John Holmes (bef. 1635 - abt. 1714)

Born before 1635 in Yorkshire, England

Husband of Rachel (Waterbury) Holmes — married 11 May 1659 in Stamford, Connecticut

Descendants

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Sandy Culver [send private message] and Lillian Pauley [send private message]

Biography

This person is an ancestor of President Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr.^[1]

John Holmes was born about 1635 in Yorkshire, England. He became a blacksmith like his father. In 1657, he moved to Stamford with his father, and siblings. He is mentioned in the Will of his father, Francis Holmes, written 1671 in Stamford.

He married Rachel Waterbury in Stamford, Connecticut on "3rd mo.11 1659".^[2] This is a Quaker date format which translates to 11 May 1659.

In 1668, John Holmes and Rachel, his wife, received of Joseph Garnie the portion (part of Lot 9 in Stamford, CT) due Rachel out of the estate of her father, John Waterbury.

John was a Selectman in Stamford 1671 for 2 years.

In 1671, John Holmes bought the Simpkin place (another part of Lot 9 in Stamford).^[3]

About 1681, John and his family moved the 13 miles from Stamford to Bedford New York. In 1703, John Holmes Sr. gave land in Bedford to his son, Jonathan. In 1706, John Holmes Sr. gave land in Bedford to his sons David and Joseph. He appears in the 1710 Census of Bedford, (John Holmes, aged 75 Years) as do his sons John, Jonathan, David and Joseph.

"John Holmes, Sr. (Francis) 30,31,32,33,34,35,36 was born Abt. 1635, and died Bef. 13 April 1715 in Bedford, Westchester Co, NY. He married Rachel Waterbury 37,38 11 May 1659 in Stamford, CT39, daughter of John Waterbury and Rose [Taylor?].^[4]

No record of the death or Probate of the Estate of John Holmes, Sr. has been discovered. He died sometime between the payment of his quit rent tax on 9 Jun 1713 & 13 Apr 1715. Another record states his marriage took place on 3 Dec 1659. This record embodies the information recorded in the Stamford Town Records.^[4]

Probate Records, 60, 69, 558 identify John Holmes as taking inventories of the Estates of Thomas Wildman, John Browne & William Clarke, Sr.

Research Notes

Are there 2 John Holmes Sr ?
The source ^[4] at ctgenweb states: When researching this family line, care must be exercised in distinguishing between this John Holmes, Sr. and John Holmes (1639-1729) of Beverly, Co York, England, who was one of the resident proprietors of Bedford, Westchester Co, NY in 1690. This appears to be based on the 1710 census for Bedford^[5] which shows:

• John Homes aged 32, his wife Patience aged 47
• John Holmes, Jun., Freeholder, aged 50 y.: Sarah, his wife, aged 36 y.; John, his son, aged 13 Y.; Rachell, his dau., aged 15 y.; Deborah, his dau., aged 5 Y.; Isaac Churchill (sojourner), aged I y.; Mary, a negro slave, aged 24 y.
• John Holms, Sen., aged 75 y.; Joseph, his son, Freeholder, aged 27 У.

This shows only ONE John Holmes Sr. But 2 other Johns who could be his sons. The conclusion should be besides John Holmes Sr and his family there is a John Homes (note different spelling) of unknown parents. Other Holmes households in the census suggest more children of John Sr.:

• David Holms, freeholder, aged 30 y.; Ruth, his wife, aged 34 Y.; David, his son, aged 5 y.; Rubin, his son, aged 4 m.; Jemimah, his dau., aged 3 m:
• Mary Holmes, Freeholder, aged 39 Y., widow of Richard; Richard, her son, aged 16 y.; Ebenezer, her son, aged 8 y.; Hannah, her dau., aged 14 Y.; Susannah, her dau., aged 12 y.; Marcy, her dau., aged 6 y.
• Jonathan Holms, Freeholder, aged 36 y.; Dorothy, his wife, aged 29 y.; Jonathan, his son, aged 7 y.; Solomon, his son, aged 4 Y.; Dorothy, his dau., aged 8 y.; Mary, his dau.. aged 5 y.; Rachell, his dau., aged 2 y.

Sources

1. ↑ Roberts, Gary Boyd; Ancestors of American Presidents Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009.
2. ↑ "Connecticut, Vital Records, Prior to 1850", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP39-581D : Fri Nov 10 00:54:13 UTC 2023), John Homes married Rachell Waterbury, 3 Nov 1659, Stamford, Connecticut Date in image "3rd mo.11 [16]59"
3. ↑ History of Stamford, Connecticut : from its settlement in 1641, to the present time, including Darien, which was one of its parishes until 1820 by Huntington, E.B. Publication date 1868. land purchase page 42; tradition of death, page 126
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Descendants of Francis Holmes (https://www.ctgenweb.org/county/cofairfield/pages/stamford/holmes_data.htm)
5. ↑ The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record] (NYGBS, 1907) Vol. 38, (https://archive.org/details/newyorkgenealogi1907gree/page/n467/mode/2up)

• History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield, Volume 1, edited by Donald Lines Jacobus page 661

• The following sources 30-39, are as listed in ^[4]
• 30. Stamford, CT - Town Records, 1:74; 81-82.
• 31. The Public Records of the Colony of CT 1665-1677, by J. Hammond Trumbull, :118.
• 32. Stamford, CT - Land Records, A:45; 203; 212; 220.
• 33. The History of the County of Westchester, by (Rev) Robert Bolton, 2:736, [Distinguishes the family of John Homes, Sr this writing and with John Holmes (1639-1729) of Bedford, NY-see NOTES this writing]. This 1848 book is at archives.org (https://archive.org/details/historyofcountyo02inbolt/page/520/mode/2up?q=Holmes)
• 34. General Reference - Families of Ancient New Haven, by Donald Lines Jacobus, F.A.S.G., :163.
• 35. Abstracts of Wills, by the NY Historical Society, VI:244-245.
• 36. General Reference - Fairfield Co, CT - Probate Records, :60; 69; 558, [Identifies John Holmes as taking Inventories of the Estates of Thomas Wildman, John Browne and William Clarke, Sr, respectively].
• 37. Stamford, CT - Town Records, 1:74.
• 38. Town of Bedford, Westchester Co, NY (1978), published by the Town of Bedford, IX:175.
• 39. Stamford, CT - Town Records, 1:74.

• "Connecticut, Vital Records, Prior to 1850," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP74-3PNR : 21 September 2019), John in entry for Rachel Homes, ; citing Birth, , Compiled by Lucius A. and Lucius B. Barbour, housed at State Library, Hartfor.
• Mindrum, Thomas L., Francis Holmes and his Son Stephen Holmes, Both of Stamford, Connecticut Ancestry (Connecticut Ancestry Society, Inc., Stamford, Conn., Nov 2001) Vol. 64, No. 2, Page 61.