100 YEARS, FOUR GENERATIONS OF ROCKHOLTS

In 1850 Alfred Rockholt is in Meigs County Tennessee, he lives, by himself, across the street from his brother William and his family.  Alfred's first wife, Elizabeth Sisk, has split the scene and is on her way to California, with the kids, where she marries first Henry Burgett.  Guess she just couldn't keep her men, because she also is found to have later married Roland Flowers.  Elizabeth is buried at the Oak Hill Cemetery, Tehama, California.  What prompted Alfred to move from Tennessee to Arkansas is a mystery, but move he did, to Greenbrier, Independence County, Arkansas. where he marries Elizabeth Presley on October 11, 1857.

Greenbrier is a town that developed from a minor brothel on the Butterfield Stagecoach route into a bustling city. The town was named for the painfully prickly greenbriar vines which grew along the creek that runs through the town; removing these dense and thorny thickets was apparently a memorable experience for the founders. Greenbrier is located 12 miles north of Conway on Highway 65. Recent years have seen continued growth as Greenbrier becomes a bedroom community for nearby Conway.

In 1860 Greatgrandfather's family, Alfred, Elizabeth and older brother Fabbert, along with two boys which could be Elizabeth's sons from a previous marriage, or maybe her nephews (I cannot prove just exactlty where they fit in.), Greatgrandmother Arzelle Canaday, her parents Lewis and Tabitha (Shadden), and brother Byram, and Arzelle's grandparents John Henry and Tabitha Ann (Gill) Shadden all are listed in the census of Greenbrier, Independence County, Arkansas.  Greatgrandfather William was born a year later.  His sister Jennie was born in 1863 and brother Thomas in 1867.

Beyond the 1860 census, I cannot find any information on either Alfred or Elizabeth.  It is assumed that they both died between 1867 (the birth of Thomas) and 1870, the next census.  I have searched high and low for some indication of what might have happened, how they might have died, but have found nothing specific. There were indications of "Jayhawks" and "Carpetbaggers" running rampant through the area, homes burned and "hulligans" breaking in and robbing the good folks of the area, and there were still some problems with the Indians.

In 1870 the two boys, Fabbert and William are living with the Harrison McMullin family, sister Jennie and younger brother Thomas are split up with other families in the area.  And, in 1880, Nineteen year old William is living with the family of George W. Ball, in Batesville, Independence County, Arkansas.  Jennie marries T.F. Brown on April 11, 1889 in Independence County.

William Alford Rockholt and Arzelle Victoria Canaday were married in Stone County Arkansas on March 16, 1883.  1900 finds them and a whole bunch of kids, including Grandfather Walter William Rockholt, in Franklin Township, Stone County Arkansas.
Grandfather, Walter William, marries Martha Eugena Boatwright and Dad, William Franklin, is born in Arkansas on January 16, 1909.  By  1910 the family has relocated to Sans Bois Township, Haskell County, Oklahoma.  It is here that my family starts to come together.  Also in Sans Bois  I found Oliver Hazard Perry and Marcelles Mitchell, two of Mother's grandparents.  In 1920 they are in Diamond Township, Haskell County, Oklahoma.  William is on his own in 1930, in Econtuchka, Seminole, Oklahoma, his occupation is listed as "connection mech, pipeline co.".

By 1940 Dad is married to Bertha Lillian Perry, they have two boys, William Jr, now eight, and Alfred Leroy who is six. They are now in Gregg County, Texas, on the King Lease, outside of Kilgore.  Melvin is born in 1940 and I am born in 1942.  Dad serves in the Army Corps of Engineers in China and Burma during WW II, leaving Mother and her brood of boys, and we seemed to get by pretty well until he was able to come home.  William Jr is off to see the world, he joins the Air Force in '49, the rest of us are off to California in 1952.

Robert Rockhould (1605-1666)

Robert was born about 1605, either in the Netherlands or in England.  He was English as evidenced by his being granted land in the English Colonies of both Virginia and Maryland.  He seems to have immigrated to the Americas from Delft, Holland, Netherlands.  In 1647, Robert was living on a 250 acre plantation in Nansemond County, Virginia. In 1649, he moved to Anne Arundel County, Maryland and settled on a large plantation called 'Towne Neck'. In 1651, he and another settler, John Scotcher, were granted 400 acres in Calvert County, Maryland. This tract was located "on top of the cliffs on, the west side of Chesapeake Bay." Robert, Sarah, and their sons Robert, Jr., John and Thomas settled on this plantation. For some reason, they called themselves 'Rockhould's for a while after moving to Maryland. Later, they changed their name to Rockhold and eventually to Rockholt.

Robert was a pioneer and the armorer for the Trained Band, which protected the young settlement at Providence (near Annapolis) and was among the dissenters who came up from Lower Norfork, Virginia.

From the "Rockwell Family Foundation, Inc." August 1994 Newsletter: "Robert Rockwell owned land in Virginia in 1637 and was there with his wife, Sarah, and children. In 1647 they lived in Nanesmund, VA and had 250 acres in their plantation. While there are descendents of Robert that use both Rockwell and Rockhold, it is generally accepted today that there is a separate named line of genealogy, “Rockwell” that is not associated with our Robert Rockhould, and that line contains “the Norman Rockwell” the artist.

In 1649 Robert and family moved to Anne Arundel County, Maryland where they settled on a plantation called "Towne Neck". For some unknown reason their name was changed to "Rockhold and sometimes Rockhould". In 1651 Robert was granted 100 acres in Calvert County, MD. This land was located "on top of the Cliffs on the west side of Chesapeake Bay". Their two sons were Robert, Jr. and Thomas. Robert, Sr. died (?) before 1666. On that date 90 acres of land was laid out for John Rockhold, an orphan. In other records it shows that the land was surveyed by Robert, Jr. and his brother, John. John's son was another Thomas and he was assigned this same land about 1706 and it was called "Rich Neck".

Children -
i. Robert, Jr. had a child, Edward Rockhold, that married Mary, widow of John Nelson of Charles County, MD.
ii. Thomas, who was of age in 1651, came to MD with his family. Nothing more is known of him.
iii. John b. before 1628, died February 17, 1698, also lived in Anne Arundal County. It is thought that he married Mary Richardson, daughter of Lawrence Richardson.
-- 1659 - He surveyed with his brother, Charles, his father's land.
-- It is surveyed again in 1672 because some of the boundary trees had fallen.
-- 1684 - He was assigned land called "Rockhold Range" located on the north side of the Patapsco River and on Rich Creek.
-- His will was dated February 17, 1698 and his wife, Mary received his estate.
-- Mary, his wife, had a will dated March 2, 1703 and it was probated May 15, 1704.
-- Children of John and Mary: Elizabeth, John, Susannah, Thomas, Sarah, Sebrah, Charles, and Jacob. Mary's will indicates that Charles and Jacob should live with Lancelott Todd (husband of Elizabeth) until they reach age 18. Lancelott was named as her sole executor. She called him Lance in her will."

And thus begins the saga of our ancestors in America.