Valentine Hollingsworth : Short Biography

Valentine Holligsworth was a member of the Society of Friends, Quakers.  He was the son of Henry Hollingsworth and his wife Catherine.  In the Quaker meeting records his birth place is listed variously as Balleniskcranell/Belleniskcrannell, Parish of Sego/Sego/Seagoe, Armagh, Ireland.  Other researchers say the name is Ballymacrandal or Balleyvickcrannel.  Valentine was born about 1632. 

He married 4 month 7, 1655 to Ann Ree, daughter of Nicholas Ree of Tanderagee, County Armagh, Ireland.  Ann died 2 month 1, 1671.  After her death he married 4 month 12, 1672 Ann Calvert, the daughter of Thomas Calvert of Dromgora.  Per the certificate of their marriage they were married at the home of Marke Wright in the parish of Shankell.  The information of family is recorded in the records of the Lurgan Meeting, County Armagh, Ireland.  It is recorded that his property was seized on numerous occassions for tithes.

In 1682, he sailed with his family and his son-in-law Thomas Connaway/Conway from Belfast for Delaware.  He settled on a large plantation of nearly a thousand acres on Shelpot Creek in Brandywine Hundred, New Castle County.  In the orignal survey it was called New Worke, and later became Newark.  He donated the land for a burial ground  upon which the Newark meeting house was later built.  He represented the county in the Assembly for at least seven terms.  He began serving as Justice of  the Peace for New Castle County in 1685.  His second wife Ann died 8 month 17, 1697. Valentine died sometime after 1710. 

Children: 

1) Mary Hollingsworth, born 1 month 25, 1656, and married first in 1682 to Thomas Conway.  They came to America with her father Valentine.  Thomas died 1688-1689 and she remarried in 1693 to Randal Malin, who was a widower.

2) Henry Hollingworth, born 9 month 7, 1658.  It is belived he came to America in 1693.  In 1688, he returned to Ireland, married Lydia Atkinson, and they returned to America.  Henry died 2 in 1721. 

3) Thomas Hollingsworth born 3 month 1661 and died 1732-1733 in WInchester, Virginia.  His first wife was Margaret by whom he had only one son Abram.  After she died he married Grace Cook.

4) Catherine Hollingsworth born 5 month 1663 and died 6 month 29, 1746.  She married in 1688, in Delaware to George Robinson who was also born in Ireland. 

Children of Valentine and his second wife:

5) Samuel Holligsworth born 1 month 27, 1673, and died 1748.  He married in 1701 to Hannah Harlan, daughter of George and Elizabth Harlan.

6) Enoch Hollingsworth born 6 month 7, 1675 in Armagh, Ireland and died 8 month 24, 1687 in New Castle, Delaware.

7) Valentine Hollingsworth born 11 month 12, 1677 in Armagh, Ireland and married in 1713 to Elizabeth Heald. 

8) Ann Hollingsworth born 1o month 28, 1680, Armagh, Ireland and married James Thompson in 1700.

9) John Hollingsworth born 2 month 19, 1684, the first child born in New Castle, Delaware.  He was married in 1706 to Catherine Tyler and he died in 1722.

10) Joseph Hollingworth born 5 month 10, 1686, New Castle.

11) Enoch Hollingsworth, named the same as his brother who had died in 1687, died 9 month 16, 1690.