HOLEMAN/HOLMAN Branch # 19
MARY HOLEMAN The third daughter of ISSAC HOLEMAN and MARY... was one of the three children who remained near the old homestead in that part of Rowan county, North Carolina, afterward organized as Davie county. There she married FRANCIS NEELY, who became so rich that he left a large plantation apiece, to six of thier children, aggravataing over 3,200 acres. Her husbands estate,as incorporated in his Will (Will book H. pg 427), also included in "My Mills on Third Creek with lands adjoining, all the balance of my real-estate, and all my personal estate,except my negroes" and he further directed that these slaves should be sold at public aution and equally divided among the heirs. The house occupied by this couple, which was torn down thirty years ago(1915), stood directly north of the spot where Hunting Creek empties into the south fork of the Yadkin River, thus being about eighteen miles from her birthplace. Together with the surrounding tract of land, it was bequeathed to their son, WASHINGTON NEELY, who resides at Statesville, North Carolina
Somewhat of the immense size of the original plantation may appreciated by the statement, that it stretched from north of Salisbury, county-seat of Rowan county, to above Mocksville, since established as county-seat of Davie county; while private papers handed down to thier great-grandson ALEXANDER LEE SMOOT, vice-president of the People's National Bank of Salisbury, add that "FRANCIS NEELY'S estate was so extensive he could ride nine miles in a straight line without getting off his own land". These papers likewise contain the following account of his financial start in early manhood, the Crab Orchard referred to being the meeting place of the "Old Wilderness Road" in Kentucky, during the Revolutionary War, for soldiers intending to return to the front in Virginia; he recieved forty pounds to convey the Army horses to Crab Orchard. This was paid by General NATHANIEL GREENE. His father took the money and gave him in exchange 200 acres of land, which he still owned at the time of his death. His descendants delight to tell of his peculiar habit of carrying a hollow cane filled with gold coins, so whenever he bought anything at public sale he could "Shake the stick" until the required amount of money rolled out on the ground.
These same family records disclose that MARY HOLEMAN was born in 1770 and died on July 16, 1828, sixteen months before the decease of her husband. They were married on Dec. 2, 1793. Aside from six children so generously remembered in the Will ALEANDER, ELIZABETH, REBECCA, MARY, TEMPERANCE,and WASHINGTON there were three other sons. Every one of them settled in that locality except HOLEMAN NEELY, who"went west". One of their great-grandsons, descended through the son ARTHUR, is F. TENNYSON NEELY, formerly well known as publisher in Chicago, and now a resident of New York City.
The nine children of MARY HOLEMAN and FRANCIS NEELY were:
1. ALEXANDER NEELY married MARGARET BARBER
2. ELIZABETH NEELY married ROBERT FLEMING
3. REBECCA NEELY married SAMUEL LUCKY
4. MARY NEELY married ISSAC HOLEMAN June 16, 1800- May 28, 1863
5. TEMPERANCE NEELY married ALEXANDER SMOOT
6. WASHINGTON NEELY 1814-1841 married PROVIDENCE HEATHMAN
7. ARTHUR NEELY married 2x ISABELLA WELCH, HONOR AUSTIN
8. NATHAN NEELY unmarried
9. HOLEMAN NEELY