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Fairfield County ScArchives Biographies.....Holmes, William ~1755 - 1799
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Paul Holmes http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00034.html#0008245 August 24, 2018, 4:08 pm

Source: References at end
Author: Paul W. Holmes

William Holmes  -  cousin of Finley Holmes

William Holmes, born in Ireland and a cousin of Finley Holmes (b. 1765, d. 
1815), came with Finley *1*  through the port of Charleston shortly after the 
colonies had independence from Britain (~1785).  William and Finley probably 
traveled together to the upstate districts of South Carolina, where William 
settled along the Little River in Fairfield County, Camden District about 20 
miles north of what would become Columbia, South Carolina. *2*   Records show 
that he purchased land there in 1795 on the Little River at Neckley's Creek 
(shown on Robert Mills' map of the Fairfield County, SC surveyed in 1820). *3*    
Most likely, William was older than Finley (10-15 years).  He married in 
Ireland, his wife and some of their children were born there. *4*  The family 
probably sailed over after William had established himself in the Fairfield 
District, South Carolina.

In 1793, William Holmes was listed as one of the charter members of Old Brick 
Church (first called Little River Church and later, Ebenezer Church). *2*  He 
and his wife, Mary,  had six children: Ann Holmes (b. ~1777, d. 1825), who 
married Adam Hawthorn (b. ~1778, d. 1827); Jane Holmes, Mary Holmes (b. 1782 in 
Ireland), who married Robert Martin (b. ~1770 in Fairfield County SC, d, 1860); 
Harry (or Henry) Holmes; William B. Holmes (~1785 in Fairfield County SC, d. 
after 1850); and Joseph Holmes (b.~1789 in Fairfield County SC), who married to 
Mary Ann Pearson Holmes - her father was Philip Peter Pearson, RS-SC (b. 1746, 
d. 1835) and her mother was Mary Butler Pearson (b. 1765, d. 1854). *4*   Both 
sons of William, William B. Holmes and Joseph Holmes, were Reverends in the 
Methodist Episcopal Church and, according to one source, "They were the sons of 
a pious Associate Reformed elder." *2*   William Holmes died in 1799 in 
Fairfield County, SC.  His last will left all his property to his wife and 
children. *5*  An 1800 census of Fairfield County shows William's wife with two 
male children and one female child in the family. *4*   

William and Mary had at least four children that reached adulthood.  The first 
was Ann Holmes Hawthorn, born ~1777.  She married Adam Hawthorn (b. ~1778, d. 
1827) and had six children.  Ann died in  1825 and is buried in Fairfield 
County, SC. Another daughter was Mary Holmes Martin, who married Robert Martin 
(b. ~1770,  d., 1860). *6*   Her daughters married two brothers of the 
Willingham family in Fairfield County.  

William B. Holmes, the first of the sons to become a reverend, married Sarah 
Eckles Cato and had eight children.  Jane W. Holmes, the first daughter, married 
Elnathan L. Davis (d. ~1838).  The second daughter, Sarah A. Holmes, married 
William Edward Collier (b. 1814 in GA, d. 1886 in Ft. Myers, FL).  They had five 
children and by 1861 they had moved to central Florida.  The first son was 
Joseph Calloway Holmes, born in 1821 in Fairfield County,  SC.  He married  
Sarah E. Rice (b. 1831 in GA, d. 1892 in GA), they had two children, and he died 
in 1894.  The next son was Francis A. Holmes, born in 1827 in Fairfield County, 
SC and died in 1869 in Richland County, SC.  They had several other daughters 
which probably died young, but the last daughter, Margaret Holmes, was born 
about 1831 and was shown on the 1850 census for Fairfield County, SC with her 
father, William B. Holmes.
	
Joseph Holmes was the second of the sons to become a reverend.  He was born 
about 1789 and married Mary Ann Pearson (her father, Philip Peter Pearson RS-
SC).  They had two children, Martha Butler Holmes (b. ~1820), Dr. William 
Fletcher Holmes (b. ~1827, d. 1890 in Barnwell County, SC).  
				
In the 1850 Fairfield County Census, the household of Rev. William B. Holmes is 
shown with a Robert R. Holmes, a 23 year old white male physician (shown as 
being born in Fairfield County, SC). *7*  In the 1840 census for William's 
family in Fairfield County there is one male age 10-14 (William's son, Francis 
A. Holmes, would have been 13 then), but not a slot for a Robert R. Holmes. *8*    
Likewise for the 1830 census in Fairfield County for William's family, there is 
only one male age under 5 (Francis would have been 3 years old). *9*   In the 
1860 census for William's family (now in Fulton County, GA) , Francis (son of 
William  B) is shown, but there is no entry for a Robert R. Holmes. *10*    
Thus, Robert R. Holmes only appears on census records with William B. Holmes in 
1850.  The Robert R. Holmes, I suspect, is Robert Raines Holmes MD, son of 
Finley Holmes (b. 1802, d. 1884) and grandson of Finley Holmes (b. 1765, d. 
1815).  In 1850 Robert was 23 years old and had completed studies at the 
University of Pennsylvania Medical School - he was born in Georgia (not 
Fairfield County, SC).  I suspect Robert was visiting his cousin, William B. 
Holmes, in South Carolina in August of 1850 when the census was taken. Later 
that year in October Robert was back home with his parents in DeSoto County, MS 
for the census there - thus, he was listed twice for the 1850 census.


 1  Beasley, I. (1973).  As I remember them —. (Memoirs of the Holmes family - 
printed for family distribution).		
	
 2  Chreitzberg, A. M. (1897).  Early Methodism in the Carolinas. Nashville: 
Publishing House of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.  pp. 210-211.
		
 3  Property Indenture. (1795/1835). Fairfield County, SC Deed ,1835, Book MM, 
Fairfield County, SC. p. 28.

 4  1800 US Government Census,  Fairfield County, SC - line 7 - "Mary Homes" 
(wife of William Holmes). 	

 5  Last Will and Testament of William Holmes,  Fairfield County, SC. (1798). p. 
51. Will Book #2. Recorded July 18, 1799, Apt. #4, File 117.

 6  Tardy, M. T. (Ed.). (1872). The Living Female Writers of the South. 
Philadelphia: Claxton, Remsen & Haffelfinger. pp. 202 - 203.

 7  1850 US Government Census, Fairfield County, SC - Fairfield County, SC - 
line 24 "William Holmes" (son of William Holmes).

 8  1840 US Government Census, Fairfield County, SC - Fairfield County, SC -  
Fairfield County SC - four lines from bottom "Homes [sic] Revd Wm" - shown next 
to Joseph Homes [sic], his brother.

 9  1830 US Government Census,  Fairfield County, SC -  Fairfield County, SC, 
five lines from bottom "William Holmes" - shown next to Joseph Holmes , his 
brother.

10  1860 US Government Census, Fulton County, GA - line 1 - "William Holmes" 
(son of William Holmes).

__________________________________________________________
	Text by Paul W. Holmes  •  holmesp at [i.e.,@] cofc.edu



Additional Comments:
 *Note: see bio for Finley Holmes (b. 1765 in Ireland, d. 1815 in SC) at  
http://files.usgwarchives.net/sc/fairfield/bios/holmes11nbs.txt and his son, 
Finley Holmes (b. 1802 in Columbia, SC; d. 1884 in DeSoto County,  MS). See the 
son's bio at  http://files.usgwarchives.net/ms/desoto/bios/holmes18gbs.txt .

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