Holbeach, Holbeche, and Holbech, comes from the old English words of hol + bece, which means hollow stream. The family originally came from Lincolnshire (and Yorkshire).
Fillongley Castle was built by the de Hastings family, and the de Hastings held the manor of Fillongley and other properties dotted around England and they inherited Abergavenny Castle.
Abergavenny Castle passed to the Beauchamps. In 1417 when Richard Beauchamp died he left an only child, Elizabeth who married Sir Edward Nevill.
William Holbeche became a retainer of Edward Nevill, and the Holbeche family moved from Lincolnshire to Warwickshire to oversee the manor of Fillongley. The Holbeche's also became reeve and bailiff of the Abergavenny estate.
The Holbeche family were soon interacting with other important families in the Fillongely area such as the Sadlers and Brearleys, and it was not long before they were marrying into these families and other important gentry families. The Holbeche family became prominent landowners in the area and occupied many of the important houses to be found around Fillongley. In the sixteenth and seveenteenth centuries they were occupying the White House, Fillongley Hall, Birchley Hall and the Manor House in Fillongley. (The Manor House was destroyed by fire in 1929 and was situated in the village by the Village Farm. Some of the glass from the windows is now in Fillongley Church.)
John Holbeche on his marriage to Elizabeth Matthew of Mercotte Hall, Berkswell, was named a a sheep breeder. Sheep farming played an important part of the local economy and in his will of 26th July 1561, he states that 'Every one of my servants should receive a sheep, and to my brother Thomas, and Thomas son, 10 sheep.
The Holbeche family have a long history connected to Fillongley, and this is outlined in the book written by Laurence Ince.
'A History of the Holbeche Family of Warwickshire and the Holbech Family of Farnborough' Published by Brewin Books. ISBN 978-1-85858-482-9