Christopher Holder (abt. 1631 - abt. 1688)

Born about 1631 in Winterbourne, Gloucestershire, England

Husband of Mary (Scott) Holder — married 12 Aug 1660 in Olveston, Gloucestershire, England

Husband of Hope (Clifton) Holder — married 30 Dec 1665 in New England

Descendants

Died about 13 Jun 1688 at about age 57 in Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England

Biography

Christopher was a Friend (Quaker)

Origins

Christopher Holder was born in about 1631^[1], based on his being 25 in a passenger list of 1656. Little seems to be known for certain about his early life or family.

Quaker Activity; Marriages

He was one of the first Quakers. In 1656 he went with others to New England on board the Speedwell to propagate the Quaker message. They were imprisoned and sent back to England. In 1657 he returned to New England and was active in missionary work, often working with John Copeland. They founded the first Quaker meeting in America at Sandwich, Cape Cod. He was subsequently imprisoned and whipped in Boston, Massachusetts. On his release, Christopher returned to England, and then went to the West insides, before sailing to Rhode Island in 1658. Going on again to Sandwich, he was once more imprisoned and whipped. On his release he went back to Rhode Island.^[1]

In 1658 he and John Copeland went to Boston, where the Governor ordered their ears to be cut off. Shortly after, being a Quaker was made a capital offence in Massachusetts. On his release he undertook missionary work in Maryland and Virginia. Undeterred by his punishments there, Christopher was again in Massachusetts in 1659, only to face further periods of imprisonment. He was spared the death penalty, but banished from the colony on 18 October 1859.^[1][2] Five days after his release, two fellow Quakers were hanged.^[1]

He sailed to England with, among others, Mary Scott, who had visited him during at least one of his spells in prison. They were married at Olveston, Gloucestershire, England on 12 August 1660.^{[1][3][4][5][2][6]}

He returned to Rhode Island, settling in Newport. His wife Mary died in 1665, and in December that year he married Hope Clifton.^[1]

In 1672 he was in New York with George Fox.^[7] During King Philip's War (1675-1676) he was respected enough for the General Assembly of Rhode Island to seek his advice.^[1]

He was in England again soon after 1680: he was arrested in May 1682 for refusing the path of allegiance. He was imprisoned again in Cornwall from 1683 to 1685.^[1]

Along with John Copeland, he is credited to have formed the second Quaker community in America (in Salem, MA).^[8]

Children

"[Christopher and Mary Scott] had but two children, Mary, born 16 Sept. 1661, who married Rev. Peleg Slocum of Dartmouth, Mass.; and Elizabeth, born 4 Jan. 1665, concerning whom nothing more is known."^[9]

However, subsequent documents identify the husband of Elizabeth. Specifically a deed dated 20 July 1715 found in the Dept of Ancient Documents at the State House at Providence, RI:

"Walter Newberry of Boston... Massachusetts Bay... merchant, attorney to John Alloway of Minehead in the county of Somerset merch't. & Mary Alloway of ye Same place Spinster his daughter by his wife Elizabeth Deceased one of the Daughters & coheirs of Christopher Holder & Mary his wife..."^[10][11]

The Familysearch transcript of Rhode Island records gives a different birth date for Mary - 6 May 1662^[12] and gives Elizabeth's birth date as 4 January 1664.^[13]

Christopher and his second wife Hope Clifton had seven children: They had seven children:

• Christopher (born 1666)^[14][15][16]
• Hope (born 1668)^[14][16]
• Patience ( born in 1668/9, died young)^[14][16][17]
• Patience (again, born 1671)^[14][16]
• John (born 1672, died in infancy)^[14][16][18]
• Content (born 1674, died young)^[14][16][19]
• Anne or Ann (born 1675/6. died young)^[14][16][20]

Death

Christopher died in 1688 at Ircott, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England and was buried at Frenchay, Gloucestershire on 13 June 1688.^[21]

Research Notes

Daughter Elizabeth

FindAGrave has the following comment on Christopher's daughter Elizabeth Holder Chase:^[22]

"Elizabeth Holder was born 4 years after her parents immigrated to America from England. Her parents were Christopher Holder and Mary Scott. Her parents settled in Cape Cod later moving to Rhode Island. Elizabeth's family is an often complicated family to trace. Her parents Christopher Holder and Mary Scott are often confused with another couple related to the family. Elizabeth's brother "Christopher" named after her father married his first cousin "Mary Scott" This is the same name as his Mother. In fact this Mary Scott was his first cousin. Christopher, Elizabeth's brother was an often written about Quaker. He once even had his ear cut off and was whipped by officials for his faith. Many mistakes are made when tracing Elizabeth's family. Her brother is often confused with her father, and her sister in law is often confused with her mother. You can only follow the line by looking carefully at the birthdates.

"Elizabeth married William Chase in 1644 on Cape Cod. She and William had 6 children."

If this is true, Holder-921 seems to be the father of Holder-22 and the co-incidence that both father and son's wives have the same names is bona fide. In that case, Elizabeth Holder Chase is the daughter of Holder-22 and not the daughter of Holder-921.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7} Wikipedia: Christopher Holder
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Robert Charles Anderson, Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume VI, R-S, p 207
3. ↑ England & Wales, Society Of Friends (Quaker) Marriages 1578-1841 - GLOUCESTERSHIRE AND WILTSHIRE: Monthly Meeting of Frenchay: Olveston: Marriages; Births; Burials, FindMyPast
4. ↑ NEHGR 96:5
5. ↑ Rhode Island Vital Records 7:30
6. ↑ England and Wales Non-Conformist Record Indexes (RG4-8), 1588-1977, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FWMQ-L2Q
7. ↑ Frederick Charles Holder. The Holders of Holderness, privately printed, 1902, p. 180, Internet Archive
8. ↑ The Essex Genealogist, 19:64
9. ↑ Francis R. Sears, "Notes," in NEHGR 92:202, citing Austin's Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island, p. 102, and Savage's Genealogical Dictionary, vol. 2, p. 446.
10. ↑ Rhode Island Land Records, no. 3, 1707-1721, p. 196
11. ↑ Francis R. Sears, "Notes," in NEHGR, 92(1938):202
12. ↑ Rhode Island Births and Christenings, 1600-1914, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F83F-X9B. Surname mis-transcribed as Holden on Familysearch
13. ↑ Rhode Island Births and Christenings, 1600-1914, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F8Q4-LXS. Surname mis-transcribed as Holden on Familysearch
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6} Frederick Charles Holder. The Holders of Holderness p. 179, Internet Archive
15. ↑ Rhode Island Births and Christenings, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F83F-VZX
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6} James Savage. A Genealogical Dictionary of The First Settlers of New England, Before 1692,Little, Brown and Company, 1860-1862, Vol. II, entry for Christopher Holder, transcript accessed 9 July 2019
17. ↑ Rhode Island Births and Christenings, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F8Q4-GXY
18. ↑ Rhode Island Births and Christenings, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F83F-VNB
19. ↑ Rhode Island Births and Christenings, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F83F-XYR
20. ↑ Rhode Island Births and Christenings, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2HC-PWR
21. ↑ England & Wales, Society Of Friends (Quaker) Burials 1578-1841, FindMyPast
22. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #104054031

• Holder, Frederick Charles. The Holders of Holderness, privately printed, 1902, Internet Archive
• Austin, John O. The Journal of William Jefferay, Gentleman (E. L. Freeman & Sons, 1899) Page 63
• Austin, John O. The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island (1887) Page 102