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Henry
Holland
Henry Holland was born at Omskirk in Lancashire, England in 1661. He was the son of Thomas Holland and Margaret Hitchen. During the 1690s he was an English soldier stationed in Ireland. There, he met and married young widow Jenny Seeley Edwards of Bandon, County Cork. By 1699, the couple had crossed the Atlantic to New York where Henry had been commissioned an officer of the garrison company stationed at Albany.
From
a rented house on Court Street, Holland became a
leader of the Albany garrison - earning extra income
supplying the fort with candles, firewood, and other
supplies. Settling in Albany, the Hollands began
to raise a family that included several sons and
daughters. By 1709, he was the owner of the Court
Street property and had become an Albany mainstay
as well. His children were baptized in the Albany
Dutch church and he later became a member and warden
of St. Peters Anglican church.
Henry
Holland's military career spanned more than three
decades. He was a lieutenant, captain, and then commander
of the Albany fort. As early as 1701, he was attending
Albany court sessions - serving as liaison between
the fort and the people of colonial Albany. His sons
also served under their father in the garrison companies.
As
garrison commander, Holland was a member and often
attended the meetings of the Commissioners of Indian
Affairs. In 1706 he was appointed sheriff of Albany.
He held that post until 1712 and served again as
sheriff in 1720. Well-regarded by royal officials
in New York, he also held the office of "Searcher of the Customs" for the entire Hudson Valley.
Henry
Holland's various appointments and offices provided
a substantial income enabling him to participate
in land patents, invest in slaves, and build an impressive
new home on Market Street. His sons utilized their
father's status to establish themselves in Albany,
New York, and on the frontier. Edward Holland became
a particularly prominent Albany personage.
While
still in command at the Albany fort, in 1732 he was
stricken, became incapacitated and was replaced as
garrison commander. His health declined further and
he died in Albany in May 1736. His widow later moved
to New York to live with their son, Edward. Henry,
another son, was appointed sheriff of Albany in 1739.
The landmark Albany home later was sold to Sir William
Johnson.
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Notes: The
life of Henry Holland is CAP biography number 8489.
Our presentation on the Holland family is further
informed by the work of genealogist Henry Hoff
in an article published in New
York Genealogical and Biographical Record volume 111:219-20,
and in notes on file at the project offices.
Liaison: Ongoing issues included the quartering of troops,
supplies and facilities, and the behavior of his
soldiers with Albany women.
His
frontier lands were north of Albany but not on the
site of today's Holland Patent in Oneida County -
the lands of English Lord Holland (Henry Fox).
By Stefan Bielinski, Colonial Albany Social History Project [http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/albany]
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