When Joseph Holmes was born on 26 February 1737, in Stonington, New London, Connecticut, United States, his father, Orias Holmes, was 27 and his mother, Bethiah Holmes, was 21. He married Elizabeth Foster about 1776, in Virginia, United States. They were the parents of at least 3 sons. He died on 15 January 1784, in Campbell, Tennessee, United States, at the age of 46.
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Thomas Jefferson's American Declaration of Independence endorsed by Congress. Colonies declare independence.
The capture of Fort Griswold was the final act of treason that Benedict Arnold committed. This would be a British victory. On the American side 85 were killed, 35 wounded and paroled, 28 taken prisoner, 13 escaped, and 1 twelve year old was captured and released.
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.
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