Holleman was born in Isle of Wight County, Virginia to John Holleman and Nancy Thomas Holleman. He graduated from the University of North Carolina and attended law school there.[1][2] He was a teacher before his admission to the bar. He eventually set up a law practice at Burwell Bay, Virginia, in Isle of Wight County. He was highly regarded by peers and recognized as a top lawyer in southern Virginia.[1]
On November 22, 1828, Holleman married Caroline Carroll of Isle of Wight County. She died in 1842. He later married his sister-in-law, Emily W. Carroll.[1]
Holleman was elected to the Twenty-sixth Congress, taking office in 1839. At the time of his election, he made a public statement that he would resign his seat if the Whigs won his district in the 1840 presidential election. After William Henry Harrison did so, Holleman resigned.[1]
After Congress
He was reelected to the House of Delegates in 1841 and became Speaker the following year.
On April 3, 1844, a few months before his death, he married his sister-in-law, Emily W. Carroll.[1]
Jamerson, Bruce F., Clerk of the House of Delegates, supervising (2007). Speakers and Clerks of the Virginia House of Delegates, 1776-2007. Richmond, Virginia: Virginia House of Delegates.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
