Holland (1714-1766) married, probably about 1750 based on the birth dates of his offspring, an Anne Holland who appears to be  in some records, yet to be confirmed, the granddaughter of John Holland (1628-1704) of Nansemond County, Virginia.  I am interested in obtaining some verification of or copies of records, if available,  verifying the lineage of Anne Holland, wife of Charles Holland.  Do you have any information, or suggested sources, that might be useful in establishing the parentage of this Anne Holland?

    Just this week I have discovered that my first wife, now deceased some 25 years, shared a kinship to this same  John Holland (1628-1704) of Nansemond County.  She was Elizabeth Collings (adopted name) Finn of Louisville, Kentucky and her great grandfather was Samuel Adams Whitesides of Simpson County, Kentucky.  According to the records I have seen, recovered and imported into my data base,  the lineage from John Holland of Nansemond is as follows:

        John Holland (1628-1704) of Nansemond had,
            a son Michael Holland (1666-1746),  who married Judith Merryman, had
                a son John Holland (1696-1773), who married Martha Weeks, had
                    a son Hezikiah Holland (1742-1816), who married Mary Walker, had
                        a son Hezekiah R. Holland (1771-1837), who married Francis Harris, had
                            a daughter Elizabeth D. Holland (1812-1872), who married George W. Whitesides,
                                had a son Samuel Adams Whitesides (1850 in Simpson County, KY-1925 in
                                Simpson County, KY).

    If you have any information to augment or correct my records for this lineage please advise me as I am anxious to verify this lineage.

    I am originally from Fulton, Kentucky and my father William Laurence Holland was from Simpson County, Kentucky.  Formerly I was the dean of the School of Mines and Energy Development, University of Alabama.  I left the University in 1988 to establish my own small engineering and geological consulting firm which primarily works with the oil and gas industry as exploration and production consultants.   Hope to hear from you soon.

Best regards,
Read Holland, PhD
President, J. R. Holland & Associates Inc.  7517 Spinnaker Avenue  Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35406