Leatha Howard Holland Webster / William Howard Hill & Anna Virginia Carter Hill

Leatha Howard Holland Webster, also, William Howard Hill and Anna Virginia Carter Hill. Sandy Spring African American Heritage Trail. , Lineage of Leatha Howard Holland Webster and the Canadian Connection , The Howard-Holland traces its roots to the Montgomery County plantations of the Gaithers, Howse and Griffith families. From census records and manumission documents Jack and Polly Howard, were slaves on these plantations. Polly, born around 1797, was sold at auction in 1813 to Ephraim Gaither. Jack, a slave, and Polly produced eight children, and Leatha Howard Holland Webster (1816-1898) was the second child. Leatha Howard Holland was emancipated by Brice Worthington Howard in 1856. William Augustus Holland and Leatha Howard Holland had six children from this union. William Augustus Holland first husband of Leatha, died around 1850. Leatha remarried to Josius Webster and had two additional children., Jeremiah Howard willed Leatha Howard Holland (sister of Enoch and Eliza) to his son Brice Worthington Howard in 1841., Brice Worthington Howard freed Leatha Howard Webster in 1856., He also freed her Holland children, and two Webster children, Josius (4 years) and Alicia (6 months)., Leatha's Children , Martha Ann Holland (1841-1898) married Benjamin Thomas. they lived in Brookville, Montgomery County, where they reared their ten children: Benjamin Franklin Jr., Adolphus, Aulick, William, Howard, Alice, Carrie, Ella, Florence, and Martha., Caroline Holland (1843-1928) married Tilghman Mitchell of Ashton, Maryland. Their descendants include Countee Cullen, Harlem Renaissance poet, and politically active Mitchell family of Baltimore., Emily Holland, called "Lila" by her siblings, became the matriarch of the Campbell family, Leatha's namesake married Thomas Wallace and was the mother of two children, Thomas and Leatha, and the grandmother of Joy Wallace Dishman., William August Holland, first husband to Leatha, died around 1850. By the time of her manumission by Brice Worthington Howard in 1856, Leatha Howard Holland had married a second time to Josius Webster and had two additional children: Josius and Mary Alice., William August Holland and Leatha's two sons, William Henson Holland (1839-1920) and Thomas John Holland (1843-1928) escaped to Canada by Way of the Underground Railroad., After a desperate and dangerous escape that involved swimming across the Niagara River, William reached Queens Bush, British Upper Canada. The trek went through Pennsylvania and up through Massachusetts and crossed at Niagara Falls. Thomas John Holland at 15 years old joined his brother William at Queens Bush. Josiah Henson, leader of the Dawn settlement assisted in their escape and flight to freedom. The story is that Thomas John was lost and Josiah Henson knowing of William Henson Holland made the connection of the brothers. Their escape and passage were also assisted by the Stewart Memorial Church. The brothers soon left Queens Bush, purchased a small parcel of land in Bronte, just outside of Oakville. William moved to Amherstburg near Windsor while Thomas John settled in Hamilton., The brothers married and became the patriarchs of the Canadian branch of the Howard - Holland family., A great number of freedom seeking black fugitives from America crossed into Canada after the War of 18 12. These immigrants settled around Amherstburg and Windsor in Southwestern Essex County, Ontario. In fact, Amherstburg was considered the terminus of the Underground Railroad. Josiah Henson's settlement Dawn Township came in a second between 1830-134. The wave that brought the Howard Holland group was much later in the 1860s. The journey of the Howard Holland brothers was no less remarkable than Henson's, except that this journey went full circle leading to reunification and reunion of Canadian and American offspring and descendants., The Canadian Hollands , William Henson and Thomas John Holland were finally united in the 1860s, both living in Queens Bush, Ontario. They moved to Bronte township and after a few years William moved to Amherstburg and Thomas John moved 200 miles away to Hamilton., On December 28, 1875, Thomas John married Henrietta Shortts, Canadian-born daughter of an Irish father and a black former slave who came from the community of "Little Africa" near Tapleytown, on the mountain near Hamilton. An alternate story suggests that Henrietta was an adopted daughter of Isaac Shortt and Eliza Maclary Shortts. Henrietta's birth name was Cass as reported in the 1891 census and her father was an Irish gentleman and biological mother was a black woman from the United States., Thomas John, now referred to as John, and Henrietta opened a hay, flour and feed store on the corner of Gore and Mary streets, Hamilton. After some years they moved to a brick house adjacent to the store and started a family. Blessed with a gifted bass voice "John" joined the O'Banyoun Jubilee Signers performing in Canada, United States and Europe in the Winter to supplement the family income. Henrietta ran the store in his absence. She also had a stall in the local market where she sold straw, goose feathers, and feathers for pillows and bedding. They had nine children that survived to adulthood., Their oldest son William, blessed with the voice of his father, joined the Holland Company of Jubilee Singers, moved to New York City to study at the School of musical Arts. He later worked with several other companies, including the Connie Mack's Musical Company, and appeared on Broadway., John Holland's second son John Christie Holland married Josephine Idenia Johnson from Oakville in 1901. They had four children, Gladys, Alfreda, Gilbert and Oliver., John Holland, in order to survive the Depression and racist hiring practices at many times, employment had to work at several jobs to make ends meet. For a time he worked at Connors Brothers Jewelers, the worked in New Jersey for several years, before returning to Hamilton. In 1909, he was a janitor at Westinghouse, doubling as a waiter in the cafeteria at lunch time, round 1916, he worked for the TH&B as a porter at the station, then as a pullman car attendant, and finally as the attendant for the private care that the president of the company used., During all this time John Christie remained close to the African Methodist Episcopalian Church (AME). He continued to study for the ministry by correspondence. Finally in 1925, John Christie Holland became an ordained minister through the AME Conference at Payne Theological Seminary in Wilberforce, Ohio. He was part-time preacher at Stewart Memorial church on weekends, superintendent at the Sunday School, singing in the choir, and replacing the pastor from time to time. Rev. John Christie Holland, made his mark as the most revered and loved preacher at Stewart. He worked as an assistant without pay for several years, when upon the death of Reverend Claude Stewart of Barbados in 1936 he took over the struggling congregation in a church that was deeply in debt. Holland's ingenuity and art of persuasion brought the church out of debt and created a vibrant congregation. He was a prominent civic leader in Hamilton fully involved in anti-segregation and hiring problems of minorities in theatres, hotels and restaurants. His son Oliver Holland, fully involved in the civil rights struggles of the time held sit-ins in restaurants and stores. John Christie Holland was given the highest honor of a Hamilton resident by being named Citizen of the Year for 1953. His strength and religious conviction, grace under strife, and belief in family ensured success against all odds. Reverend John Christie Holland died just three months after receiving Hamilton's highest honor as Citizen of the Year. In 2003 he was posthumously inducted into Hamilton's Gallery of Distinction., John Christie's children inherited the talents of their father. Gilbert became a professional singer like his Uncle William. He moved to New York to develop his career and replaced Paul Robeson in the London production of Showboat. Oliver Wendell, that same activist son of John, went off to study political economy and history and was among the first people of color to receive the BA from McMaster University. Oliver's son, William Holland, is the father of Jeff Holland (partner of Blue Sands, Inc. Hamilton). Jeff Holland has two children Liam and Natalie., The other children of John Thomas lived equally productive, well rounded and talented lives in Hamilton. Abigail was a dress maker and Florence was a tailoress. Kathleen studied piano and organ at the Hamilton Conservatory of Music. Grace Holland Tolliver is Albert Millar's grandmother. Grace was given lessons in elocution and later joined the Twentieth Century Literary Association, showcasing her talents as an Elocutionist., Grace married a Jamaican, relative of the Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey. Yahya (Juan) Gairey sprung from this union and is an active proponent and historian of the Garveyite movement and linkages with the African diaspora. Yahya has a distinguished career as a Special Education Teacher and is the Human Rights Director for the Ontario Federation of Labor. His family is involved in Step Stones For Youth program. Yahya has four children, Sikinna, Abdur-Rahman, Sabina and Mummin. Sikinna, following in the footsteps of her activist father, is involved in the Black Lives Matter movement in Canada., Grace Holland Toliver, the mother of Austin Toliver who worked in the foundry at Hamilton Massey Ferguson plant. Austin and Helen Toliver produced five children, Alberta Millar, Helen Toliver, Robin, Betty, and Anne. Alberta Millar had three children, James Bryant, Roxanne Brown and Grant Bryant. Betty Simpson, granddaughter of William Henson, is a founder and director of the North American Black Historical Museum in Amherstburg. John Christie Holland, son of Thomas John, was honored as Hamilton, Ontario's Man of the Year in 1953. Sandra Smith is Thomas John's granddaughter.,

References: , John Christie Holland, Man of the Year 1953 Toronto Ryerson Press 1956 by Jessie I Beattie , Thomas John Holland Last Serving Master of the OBanyoun Jubilee Singers , Thomas J. Holland is called to rest, Hamilton Herald, June 11, 1988 , The Journey from Tollgate to Parkway, African Canadians in Hamilton, Adrienne Shadd

, Descendants of William Howard Hill "Willie Jake" and Anna Virginia Carter Hill , This family history concentrates on the "Hill" family descendants from William Howard Hill and Anna Virginia Howard Carter. William Howard Hill "Willie Jake" was born in Sandy Spring, Maryland in 1864. Willie Jake became a laborer at an early age, working on the Miller farm in Ashton, Maryland. He married Anna Virginia Carter sometime in 1895 and to this union ten children were born, Mary, Louise, James, Howard, Rosie, Laura Bobby and Gertrude. Eva and William died in infancy. Willie Jake departed this life on December 16, 1943.,

Mary Ellen Clark (May) 1890 was the mother of daughter, Elsie Clark. , Louise Hill Pumphrey (Weezie) (1895-1990) produced two daughters, Eva and Sarah (Peaches). Eva was a member of The Mercedes Club. , James Thomas Hill (Buck or Barney) and wife, Ella produced ten (10) children: Robert James (Dick), Louise (Puttney), Lillian Allen, Ella (Ellababy) Estep, Anna (Mutt) Randall, William, Elsie (Titta), Harold (Sam), Mabel and Howard. , Howard Hill (1901-1969) produced two (2) children David Love and William (Billy) Hill. , Rosie Hill Offord (Honey) (1910-1996), was the mother of Elsie Snowden, James (Sweetman) Offord, Joyce Barnes, Lois, Alice Chase, Gloria Hubbard, Rosemarie and Leroy, Jr. Rosie was married to Leroy Offord, son of Tolbert Offord. , Laura Rebecca Hill (b. 1904) produced three sons, James and Lawrence Hill, and Thomas E. Clarke (QUE). James Hill's children include Charles Hill Sr, James Hill, Howard Hill Sr. (Nitty), Louise Darden, Richard, Laura and Percy Hill Sr., Patricia, Dennis, Francis and Theodore Sterling, Howard Clark, Larry Holland Sr. and James Blassingame. , Howard F. "Nitty" Hill, Sr. son of the late James W. and Alice V. Bell Hill was born on April 15, 1941 in Sandy Spring. He married the late Elsie V. Johnson Hill in 1964 and had four children: Christine, Howard Jr., Richard Sr., and Lia. He married Joann Davis on June 13, 1996 which added six children: Wesley, Elwood, Donna, Jessie, Gregory and Douglas. Christine Hill who is married to William Wilson is a Sandy Spring Slave Museum Board member and Treasurer as well as the first Black President of the Women's Board of Montgomery General Hospital. Her daughter, Jerika Hill Roberts lives in Baltimore. , Robert Hill (Bobby) (Unknown) produced a son, John Hill Carroll (Bates). , Gertrude Beatrice Hill Matthews (Gertie) (1913-1972) was the mother of Mary Estelle Thomas Higgins.