John Holmes , Messenger

In Plymouth on 16 Oct 1632 when "Mr. John Holmes" purchased a house and six acres of land adjoining Reed Pond from William Palmer for 35 pounds sterling to be paid within one year. [Nat.Gen.Soc.Quar.Vol. 74 (1986), p. 83, and Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England, ed. Nathaniel Shurtleff and Davlid Pulsifer, 12 Vols. (Boston, 1855-6, reprinted NY 1968), Deeds, p. 12:18.] In [Shurtleff 12:19], the following excerpt is recorded: "Wheras William Spooner of Colchester in the County of Essex by his Indenture beareinge date the twenty seaventy day of March Anno Dni 1637 in the thirteenth year of his Maties Raigne [] hat put himself apprentice wth John Holmes of New Plymouth in America gent from the first day of May next after the date of the said Indenture unto the end [] terme of six yeares thence..." It is known that he was not in Plymouth in 1627 [Genealogical Journal 13 (1984-5): 135-199], and also from the list of division of cattle on 22 May 1627 in [Shurtleff 12:9-13], where his name does not appear. His precise immigration is not known. He was probably not a separatist Pilgrim. His parentage is not proven. MacKenzie identifies him as the son of Thomas Holmes of Colchester, co. Essex, England who died in 1637, but without supporting documentation. Stratton [NGSQ 74:83] says this would probably be Thomas Holmes, maltster, of Colchester, who dated his will 7 Nov 1637 and named his daughter Susan Morton; his grandson Thomas Holmes, the son of his son John; and his daughter Frances. [Will recorded in the Archdeaconry of Colchester, 225CW12, 1637]. On March 27, 1637, William Spooner of Colchester, co. Essex, England indentured himself as an apprentice to John Holmes, gentleman, of New Plymouth, for a term of six years. [Plymouth Colony Records, Deeds, 1:19] Thus, he does appear to have connections to Colchester, making this a highly likely but still inadequately proven theory of his parentage. Various records indicate that Mr. Holmes was considerably above average status in comparison to the population of Plymouth. In the 25 March 1633 tax ratings, he ranked 23 out of 67 households [NGSQ 74:84, PCR 1:10]. But he does not carry a title of high respect as others of the colony did, which could have been due to his mis-behavior, since he appears before the court on various charges, especially drunkenness [NGSQ 74:84]. On 4 Dec 1638, he was sworn as Messenger for the whole Government, or Messenger of the Court, a position he took over from Joshua Pratt [PCR 1:54, 105; NGSQ 74:83-110, esp. 84]. William Bradford's memoirs describe how a young man, Thomas Granger, a servant of Love Brewster in Duxbury with wife and children, was executed for the crime of bestiality around 8 Sept 1641. John Holmes as Messager served as his executioner. The last record that has been proven to be in reference to him was on 7 Oct 1651. He did not appear on the list of freemen believed to have been made circa 1658. There are some appearances of John Holmes after that date, but these are probably refering to his son. There is also a John Holmes of Duxbury which was a different person altogether. There is a record of a Plymouth town meeting of 15 March 1702/3, in which was stated: "The Reed Pond granted to John Holmes of Plimouth deceased on the 13 of October 1667 was bounded," etc. [Charles Henry Pope, "The Pioneers of Massachusetts", Boston 1900, p. 237; Plymouth Town Recs., 1:310]. [NGSQ 74:86] points out that this quotation is ambiguous in that the date could be refering to the date of decease, or to the date of the grant, and that based on the minutes of another town meeting on 13 Oct 1667 we can learn that truth of fact, it was indeed refering to the granting: "a privilidge of grasse or sedge is graunted unto John Holmes at the Reed pond in case hee can make medow of the whole pond or any pte therof it is to be his owne" [Plymouth Town Records 1:91]. This would show the referent in those town minutes to be his son John who died in 1697. There is no direct reference in the records of his wife. It is unknown if he married in Plymouth, or immigrated with a wife already. [NGSQ 74:86] suggests that the record of a "Mrs. Sarah Holmes died at Plymouth 18 August 1650" [Mayf.Des. 16:235] was probably his wife. [Davis, "Ancient Landmarks of Plymouth", 2:14] lists his children as John, Josiah, Nathaniel, and Sarah, but NGSQ 74:86,104 claims that Davis' claim of a son Josiah was almost certainly incorrect and a confusion with Josiah son of William Holmes of Scituate and Marshfield, and furthermore knows of no records of Sarah, although this possibility of a daughter named Sarah remains highly plausible. [MacKenzie, "Colonial Families of the US", p.6], lists children Nathaniel, Thomas, and John. NGSQ says we can only credit John with children Nathaniel and John, but of course if John is the son of Thomas of Colchester, then we also have proof of a son Thomas. Proof of son John is solid [NGSQ 74:86-7]. Proof of Nathaniel is less conclusive based primarily on him being at the right place at the right time. A daughter Sarah is highly plausible The source for most of the above information, which also contains additional records of his during his lifetime in Plymouth, is: 1. "Descendants of Mr. John Holmes, Messenger of the Plymouth Court", by Eugene A. Stratton, C.G., F.A.S.G., in The National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 74, June 1986, No. 2, pgs. 83-110].