Seventh Generation

222. William Henry HOLDERNESS^112,230 was born on 1 July 1904 in Tarboro, Edgecombe County, North Carolina.²²³ He died on 20 July 1965 at the age of 61 in Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina.¹⁷⁹

Graduated from UNC and Harvard Law School. Married to (1) Martha Jane Broadhurst and (2) Brent Blackmer Woodson. Four children - two by each marriage.

1923 The Yackety Yack, Yearbook of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, p. 267
Delta Kappa Epsilon. Class of 1924 includes William Henry Holderness.

7 Sep 1925. The SS Laconia arrived in New York City, having sailed from Liverpool, England on the 29th of August. Howard and William H. Holderness were passengers. Howard, age 23, born 2 Nov 1902, Tarboro, NC. William, age 21, born 1 July 1904, Tarboro. Gave their US address as "Tarboro, NC".

1930 Census. Greensboro, Guilford, NC, Hh 232
Charles W. Angle, 33, married at age 22, Contractor, Construction
Josephine, wife, 33, married at 22
T. G. Swentson, Servant, 28, Butler, Private home
Howard Holderness, Lodger, 28, Clerk, Life insurance
T. T. Holderness, Lodger, 23, Clerk, Life insurance
W. H. Holderness, Lodger, 25, Attorney, Law

1933 Greensboro City Directory
Holderness, Howard H. Treas Jefferson Standard Life Inc Co. residence, 700 Country Club dr
Holderness, T. Thurston. clk, Jefferson Standard Life Ins Co. r-700 Country Club dr
Holderness, Wm H. (Brooks, Parker & Holderness) r-700 Country Club dr

1940 Census. Greensboro, Guilford, NC, Hh 46
Living at 500 Country Club Drive - lived in same place but not the same house in 1935
William Holderness, 35. Lawyer
Martha, wife, 31
Jane H., dau, 5
William Jr., son, age 2

16 Feb 1942 World War II Draft Registration
William Henry Holderness lived at 500 Country Club Drive, Greensboro, Guilford, NC. He was age 37, born in Tarboro, NC on 1 Jul 1904. Mrs. W. H. Holderness of the same address would always know his address. He was an Attorney, practicing at 902 Southeastern Bldg., Greensboro. Signed as "W.H.Holderness". He was 5' 10 1/2" tall, weight, 210 lbs. The first joint of his middle finger of the left hand was gone.

1946 Greensboro NC City Directory
Holderenss, Howard (Adelaide F) Pres-treas Holderness & Co. home: 2000 Granville Rd
Holderness, T. T. v-pres-sec Holderness & Co residence: 900 N. Elm
Holderness, Wm H. (Martha: Brooks, McLendon, Brim & Holderness) home: 500 County Club Dr.

1950 Census. Greensboro, Guilford Co, NC, Hh 71
500 (no street name)
William H. Holderness, 45, Attorney, Law office
Jane H., dau, 15
William H. Jr., son, 12
Corinna C. Curnett, Negro, 40, NC, maid

The divorce from Martha was obtained in Florida in 1951 in Palm Beach Co.

1958 Greensboro City Directory.
Holderness, A. Lucinda, studt, r - 2000 Granville Rd
Holderness & Co Thos T. Holderness, pres-treas. Wm H. Holderness v-pres-sect. invs. 101 N. Elm
Holderness Howard (Adelaide F) Pres Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Co. 101 N. Elm
Holderness, Howard Jr studt r- 2000 Granville rd
Holderness, Jane H. studt r - 500 County Club dr
Holderness, Sandara A. studt r - 2000 Granville rd [Alexandria, I think]
Holderness, Thos T (Dorothy H) pres-treas Holderness & Co; v-pres-sect Howell Auto Finance Inc. home - 2013 St. Andrews rd
Holderness, Wm H (Brent W) lwyr 440 W. Market; v-pres-sect Holderness & Co. sec Starmount Co Inc and Friendly Center Inc home - 500 Country Club dr
Holderness, Wm H. Jr. USAF r - 500 Country Club Dr

1959 Greensboro, NC City Directroy
Holderness, A. Lucinda, student, residence - 2000 Granville Rd
Holderness & Company, Thos. T. Holderness, pres-tres, Wm. H. Holderness, v-pres- sect, investments 101 N. Elm
Holderness, Howard (Adelaide F), Pres. Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Co, 101 N. Elm residence - 2000 Granville Rd
Holderness, Howard Jr. studt, residence - 2000 Granville Rd
Holderness, Jane H., studt, residence 500 Country Club Dr
Holderness, Sandara A., studt, residence - 2000 Granville Rd
Holderness, Thos T. (Dorothy H) Pres-treas Holderness & Co; v-pres-sec Howell Auto Finance Inc home - 2013 St. Andrews Rd
Holderness Wm H. (Brent W; McLendon Brim Holderness & Brooks) v-pres sec Holderness & Co; v-pres, Greensboro Community Baseball Club Inc.; sec. Starmount Co; Friendly Center Inc. residence - 500 Country Club Dr
Holderness, Wm H. Jr. USAF, residence - 500 Country Club Dr

Brazilian Tourist Card for William Henry Holderness gave his birth as 1 June 1904 in Tarboro, NC, son of George Allan & Harriet Howard. His address was 500 Country Club Drive, Greensboro, NC. His passport dated 5 Apr 1960. Stamp has the date 25 Aug 1961. FamilySearch.org.

NC Death Certificates; Ancestry.com
Death Certificate #23260
Died: Cape Fear Hospital, Wilmington, New Hanover Co, NC
Residence: 500 Country Club Drive, Greensboro, Guilford Co, NC
Died 20 July 1965, age 61
Born: 11 Jul 1904, Tarboro, NC
Attorney
Father: George Holderness Mother: Harriet Howard
Wife: Mrs. W. H. Holderness
Information from Hospital Records
Cause of death was crushed chest due to boating accident and resulting pneumonia; obesity was another significant condition.
Buried 20 Jul 1965, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Greensboro, Guilford, NC

Rocky Mount Telegram, Rocky Mount, NC, 20 Jul 1965, Tuesday, p. 9
Injuries Fatal to Holderness
Greensboro - William Henry Holderness, 61, Greensboro attorney and native of Tarboro, died this morning in Cape Fear Hospital at Wilmington where he had been a patient since he suffered injuries in a boating accident, July 2, near Wrightsville Beach.
Pneumonia was given as cause of death. Holderness suffered chest and nose injuries when the boat he was piloting struck pilings of a bridge.
He was a partner in the law firm of McLendon, Brim, Holderness & Brooks and had practiced law in Greensboro since 1927. He graduated with honors from Harvard Law School.
Holderness was chairman of the Greensboro's ABC Board and prominent in work of the North Carolina Association of ABE Boards. He had been a member of the Board of Directors of Carolina Telephone & Telegraph Co since 1927.
The son of the late George A. & Hattie Howard Holderness, he attended August Military Academy and did his undergraduate work at the University of North Carolina.
Surviving are his wife, the former Brent Blackmer Woodson; four sons, William H., Jr., Hayes Ragland, Charles Woodson and Thomas Pearson Holderness; two daughters, Mrs. Robert B. Carrington and Miss Brent Blackmer Holderness; four brothers, D. Dail Holderness of Tarboro, Admiral George A. Holderness of Washington, DC, Howard & Thomas Holderness, both of Greensboro; two sisters, Mrs. Anna Stamps Transou of Greensboro and Mrs. Harriet Davis of Richmond, VA.
Funeral services will be conducted Wednesday at 4 pm from the First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro.
The family has requested that flowers be omitted.

Biographical Sketch of Willie Holderness from his daughter-in-law Cherie Lynn (Murphy) Holderness, 2009. Posted to Ancestry FamilyTree.
Some is untrue and contains a "Three-brothers family myth"
A biographical sketch of William Henry “Willie” Holderness, 1904-1965.
Willie was born into a family whose accomplishments form a vital part of the modern history of North Carolina. As a Greensboro attorney, he continued the tradition of public service and responsible citizenship demonstrated by his father and mother, George Allan Holderness and Hattie Howard Holderness. Hattie was a daughter of Judge George Howard, all of Tarboro, North Carolina.
The Holderness family came to America from Yorkshire, England. The family trade was ship building, and three Holderness brothers decided to try their fortune in the New World. [No, they came from Virginia and had been in America for at least three generations - they had no known connection whatever to shipbuilding. This is a classic example of the family three-brothers myth.] One of these men was the family patriarch William Henry Holderness, namesake grandfather of our subject. [No he wasn't - this early William Henry Holderness was born in Caswell, NC to Robert Holderness & Elizabeth Brooks. Robert himself had been born in Caswell. His father having come to North Carolina in the 1760's.] He and his wife Sarah Foreman settled in Caswell County in the town of Milton, North Carolina and became tobacco farmers. [Actually all of William's siblings and his mother sold the home place, inherited from his deceased father, to William Henry, and all the rest of the family moved to Arkansas about 1850.]They had three children: William T. Holderness, Julia Holderness, and George Allan Holderness, father of our subject. George made his mark by introducing the hog industry as well as farm silos to North Carolina, and his service in the North Carolina State Senate of 1916 where he was appointed Chairman of the Appropriations Committee. He founded Carolina Telephone and Telegraph, was on the founding board of Jefferson Standard Life Insurance, and was the President of Virginia-Carolina Chemical Company before retiring.
All five of the sons of George Allan Holderness went on to distinguished careers: George Allan Holderness Jr., Rear Admiral of the U. S. Navy; Haywood Dail Holderness, President and Treasurer of Carolina Telephone and Telegraph; Howard (?) Holderness, President of Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company, now known as Lincoln Financial; Thomas Thurston Holderness, President and Treasurer of the financial investment firm of Holderness and Company; and our subject *William Henry “Willie” Holderness, Attorney at Law. They also had two daughters, Harriet Howard Holderness and Anna Stamps Holderness.
*This William Henry Holderness, hereafter referred to as Willie, was the son of George Allan Holderness and the grandson of his namesake William. Willie was born in Tarboro, North Carolina on July 1, 1904 and attended Tarboro High School and Augusta Military Academy in Fort Defiance, VA. He was an honor student at UNC and received a Bachelor of Arts degree. Three years later he graduated with honors from Harvard Law School where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternities.
In 1927 he went into law practice with A. L. Brooks in Greensboro and the firm was named Brooks, McLendon, Brim, and Holderness. He was a director of Carolina Telephone and Telegraph Co., Secretary of Starmount Co., member of Merchants and Manufacturers Club, Chairman of the Greensboro Alcohol Board of Control (ABC) and prominent in the work of North Carolina Association of ABC boards. He was also an active member of American, North Carolina, and Greensboro Bar Associations.
Willie first wed Martha Jane Broadhurst in (?) and had two children: Jane-Howard Holderness and William Henry Holderness Jr. Jane-Howard wed Will Hammerstein and became a screen writer, winning several awards for her screenplay work including Wait Until Dark, Summer of My German Soldier, and others. Her husband Will Hammerstein ran the production company for his father Oscar Hammerstein’s famous musicals. Jane-Howard and Will had no children. William Jr. wed Bonnie McQueen and they had one child, William Henry Holderness III.
Willie second wed Brent Blackmer Woodson in 1951 and they had four children: Charles Woodson Holderness, Brent Blackmer Holderness, Hayes Ragland Holderness, and Thomas Pearson Holderness. Charles wed Deborah Souder and had three children; Elizabeth Brooks Holderness, Charles Woodson Holderness Jr., and William Lee Holderness. Brent wed Wayland Alexander Crutchfield and had four children; Jane Howard Holderness Crutchfield, Brent Blackmer Crutchfield, Carolyn Hayes Crutchfield, and Wayland Alexander Crutchfield III. Hayes wed Cherie Lynn Murphy and had three children; Hayes Ragland Holderness Jr., Henry Richmond Holderness, and Murphy Holland Holderness. Thomas wed Sara Sue Smith and had three children; Perrine Zoe Holderness, Emily Holderness, and Sue Woodson Holderness.
Willie was a Deacon of the First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, Director of the local Salvation Army, President and Board member of the Cerebral Palsy School of Greensboro, President of the Community Chest, War Chest, and Greensboro United Fund, and was active with the Boy and Girl Scouts of America. Willie and wife Brent were active in the American Contract Bridge League. He was an expert bridge player and competed locally and nationally as a life master point player.Willie died in Wilmington, North Carolina on July 20, 1965 as the result of a boating accident and associated pneumonia at the age of 61. He was interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Greensboro, North Carolina. Many community tributes were paid to him when he died, not the least of which was due to his tenure as first Board President and his fundraising efforts to establish the Cerebral Palsy School which the Greensboro people so generously support. Hundreds of handicapped children owe the priceless services of therapy and classroom instruction which they have received at the Greensboro Cerebral Palsy School to the vision and the faith of William Henry “Willie” Holderness and to those who have followed in his path.

William Henry HOLDERNESS and Martha Jane BROADHURST were married on 7 April 1934 in Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina.²³⁰ They²³⁰ were divorced in 1951 in Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida. Martha Jane BROADHURST was born on 6 September 1907 in Guilford County, North Carolina. She died on 3 February 1967 at the age of 59 in Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina.

North Carolina Birth Index. Martha was the daughter of Edgar David Broadhurst, born 6 Sep 1907, Guilford Co, NC

1910 Census. Greensboro City, Morehead Twp, Guilford, NC, Hh 73
Edgar D. Broadhurst, 31, married 3 years, b. NC, Lawyer, General practice
Mamie, wife, 30, 1 child, b. NC
Martha, dau, age 2, b. NC
Josephine Boyd, Servant, Black, age 26, b. NC, Cook, Private family

1920 Census. Greensboro Ward 4, Guilford, NC, Hh 297
126 S. Mendenhall St
Edgar D. Broadhurst, 41, Attorney of Law, Greensboro
Marnie S., wife, 40
Martha A. dau, 12, Graded School
Edgar D Jr. son, 6, Primary School
Lucinda Gant, Servant, Black, 35, widow

In 1927, Martha Broadhurst appears in the yearbook "Pine Needles" for North Carolina College for Women in Greensboro in the Freshman Class, 1926-27

1930 Census. Greensboro, Guilford, NC, Hh 436
Lives at D1, Irving Park Manor
E. D. Broadhurst, age 55, married at age 27, Lawyer
Mamie, wife, 51
Martha, dau, 22
E. D. Jr., son (absent), age 16

7 Apr 1934. Marriage record. Applied for license on 4 Apr 1934 - William H. Holderness was 29, son of Geo. A. Holderness and Harriet H. Holderness, resident of Richmond, VA; Martha Jane Broadhurst was 25, daughter of E. D. Broadhurst and Mamie S. Broadhurst, resident of Guilford Co.
Married by W. A. Strubing, Minister of the ME Church, South
Witnesses: Mrs. C. C. Hinkle, W. R. Brown, Fred C. Odell.

The Charlotte News, Charlotte, NC, 15 Apr 1934, Sunday, p.18
Holderness-Broadhurst
Miss Martha Broadhurst and William H. Holderness were wed April 7 at Greensboro. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. D. Broadhurst. Mr. Holderness is the son of Mr. and Mrs. George Holderness, of Richmond, Va., and is a native of Tarboro.

North Carolina Death Certificate #5082
Martha Broadhurst Brooks died at the Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital, Greensboro, Gilmer Township, Guilford Co, NC. Her residence was 312 Irving Place, Greensboro. She died on the 3rd of February 1967 of brocho-pneumonia while in a coma from a subdural hematoma. She had apparently fallen and been in the coma for five days. Martha was born 6 Sep 1907 in Guilford County. Her father was Edgar D. Broadhurst, her mother Mamie S. Stroud. Her husband was Francis Brooks, Dec'd. Mrs. E. D. Broadhurst, Jr. of Greensboro was the informant. She was buried Green Hill Cemetery, Greensboro on February 4th, 1967.

William Henry HOLDERNESS and Martha Jane BROADHURST had the following children:

William Henry HOLDERNESS and Brent Blackmer WOODSON were married on 16 December 1951 in Pinehurst, Moore County, North Carolina.²³⁰ Brent Blackmer WOODSON, daughter of Charles Whitehead WOODSON and Margaret Brent BLACKMER, was born on 5 March 1926.²³³

North Carolina Birth Index states she was born 5 Mar 1926 in Rowan Co NC to Charles W. Woodson and Margaret B. Blackmer.
Marriage record states their names as Dr. Charles Whitehead Woodson and Margaret Brent Blackmer. Her father was deceased by 1951. Married by Frank M. Thompson, Minister of the Gospel. Witnesses were Charles W. Woodson,Jr., Sharon Hedgpell/Hedgepeth, William B. Woodson

1930 Census. Salisbury, Rowan, NC, Hh 112
Charles W. Woodson, 51, married at age 38, Medical Doctor
Margaret, wife, 36, married at 22
Margaret, dau, 12. Charles, son, 11. William, son, 10. Brent, daughter, age 4.

1940 Census. Salisbury, Rowan, NC, Hh 387
Living at 317 Fulton St where they lived in 1935
Charles W. Woodson, 59, Physician
Brent, wife, 46
Margaret, dau, 21. Charles, son, 20. William, son 19. Brent, dau, 14. Richmond, son, 9.
Evelyn Gaither, maid, Negro, 29, married

"Pine Needles" Yearbook of Women's College of University of North Carolina. Listed in Student Directory, 1943.
Graduated from UNC Chapel Hill 1946

1950 Census. Salisbury, Rowan Co, NC, Hh 78
317 N. Fulton St
Brent B. Woodson, 56, widow, b. NC
Charles W., son, 30, Agent, Life Insurance
William B., son, 29, Salesman, Stock Brokerage Co
Brent B., dau, 24

The News and Observer, Raleigh, NC, 16 Dec 1951, Sunday, p.46
(Picture included) Miss Brent Blackmer Woodson is the daughter of Mrs. Charles Whitehead Woodson of Salisbury and the late Dr. Woodson. Her marriage to William Henry Holderness of Greensboro will take place this afternoon at 4 o'clock at the Village Chapel at Pinehurst.

6 Nov 1958. Brent W. Holderness was a passenger on Pan Am flight from Le Bourget, Paris, France, arriving in New York. she was born 5 Mar 1926 in Salisbury, NC and lived at 500 Country Club Drive, Greensboro.

23 Aug 1961. Brazilian Tourist Card stamped in Buenos Aires. Born 26 Mar 1926 (error - she was born 5 Mar) in Salisbury. Parents, Charles Whitehead & Brant Blackmar. Passport dated 26 Sep 1958. Has photo.

Apparently Brent remarried after the death of Holderness. This is her brother's obituary:
Greensboro News & Record (NC) - Tuesday, February 13, 1990
WINSTON-SALEM - Charles Whitehead Woodson Jr., 70, of 3511 Wimberly Lane died Sunday at Forsyth Memorial Hospital.
Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at St. Lukes Episcopal Church in Salisbury. Burial will be in Chestnut Hill Cemetery in Salisbury.
A native of Salisbury, he was a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a retired schoolteacher. He was a member of the North Carolina Education Association, a life member of the North Carolina Association of Educators and an Army veteran of World War II.
Surviving are wife, Mrs. Edith Woodson; daughter, Mrs. Jane Brent Adams of Carrboro; sister, Mrs. Brent Elmore of Greensboro; one grandchild.

William Henry HOLDERNESS and Brent Blackmer WOODSON had the following children: