Thomas Holmes (1710/11-1796)

Oh Wow! Studying Thomas for this birthday post has certainly unlocked another exciting branch on the tree. It seems that his mother, Fear, was a descendant of Mayflower passengers, John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley. Yes, if you are descended from Thomas, you are a descendant of  folks who came over on the Mayflower, in 1620. It was hard to concentrate on writing about Thomas with this exciting news, but it is his birthday, so he deserves some attention…

But then, while giving Thomas some attention, I found out more about his son Thomas, who was our direct ancestor. When I wrote about Thomas Jr. in April 2016, I was stuck and couldn’t figure out what happened to him. Well, now I know. That was exciting too, and we’ll get to that later, but really, it is Thomas Sr.’s birthday, so we should talk about him…

Thomas Holmes was born on 01 Jan 1710/11 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut,¹ as the sixth child of Joshua Holmes and Fear Sturgis. He had eight siblings, namely: Joshua, John, Abigail, Temperance, Thankful, Mary, Bethia, and Marvin. Stonington was well established by the time Thomas was born and his family had lived there for generations. So, the family was rooted in the community.

When he was 29, he married Margaret Frink, daughter of Samuel Frink and Margaret Wheeler, on 12 Nov 1740 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut.

Thomas Holmes and Margaret Frink had the following children:

1. Margaret Holmes was born on 14 Apr 1742 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut. She married Christopher Brown on 20 Oct 1820 in Connecticut. She died 4 Nov 1799 in Connecticut.
2. Thomas Holmes was born on 28 Apr 1744 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut. He married Mary Frink on 15 Mar 1764 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut. She died. He married the widow Temperance Smith on 24 Nov 1767 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut. He was a Captain in the Revolutionary War. He died in the fall of 1776 and was buried on Christmas Day of that year.
3. Jedediah² Holmes was born on 04 Oct 1745 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut. He married Mrs. Elizabeth Sanford Frink on 10 Dec 1772 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut. She died. He then married Mary Denison in Jan 1778. He died 8 Mar 1790.
4. Bethiah Holmes was born on 17 Nov 1747 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut. She married Nathan Billings. She died between 25 Mar 1791–29 Apr 1797.
5. Samuel Holmes was born on 19 Dec 1749 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut. He died before 25 Mar 1791.
6. Joshua Holmes was born on 05 Apr 1752 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut. He served as a surgeon’s mate in the Revolutionary War. Doctor Joshua Holmes married Lucretia Lamphere on 16 Sep 1790. He died 8 Jun 1827 at New Berlin, Chenango, New York.
7. Nathan Holmes was born on 20 Apr 1754 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut. Since he was not named in his father’s will, he probably died before 25 Mar 1791.
8. Molly (or Mary) Holmes was born on 17 Jun 1756 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut.
9. Lucy Holmes was born on 04 Apr 1760 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut. Since she was not named in her father’s will, she probably died before 25 Mar 1791.
10. Abigail Holmes was born on 19 Apr 1763 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut. Since she was not named in her father’s will, she probably died before 25 Mar 1791.
11. Eunice Holmes was born around 1765. She married Jonas Hewitt, Jr. on 14 Nov 1790 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut. She died 04 Jun 1847 in Windham, Windham, Connecticut and is buried there in the Windham Center Cemetery.³
12. Marvin Holmes was born on 06 Mar 1765 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut. She, yes this “Marvin” was a girl, was probably named after her father’s sister.

From nearly the first moment that colonists stepped foot in America, there were wars to fight. Thomas Holmes did his part to defend his community. In The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, there are two references to his military service.

Thomas’ first appointment came during King George’s War. This war, that happened between 1744 and 1748, was the third of the four French and Indian Wars. The British and French were fighting for territory and control of North America. Native Americans helped the French. This was really just a result of larger conflict in Europe. When Charles VI, the Holy Roman Emperor died, there was fighting pitting France, Prussia, and Spain against Britain in a fight over who would be the successor. That fight spilled over to the colonies. Eventually, King George’s War ended without really being settled.

May 1746: This Assembly do establish and confirm Mr. Thomas Holmes to be Lieutenant of the sixth company or trainband in Stoningtown, and order that he be commisssioned accordingly.

May, 1755: This Assembly do establish and confirm Mr. Thomas Holmes to be Captain of the 6th company or trainband in the 8th regiment in this Colony, and order that he be commissioned accordingly.

This second appointment earned Thomas the right to be called by the title of Captain throughout the remainder of his life. This happened during what later became formally known as the 1754 to 1763 French and Indian War.

Thomas and Margaret also lived through the Revolutionary War and had to see their sons fight and one lose his life.

At the time we celebrated his birthday, we did not know when son, Thomas Holmes, Jr. died. But, his brother Joshua’s Revolutionary War Pension File answers that question. A man named Moses Thomson testified in the application saying:

“…during the Revolutionary War I resided in that part of Stonington now North Stonington and at that time and afterwards, knew and was well acquainted with Doct Joshua Holmes of the same town and near neighbor to me. He was a brother of Capt. Thomas Holmes of the same town who died in 1776 in the fall of that year. Capt. Holmes came home from the army sick, and soon died and was buried on Christmas day as I well recollect…

The pension file has other information. For example, Jonas Hewitt, husband of Eunice, wrote on behalf of his brother-in-law, Joshua. He included a sentence that may indicate that there was drama in the lives of people even back in the 1700s.

… Doct. Joshua Holmes was reported to have been married about one year after I was. He married a girl by the name of Lucretia Lamphier. I recollect that the Doctor’s friends were much opposed to him marrying the girl he did and none of them went to his wedding as I recollect…

Thomas became a widower, on 05 Aug 1793, when Margaret, his wife of almost 53 years, died at the age of 70. Captain Thomas Holmes died on 09 Apr 1796 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut. He was 85-years old at the time of his death.

Thomas left a will. That document and other papers in his probate file, help us unravel the family further. For example, it confirms that his son Thomas, our direct ancestor, had a fourth son. Previously, we only knew of three. It also names a grandson who is called, “…Saml. Hawton Alias Holmes who is supposed to be sone to my sone Samuel Holmes deceased though not known at the time of his death…” This statement confirms that his son Samuel was already deceased, but perhaps adds some family mystery. It sounds like someone is claiming that Samuel fathered a child that he didn’t know about. Hmmm? The following table helps sort out this family unit.

Child	Comments
Margaret	Margaret Brown named in the will.
Thomas	Deceased. His sons, Thomas, Shubael, Nathan, and Gorum Holmes were named in the will.
Jedediah	Named in the will.
Bethiah	Bethiah Billings named in the will. Deceased before 29 Apr 1797 when her share was distributed.
Samuel	Deceased. His “supposed son” Samuel Hawton named in the will.
Joshua	Named in the will.
Nathan	Not named in will, presumed deceased by time the will was written.
Molly Mary	Mary Holmes named in the will
Lucy	Not named in will, presumed deceased by time the will was written.
Abigail	Not named in will, presumed deceased by time the will was written.
Eunice	Eunice Huit (“Hewitt”) named in the will.
Marvin	Marvin Holmes named in the will.

In The Name of God Amen This 25th Day of March in the year of Our Lord One Thousand and seven hundred & ninety one; I Thomas Holmes of Stonington in the County of New London & State of Connecticut yeoman Being advanced to old age; & in a Reasonable Good state of health; & of a sound composed mind & memory Thanks be given to almighty God for the same — & calling to mind the mortality of my body: & Being sensible that all Flesh must yield unto death when it shall please God to call, do make & ordain this to be my last Will & Testament. That is to say, First & principally of all I Recommend my soul into the hand of God that gave it. & my body to the Earth to be buried in decent Christian burial at the discretion of my Executors hereafter named ——————–
And as Touching such worldly Estate it hath Pleased God to bless me with in this life I Give Order & dispose of the same in manner & Form Following —
That is to say After my Just debts & Funeral charges are paid by my Executors hereafter named out of my Personal Estate in a Reasonable time after my decease. —————————-
Imprimus: I Give & bequeath unto my beloved wife Margarete Holmes the one third part of the improvement of all my lands during her natural life: with one third of the cellar & East great room & bedroom in my now dwelling house. & two good featherbeds, bedsteads & furniture, all which I give to her my said wife Margarete in lieu of her Right of dower & power of thirds —
Item I Give & Bequeath unto my beloved sone Jedediah Holmes the west part of my homestead farm situate in said Stonington, containing by estimations two hundred acres more or less, & is bounded as followeth – (viz Easterly on a highway southerly on Nehemiah Brown’s land westerly on Amos Chapmans land partly & partly on Amos Crandall’s land & a brook & from said brook an East line to said rode so as to leave seventy acres of my lands on the north of said line west of said rode: all which lands aforesaid, I give to him my said sone Jedediah Holmes, his heirs and assigns forever, his & their quitting all their right in the house he helpt build on my lands & the right in the lands which came by his wife deceased to me or my order.

Item I Give & Bequeath unto my Beloved sone Joshua Holmes, the center part of my homestead farm situate in said Stoningtown, containing by estimation two hundred acres more or less & is bounded as followeth (viz) southerly on & by the highway that leads from Daniel Brown’s through my lands : turning westerly; & westerly on & buy a highway that runs northerly from my house so far that an East line from said highway through my lands will leave twenty acres of my lands on the north side of said line: & northerly on said east line extending east till it comes to James Thompson’s lands or others which that course may hit. & from thence bounding northeasterly on either said Thompson’s land or Samuel Nun’s lands or others extending southerly till it comes to a rock with stones on it by a blackoak tree from thence southerly bounding easterly on the testators land till it comes to a heap of stones by a highway which __ lays by the first mentioned highway with a highway running through the same & a dwelling house & barn there on standing. All which land & buildings I give to him my said sone Joshua Holmes his lawful heirs & assigns forever. —
Item I Give & Bequeath unto my Grandsone Thomas Holmes the north end of my homestead farm situate in Stoningtown containing exact forty acres & is bounded as followeth (viz) Southerly on lands heretofore in this my will given away to my two sons (viz) Jedediah Holmes & Joshua Holmes; westerly on a brook or Sanford Taylor’s land: northerly on a way partly and James Thompson’s land: & Easterly on said Thompson’s lands mainly: with a highway running through the same — all of which lands I give to him my said Grandsone Thomas Holmes, his heirs & assigns forever; his quitting his right of lands which was owned by his father, my sone Thomas Holmes in his lifetime which hence I sold to Hosea Wheeler agreeable to a bond I signed to said Wheeler for that purpose —-

Item I Give & Bequeath unto my Beloved Grandsone Shubael Holmes, the Southeast part of my homestead farm situate in Stoningtown containing by Estimation fifty acres or more less & is bounded as followeth (viz) Southerly on Nehemiah Brown’s land westerly & northerly on highways: it being in an angular form — all which lands I give to him my said Grandsone Shubael Holmes his heirs & assigns forever his quitting his Right of lands which was owned by his Father my sone Thos. Holmes in his lifetime which since I sold to Hosea Wheeler agreeable to a bond I signed to said Wheeler for that purpose.
Item I Give & bequeath unto my two beloved Grandsones (viz) Nathan Holmes & Gorum Holmes the East part of my homestead farm situate in Stoningtown & containing by Estimation one hundred acres more or less & is bounded as Followeth (viz) Westerly on lands heretofore in this my will given to my sone Joshua Holmes northerly on Lands in possession of Daniel Brown. Easterly on a river or lands in possession of sd. Brown & Southerly on lands in possession of said Brown & Southwesterly on Nehemiah Brown’s land, all which lands I give to them my said two grandsons Nathan Holmes & Gorum Holmes in Equal division both in quantity & quality to them their heirs & assigns forever: Their quitting their Right of lands which was owned by their Father my sone Thos. Holmes in his lifetime which hence I sold to Hosea Wheeler agreeable to a bond I signed to said Wheeler for that purpose.
Item I Give & bequeath unto my three Beloved Daughters (Namely) Mary Holmes, Marvin Holmes, & Eunice Huit, my Ashowog Farm situated in Stoningtown and contains by estimation one hundred acres more or less & is bounded as followeth (viz) southerly on Thos. Langworthy’s land & Thos. Clarke’s land: Westerly on said Clarke’s land partly & partly on lands in possession of Daniel Brown, southerly on lands in possession of said Brown partly & partly on Saml Burdick’s land & Easterly on said Burdick’s land & Main’s land & Daniel Burdick’s land: with a dwelling house thereon __ & a highway running through the same. All which lands & buildings I Give to these my said three daughers (viz) Mary Holmes, Marvin Holmes & Eunice Huit in Equal division both in quantity & quality to them their heirs & assigns forever.

And Whereas There is a Mortgate on the lands in This my Will I Gave to my Two Grandsones (viz) Nathan Holmes & Gorum Holmes: my Will & Pleasure is that my Executors pay & cause the same to be discharged out of my personal estate in a convenient time after my decease.
Item I Give & bequeath unto my two beloved daughters (Namely) Margaret Brown & Bethiah Billings Twenty shillings ____ money Each to be paid to them by my Executors hereafter named out of my personal estate in one year after my decease: & the reason I give them no more is they have heretofore had a proportionable part of my estate.
Further my Will & Pleasure is that all the remaining part of my Estate of every kind or nature whatever that is not heretofore in this my Will Given away that after my Just debts & Funeral charges & legacies are first paid out, Be delivered to Saml. Hawton Alias Holmes who is supposed to be sone to my sone Samuel Holmes deceased though not known at the time of his death to & for his own use & disposal forever when he shall arrive to twenty one years of ages by my Executors hereafter named.
And Lastly I Herby Make Ordain constitute & appoint my Trusty & well beloved sones (viz) Jedediah Holmes and Joshua Holmes, Executors & my Beloved Wife Margarete Holmes & my three daughters (viz) Mary Holmes, Marvin Holmes & Eunice Huitt, Executrixes To this my Last Will & Testament ratifying & confirming this & this only to be my last Will & Testament & Them to be my Executors —
In Witness whereof I have here unto let my land & affixed my seal at Stoningtown aforesaid the day month & year first written. Signed, Sealed, Published, Pronounced & Declared by Thomas Holmes the Testator to be his last Will & Testament.

Where is he in the tree?

Notes and Selected Sources:

¹ Some sources say 19 Jan 1710/11, but that may have been a baptism date.

² Some sources list him as Jeremiah Holmes rather than Jedediah Holmes.

³ Eunice was not included in the list of children for Thomas and Margaret published by Wheeler in the History of Stonington book. But, she is clearly listed in her father’s will and her husband was an active participant in the probate activities associated with settling Thomas Holmes’ estate as well as in the Revolutionary War Pension application of his brother-in-law, Dr. Joshua Holmes.

Ancestry.com, Connecticut Town Birth Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection) (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006), www.ancestry.com, Record for Thomas Holmes.

Ancestry.com, Connecticut, Church Record Abstracts, 1630-1920 (Online publication – Provo, UT, USA: 2013.Original data – Connecticut. Church Records Index. Connecticut State Library, Hartford, Connecticut..Original data: Connecticut. Church Records Index. Connecticut State Library, Hartford, Connecticut.), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Record for Thomas Holmes.

Ancestry.com, Connecticut, Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015), ancestry.com, Probate Files Collection, Early to 1880; Author: Connecticut State Library (Hartford, Connecticut); Probate Place: Hartford, Connecticut. Record for Thomas Holmes.

Ancestry.com, Mayflower Births and Deaths, Vol. 1 and 2 (Online publication – Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. This collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Project contributors.Original data – Roser, Susan E. Mayflower Births and Deaths: From the Files of George Ernest Bowman at the), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Record for Fear Sturgis.

Genealogical and Biographical Record of New London County Connecticut, (1905), pp. 357-61, 795-6; online images, Google Books (https://books.google.com/books?id=wPsnAQAAMAAJ).

Guertin, Iris, Rose, comp, Connecticut Soldiers, French and Indian War, 1755-62 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000), ancestry.com.

History of the Town of Stonington, County of New London, Connecticut: From Its First Settlement in 1649 to 1900, Richard Anson Wheeler (1900), pp. 261-2, 314, 344, 351, 382-3, 435-41, 510-6, 546-7, 610-1, 639; digital images, Google Books (https://books.google.com/books?id=tvILAAAAYAAJ).

Revolutionary War Pensions at Fold3, www.fold3.com, Joshua Holmes, https://www.fold3.com/image/1/23284015, accessed 18 Dec 2017. http://www.fold3.com/image/15355804?xid=1945.

The public records of the Colony of Connecticut, from May, 1744, to November, 1750, Inclusive, James Hammond, Hoadly, Charles Jeremy (1850), p. 196,  Archive.org  (https://archive.org/details/publicrecordsofc009conn : accessed 19 Dec 2017).

The public records of the Colony of Connecticut, from May, 1751, to February, 1757, Inclusive, Charles J. Hoadly (1877), p. 363, Archive.org (https://archive.org/details/publicrecordsofc010conn : accessed 19 Dec 2017).