George Holmes
| Charts | Ancestors of Edward Ambrose Cooke |
George Holmes, whose ancestry is unknown (or not traced here), was born probably between 1600 and 1610.1 He died before 8 January 1659, when his widow appeared before the Orphan Masters.1,2
George married (1) Rebecca (…) before 4 August 1635, when she is first mentioned in Virginia Land Patents;3 he married (2), as her 2nd husband, Jeen (…), before 1640, when their first child was baptized. The ancestries of both women are unknown (or not traced here).1,4
George Holmes emmigrated first to Virginia where three land patents describe his holdings, amounting to 350 acres. There appears to be no record yet found of him selling or transferring the property:
At about the same time he was granted his first 150 acres, the deputy governor, John West sent him north, leading a company of 14 or 15 men to secure a then-vacant fort, Fort Nassau, on the bank of the Delaware River in New Jersey, near or at the present town of Brooklawn, New Jersey. The Governor of New Netherland, Wouter van Twiller took back the fort, captured Holmes and his force, and took them to the fort at Manhattan, 1 September 1635. Not wishing to start a war, but simply retain dutch ownership of the fort, Van Twiller prevailed upon a dutch captain, David de Vries, to return the captives to to Virginia. On the 10th, the ship arrived at Point Comfort and discharged George and his company.9
It seems his short stay in Manhattan made an impression on George. What became of his wife Rebecca, or of his 350 acres in Virginia is unknown, but by July, 1638, George and Thomas Hall (one of his company at Fort Nassau) were working for Van Twiller in his plantation at Sapokanican, along the east bank of the Hudson.
Shortly after, Van Twiller returned to Holland, and the two men were given charge of Van Twiller's property and his house. The new Director, Willem Kieft took charge of Van Twiller's property, but in exchange, after George and Thomas took the oath of allegiance in August 1639, Kieft granted them a plantation at Deutel Bay (later Turtle Bay), along the East River, becoming the first Englishmen to settle on Manhattan Island. Now known as Midtown East, the area includes the United Nations, the Chrysler Building, and Grand Central Station. Not bad for what was then just a swamp.10
George married (1) Rebecca (…) before 4 August 1635, when she is first mentioned in Virginia Land Patents;3 he married (2), as her 2nd husband, Jeen (…), before 1640, when their first child was baptized. The ancestries of both women are unknown (or not traced here).1,4
George Holmes emmigrated first to Virginia where three land patents describe his holdings, amounting to 350 acres. There appears to be no record yet found of him selling or transferring the property:
1635, Aug. 4. Capt. John West, Governor, with consent of the council, conveyed to George Holmes 150 acres of land in the County of james, at the head of a creeke which 'pteth Archers hope and Jockes neck,' bounded by John Johnson, called Jockeys Neck, 50 acres being due unto Holmes for his own personal adventure into the colony, 50 acres more for the personal adventure of his wife Rebecca Homes into ths colony, and the other 50 acres being due unto him by and for the transportation at his own proper costs and charges of one servant called Thomas Browne, into this colony5
1636, Sept. 12. Same to the same, 200 acres in the County of James City, at a great swamp lying on the North side of Samuel Sneade, to woods joiing westerly Mr. Harwood, for himself, wife Rebecca and two servants, Thomas Browne and Robert Sharpe.6
1637, Aug. 24. Sir John Harvey, Governor, to George Holmes 350 acres in the County of James City, at the head of Goches Creeke 'where he is now seated,' being due for himself 50 acres, for his wife 50 acres, and 250 acres for five servants, viz., Thomas Browne, Robert sarpe, James Nambly, Jeffery ffrye and Ann… .7 This is a confirmation of his patent of Sept. 12 1636, with additions.8
1636, Sept. 12. Same to the same, 200 acres in the County of James City, at a great swamp lying on the North side of Samuel Sneade, to woods joiing westerly Mr. Harwood, for himself, wife Rebecca and two servants, Thomas Browne and Robert Sharpe.6
1637, Aug. 24. Sir John Harvey, Governor, to George Holmes 350 acres in the County of James City, at the head of Goches Creeke 'where he is now seated,' being due for himself 50 acres, for his wife 50 acres, and 250 acres for five servants, viz., Thomas Browne, Robert sarpe, James Nambly, Jeffery ffrye and Ann… .7 This is a confirmation of his patent of Sept. 12 1636, with additions.8
At about the same time he was granted his first 150 acres, the deputy governor, John West sent him north, leading a company of 14 or 15 men to secure a then-vacant fort, Fort Nassau, on the bank of the Delaware River in New Jersey, near or at the present town of Brooklawn, New Jersey. The Governor of New Netherland, Wouter van Twiller took back the fort, captured Holmes and his force, and took them to the fort at Manhattan, 1 September 1635. Not wishing to start a war, but simply retain dutch ownership of the fort, Van Twiller prevailed upon a dutch captain, David de Vries, to return the captives to to Virginia. On the 10th, the ship arrived at Point Comfort and discharged George and his company.9
It seems his short stay in Manhattan made an impression on George. What became of his wife Rebecca, or of his 350 acres in Virginia is unknown, but by July, 1638, George and Thomas Hall (one of his company at Fort Nassau) were working for Van Twiller in his plantation at Sapokanican, along the east bank of the Hudson.
Shortly after, Van Twiller returned to Holland, and the two men were given charge of Van Twiller's property and his house. The new Director, Willem Kieft took charge of Van Twiller's property, but in exchange, after George and Thomas took the oath of allegiance in August 1639, Kieft granted them a plantation at Deutel Bay (later Turtle Bay), along the East River, becoming the first Englishmen to settle on Manhattan Island. Now known as Midtown East, the area includes the United Nations, the Chrysler Building, and Grand Central Station. Not bad for what was then just a swamp.10
Family 1 | Rebecca (…) d. bt 1637 - 1640 |
Family 2 | Jeen (…) d. bef. 11 Feb 1661 |
| Children |
| This person was last edited on | 15 Jun 2022 |
Citations
- [S141] I. N. Phelps Stokes, The Iconography of Manhattan Island 1498-1909: Compiled From Original Sources and Illustrated by Photo Intaglio Reproductions of Important Maps, Plans, Views, and Documents in Public and Private Collections, six volumes (1915-1928; reprint, New York: Arno Press, 1967), 2:259, further cited as Stokes, Manhattan Iconography.
- [S1765] Berthold Fernow and Walewyn Van der Veen, Minutes of the Orphanmasters of New Amsterdam, 1655 to 1663 (New York: E. P. Harper, 1902), 1:60, further cited as Fernow and Van der Veen, Minutes of the Orphanmasters.
- [S2498] Nell Marion Nugent, Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623–1800, five vols. (Richmond, Virginia: s.p., 1934), 1:30, 46, 68, further cited as Nugent, Cavaliers and Pioneers.
- [S1330] Estimated from baptism of first child (1640).
- [S2498] Nugent, Cavaliers and Pioneers, 30.
- [S2498] Nugent, Cavaliers and Pioneers, 46.
- [S2498] Nugent, Cavaliers and Pioneers, 68.
- [S2496] John E. Stillwell, The History of Lieutenant Nicholas Stillwell: Progenitor of the Stillwell Family in America with Some Notices of the Family in the Kingdom of Great Britain (New York: s.p., 1929), 122, further cited as Stillwell, Nicholas Stillwell.
- [S2499] J Franklin Jameson, Narratives of New Netherland: 1609—1664 (1909; reprint, New York: Barnes & Noble, 1967), 195, further cited as Jameson, Narratives of New Netherland.
- [S141] Stokes, Manhattan Iconography, 6:172.
- [S1693] Thomas Grier Evans and Tobias Alexander Wright, editors, Records of the Reformed Dutch Church in New Amsterdam and New York: Baptisms, vols II & III of the collections series of the society (subtitle varies), (New York: New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 1901-1902), 1:10, further cited as Evans & Wright, Records of the Reformed Dutch Church—Baptisms.
- [S1693] Evans & Wright, Records of the Reformed Dutch Church—Baptisms, 1:13.
- [S1693] Evans & Wright, Records of the Reformed Dutch Church—Baptisms, 1:20.
- [S1693] Evans & Wright, Records of the Reformed Dutch Church—Baptisms, 1:28.