DVHS Family History

Introduction

    We are interested in sharing information about Valentine Hollingsworth, Sr. and his descendants. The origin of the Hollingsworth name appears to be associated with old Anglo-Saxon families whose ancestors probably came from North Germany in the 5th and 6th Centuries AD. Variations of the name, such as Hollinworth, Hollinsworth, and Hollingworth, first appeared on records in Cheshire and Lancashire Counties, England around 1022.

    The family established an estate in Cheshire known as Hollingworth Manor. Today we probably would call it Holly Farms, which may account for the holly leaves in the family shield. The Manor, which is mentioned in the Domesday Book as being located on the edge of the woods near Macclesfield, lasted until after World War II, but became so dilapidated that it was torn down. Part of the family went to Ireland early in the 17th Century.

    Valentine and his family became associated with William Penn and his Society of Friends, also known as the Quakers. In 1682, Valentine and his family moved to America about the same time as William Penn and settled in Delaware. Valentine and some of his family made the voyage on the ship Antelope.  One son, Henry,  made the voyage on the ship Lion.

    It took 167 years for some of Valentine's descendants to make their way to the American West Coast. In the meantime, branches of the family scattered across the country and around the world making it very difficult to keep track of them. This is further complicated by the fact that there were several other Hollingsworth patriarchs that came over about the same time as Valentine.

Origin of the Hollingsworth Family Name

    The two old Angle-Saxon words, HOLEGN, or HOLYN, (a holly tree), and WORD or WUR DE, (both pronounced similar to our modern English word 'worth', meaning "an enclosed place,") are believed to be the roots forming the ancient place name HOLYNWORTHE, or HOLLINGWORTH. Thus, the meaning of this place-name and surname, would be, "THE HOLLY-TREE FARM," or " ENCLOSED HOMESTEAD AMONG HOLLY BUSHES." It is thought that the place HOLISURDE (pronounced HOLLYS-WERTH) mentioned in the Cheshire Domesday Book (c1086 A.D.) lying in the area of Mottram-in-Longdendale, in the northeastern part of the county, gave rise to the surname.

    There is also a "Hollinworth", a hamlet or chapelry in Butterworth Township in Mottram Parish. Two families calling themselves "Hollingworth" held manors and also grants of arms, in this township, beginning about the year 1613. Persons bearing the surname extend back to at least 1215 at this place. How, by what means, or for what purpose, some of the members of the Hollingworth or Hollinworth families in England began to spell the name "Hollingsworth," by adding the letter "s", is unknown. The practice first appears about the middle of the 17th century, although isolated instances can be noted back into the 1500's.

Hollingsworth Family Motto

The Latin motto Disce Ferenda Pati on the  coat of arms means Learn to Bear Patiently What Must be Borne.

Source: Hollingsworth Register. All material provided is copyrighted to the public domain for non-commerical, non-profit use only. No commercial use is legal without permission.