John Holmes 1736-1814 buried in the Freehold Church Cemetery later moved to the Pine Grove Cemetery Charlton, New York

--from History of Saratoga Co. 1878: "John Holmes, who was a prominent member and an elder in the Freehold church, settled on the farm now occupied by Alexander and William Pierson Crane, about three-fourths of a mile west of Charlton, in 1775. Soon after he built the first grist-mill in the town. While this mill was in process of construction the men were so busily engaged that none could be spared to go on errands. So Mrs. Ruth Holmes would take a horse with a man's saddle and a bag, ride to Schenectady, nine miles through the woods, and return after making her purchases. At one time during the Revolution a rumor was set afloat that a band of Tories and Indians were in the vicinity, with the purpose of burning the settlement and killing the settlers. Mr. Holmes removed his family to the woods, where a shelter was made by hanging blankets over the trunk of a fallen tree, and in this novel bivouac the women and children spent one day and night, while the men remained to watch and to defend the buildings. The alarm was happily a false one, and soon the declaration of peace forever set at rest the fears of the settlers.".

First Generation 1. John HOLMES was born in 1736. He died on 22 Apr 1814. He was buried in the Freehold Church Cemetery, Charlton, NY. John married Ruth BURKS. Ruth was born in 1731. She died on 2 Mar 1823. She was buried in the Freehold Church Cemetery, Charlton, NY. They had the following children:   2 M i John HOLMES Jr..   3 M ii Caleb HOLMES Esq. was born on 28 Aug 1761. He died on 23 Feb 1819. He was buried in the Freehold Church Cemetery, Charlton, NY.         Caleb married Eunice.   4 F iii Lydia HOLMES was born about 1762. She died on 6 Oct 1834. She was buried in Pine Grove Cemetery, Charlton, NY.         Lydia married Thaddeus NORTHRUP on 12 Feb 1784 in Charlton,Saratoga,NY. Thaddeus was born about 1762. He died on 21 Jun 1832. He was buried in Pine Grove Cemetery, Charlton, NY.   5 F iv Abigail HOLMES was born about 1764. She died on 11 Apr 1797. She was buried in the Freehold Church Cemetery, Charlton, NY.         Abigail married James LOW. James was born on 21 Oct 1748 in ,,,SCOTLAND. He died on 27 Feb 1827. He was buried in the Freehold Church Cemetery, Charlton, NY.   6 F v Ruth HOLMES was born on 2 Jan 1767 in Stoningham,,CT. She died on 9 Sep 1836. She was buried in Galway,Saratoga,NY.         Ruth married John ALEXANDER son of Hugh ALEXANDER and Euphama STEVENSON on 22 May 1786 in Charlton,Saratoga,NY. John was born on 15 Dec 1760 in ,,,SCOTLAND. He died on 6 Nov 1841 in Galway,Saratoga,NY.   7 F vi Pruella HOLMES was born on 9 Oct 1769. She died on 12 Mar 1856. She was buried in Isaac Smith Cemetery, Division St. Charlton.         Pruella married Elias SMITH son of Isaac SMITH and Hannah ROCKWELL on 5 Nov 1792. Elias was born on 18 Jan 1766. He died on 2 Sep 1845. He was buried in Isaac Smith Cemetery, Division St. Charlton.   8 M vii Obadiah HOLMES was born on 21 Feb 1773. He died on 15 Mar 1802. He was buried in the Freehold Church Cemetery, Charlton, NY.         Obadiah married Anna CLARK?. Anna was born on 12 Nov 1783. She died on 28 Mar 1805. She was buried in the Freehold Church Cemetery, Charlton, NY.   9 F viii Hannah HOLMES was born about 1775. She died on 9 Nov 1843. She was buried in W. Galway,Saratoga Co. NY.         Hannah married Pilgrim DURKEE. Pilgrim was born about 1767. He died on 13 Apr 1830. He was buried in W. Galway, Saratoga Co.,NY.

SOURCES Gen. Magazine of NJ Vol 43-44 1968-69 pg 142 BHC - Holmes Album Pine Grove Cemetery copied by Donald Keefer-1971, pg 114 Cemetery at Freehold Church by Donald Keefer, pg 73* Freehold Presbyterian Church Records-Charlton(Vosburgh Copy) pg 3 Pine Grove Cemetery - Durkee's Epitaphs, pg 544 Photo by Joyce Riedinger Stories and Pictures of Charlton - W. Bronson Taylor 974.748 T24 History of Saratoga Co. 1609-1878, Nathaniel Bartlett Sylvester - pg 315 *Later moved to the Pine Grove Cemetery