James Lee Hollaway

Louisiana and Arkansas


James Lee Hollaway
b. 1 Dec 1813* St Helena Parish, Louisiana
d. March 1870 Ashley Co., Arkansas of bronchitis (age 57) [Ark Mort. Schedule]
buried:  Portland Cem.,

1st m. Caroline Beck 4 Jan 1838 Franklin Co, Miss [Miss. Mar. 1776 -1935]
b. 1824 Frank. Co.Miss. d. 1857 Ashley Co, Ark.
dau of James and Letha (Porter) Beck,  [Tillet Porter vs Sutton Byrd]

2nd m. Imogene Clyde May 23, 1859 Ashley Co, Ark [Ark. Co. Marr. Index, 1837-1957]
b. 1837 Portland, Ark. d. 1878 Ashley Co., Ark
her father: W. W. Clyde (NY)
her mother: Teresa Catherine Clark (AL)

her 2m to J. H. Winningham Oct 7, 1875 [Ashley Co, Marriage Records, v. AA, A 1848-1883]

James Lee Hollaway was a large plantation owner in Hamburg, Arkansas prior to the Civil War. He came to Arkansas via Mississippi from Louisiana. His eldest guardian sons fought in the Civil War and at least one was killed then. (1861-65)

father - Robert Hollaway (born probably in Adams Co. LA c1774
mother - Rebecca Wells (born LA/Miss)

children with Caroline Beck
?son b. 1838 -1840 Miss d. by 1850 census shows in 1840 census only
Martha J, Hollaway b. 1845 Miss d. m. Frank Hazzard, February 15, 1865 Ashley Co., AR
Robert Hollaway b. 1849 Miss. d. as a child m.
John D. Hollaway b. 7 July 1851 Ark d. 11 Jan 1918 Ashley Co., Ark#
1m. 11/2/1873 Lissie Whitsides (d April 1879)
2nd m. 2/6/1889 Sallie Eda Austin (b. 1870)
(dau. of Allen Wesley Austin)
her 2nd m.Willie L. Hollaway
Albert P. Hollaway b. 19 May 1853 Ark. d. 30 Mar 1905 Portland, AR m. Sonella Lou "Ella" Austin 30 Nov 1887
(dau. of Allen Wesley Austin)
no issue, adopted  Glennie Lloyd
Alice C. Hollaway b. Sept 1855 Ark. d. 30 Mar 1905 m. Willie A. Cain, 21 Nov 1875 Ashley Co., AR (sheriff, lived Lake Village, Ark. c1928)[Arkansas Marriages, 1779-1992]
his 2m. - Anna Cain, widow of Septimus Lysurgus Allen, son of Allen Wesley Austin
Dewitt C. Hollaway b. ?1857 Ark. d. young see the notes of 1857 below.
child with Imogene Clyde
William "Willie" L. Hollaway b. Mar. 6, 1860 Ashley Co., Ark. d. April 23, 1933 in Dallas, TX
buried: Portland Cem., Portland, AR
1m. Margaret Eugenia Machen , 17 April, 1884 Ashley Co., Ark (b. 16 May 1859  d. 23 Mar 1904 Ashley Co. AR - buried; Portland Cem, AR
2m Lou Ella Austin 15 Oct 1907
(her1m. A. P. Hollaway) (1861- 1928)
James Lee is guardian to this child of Robert Hollaway,
 brother who died about 1846
Amanda Jane Hollaway* b. 1837 Miss. -Ark.) d. shows on the 1850 Census w/ James L. m . Nicholas H. Trammell 12 Dec. 1852 Ashley Co., Ark [Ark. Co. Mar. Index -1837-1957]

*This child shown in bible records of Robert Hollaway

James Lee is guardian to the children of George Hollaway,
 brother who died 1846
Burlin Virgil Hollaway@ b. 1838 Miss d. lived with Wm & Permelia (Hollaway) McDucker, 1850 Ashley Co., AR census
George W. Hollaway@ b. 1839 LA d. lived with Wm & Permelia (Hollaway) McDucker, 1850 Ashley Co., AR census
m. Sarah E. Scoggins 6 Apr 1859 Ashley Co., AR
James M. Hollaway@ b. 1841 Frank. Co,Miss. d 10 Jul 1861 near Richmond, VA, enlisted CSA May 20, 1861
"Porter M. L." Marcus Lafayette Hollaway@ b. 1844 Miss. d. probably Civil War shows in the 1850 Census -Ark. w. James L. Hollaway / enlisted CSA May 20, 1861 alive in June 1863

                            #Arkansas Death Certificates

@These children shown according to will of George Holloway. [Franklin Co., Miss.]
1776-78 John Hollaway, James L.' s grandfather, came to Louisiana from North Carolina although born about 1737 in Virginia. [Gibbons]

1781 - John is killed by Indians in Louisiana. His wife Elizabeth (White) Hollaway requests the custody of her children. [Natchez Court Records 1767-1805, Book A, page 48, Oct 1781] Elizabeth Hollaway remains in Louisiana where she quickly remarries. Her oldest son George Hollaway returns to North Carolina and stays with his uncle, William White, where he raises his family. The rest of the children stay with her. [Gibbons]

1794 - March - Robert Holloway attests to the sale of land to the estate of John Hartly to Christian Harmon. Cady Raby is one executor. Cady Raby is the older brother-in-law to Robert. [Natchez Court Records, Book E, p. 320]

1796- 27 Aug. Robert Hollaway is witness to the sale of land of James Kelly to John Mitchell on Sandy Creek in Adams Co., Miss. Terr.          [Natchez Court Records, Book B, p. 197]

1798- James and John Hollaway, John's sons, give an oath of loyalty in the Natchez Dist. on 30 Oct. 1798 to the United States as the Mississippi Territory becomes the United States territory. [Nat. Gen. Soc Qt, v42, p116] Nelson White, Thomas White and Denny White show up on the same list, relatives of Elizabeth Hollaway. [Nat. Gen. Soc. Qt. v42, Sept 1954, p108-116]

1814- James L. is born in Louisiana(St Helena parish), of Robert Hollaway, son of John Hollaway b1737 above.

1820- census records of St. Helena parish

1830- Robert Hollaway is still in St Helena Parish along with John Holloway (James Lee is 16 years old, Permelia is 10) [Louisiana M19, St Helena 047 No Twp]

1832, Oct 4,- Robert requests for "a tutorship for his minor children to wit: James L., Rebecca and Permelia Holloway." [Young, Succession Records of St Helena Parish, LA] (James should be 17-18 years old.)

1837- economic depression of "The Panic of 1837" begins and continues its effects on Franklin Co. until 1841.

1838, 4 Jan - James L. Hollaway marries Caroline Beck, [Book 1 & 2, p 194, Franklin Co., Miss Marriages]

1840- Miss.- - James L. Hollaway is 26 years old in Miss. with a wife 15-20 years, with one son under 5 and one aged 10-15. Another white male is here 30-40 years old who may be a brother. They also have four slaves, probably a married couple with a teenage daughter and a boy under 10 years. [M704-213 Franklin p.155]

-July 14- James Hollaway and Caroline (Beck) Hollaway are involved in a lawsuit supporting the efforts of, Tillet Porter vs Sutton Byrd, administrator of the Est. of Nancy Porter, Dec'd.

Tillet Porter, although born illegitimately, is fighting for the right to be considered an heir to the estate of Nancy Porter, even though he was the acknowledged legitimate son of Joseph (deceased) and Nancy Porter (deceased). He wants his portion ($8,501.84) of the estate. Also included in this suit, the other heirs: Ferdinand Porter, Abednago Porter (now dec'd), Elan - wife of Abednago- now married to John Miley, Samuel and Harriet Porter, children of Abednago and Elan Porter, Sarah Hollaway, nee Porter, wife of Robert Hollaway, Jane Holloway, nee Porter, wife of George Hollaway, Caroline Hollaway, nee Beck wife of James Hollaway, daughter of Letha Beck, a daughter of Nancy Porter (Dec'd), David Porter and Tillet Porter.

(Franklin Co., Drawer 73, Case #412, Miss. High Court of Errors and Appeals , Dept. of Archives and Hist., Jackson, Miss.) George Hollaway is here. [Franklin Co. Miss p163] along with Robert Hollaway [Franklin Co, p 166]

1842-44 - James L. Hollaway is listed as a tavern owner in Meadville, Franklin Co., Miss. perhaps in partnership with his sister Permelia's husband, William M. Ducker. [Hadsky p.76]

1844- James L.'s family, along with James brother, George, leaves Mississippi for Portland, Ark [Biog & Hist.of Ark]

1845- The above record must have been relying on memory because James L. Hollaway is listed in the Franklin Co., Miss. state census.  The family therefore has to have emigrated to Arkansas in 1845-46. [Mississippi Census, 1805-90, ancestry.com]

1846- Jan. 26- George Hollaway, James's brother, dies in De Bastrop, Ark. James given legal guardianship of Georges children, George Jr. Burlin [Marriages and Deaths from Miss. Newspaper] I believe these deaths were part of a Yellow fever epidemics that seems to have erupted every year from about 1842 through 1854 with devastating consequences. Dr. Dowler of New Orleans in 1853 says:"The maximum mortality of the yellow fever of 1853 arrived sooner in the season than usual, and is more truly represented by that of the plague in London, in 1665, namely, June, 590 deaths; July, 4,129; August, 20,046; September, 26, 230; October, 14, 373; November, 3,449; total, 68,817." The epidemic spread to various counties in Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee by imigrants from the affected areas who fled the disease.  Some counties lost as much as one fourth of the population in a single season. This may have percipitated the movement of the Hollaways out of Mississippi and Louisiana.  [Keating p. 89]

"We return to the epidemic in the South and West.  It has been shown that Cholera was epidemic in New Orleans in December, 1848, and in January, February and the succeeding months of 1849. 
     Early in the epidemic the disease spread to the plantations of Louisiana, in the majorty of which the conveyance of the infection could be distinctly traced.  A plantation in the Bayou Téche became infected in January, the disease spread to the adjoining localities.  Saint Mary's and La Fourche Suffered severly. "
To give some idea of how quickly this infection can spread a case is given of a "A lady died during this epidemic at Quebec from cholera; the bed upon which she died, with its clothing, and the clothing that had been upon her perons, were thrown into an unoccupied lot, and number of children belonging to poor persons were seen playing upon and with the articles, when they were driven away: with thirty hours four of these children were dead of cholera."  [Barnes.  p. 615]

1849, April 30 James L. Hollaway is part of a Grand Jury formed after the Ashley Co, Ark is created in Nov. 30, 1848. Began serving on Wed. April 18. [Ashley County Eagle.]
The trial is commanding William Douglas to appear "then and there to show cause, if any, why he should not be dealt with according as the law directs, for allowing his negroes to live without some free white person with them, to the annoyance of the neighborhood." no outcome given.
[Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Southern Ark. 1890 ,Ashley Co, p. 874-875]

Arkansas, Ashley Co., Union. p. 41 (this census shows the children of both James sister, Elizabeth Steadley, and probably is brother Robert.
James L. Hollaway          36  m                          farmer                          $1300         LA
Caroline      "                     26  f                                                                                 Miss
Martha        "                       6  f
                                                                                    "
Robert        "                        1  f                                                                                     "
James P.  Steedley               3 m 
                                                                                   "
Amanda Hollaway            13  f
                                                                                      "
Porter M. L.       "                7 m
                                                                                    "

James Steadly may be the child of Elizabeth Hollaway, James L.'s sister / Amanda Jane is the child of Robert who may have died in 1845 and Porter is the child of George who died in 1846 [M432-25 Ashley Co 41 Union]

George Hollaway(21) is here, a probable nephew. [Ashley Co, 25 White]
George Hollaway (11), Burlin Hollaway (13), and James Hollaway, all born in Miss. are living with Wm McDucker (35), a sheriff, and Permelia (30) his wife of Miss. [Ashley 25 white] George, Burlin and James are the orphaned children of George Hollaway Hollaway of Mississippi who died about 1845 in Franklin Co., Permelia is the sister, b.1820 , of both George, Sr. and James L.

1849, Dec. 1-  Certificate No. 6132 in Franklin Co., Mississippi. James Lee Hollaway files for one hundred and twenty-one acres of land in Franklin Co., Miss.  James has to be going back and forth between Arkansas and Mississippi. 

 The East half of the North West quarter, and the North West quarter of the North West quarter of Section twenty nine, in Township seven, of Range three East, in the District of Sands Subject to sale at Washington, Mississippi, containing one hundred and twenty one acres and thirty hundreth of an acre,   [US General Land Office Records, Washington, Miss. cert. 6132 ]

1850 - US Census, Arkansas, Asley Co., White twp. p. 25

William McDucker        35    m            Sheriff       $1000                   Miss
Permelia       "               30    f                                                             LA
Alcenath      "                10    f                                                             Miss
Frances         "                  4   f                                                              Ark
Eliza             "                  2   f                                                             Ark
Burlin     Holloway        13  m                                                            Miss
George  Holloway          11  m                                                            Miss
James   Holloway            9   m                                                           Miss
Thomas  N  Cook           23  m            Laborer                                    Ark

1857- Caroline (Beck) Hollaway, James' 1st wife dies, possibly in child birth of Dewitt C. who does not survive to the 1870 census, after giving him nine children. The name of this child indicates the connection to the Dewitt family to me. I believe that James' grandmother was a Dewitt rather than the Duhart/Deuart as written in some records.

1858, 01 Feb. - Holloway, James L. files four land claims in Arkansas, one for 40 acres, one for 80 acres, one for 55.1 acres and another for 156.46 acres for a total of 331.56 acres. [Doc. #6342, #6259, #6277 and #6279, with the Land Office Helena, ,Vol. AR1750.420,]
[p. 474 BLM land records, http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/convertedimage/AK]

His relative, George Hollaway, already had filed for land ten years earlier in 1848.

1859 - April 11, 1859
James L. Hollaway marries Imogene Clyde (22 of Ark) in Ashley Co. Ark.
                                           [Ashley Co, Index of Marriages , v. AA - A 1848 - 1883 1290835]

1860- US Census, Ashley Co., Union Twp. Hamburg P. O.  page 134 [M653-37]  For some reason James L. Hollaway is living at the same location as Sampson Harris.  I'm assumming the location is a plantation with several homes owned by James Lee Hollaway. 

Sampson L. Harris     31  m  farmer                            $9000    $19000        Alabama  
Caroline Harris          30  f        "                                                                    Georgia
William Harris             8  m                                                                            Louisiana
Mary S Harris              7  f    
                                                                          Louisiana
Misvini Harris              2 f                                                                              Arkansas
James L. Hollaway   46 m
                                       $29360   $42117         Louisiana
Imogene Hollaway     23  f
                                                                           Alabama
Martha I Hollaway     15 f
                                                                            Mississippi
John C Hollaway          9 m
                                                                          Arkansas
Albert T Hollaway        7 m
                                                                          Arkansas
Alice C Hollaway         4 m                                                                           Arkansas
Dewitt C Hollaway       2  m                                                                          Arkansas
William L Hollaway    4/12 m
                                                                       Arkansas
James M Hollaway      19 m                     Clerk                                            Mississippi 
Porter M L Hollaway   16 m                       "
                                                Mississippi
Enoch Gardiner            30 m            Merchant
                     $2325              Maryland
Josephine D Gardiner   25 f              "
                                                          Louisiana
Samuel W Gardiner         6 m
                                                                      Louisiana

George Hollaway(31), a probable nephew to James, is in the area with his 16 year old wife, Sara Scoggins, and 11 year old James Steadley. James Steadly is the same person who had previously lived with James L. at age 3mo. in 1850.
Imogene Clyde Hollaway 's parents, W. W. Clyde and C. T., are living in the area. He is listed as an "artist". [Ashley p213 Carter]


March 6, 1860-Willie Lee Hollaway, the only son of Imogene, is born.

1861-May 20- His two guardianed boys, James M. and Porter M. L., enlist in the Confederate Army,
Jul. 10- James M. is killed near Bull Run, Richmond, VA. in one of the first battles of the war. [Arkansas Confederate Service Records], .
Porter M. L. is alive as of June 1863 but is supposed to have died in the mid-west as prisoner of war according to family legend. No record has been found to date.
John D., his next oldest son, assumed the running of the plantation along with his father. [see the history of John D. Hollaway]

1867-Tax rolls of Ashley Co. list George Hollaway, James L. Hollaway, and Milton H. Hollaway

1870- March -dies at age 57 of bronchitis,[Ashley Co. Mortality Schedule 1870] He is said to have been a "Royal Arch Mason"
                         [Biog & Hist.of Ark]

US Census, Arkansas, Ashley Co., Portland Twp.  p. 198

Holaway, George                19  m  w  farmer                            $1500.00      Mississippi   
               ,  Ritchard             17  m  w  farmer                               200.00      Mississippi
"             , William               38  m w   farmer           $20000.00                    Alabama

on the same page
Holaway  Rosen                33   f  w     keeping house    $2000.00  $12000      Arkansas
     '        , John                   17  m w     farmer                                                    Arkansas
     "        , Albert                14  m w     farmer                                                     Arkansas
   "         , Alex                    10  m w     at school                                                Arkansas
    "        , William               17  m w    attending school                                     Tennessee
Clid,      Elly                       56 m w     at school                                                  Georgia

The children are still together in the 1870 census in Hamburg, Ashley Co. but under the record of "Rosen Holaway" (32f). This record is very messed up with no listing for Imogene Hollaway who should be 32 and the ages of the children off by one person. Elle Clyde, Imogene's sister, is also here and perhaps her mother. [Ashley Co. 198 Hamburg]

US Census, Texas, Tyler Co., Woodville, p, 52
Hollaway,  P.                   28    m  w         farmer                      $144          Louisiana
"              , Harriett          20     f    w       keeping house                             Georgia
"              , Robert B.         5     m  w                                                           Texas
"              , Wm G.             2     m  w                                                           Texas

1875, Oct 7 - Imogene Hollaway(age 36), James L.'s widow, marries J. H. Winningham(45), witnessed by Jesse Sanford, who married Ella Clyde, Imogene's sister.                   [Ashley Co, Marriage Records, v. AA, A 1848-1883]

1878- Imogene (Clyde) dies 1878 only three years after remarrying J. H. Winningham.
                       [Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Southern Ark. 1890 , John Hollaway story]

1880- John D. Hollaway is here (29) widowed with 1 year old Alice M. He has inherited the plantation.

Willie L. Hollaway (20) is single and a boarder in a rooming house in Portland Dist. and is intending to marry within the year.
            [Living w/ Joseph and Mary Miller USC Ashley p. 151]
Albert(27) is single, teaching school and listed as "lame". [USC Ashley p. 152]

1897- April 1 - "Little Clarence, four-year -old son of John D. Holloway of Portland, died Friday night last. [Lee. p 45]

1905, April 6 - "Mr. A. P. Holloway of Portland, died on Friday morning last. Mason. [Lee. p101]
May 18 - "Albert Porter Holloway, Portland, died March 30th, 1905. He was born here on May 19th, 1853; Married Miss Ella Austin in 1887. No children."                 [Lee, Ashley County Eagle, p102]

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