Individual Details

According to 1850 Census, born 1825. 1860 Census he was born 1828.

In the 1850 Census of Dallas Co AR, Jackson Twp, p.12, Dwelling 160, George D. Holderness age 21 and Thos. B. Holderness age 25 are living with Samuel A. Saunders a physician born in Tennessee. They are both listed as Merchants.

Posted on the Caswell County Historical Association mail list, November, 2011, are excerpts from the diary of Alanson M. Lea, describing a wagon train trip from Caswell to Dallas Co, AR. The train left on 21 Sep 1847. Few names are in the diary entries but it seems likely the two young brothers, Thomas & George Holderness, were part of this venture. William A. and Phillip Thomas may have been as well - they were brothers of their sister-in-law, Virginia Thomas. The 1850 census reveals over 500 persons living in Dallas Co AR that were born in North Carolina - wonder how many of these families were from Caswell Co.

1 Mar 1855, Thomas B. Holderness was issued a land patent in Dallas Co for 80 acre, NE 1/4 NE 1/4 of S33, T10S, R14W and SE 1/4 SW 1/4 S33, T10S, R14W. A second patent was issued for another 40 acres in S18, T9S, R13W.

Federal Land Patent dated 1 Sept 1856 shows that Thomas B. and Goerge W.
Holderness bought 80 acres in Calhoun County, AR. This was for NW 1/4 SW 1/4, S10, T11S, R14W and NE 1/4 SE 1/4, S9, T11S, R14W.

In 1860, Both Thomas & George W. are in Monticello, Drew Co AR. p.158; dwelling 491. Thomas is 32; George W. 27. Both merchants, born in North Carolina.

On 17 Feb 1863, both Thomas and George paid to the Confederate States of America their County and War tax in the Sherriff's Office of Drew Co. Thomas paid 81 cents, G. W. paid 82 cents. (receipt found in Algernon Sidney Holderness manuscript collection at the Arkansas History Commission, Little Rock, AR)

I am not sure that this tax is for Thomas, nor who the partner might be, but I suspect it is the firm that Thomas & George had started - George of course died in 1864.
2 May 1866 United States of America, Receipt for Direct Taxes
Holderness & Bro. has this day paid the sum of $7.40 that being the amount in full for taxes, penalty, interest and costs charged under the Act of Congress, entitled, “An act for the collection of direct taxes in insurrectionary districts within the United States and for other purposes,” approved June 7, 1862 upon the following tract or lots of Land, situate in the County of Drew and State of Arkansas, and described as follows: one town lot $2,000.00. Signed at Pine Bluff by the Commissioners of Direct Taxes for Arkansas.

There is a Thomas Brook Holderness on a voter registration list in California. On 28 Jul 1876, address, 537 Sacramento, San Francisco, CA. He was age 52, born about 1824, in North Carolina. This would certainly seem to be the same person. This would be the only record of his middle name which was probably Brooks, rather than "Brook". I have never found him in the census in 1870 or 1880.

Fort Worth Daily Gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 14, No. 199, Ed. 1, Tuesday, April 29, 1890
Methodist Colleges at Anson
An Enthusiastic Meeting for the Purpose of Raising Money
Anson, Tex, April 26. Yesterday evening ..meeting of the citizens was held in the courthouse to receive subscriptions for the Methodist colleges. It is now proposed to build female college just north of town..
...donors are as follows ...T. B. Holderness, $100

Source: TX-OLD-NEWS-L@rootsweb.com
Article Title: The Texas Western
Article Date: June 10 1925
The only paper published in Jones County.
(Edited)
A newspaper is a mirror of the town represented from week to week. The Texas Western, first copy published in Anson January 16, 1883. At that time the town boasted only two hundred people, and had but few business. The old paper indicated that there were no banks, nor regular hardware stores, etc., in Anson at that early date. A drug store owned by F. T. Knox, the Tipton Inn, the Anson House, Stage Line from Anson to Abilene, A. J. Nichols feed and wagon yard, R. H. Foard & Co., dealers in Dry Goods, Groceries, etc., T. B. Holderness, grocery store; L. M. Hinds & Bros., Dry Goods store; J. H. Naler, Dry Goods store; Carr & Pendley, livery and feed business, are represented in the early day issue.

The Taylor County News. (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 32, Ed. 1 Friday, October 23, 1885
Six bales of cotton were brought to Abilene Tuesday from Jones county and placed on the market. Messrs. Samuel McGhee and T. B. Holderness were the producers.

5 Apr 1888 W. A. Chambers and E. A. Chambers his wife of Jones Co TX sold 320 acres school land to T. B. Holderness for $200. Recorded in Book 5, p.467 of the Deed Books of Jones Co TX
8 Nov 1888 T. B. Holderness sold the same 320 acres to D. L. Lindsay for $500.00. Recorded 14 Jan 1890 in Vol 10, p.58 of Jones Co Deed Records.

1900 Jones Co Census; ED 99, L21, Precinct 1. Tom Holderness, born Sep 1823, age 76 and living in a boarding hotel. He and both parents born in NC. No occupation listed.

Dallas Morning News, 5 Dec 1891
Burglary at Anson.
Anson Tex., Dec 2 - The grocery stores of Holderness & Roland and H. J. Groce were broken into last night. The cash drawer in each store was broken, the burglars obtaining from H. J. Groce a copper cent and from Holderness & Roland, a nickel. Some other little articles are missing. The entrance was effected by breaking out the back window in each instance. No clew [sic] to the perpetrators.


Buried Mount Hope Cemetery, 2 miles east of Anson TX on Hwy 180.

Pine Bluff Daily/Weekly Graphic. Pine Bluff, AR, Sunday, 4 Dec 1904, p.2
Death of T. B. Holderness
Many of the older citizens of this city will regret to learn of the death of T. B. Holderness, at one time one of the most prominent merchants of southwest Arkansas, who died at Anson, Texas, Friday morning. Mr. Holderness was an uncle of H. I. Holderness of this city, and had scores of friends here.

Birth	24 Sep 1823	Caswell County, North Carolina
Death	2 Dec 1904	Anson, Jones County, Texas

Father	ROBERT HOLDERNESS (1783 - 1833)
Mother	ELIZABETH BROOKS (1795 - 1858)
Sibling	William Henry Holderness (1819 - 1890)
Sibling	James M. Holderness (1822 - 1884)
Sibling	Sarah E."Sallie" Holderness (1825 - 1869)
Sibling	Dr. ROBERT CHARLES HOLDERNESS (1827 - 1905)
Sibling	George W. Holderness (1829 - 1864)
Sibling	Jonathan Iverson Holderness (1832 - 1907)
Sibling	Algernon Sidney Holderness MD (1834 - 1904)