15. Colonel Henry⁴ Holmes (Colonel Thomas³, Henry², Robert¹) was born c1660. Henry died 18/06/1738 at 77 years of age. His body was interred 23/06/1738 in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight.

He married Mary Holmes. Mary was born circa 1678. Mary was the daughter of Sir Robert Holmes and Grace Hooke. Mary died March 1760 in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, at 81 years of age. Her body was interred 7/03/1760 in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight. also date of 6 April mentioned

MP for Yarmouth 1694 - 1714. Lieutenant-Governor of the Isle of Wight.

The following extract is taken from the Jerome/Heytesbury papers held at the Isle of Wight Record office in Newport.

Wills and Settlements 1692 - 1913

Although the wills and settlements are very extensive, running to some 236 items, arranged, in strictly chronological order, into 28 bundles, the number of documents that are of first rate importance is really rather limited. The main estate was subject ot six major settlements over 150 years and most of the documents here described are little more than subsidiaries to these six important transactions. The major settlements were: the will of Sir Robert Holmes, 1697, unfortunately missing, the marriage settlement of Thomas Holmes and Anne Aspley, 1727, JER/HBY/104/8, the will of Thomas Holmes, 1764, see JER/HBY/208/1, the settlement of Henry Worsley, 1808, JER/HBY/119/1, the will of Leonard Thomas Worsley Holmes, 1825, JER/HBY/123/1, and the marriage settlement of Elizabeth Worsley Holmes and William Henry Ashe à Court, 1833, JER/HBY/124/5.

The sheer bulk of the class is mostly accounted for by the numerous off-spring of Henry Holmes and his wife Mary, the natural daughter of Sir Robert Holmes. The parish registers of Yarmouth and Thorley record the baptisms of twenty children to this couple of whom eleven, seven girls and four boys, survived to adulthood. In 1727 the entire estate, as it then stood, was settled on the eldest son Thomas in tail male, with remainders to each of his brothers, also in tail male, and a final remainder jointly to his sisters. In the event, none of the brothers produced surviving, legitimate issue at all and by 1760 there was the imminent prospect of a break-up of the estate between seven sister co-heiresses. Thomas Holmes evidently prevailed to release their rights in the Isle of Wight property to himself, in return for which they were indemnified against any claims of his second wife, Catherine , to widows' thirds. The sisters did, however, keep the valuable Limerick estate and the fee farm rents in Wales and much money and ingenuity was expended over the next fifty years in buying back or otherwise acquiring their shares.

Thomas settled his own purchases, notably the Freshwater estate, the property he had recovered from his sisters and further purchases made by his father after 1727 by will. This remarkable document, unfortunately only represented here by a much later copy, JER/HBY/208/1, contained very lengthy provisions to prevent a repetition of the debacle of his own first marriage settlement. To ensure that the estate passed unbroken into a male line he named seven male relations, his two brothers, four nephews and one great nephew, who were to have successive remainders each in tail male, the nephews and great nephew on condition that they took the name Holmes. The first three individuals, his two brothers and nephew Thomas Troughear, all predeceased him without issue and the estate duly passed to the fourth named successor, his nephew Leonard Troughear.

This Leonard Troughear, later second Lord Holmes, had two daughters but no son so, on his death in 1804, the next provisions for inheritance under the will of Thomas Holmes came into operation. By this time, however, the next three successors, John Troughear, Thomas Roberts and Thomas Worsley were all dead and the final provision for "any other son of Robert Worsley of Pidford" was activated. It was in this obscure fashion that the Pidford and Westover estates were united in the person of Henry Worsley of Pidford.

Henry Worsley, who now became Worsley Holmes, seems to have had more relaxed views about what should happen to the estate after his death. He, as life tenant, and his son Leonard Thomas Worsley Holmes, as tenant expectant in tail, entered into a common recovery in 1808 JER/HBY/119/1, for Leonard and his heirs. Leonard had two daughters only and, by his will, JER/HBY/123/1, he settled his entire estate exclusively on the elder, Elizabeth, but wrapped up in an elaborate double trust from which much trouble was to arise, see JER/HBY/126/2. The marriage settlement of Elizabeth and William Henry Ashe à Court, JER/HBY/124/5, did little more than confirm this arrangement. A disentailing assurance was entered into in 1857, JER/HBY/128/2, and a new settlement made for the eldest son of Elizabeth and William Henry, JER/HBY/128/5.

Pidford Farm was settled on Henry Worsley and his heirs in 1748, see JER/HBY/105/9. To Pidford he added numerous purchases of his own. Under his will all this property passed to his son, Leonard Thomas Worsley Holmes, but some of it, including Watergate Farm, was sold in 1815 under an order in Chancery. See JER/HBY/186/5 and IWCRO Ward/276.

There are a number of documents in the wills and settlements dealing with the extremely complex affairs of the insolvent Newport bankers, Henry and John Roberts, who were connected with the Holmes family through Lucretia Sowle, one of Thomas Holmes's sisters and with the Worsleys through Margaret Roberts, sister of Henry Worsley. There is also an interesting and unusual group of deeds under which Leonard Troughear made provision for his mistresses and their children, e.g. JER/HBY/113/3 and JER/HBY/115/5.

Colonel Henry Holmes and Mary Holmes had the following children:

25 i. Margaret⁵ Holmes. Margaret died 1783. She was baptized 16/10/1700. Margaret's will was probated 1783. Died unmarried.

26 ii. John Holmes. His body was interred 31/03/1705 in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight. He was baptized in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, 17/01/1703.

27 iii. Anne Holmes was born 1693. Anne died 23/12/1766 at 72 years of age. She was baptized in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, 20/11/1693. Died unmarried.

28 iv. Mary Holmes was born 1695. She married David Urry. David was born 1692. David died 1779 at 87 years of age. i0 Of Afton Manor, Isle of Wight.

She was baptized in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, 28/02/1695. Died without issue.

29 v. Elizabeth Holmes was born 1696. Elizabeth died 1788 at 92 years of age. Her body was interred 28/01/1788 in Northwood, Isle of Wight. She married Reverend Thomas Troughear in Thorley, Isle of Wight, 1724. Thomas was born 6/09/1681. Thomas was the son of Leonard Troughear. Thomas died 1762 at 80 years of age. His body was interred 15/11/1762 in Northwood, Isle of Wight. (See Reverend Thomas Troughear for the continuation of this line.)

She was baptized 25/05/1696.

30 vi. Christopher Holmes was born circa 1699. His body was interred 17/08/1730 in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight. Christopher was bred to the church and died in August 1730.

+ 31 vii. Thomas Holmes 1st Baron Holmes of Kilmallock was born 1699.

32 viii. Robert Holmes was born 1701. His body was interred 10/05/1741 in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight. He married Elizabeth Oglander in Brading, Isle of Wight, 06/04/1738. Elizabeth was the daughter of Sir John Oglander.

He was baptized in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, 16/11/1701. Was a Captain of an East Indiaman. He married a daughter of Sir William Oglander, of Nunwoll, he left her twenty five thousand pounds; he was supposed to be poisoned. He died in London, May 1741. Two messengers were sent together; one came to the Isle of Wight, to acquaint his mother of his illness; the other stopped at Southhampton to meet her with the account of his death. His widow married his first mate who was afterwards Captain Haldane, he spent much of her fortune at an election at Bridport. After this man's death she went to Law with the present representative of the Holmes' family for Burgage Tenure in Newtown, which had been entrusted to her first husband Robert Holmes by his father to make a vote for his elder brother Thomas and Sir James Worsley of Pylewell on a contested election; it is called Little Starless or governors, being that which gave a vote to Sir Robert Holmes.

33 ix. Henry Holmes was born 1703. His body was interred 16/08/1762 in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight. He married Anne Lysaght. Anne was the daughter of Nicholas Lysaght and Grace Holmes.

He was baptized in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, 28/02/1703. In the year 1746, a plan was formed for an expedition 'twas said for Canada, it proved to be only on the coast of Britany. His majesty questioning the officers when they would be ready to embark, several of them asked for a few weeks leave of absence; the King turning to Holmes, asked him "when shall you be ready?" "Tomorrow," answered he, "and whenever your Majesty should require my service." He was then a Lieutenant Colonel. The King immediately gave him a regiment of marines; he went on that expedition and soon had the 31st or the young buffs given him; and he remained always a favourite of George II. He became a Lieutenant General, Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Wight and Commander in Chief of Portsmouth. He married a sister of Lord Lisle, of the Kingdom of Ireland. He had no issue, and died August 1762. Member for Yarmouth.

34 x. William Holmes was born 1705. His body was interred 21/08/1706 in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight. He was baptized in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, 21/08/1705. Died an infant.

35 xi. Lucretia Holmes was born 1710. Lucretia died 10/01/1775 at 64 years of age. She married Marmaduke Sowle. (See Marmaduke Sowle for the continuation of this line.)

She was baptized in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, 28/09/1710. Married a major in the army.

Charles Holmes

36 xii. Charles Holmes was born 1711. Charles died 21/11/1761 in Jamaica, at 50 years of age. He was baptized in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, 19/09/1713. Charles was promoted on 18/06/1734 to Lieutenant. Charles was promoted on 20/02/1742 to Captain. He made a will 21/10/1754. Charles was promoted in 1758 to Rear Admiral of the Blue. Charles was promoted in c1759 to Rear Admiral of the White. Charles pursued the steps of Sir Robert Holmes. He was bred under Admiral Balchen, and Sir Edward Vernon. Soon after he was made a port Captain, he sailed on a cruise on the Sapphire; you have the following account from the London Gazette. February 8th, 1743.

His Majesty's ship the Sapphire, commanded by Captain Holmes, being on a cruise on the coast of Portugal, and in company with some homeward bound merchant ships which he was convoying into the sea, saw two Sail on December 25 upon which he made a signal for the merchant ships to keep their course, and gave chase. About two o'clock in the afternoon the two Sail parted, the one keeping her wind, the other bearing away. Captain Holmes continued chasing the former and at about five o'clock, took her, she being a Spanish Privateer of about fifty tons, with eight carriage and six swivel guns and fifty-two men. It being then calm, Captain Holmes immediately shifted her men into his ship and put a lieutenant and thirty men on board to row after the other vessel which they came up with the next evening and retook, and found her to be a Sloop from Limerick bound for Lisbon with butter.

Cenotaph in Westminster Abbey. Was Naval Commander in Chief in the West Indies in 1760 and died in Jamaica. Died unmarried and without issue.

37 xiii. Carteret Holmes was born 1712. Carteret died 1713 at less than one year of age. His body was interred 18/10/1713 in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight. He was baptized in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, 26/07/1712.

38 xiv. Richard Holmes was born 1713. Richard died 1715 at 2 years of age. His body was interred 27/01/1715 in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight. He was baptized in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, 11/09/1713.

39 xv. Valentine Holmes was born 1714. She married Reverend William Atkinson in Northwood, Isle of Wight, 26/01/1744. i0 He was rector of Wolthorp in Lincolnshire. Before married to Margaret Leigh, sister of Colonel Leigh of Northcourt and of Queens College, Oxford. Born at Rosly Hill in Cumberland and was the founder of Queens.

She was baptized in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, 17/02/1714. Died without issue.

40 xvi. Jane Holmes was born June 1716. Jane died 1795 at 79 years of age. Her body was interred 6/12/1795. She married Robert Worsley in Godshill, Isle of Wight, 1750. Robert was born June 1714. Robert was the son of Reverend John Worsley and Margaret Hancock. Robert died 05/01/1784 at 69 years of age. His body was interred January 1784 in Arreton, Isle of Wight. He was baptized in Gatcombe, Isle of Wight, 9/06/1714. Religion: religion unknown. (See Robert Worsley for the continuation of this line.)

She was baptized 13/06/1716.

41 xvii. Catherine Holmes was born 1718. Catherine died 1719 at 1 year of age. Her body was interred 5/07/1719 in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight. She was baptized in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, 13/04/1718.

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