John Holloway, Hartford Founder

Compiled by Timothy Lester Jacobs, SDFH Genealogist

JOHN¹ HOLLOWAY, HARTFORD FOUNDER was born abt. 1613 in England, and died 18 Oct 1684 in Hartford, CT d. s. p. He married MARY REEVE? 1663 in Hartford, CT (as stated by wife seeking separation 20 Jan 1667/8). She was born abt. 1635, and died aft. 20 Jan 1667/68 in prob Hartford, CT.

John Holloway came from some unknown location to the Massachusetts Bay Colony aboard the “Elizabeth & Ann” in 1635. His first known residence was in Hartford, from which he served in the Pequot War of 1637. For some unknown reason, his property was not listed in the Hartford land inventory of 1639/40, and was first mentioned in a land inventory of May 1645, in which he held seven parcels: three roots on which his home stood, located on the corner of the road from Centinel Hill to the Cow Pasture and the road from Centinal Hill to the North Meadow; four acres on the east side of the Great River; four acres of swamp lying in Podunk; seven acres on the east side of the Great River; three acres in the Pine Field; five acres and three roots in the Cow Pasture; and one rood in the North Meadow. On 11 May 1671 the Connecticut General Court granted John Holloway fifty acres of land for his service in the Pequot War.

He married in Hartford in 1663, but this did not go well, as on 20 January 1667/8 “Mary Hallaway having made complaint to the Governor & Assistants assembled in Court this (day) that her present & reputed husband John Halloway (who has been married to her four years and some months) hath not nor is not in a capacity to perform or afford unto her the said Mary that corporal communion which is reciprocally due between husband and wife by reason of the impotency of the said John Hallowaye & desiring that the matrimonial bond in which they have been joined together may be dissolved & she be set at liberty”. The Court considered the matter, and granted Mary liberty to live apart from her husband. Nothing further is found in the Court records regarding this matter, but the divorce was certainly made final soon. As a result of these circumstances, John Holloway had no children.

In his will, dated 14 February 1680/1, he left his entire estate to the First Church of Christ in Hartford. His will was proved 25 November 1684.

Genealogy: “The Great Migration: Immigration to New England 1634-1635”, Vol III, G-H, Robert Charles Anderson, NEHGS, Boston, 2003