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PREFACE.

SEVERAL years ago, wishing to know something more of his ancestors than was contained in the records left by his father, the compiler of this book began making inquiries among his immediate relatives. Encouraged by his success, and greatly interested in the early history of the Hollister family, he resolved to embrace in his researches all the branches of the family in America.

A correspondence with the members of the family was begun and perseveringly kept up until it reached to nearly every part of the United States and even beyond, and requiring several thousand letters. Two visits to New England were made for the purpose of consulting the ancient town, church, and probate records, and in this search the compiler was ably assisted by Hon. John C. Hollister of New Haven and Miss Florence J. Hollister of Glastonbury, Conn. The extensive collection of Wm. H. Upton of Walla Walla, Wash. Ter., was placed at the author's disposal, as also those of Mrs. Helen P. Bomeisler of Elizabeth, N.J., and the late John F. Hollister of Plano, Ill. Many others have rendered valuable assistance, and the compiler wishes here to thank all who have in any way aided him in the great task of collecting and arranging for publication the scattered records of the Hollister family.

It is not pretended that the work is complete; probably in some cases it is not correct, but the compiler has tried to make it as nearly so as possible. He would be glad to be informed of any error his readers may discover.

For the benefit of those not familiar with genealogical works, the following explanation is given: The descendants of Lieut. John Hollister are numbered consecutively. When an account of their families or other information is given, their number is preceded by the mark, and the reader will look in the next generation, under the same number, which is used as a family number and enclosed in parenthesis.

Following the names of heads of families is a line in parenthesis giving the names of all the ancestors back to Lieut. John. The small figure at the right indicating the generation.

The marriage-name of female descendants is given in parenthesis, after the family name.

These consecutive and family numbers enable the reader, by referring forward or backward, to find the names of the descendants or ancestors of any member of the family.

LAFAYETTE WALLACE CASE.

CHICAGO, Nov. 25, 1886.

ERRATA.

Page 74, 4th line from bottom, for "(102)" read (99).
Page 132, No. 812, for "Frances" read Francis.
Page 132, middle of page, for "(383)" read (385).
Page 144, middle of page, for "(445)" read (446).
Page 145, middle of page, for "(449)" read (450).
Page 179, No. 1149, for "Joshph" read Joseph.
Page 190, for "(602)" read (599).

Page 205, for "Course" read Couse.

Page 262, for "Elizabeth Goodrich" read Eliza Goodrich.

Page 271, for "Dover" read Andover,

Page 366, for "(1240)" read (1241).

Page 419, for "(1548)” read (1549).

Page 227, for "Helen Dorr" read Helen Dorr Sill.

Page 456, for “(1696)” read (1697).

Page 459, 16th line from bottom, for "Harvey" read Horace.

Page 515, 2d line from top, for "Barrett" read Bennett.

Page 517, Nos. (2025) and (2026), for "Mary Taylor" read Samantha Hills.

Page 223, 8th line from top, for "Darius Clark" read David Clark.

Page 615, for "Martha Gallop" read Martha Gillop.

Page 637, for "Henry Dutton, Sr.," read Henry Dutton Noble, Sr.
Page 648, for "Clarissa Abell" read Phoebe Roberts.

Pages 648 and 649, for "Mercy Pearl" read

Page 681, for "John Bliss" read Judah Lee Bliss.
Page 684, for "Josiah Barton" read Josiah Burton.
Page 709, for "Lutheria Clock" read Lutheria Clark.
Page 136, for "James Howe" read Jonas Howe.
Page 33, for "beligerant" read belligerent.

Page 289, for Chas. J. "Huges" read Hughes.

Page 232, No. (726), prefix the mark to the numbers of all his children.

THE

HOLLISTER FAMILY.

THE ENGLISH HOLLISTERS.

Contributed by WM. H. UPTON, A.M., Walla Walla, Washington Territ'y.

THE NAME HOLLISTER.

THE origin of the Hollister family and name is lost in the mists of antiquity. We do not feel competent to discuss the origin of the name exhaustively, and therefore we shall at present content ourselves with saying that we are not satisfied with any explanation of the origin and meaning of the name that has yet been offered. Most of these explanations are puerile in the extreme. The only one we know of that seems worthy of notice at all is that which draws the name from the words Holly and Terra, i. e., a land where the holly tree abounds, "namely Somersetshire, England, where there is a place called Hollister."

In answer to this we may say, first, that the only variety of true holly existing in Europe, the Ilex Aquifolium (Saxon, holen or holegn; Mid. Eng., holyn-whence the word "holm," which has given a termination to so many English local names-old French, houx; French, houlx), flourishes in every corner of England and throughout. Western and Southern Europe,* as well as in Somersetshire. In the second place, a word compounded of the English "Holly" (or Sax. holegn) and the Latin "Terra” (or its Norman equivalent) would be a hybrid that would disgrace the word-makers of any age. The Saxon name

"Encyc. Britannica."

+ Of course we are aware that the rule that a compound word should not be formed from roots taken from different languages has been violated in

every age.

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