Ezekiel Holliman

M, b. 1586, d. 17 September 1659
     Ezekiel was born in 1586 in Tring, Hertfordshire Magna, England. He was the son of William Holliman.1,2 Ezekiel was the church warden at Tring. He married in England, Susan Oxton and they had a daughter, Pricilla. He was a resident of Dinmen, Buckinghamshire on 26 October 1624 when Jon Cocks brought an action against him (Chancery Proceedings, (English), C 3, Bundle 340, Number 63). Sometime after 1635, Ezekiel appears as a resident of Dedham, Massachusetts, but removes to Rhode Island in 1637. He and Roger Williams baptised each other there in Providence. Ezeliel was a minister of the baptist church. Ezekiel married 2nd Mary (?) in 1638 at Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, or in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1639, a letter written by the minister Rev. Hugh Peters of Salem to the church in Dorchester makes reference to Mary Holliman and several others of the community as having been "greatly censured" because they had "Wholly refused to hear the church" and denying it to be the one true church. Sometime later, Ezekiel & his family removed to Warwick, Rhode Island, where he became paster of the First Baptist Church. Here they were neighbors of George Baldwin and Peter Busecut. Ezekiel witnessed conveyances of land made by George Baldwin while he was living in Warwick.3,4 In 1657, his step-daughter, Abigail, found herself in trouble which caused to her marriage to George Baldwin end in divorce. George had been a former neighbor of the Hollimans. Abigail returned home where she was met by malicious gossip being spread by Peter Busicutt a neighbor of the Hollimans and of George Baldwin. Ezekiel sued Busicut for slanderous comments against Abigail. Ezekiel departed this life on Wednesday, 17 September 1659 in Rhode Island. His will was probated. On 27 June 1659, the town council sent John Greene to the Widow Mary Holliman's home to ask if she could come in the next morning to accept being exectrix to her husband will that had been drawn up by the council. She sent work back the same day that she would be the exectrix.5

Family

Mary (?) d. b 31 Jul 1681

Citations

  1. [S457] Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, page - John Sweete, his wife Mary, children: John, Renewed, & James immigrated 1632 to Salem, Massachusetts.
  2. [S119] Herbert Furman Seversmith, Colonial Families of Long Island, New York & Connecticut, page 222 - Ezekiel Holliman, son of William Holliman of Tring Magna, Hertfordshire.
  3. [S166] John Osborne Austin, Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island Families, page 195 - 1637, after the marriage of Mrs. Sweet to Ezekiel Holliman, he changed the name of her daughter Meribah to Renewed and the daughter married under the later name; 1 July 1639 - his widow, now the wife of Exekiel Holliman is alluded to in a letter of this date from Rev. Hugh Peters, of Salem to the church at Dorchester ...
  4. [S119] Herbert Furman Seversmith, Colonial Families of Long Island, New York & Connecticut, page 222 - ...and removed later to Warwick, Rhode Island, where he became paster of the First Baptist Church. Here he was a neighbor of George Baldwin and witnessed conveyances of land made by him...
  5. [S1655] G A Bratton, Mode of Proceeding in the Settlement of Estates In the period of Rhode Island's History, from the Records and Files in the office at Warwick, page 305 - The Counsell being met againe on the 27th of Sept 1659 about ordering concerning the estate of Mr Ezekiel Holliman having finshed a will do in the first place order that it be kept upon record and that those whom it many concern may have coppies thereof paying for it wee likewise appoint that John Greene doe declare unto Mrs Mary Holliman that the counsel have so perfected matters that they expect her to come before them to hear what is done if shee bee of ability to morrow morning being the 28th of the instant.
    Ordered by the Counsell that the charge of the meeting of the Counsell being twenty four shillings sixpence for the expense of writing and the house of the meeting et cetera be equally payd out of the estate.
    At a meeting of the Counsell the 5th of October ordered by the Counsell that two of the Counsell namely Mr. John Wicles and John Greene do forthwith go unto Mrs Mary Holliman and publish the will unto her and demand of her whether she will accept to be executrix according to the tenure o the sayd will made by the Counsell for Exeliel Holliman abovesaid or refuse to hear the sayd will then the Counsell will take it for granted that she refuseth to be executrix and accordingly wait for a speedy answer having already long wayted to the spoiling of some of the estate. The return of the answer is that Mary Holliman abovesayd accept to be executrix which answer is sent in by Thomas Ralph. - americanancestors.org.