When Oliver Wendell Holmes was born on 29 August 1809, in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, his father, Abiel Holmes, was 45 and his mother, Sarah Wendell, was 40. He married Amelia Lee Jackson on 15 June 1840, in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States. They were the parents of at least 2 sons and 1 daughter. He died on 7 October 1894, in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States, at the age of 85, and was buried in Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.
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War of 1812. U.S. declares war on Britain over British interference with American maritime shipping and westward expansion.
Illinois is the 21st state.
Convinced that a group of Native American tribes were hostile, The United States formed a frontier militia to stop them in their tracks. Even though Black Hawk was hoping to avoid bloodshed while trying to resettle on tribal land, U.S. officials opened fire on the Native Americans. Black Hawk then responded to this confrontation by successfully attacking the militia at the Battle of Stillman's Run and then left northward. After a few months the militia caught up with Black Hawk and his men and defeated them at the Battle of Wisconsin Heights. While being weakened by hunger, injuries and desertion, Black Hawk and the rest of the many native survivors retreated towards the Mississippi. Unfortunately, Black Hawk and other leaders were later captured when they surrendered to the US forces and were then imprisoned for a year.
English: either from the plural form of Holme , or else a variant of Holme or Home , with excrescent -s (see Holm ).
Scottish: probably a habitational name from Holmes near Dundonald (Ayrshire), or possibly from another place so called in the barony of Inchestuir (Angus). Both placenames likely derive from the plural form of Middle English, Older Scots holm ‘islet, raised land in a marsh’ (see Holm ).
Scottish and Irish: adopted for Scottish Gaelic and Irish Mac Thómais, Mac Thómais (see McComb ). In parts of western Ireland, Holmes is also a variant of Cavish, from Gaelic Mac Thámhais, another patronymic from Thomas . Early bearers in Ireland were probably immigrants from Scotland.
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
Possible Related NamesOliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (August 29, 1809 – October 7, 1894) was an American physician, poet, professor, lecturer, and author based in Boston. A member of the Fireside Poets, his peers acclaimed him …
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