Baptism:
Date: 19 Aug 1676
Place: Eglwysbach, Denbighshire
Probate:
Date: 1720
Place: St Asaph, Denbighshire
Burial:
Date: 25 Jul 1719
Place: Eglwysbach, Denbighshire
Individual Note:
According to the PR Robert was born in 1676 and died in 1719. This is confirmed by his Administration document ref SA/1720/11. He was married to Mary Edwards in 1694 at Llangian, a parish in the hundred of Gafflogian, county Carnarvon, 6 miles S.W. of Pwllheli (Hayes), who according to HHE (XDS101/23/40) was the daughter of Richard Edwards Esq of Nanhoran.
The only recorded death in the PR for a Mary Holland in this period is1706. This death is probably attributable to their daughter Mary who died within a year of birth, however we know from her letter of Administration (SA/1740/20) that Mary died in 1740. It is possible that Roberts' wife was buried under the name Mary Edwards; this could be confirmed by a check in the PR under Edwards.
According to the PR they had eleven children between 1703 and 1718. The first of these was, Anne (b 1703). There is information in the Nanhoran NLW MSS 278 and 319 papers that indicate she married William Davies of Newmarket, not to be confused with a marriage between a William Davies and Anne Holland at Llanelwy in 1640 (Cwytta Cyfarwyd p193). It is believed that there is a marriage license for this marriage, but so far I have been unable to locate it. The origin of the Anne Holland in Cwytta Cyfarwyd has yet to be ascertained; however there is a possibility that it could be either Anne vch Robert (b1608) or Anne vch William (b 1624). One of these Annes was buried in1646(PR), for the moment I have attributed this death to Anne vchWilliam on the assumption that she would have been too young at 16 to have married in 1640.
There is no doubt about the Marriage of Anne to William Davies of Newmarket as they are mentioned as beneficiaries in the will of Thomas Edwards (Ref Nanhoran MSS 278 and 319). Also William is named as co-administrator of Mary Hollands Letter of Administration. The connection with Newmarket is intriguing considering that Owen Holland and his Wife Catherine Davies, and family, were residing there at the time of the marriage, especially as Catherine was the daughter of John Davies of Henfryn, Newmarket. It is unlikely that Anne’s husband was the William Davies of Henfryn who died in 1779 (SA/1779/135) who names his wife as Maud in his will. It would appear that there were two Williams Davies living in Newmarket at the same time.
According to the PR his other children were as follows:
Mary (b 1705, d 1706),
Jeffrey (b 1st May 1707, d 1775),
Ellen (b 22 Sept,1707, Bas daughter of Robert Holland and Mary). AsJeffrey was also born six months earlier in 1707 this Ellen cannot have been by his wife Mary, therefore the mother must have been another Mary, hence the entry Bastard in the parish record. This may explain why there is no death entered in the PR under Mary Holland that we can attribute to this child.
Margaret (b 1710) married Ellis Roberts of Trawsfynydd in 1741 (ref Marriage Bond B16/92 and Nanhoran MSS 278)
Thomas( b 1712,d 1781), Gravestone in St Martins Churchyard reads "Here lieth the body of Thomas Holland, 2nd son of Robert Holland ofPennant Eglwys Bach who died there ------ and was interred the 16th day in the year of our Lord 1781, Aged 68.
Mary (b 1714), married (Ano) Davies of Cricceith and had one daughter who died in the alms house at Llandwrog.(HHE notebook, p22)
Rachel (b 1715, d 1715),
Richard (b 1717), later of the Parish of St Brides, London (NanhoranMSS 278)
Dorothy (b 1709,d 1729)
William, Gent, (b 1718), later of Chancery Lane Co Middlesex (Nanhoran MSS 278). According to HHE (XDS/11/1) William was an attorney at Gray’s Inn who for some misdemeanour had to leave the county and was never heard of again.
Their children appear to have had a high mortality rate.
Notes from Brian Holland