John HOLMES

Notes:

Name:
"Connecticut Ancestry": Young John Holmes died 6 July 1703 when he was helping to raise a new bell for the Stamford meetinghouse into place. When the bell was almost into its final position, the rope that was holding it gave way and the bell crashed to the floor, killing him instantly. His only child Jonathan Holmes, born on 21 May 1703 only 6 weeks before his father's death, was renamed John in his honor.

John married Mercy BELL on 15 Jan 1701/02 in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA. Mercy (daughter of Jonathan BELL and Susanna PIERSON) was born on 05 Nov 1678 in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA; died in 1747 in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. John HOLMES was born on 21 May 1703 in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA; died between 1748 and 1785 in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Birth: 1640

Notes:

Name:
"Connecticut Ancestry": Stephen Holmes was born about 1633 and died at Stamford on 15 May 1710. His widow Martha ?, whose maiden name is still unknown, died at Stamford on 13 March 1727/28.

Stephen Holmes and his brother John were on the list of 21 Stamford residents nominated and approved as freemen of the State of Connecticut at the General Assembly of 14 October 1669 at Hartford.

As the single recipient of his father's farmland in Stamford, Stephen Holmes acquired additional property in newly-divided sections of Stamford over the years through those original property rights. Paul Prindle found that Stephen received specific properties from the town directly in 1667, 1674, 1685 and 1687, and commonage from the town in 6 other layouts; was the grantee of other properties in 4 other deeds from individuals; and was the grantor in 25 deeds and one exchange.

As often happened in colonial times and even today, stephen Holmes disposed of most of his property by deed to his children and their spouses over a period from 1702-1704. Some of these properties were in later settlements away from Stamford center - for example, his gift to his son Samuel in 1706 was of 10 1/2 acres east of the Noroton River, therefore in what is now the town of Darien.

He provided for a homestead for his eldest son Samuel Holmes during his lifetime, but for some reason never transferred the title to Samuel. His widow Martha Holmes who was also the executor of his estate, rectified this on 10 December 1711, when she gave "all that lot of land whereon ye said Samuel Holmes now dwelleth" to Samuel on behalf of herself and her husband's estate.

The sons-in-law Elisha Holly, John Slason and John Hait also received property from Stephen Holmes, either during his lifetime or from his estate. Because of our particular interest in John Slason and the daughter Mary Holmes, we may note that on 8 October 1703, Stephen Holmes gave his daughter "Mary the wife of John Slason one acre of meadow in part of her portion." the deed was witnessed by Steven Holmes Jr. and Sarah Holmes, her H mark, and acknowledged as a deed of gift by David Waterbury, J.P.

Stephen married Martha ? before 1665 in Stamford, Fairfield Co., Connecticut. Martha was born about 1645; died on 13 Mar 1727/8 in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]