The Holmes Family of Roxbury, Massachusetts
The name Holmes traces back to England as someone who lived on a hill, in a dale or woods, and takes on many different spellings. Because of this, it is The name Holmes traces back to England as someone who lived on a hill, in a dale or woods, and takes on many different spellings. Because of this, it is difficult to home in on the English heritage of our first ancestor, other than he was born in Nazeing, Essex, England. George Holmes was born about 1568. Little is known of him, other than he had three sons, and we will begin our timeline with them.
5 Nov. 1592: George Holmes baptized in Nazeing (died young)
27 July 1594: George Holmes baptized in Nazeing (our ancestor)
13 Dec 1598: Samuel Holmes baptized in Nazeing
29 Mar 1601: John Holmes baptized in Nazeing
Little is known of George Jr.'s childhood. The next notation of his life is a notation of his child, Lydia's, baptism. He married a Deborah (unknown last name) about 1630.
26 July 1635: Lydia baptized in Nazeing d. 5 Sep 1689, Dorchester MA
1637: George, a very pregnant Deborah and Lydia arrived in Roxbury, Massachusetts as Pilgrims (Puritans) following after their apostle and friend John Eliot, who had come over in 1631.
1637: Joseph born either on the ship on the way over or soon after. d. 27 Oct 1713
1 Feb 1639: Nathaniel born in Roxbury. d. 1712
22 May 1639: George made a Freeman.
1640: An accounting of George's possessions include a dwelling-house, barn, 252 acres of land in eight parcels with the assessed value of 10 pounds---10th in the town.
31 Jan 1641: Deborah born d. 3 March 1641
October 1642: An infant born and died on 28 Oct 1642
1643: John born d. 17 May 1676 (our ancestor)
7 Jan 1644: Sarah born
9 Nov 1645: Deborah born in Roxbury, d. 29 Sept 1646
1646: George disposed his will to Apostle Eliot (who wrote it down): "My loving wife sole executresse. I give unto her my whole estate, to be improved for the education my children, but none of my lands to be sould unlesse in case of necessity & by the advice of my overseers. After my wives decease, my houses & lands shall be equally divided amongst all my children; yet if it shall please the Lord to convert my sonne Joseph in the meane time, so as that he is in charity accepted among the saints, my will is that he shall have two parts & the rest but each of them one. And my request is to my Dearly beloved brethren Elder Heath, brother Eliot & Brother Parks our Deakens & my brother Ruggles and Brother Riggs to be my overseers to counsell & guide my wife in all her affaires. I give full power to them to make the fore named division of my lands in the most equal & peacable manner they can & if any of my children will not rest in what they doe, my will is that child shall lose his part & it shall be given to such as my overseers see most fitt, & I intreate my deare wife to doe nothing of moment without the advice of these my overseers. Also my will is that there shall not be strip & wast made of timeber and fire wood from my ground, only so much as may be for the necessary use of my family. Witnesse John Eliot, John Scarebrow. Mark of George Holmes"
2 Dec 1645: George died. He is noted in church records by Apostle Eliot: "Month 12 day 2, 1645 George Holmes a godly brother dyed of a feaver." He is buried in the Eliot Burying Ground.
6 Nov 1662: Deborah is buried. It is believed she is also in the Eliot Burying Ground, but there aren't any records stating so.
Very little is known about the day-to-day of John. It is known he moved to Dorchester, but when is unknown. His wife's name was Sarah, but it isn't known what her last name is, or when and where they were married. Best guess is about 1660 in Dorchester.
abt 1663: John born in Dorchester d. abt 1730 (our ancestor)
16 Sep 1665: Sarah born
3 Sept 1667: wife Sarah admitted as a member of the Church of Dorchester
5 Sept 1667: children John and Sarah baptized (noted as a "Thanksgiving Day" in the church records)
24 Jan 1668: Mary born
26 Nov 1669: George born. d. 1690 in an expedition against the French Canadians, lost at sea.
14 July 1674: John is chosen to see that a team is assembled and paid for the walling in of a burial ground. The wall stands to this day about Dorchester North Burying Ground, the second oldest cemetery in the nation.
21 April 1675: Samuel born d. 16 Apr 1725
17 May 1676: John dies and is likely buried in the Dorchester North Burying Ground, though there is no marker in existence. The date which his estate was probated isn't known at this time, but administration of his estate was given to his wife and brother, Nathaniel Holmes by Suffolk County. His possessions valued in at 140 pounds.
John Jr. moved around a bit in his youth with friends and brother Samuel working as a carpenter.
15 Dec 1677: John is taxed in Dedham (now Readville)
13 January 1689: John is granted a parcel of land in Stow on both sides of Heather Meadow Brook, where he settles for awhile.
1690: Marries Elizabeth Gates (b. 1671 in Marlborough to Thomas Gates and Elizabeth Freeman)
1692: Elizabeth born in Stow. d. 27 May 1760 in Colchester, CT
1694: George born in Stow. d. Feb 1759
1696: Dorothy born in Stow
25 Mar 1697: John sells his grant of land to John Stevens for 15 pounds, as noted in a seller's contract of this date.
1698: Mary born in Stow
1700: John born in Stow (our ancestor)
1702: Sarah born in Stow d. 1745
1 June 1704: Ann born in Stow d. 13 May 1739 Colchester, CT
22 Dec 1718: John, Elizabeth and the children who wished to moved to Colchester, Connecticut, where Elizabeth's family were founders. He served in many offices (to be noted at a later time)
14 Dec 1726: Elizabeth dies in Colchester
3 Dec 1729: John marries Ann Rockwell (b. 18 Jan 1704 Windsor to John Rockwell and Anne Skinner)
It is unknown at this time when John or Ann died, other than it was likely in Colchester between 1730 and 1748.
John Holmes III is titled as Captain on many trees, though I haven't found a Revolutionary War record connected to him, and he would have been in his seventies during the war, so perhaps it's an honorary title or from the French and Indian Wars. The first record of him is a marriage notation:
1723: Married Mary Harris (b. 1 Nov 1702 to Lieut. James Harris and Sarah Rogers in Montville, CT) in Colchester, CT
1 Jun 1724: Ann born in Colchester. d. before 1791
14 Aug 1726: Dorothy born in Colchester
1729: John born in Colchester (our ancestor)
1 Jan 1732: James born in Colchster d. 1811
13 March 1761: Mary dies in Salisbury, CT
28 Aug 1785: Marries Mary (unknown last name) in Salisbury
19 Sep 1785: John III dies in Salisbury.
Captain John Holmes, IV, has military records to prove his lengthy service. Little is known of his childhood, but at least there are some records on his whereabouts later in life.
21 Jan 1750: Married Rachel Fellows (b. 31 Jan 1732 in Plainfield, CT to John Fellows and Jerusha Douglas) in Salisbury.
14 Aug 1751: Elizabeth born in Sheffield (our ancestor)
22 March 1754: Asa born in Salisbury d. Milo, NY
7 May 1758: John begins a 30 week service in the Colonial War. He was a Captain of a company of minute men in the regiment of Col. John Fellows (his father-in-law) "Company serving westward" according to the Massachusetts archives.
31 Dec 1758: Rachel born in Sheffield
31 Dec 1760: John born in Sheffield d. 12 May 1849, NY
1762: Bought land from the Natives on "Tannconnoch Mountain".
2 July 1763: Lucy born in Sheffield
27 May 1768: Roswell born in Sheffield
19 April 1775: Marched to the Alarm and was one month four days from home.
7 April 1777: Sold some land in Sheffield to Daniel Hall of Salisbury, CT
1777: Served 45 days as a Private in Col. John Brown's regiment at Mt. Independence.
June-July 1778: Served 41 days with Gen. John Fellows on a detachment to Albany.
7 April 1779: Sold 50 acres of land in Egremont to Nathan Benjamin.
After 1783: John dies in Egremont, Berkshire Co, MA.
5 Nov. 1592: George Holmes baptized in Nazeing (died young)
27 July 1594: George Holmes baptized in Nazeing (our ancestor)
13 Dec 1598: Samuel Holmes baptized in Nazeing
29 Mar 1601: John Holmes baptized in Nazeing
Little is known of George Jr.'s childhood. The next notation of his life is a notation of his child, Lydia's, baptism. He married a Deborah (unknown last name) about 1630.
26 July 1635: Lydia baptized in Nazeing d. 5 Sep 1689, Dorchester MA
1637: George, a very pregnant Deborah and Lydia arrived in Roxbury, Massachusetts as Pilgrims (Puritans) following after their apostle and friend John Eliot, who had come over in 1631.
1637: Joseph born either on the ship on the way over or soon after. d. 27 Oct 1713
1 Feb 1639: Nathaniel born in Roxbury. d. 1712
22 May 1639: George made a Freeman.
1640: An accounting of George's possessions include a dwelling-house, barn, 252 acres of land in eight parcels with the assessed value of 10 pounds---10th in the town.
31 Jan 1641: Deborah born d. 3 March 1641
October 1642: An infant born and died on 28 Oct 1642
1643: John born d. 17 May 1676 (our ancestor)
7 Jan 1644: Sarah born
9 Nov 1645: Deborah born in Roxbury, d. 29 Sept 1646
1646: George disposed his will to Apostle Eliot (who wrote it down): "My loving wife sole executresse. I give unto her my whole estate, to be improved for the education my children, but none of my lands to be sould unlesse in case of necessity & by the advice of my overseers. After my wives decease, my houses & lands shall be equally divided amongst all my children; yet if it shall please the Lord to convert my sonne Joseph in the meane time, so as that he is in charity accepted among the saints, my will is that he shall have two parts & the rest but each of them one. And my request is to my Dearly beloved brethren Elder Heath, brother Eliot & Brother Parks our Deakens & my brother Ruggles and Brother Riggs to be my overseers to counsell & guide my wife in all her affaires. I give full power to them to make the fore named division of my lands in the most equal & peacable manner they can & if any of my children will not rest in what they doe, my will is that child shall lose his part & it shall be given to such as my overseers see most fitt, & I intreate my deare wife to doe nothing of moment without the advice of these my overseers. Also my will is that there shall not be strip & wast made of timeber and fire wood from my ground, only so much as may be for the necessary use of my family. Witnesse John Eliot, John Scarebrow. Mark of George Holmes"
2 Dec 1645: George died. He is noted in church records by Apostle Eliot: "Month 12 day 2, 1645 George Holmes a godly brother dyed of a feaver." He is buried in the Eliot Burying Ground.
6 Nov 1662: Deborah is buried. It is believed she is also in the Eliot Burying Ground, but there aren't any records stating so.
Very little is known about the day-to-day of John. It is known he moved to Dorchester, but when is unknown. His wife's name was Sarah, but it isn't known what her last name is, or when and where they were married. Best guess is about 1660 in Dorchester.
abt 1663: John born in Dorchester d. abt 1730 (our ancestor)
16 Sep 1665: Sarah born
3 Sept 1667: wife Sarah admitted as a member of the Church of Dorchester
5 Sept 1667: children John and Sarah baptized (noted as a "Thanksgiving Day" in the church records)
24 Jan 1668: Mary born
26 Nov 1669: George born. d. 1690 in an expedition against the French Canadians, lost at sea.
14 July 1674: John is chosen to see that a team is assembled and paid for the walling in of a burial ground. The wall stands to this day about Dorchester North Burying Ground, the second oldest cemetery in the nation.
21 April 1675: Samuel born d. 16 Apr 1725
17 May 1676: John dies and is likely buried in the Dorchester North Burying Ground, though there is no marker in existence. The date which his estate was probated isn't known at this time, but administration of his estate was given to his wife and brother, Nathaniel Holmes by Suffolk County. His possessions valued in at 140 pounds.
John Jr. moved around a bit in his youth with friends and brother Samuel working as a carpenter.
15 Dec 1677: John is taxed in Dedham (now Readville)
13 January 1689: John is granted a parcel of land in Stow on both sides of Heather Meadow Brook, where he settles for awhile.
1690: Marries Elizabeth Gates (b. 1671 in Marlborough to Thomas Gates and Elizabeth Freeman)
1692: Elizabeth born in Stow. d. 27 May 1760 in Colchester, CT
1694: George born in Stow. d. Feb 1759
1696: Dorothy born in Stow
25 Mar 1697: John sells his grant of land to John Stevens for 15 pounds, as noted in a seller's contract of this date.
1698: Mary born in Stow
1700: John born in Stow (our ancestor)
1702: Sarah born in Stow d. 1745
1 June 1704: Ann born in Stow d. 13 May 1739 Colchester, CT
22 Dec 1718: John, Elizabeth and the children who wished to moved to Colchester, Connecticut, where Elizabeth's family were founders. He served in many offices (to be noted at a later time)
14 Dec 1726: Elizabeth dies in Colchester
3 Dec 1729: John marries Ann Rockwell (b. 18 Jan 1704 Windsor to John Rockwell and Anne Skinner)
It is unknown at this time when John or Ann died, other than it was likely in Colchester between 1730 and 1748.
John Holmes III is titled as Captain on many trees, though I haven't found a Revolutionary War record connected to him, and he would have been in his seventies during the war, so perhaps it's an honorary title or from the French and Indian Wars. The first record of him is a marriage notation:
1723: Married Mary Harris (b. 1 Nov 1702 to Lieut. James Harris and Sarah Rogers in Montville, CT) in Colchester, CT
1 Jun 1724: Ann born in Colchester. d. before 1791
14 Aug 1726: Dorothy born in Colchester
1729: John born in Colchester (our ancestor)
1 Jan 1732: James born in Colchster d. 1811
13 March 1761: Mary dies in Salisbury, CT
28 Aug 1785: Marries Mary (unknown last name) in Salisbury
19 Sep 1785: John III dies in Salisbury.
Captain John Holmes, IV, has military records to prove his lengthy service. Little is known of his childhood, but at least there are some records on his whereabouts later in life.
21 Jan 1750: Married Rachel Fellows (b. 31 Jan 1732 in Plainfield, CT to John Fellows and Jerusha Douglas) in Salisbury.
14 Aug 1751: Elizabeth born in Sheffield (our ancestor)
22 March 1754: Asa born in Salisbury d. Milo, NY
7 May 1758: John begins a 30 week service in the Colonial War. He was a Captain of a company of minute men in the regiment of Col. John Fellows (his father-in-law) "Company serving westward" according to the Massachusetts archives.
31 Dec 1758: Rachel born in Sheffield
31 Dec 1760: John born in Sheffield d. 12 May 1849, NY
1762: Bought land from the Natives on "Tannconnoch Mountain".
2 July 1763: Lucy born in Sheffield
27 May 1768: Roswell born in Sheffield
19 April 1775: Marched to the Alarm and was one month four days from home.
7 April 1777: Sold some land in Sheffield to Daniel Hall of Salisbury, CT
1777: Served 45 days as a Private in Col. John Brown's regiment at Mt. Independence.
June-July 1778: Served 41 days with Gen. John Fellows on a detachment to Albany.
7 April 1779: Sold 50 acres of land in Egremont to Nathan Benjamin.
After 1783: John dies in Egremont, Berkshire Co, MA.