JAMES HOLMES

 

DESCENDANTS   OF   JAMES     HOLMES Photos

               Archibald Jackson Holmes              Cora Goodson Holmes               Thomas Wylie Holmes

 Archie Holmes           Mrs. A.J. Holmes Confederate Pension         Rites of Matrimony

 

DESCENDANTS   OF   JAMES     HOLMES

by Nancy Foster

James Holmes was born in North Carolina about 1795. ^l It is probable that he married and had two sons before 1825.² His second wife was Dorcas Gibson whom he married on 27 December 1827 in Monroe County, Georgia.³ They had one son, Gibson, before she died. James then married Flora Clark on 13 May 1829 in Upson County, Georgia.⁴ Although James drew land in the GA Lotteries of 1827 and 1835, he remained in District 561 in Upson County.⁵ He and Flora had seven children before moving to Texas about 1848 when they purchased land to farm in Cherokee County on Box Creek.⁶ Both Flora and her step-son Gibson died in Cherokee County, TX in October 1849 of "fevers".⁷ James then married Elizabeth Smith in Cherokee County, TX on 6 January 1853.⁸ They had three children who attended William Meazle's private school in 1865 in the Sardis Community.⁹ The Holmes family belonged to the Sardis Baptist Church which was located about eight miles SW of Rusk off 1857 at FM 2218. This church had very strict rules and its members both reprimanded and helped each other. Many church members died in the measles epidemic in 1857.¹⁰ James died about 1867 and Elizabeth died on 15 February 1873.¹¹

James had the following children:¹² l.?Son¹³

2. Richard Holmes - He was born about 1824 in Georgia, married Unisa Box in 1851 in Cherokee County, TX, served in the CSA in Company C of the 18^th TX Infantry, and died in 1868. Their children were Mary Jane (m. Oliver H. Jones in 1873), Letty M., Martha A. (m. H. D. Miles in 1882), Cynthia Elizabeth (m. S. B. Jones in 1882), C. Parlie (m. J. T. Wallace in 1886), Amanda E. (m. Edwin Owen Landrum in 1886).

3.     Gibson Holmes - He was born about 1828 in Georgia and died in October 1849.

4.     Missouri Holmes - She was born about 1830 in Georgia, married William C. Martin on 4 December 1848 in Cherokee County TX, and died along with her two younger children in 1857 in Cherokee County, TX. Their surviving child was Flora Jane (m. J. T. Lisemby in 1870). Missouri's widower then married her sister Sarah.

5. James A. Holmes - He was born about 1832 in Georgia, married Emily Jane Box (daughter of John A. Box), served as corporal in the CSA in Company I of the 10^th TX Cavalry, and died 19 September 1863 at the Battle of Chickamauga in GA. Their only child was Mary Elizabeth (m. Abraham Neal Shattuck in 1879). James's widow then married William L. Jones in 1868 and M. C. Mitchell in 1872.

6. Mary Jane Holmes - She was born about 1835 in Georgia, married James Drayton Martin on 19 September 1853 in Cherokee County TX, and died along with her two children in 1857 in Cherokee County, TX. Her widower then married Samantha Carlton.

7. Francis M. Holmes - He was born about 1838 in Georgia, married Luzany Clementine Belvin in 1858 in Cherokee County TX, served in the CSA in Company C of the 18^th Texas Inf.

8. Sarah Catherine Holmes - She was born about 1841 in Georgia, married William C. Martin (her sister Missouri's widower) on 4 January 1858 in Cherokee County, TX and died on 8 February 1892. Their children were Giles, James A., David Alexander, Sarah, Manda, Emma, and George. They also raised his daughter Flora and two other girls (Susie b. ca 1849 in GA and Mollie b. ca 1855 in GA). 

9.  Archibald Jackson Holmes - (SEE HIS FAMILY NEXT)

10. David W. Holmes - He was born about 1846 in Georgia, served in the CSA, and married Caroline J. Stephens. Their son was William A (m. Laura Frederick in 1895). David's widow married Miller B. Walker in 1876.

 

11.        Lorenzo D. Holmes - He was born about 1854 in Texas.

12.        Cynthia Louraney Holmes - She was born on 6 Oct 1856 in Texas, married Samuel R. Hudson in 1874 in Cherokee County TX, settled in Wise County TX and died in 1911. Their children were Lafayette, William, James O., Walter George, Elizabeth, Mertie, Leonidas, Mary, Sam, Allie, and Newton.

13. ? Son - He   was born about 1860 in Texas. (On 1860 census as male but 1865 listing of Meazle's students shows Eliza Holmes with Lorenzo and Lurana, not found on 1870 census)

ARCHIBALD   JACKSON  HOLMES

Archie was born 1 September 1845 in Georgia but moved to Texas as a small child.¹⁴ He served in the CSA for 2 years as Third Lieutenant in Company I of the 35^th Texas Cavalry.¹⁵ His unit fought in north LA in the Battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill. After completing his service, he married Hannah Amanda Singletary on 18 May 1865 in Cherokee County TX and lived on a farm on Bowles Creek near Alto.¹⁶ Hannah died 29 January 1878 leaving Archie with two small children.¹⁷ On 24 October 1878 in Cherokee County TX, Archie married Katherine Abbott Walker, widow of Charles Walker.¹⁸ Archie petitioned the court to name him legal guardian of his two older children so that he could sell land near Alto to move nearer to Jacksonville in 1884.¹⁹ At his new home he killed a 4' rattlesnake with 6-7 rattles which was detailed in the local newspaper.²⁰ Katie was hospitalized in 1893.²¹ She moved to Ft. Worth, TX about 1900 where Archie joined her.²² He died there on 29 March 1902 and was buried in the Jarratt Cemetery southeast of Jacksonville.²³

Archie had the following children:

1. Thomas Wiley Holmes - (SEE HIS FAMILY NEXT)

2.       Peggy Ann Myrtle Holmes - She was born 24 December 1873, married Rev. J. C. Bounds in 1888 in Cherokee County TX and Col. Leonard Netters in 1899 in Cherokee County TX, died 17 April 1852, and is buried at Shiloh Cemetery near Alto. Their children were Perry, Will, George, and Lewis Bounds; Henry Curtis, Ernest, Claud, Archie, James, Mary Bonnie, and Tommy Netters.

3. Laura Earl Holmes - She was born 26 July 1879, married Sam Houston Jarratt on 2 September 1897 in Cherokee County TX, died 5 October 1965, and is buried at City Cemetery in Jacksonville, TX. Their children were Marcia D. (m. Siegfried Wallner), Curtis Wade (m. Bess Cooper, Millie Ann Patten), John Archie (m. Elizabeth Walters), Henry Morris (m. Mildred Bailey, Jo Kate Irwin), Joe Devereux (m. Lois Drummond).

4. Archibald Holmes - He was born 20 October 1882, married Susie Carpenter and Allie Tribble, died 8 October 1967, and is buried at Rosewood Cemetery in Humble, TX.

THOMAS    WILEY   HOLMES

Wiley was born 20 September 1871 in Cherokee County, TX. He married Cora Ellen Goodson on 16 September 1888 in Cherokee County TX.²⁴ Cora died on 2 January 1905 of pneumonia and was buried in the Jarratt Cemetery.²⁵ Wiley worked on the railroad as a conductor and was often away from home.²⁶ His second wife was Rose Sparks whom he married about 1910. They lived throughout north Texas including Tyler, Mr. Pleasant, and Sulphur Springs where Wiley died on 16 September 1946 and was buried at City Cemetery. His daughters were hurt at being left only $5 each in his will and refused to cash their checks.²⁷

Wiley had the following children:

1.  Viola Holmes - She was born 24 July 1889 in Alto, married Leslie T. Wood, died 24 February 1968 in Tyler, and is buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Tyler, TX. Their child was Kathryn Jane (m. Weldon True Rigdon, Thomas Wright Foster).

2. Valerie Holmes - She was born 22 January 1894, married Ray L. Holtier, died 22 November 1962 in Lafayette, LA, and is buried in Fairview Cemetery in Denison, TX. Their child was Norma (m. J. L. Pope)

 

___________________________________________________________________________________

 

1. United States Census - 1850 Cherokee County TX p. 845, 1860 Cherokee County TX p. 497;
Personal history written by granddaughter Laura Holmes Jarratt.

 

2.    United States Census -1830 Upson County GA p. 104,1840 Upson County GA p. 37 (listed
as James Helms)

 

3.    Marriage Records of Monroe County GA  Bk. "A"  p. 61A

 

4.    Marriage Records of Upson County GA  Bk"A"  p. 29   (Error - indexed as Samuel Holmes)
 

5."Early History of Upson County GA" by Nottingham pp. 104,128-9, 142 

 

6.     Deed Records of Cherokee County TX - Bk "B" p. 370, Bk "C" p. 411, Bk "D" p. 156,
Bk "D" p. 435

 

7.     United States Mortality Schedule - 1850 Cherokee County TX p. 50 (Listing deaths between
June 1, 1849 and June 1,1850)

 

8.     Marriage Records of Cherokee County TX Bk "B" p. 141

 

9.     United States Census -1870 Cherokee County TX p. 202 ; "Cherokee County History" p. 410

 

10.     "Newspaper Obituaries 1836-1908 Cherokee County Texas" by Crawford p.146 (minutes
from   Sardis Baptist Church)

 

11.     Deed Records of Cherokee County TX Bk "S" p. 751 (grantor - Elizabeth Holmes 6 March
1868); "Newspaper Obituaries 1836-1908 Cherokee County Texas" by Crawford p. 146

 

12.     "Civil War Records of Cherokee County TX" by Huttash pp. 15, 28, 32, 34, 39, 54, 55, 57;
"Civil War Pensions of Cherokee County TX" by Huttash pp. 95, 46; "Marriage Records of
Cherokee County TX 1846-1880" by Huttash; "Cherokee County History" Histories of Martin,

 

Box, Meazle, Jones, Singletary, Rozelle, Shattuck families

13.     Possibly Joseph Holmes. According to 1830 and 1840 census records, James Holmes had two
older sons, one of whom was Richard. A Joseph Holmes married Sarah Jane Martin on 2 Nov
1848 in Upson County GA. On the 1850 Upson County GA census p. 296 (mistakenly indexed
as Richmond County) Joseph (age 23, born GA) and Sarah have one child, Susan age 1. They
cannot be found on the 1860 census in GA or TX. The records of the Sardis Baptist Church near
Alto show the death of Sarah Jane Holmes in 1859. On the 1860 census of William C. Martin
and wife Sarah Catherine Holmes Martin in Cherokee County TX there are two children born in
GA, M. T. Holmes age 5 and Susan Holmes age 11. The same two children are on William C.
Martin's 1870 census but as Mary T. age 15 and Martha age 20. M.T. Holmes married William
Franklin Rozelle in 1877 and was listed on the 1880 census as "Mollie". Susan Holmes married
W. B. Wallace in 1872 but cannot be found on subsequent census records. The family history
written by Laura Holmes Jarratt lists these two children as Mollie and Susie.

14.     Tombstone at Jarratt Cemetery southeast of Jacksonville in Cherokee County TX.

15.     Widow's Application # 51758 for Confederate Pension dated 1936; Abstract of CSA
document # 50415363; "Civil War Records and Pensions of Cherokee County TX" by Huttash
p. 46

16.     Marriage Records of Cherokee County TX Bk. "D2" p. 314; United States Census 1870
Cherokee County TX p. 164; Cherokee County TX Deed  Bk "V" p. 187

17.     Tombstone at Shiloh Cemetery west of Alto in Cherokee County TX; Cherokee County TX
Probate Bk "B" p. 157

18.Marriage Records of Cherokee County TX Bk"H" p. 403

19.     Cherokee County TX Probate Bk "B" p. 157 (case 35); United States Census -1880
Cherokee County TX  E.D. 13 Sheet 1

20.     "Saga of Cherokee" - Newspaper articles by Crawford, p. 280

21.     United States Census - 1900 Kaufman County TX  E.D. 148 Sheet 6; Records from Terrell
Hospital show admitted 20 March 1893 and dismissed 11 August 1937; Cherokee County TX
Probate Bk. "C" p. 98 (case 120)

22.     Ft. Worth, TX City Directories -1899-1900 Mrs. Katie Holmes, 1901-1902 A. J. Holmes

23.     Widow's Application # 51758 for Confederate Pension dated 1936

24.     Marriage Records of Cherokee County TX  Bk "J"p. 422

25.     Cherokee County TX Death Records Bk. "1" # 505; Tombstone at Jarratt Cemetery
southeast of Jacksonville TX

26.     United States Census - 1930 Smith County TX  E.D. 212-11 Sheet 16A;   His two daughters
were sent to boarding school in Greenville, TX - Census 1910 Hunt Co TX  E.D. 112 Sheet 6

27.     Texas Death Certificate # 43 for Hopkins County 1946; Hopkins County TX - Will Book "3"
p. 266, Probate Books "41" p. 107 and "42" p. 376 ; City Cemetery in Sulphur Springs TX

Nancy Foster

6623 Gentle Wind

Dallas, TX 75248-5016