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Jim & Selma Burrows
John Holmes, Messenger immigrated in 1623 to Plymouth, New Plymouth Colony. He died after 7 October 1651.
John Holmes married Sarah Thomas in 1635 in Plymouth, New Plymouth Colony.
Sarah Thomas died on Sunday, 18 August 1650 o.s..
Their children were:
John Holmes supposedly came to Plymouth on the "Ann" in 1623 as a political
prisoner. He may have been of the 14th generation of Holmeses in Yorkshire,
England.
John m. 1632 Mercy Faunce, according to "The Holmes Family Tree", by C.C.
Holmes via "Falmouth, a New England Township in Nova Scotia" by John V.
Duncanson. This appears to be wrong. The data used here is from the IGI.
From Julie Bryn:
I have some information about an ancestor of mine who lived in Plymouth
-- his name was John Holmes. We have evidence of his being taxed
in the years 1633/34, of being made a voter in 1634, and was often
a messenger to the General Court. He married Sarah Thomas, but we
don't know when; they had a son, John, born in 1636. The younger
John later married Patience Faunce, whose father (also John) came
to Plymouth in 1623, probably aboard the "Anne."
According to NGSQ June and September, 1986, via Don Weymouth:
HOLMES, John - John Holmes arrived at Plymouth before 16 October 1632,
when he bought a house and six acres of land from William Palmer (PCR
12:18). In 1638 he was appointed Messenger of the Court, and his duties
included being summons server, jailer, and executioner. His wife was
probably Sarah Holmes, and he had two sons, John Holmes, who married
(1)Patience Faunce, daughter of John and Patience (Morton) Faunce and
(2)Patience Bonham, daughter of George and Sarah (Morton) Bonham; and
Nathaniel Holmes, who married Mercy Faunce, sister of Patience Faunce.
Both sons had large families, and thus there are many descendants. The
first four generations of this family are given by Eugene A. Stratton,
"The Descendants of Mr. John Holmes, Messenger of the Plymouth Court,"
in the June and September 1986 issues of NGSQ.
From Julie Bryn:
A couple of questions, based on comparing my info and yours: I
have the younger John Holmes (b. 1636 d. 1697) marrying Patience
Faunce; you have Patience (Bonham) Willis. I wonder which one is
right. I also have John's brother Nathaniel (1643-7/25/1729) married
to Patience's sister, Mercy (b. 1651); the date I have for their
marriage is 12/29/1667; it is to this couple that I am descended.
I would certainly like to know more about John & Patience (dates,
children, etc.), if & when you have the time. What was your wife's
maiden name? -- this must make us cousins, several times removed!
Also, do you have any info on a William Holmes, who apparently was
aboard the "Hercules" in 1634. I have no idea if he fits into this
Holmes family and, if so, how.
Also from Don Weymouth:
Several references to John Holmes in "Plymouth Colony - Its History &
People" by Eugene Aubrey Stratton, published 1986 by Ancestry
Publishing, P.O. Box 476, Salt Lake City, UT 84110
p. 181 William Spooner of Colchester, co. Essex, by contract of 27 March
1637, apprenticed himself to John Holmes, gentleman, of Plymouth for six
years, and later in 1637 Holmes, with the consent and liking of Spooner,
assigned Spooner's contract to John Coombs of Plymouth....There are
hints that Holmes might have come from Colchester, too...
p. 184 On 8 February 1638/9 the court noted that (Stephen) Hopkins had
concluded an agreement with Mr. John Holmes for 3 pounds and other
considerations to discharge Hopkins and the colony of responsibility for
the support of Dorothy Temple and her child, and the said Dorothy was to
serve the remainder of her time with Holmes. - (This refers to Dorothy
being unwed and pregnant having named the recently executed Arthur Peach
as the father - Dorothy had been a servant of Hopkins.)
Also see "The Descendants of Mr. John Holmes, Messenger of the Plymouth
Court", NGSQ (June and September, 1986.)
Note also that Thomas Graunger, servant to Love Brewster, was hanged
until dead by executioner Mr. John Holmes, the Messenger of the court. -
spelling also was Granger - he was indicted for buggery (hope that means
burglary) of a mare, cow, two goats, sheep, two calves, and a turkey.
Patience Bonham m1. Richard Willis. she m2. John Holmes, son of the
Messenger John Holmes - hey this is great, one of their daughters
married Robert Barrow, an ancestor of my wife, I've been looked for this
record. - Sorry for the editorial, I get carried away a lot. Record is
on p. 247 of the book refered to above.
John Holmes was on the 1643 Able to Bear Arms List for Plymouth
From Eugene A. Stratton, "The Descendants of Mr. John Holmes, Messenger of the
Plymouth Court", NGSQ (June and September, 1986.):
Mr. John Holmes died sometime after 7 Oct 1651
Mr. John Holmes complaint against Joseph Warren on 7 Oct 1651 is the last
record that can certainly be identified with John Holmes, the messanger.