Holmes Genealogy

The archives at the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh contain a treasure trove of old documents. I have spent a fair amount of time there searching for old Holmes records. Many of the early records are very difficult to decipher. The are written in an old Scots secretary script and are often in written in Latin.

Above is an image from the Protocol Book of William Caldwell. It records land transactions in the Irvine area of Ayrshire. The records range from 1611 to 1632. There is a wealth of genealogical information in the pages.

Two years ago I took pictures of the pages regarding a John Holmes of Gamleith near Kilmarnock. I spent hours puzzling over them, but eventually put them aside. This week I decided to see if AI could help me decipher them. I started with Transkribus, which did a decent job transcribing the Latin, although I had to spend some time cleaning up the names with which it had difficulty. I then asked the AI engine, Claude to translate the Latin. The result that follows was pretty amazing.

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Seasing of John Holmes of the lands of Gamelieth
Year of Our Lord 1627, the third day of the month of July

In the presence of me, notary public, and the witnesses written below, personally appeared the prudent and honest man John Holmes, son and apparent heir of the deceased James Holmes, portioner of Gamelieth, who received and took into his hands a certain precept of sasine [land transfer] from the honorable man William Mure, senior of Rowallan, knight, for heritable sasine and infeftment to the said John Holmes of the lands of Gamelieth described below.

The said precept was presented to the prudent man John Hall, portioner of Gamelieth, acting as baillie [legal officer] specially appointed by the said William Mure, requesting that he execute the said precept.

[The document then recites the precept, which states:]
Lord William Mure, senior of Rowallan, knight, with the consent and assent of his superior lord of Rowallan, to our beloved John Hall in Gamelieth and to each bailie jointly and severally specially appointed in this matter, greeting:
Whereas by inquisition held before the deceased King’s baillie of Kilwinning and his deputies, it was found that the deceased James Holmes, portioner of Gamelieth, father of John Holmes bearer of these presents, died last vest and seised [in legal possession] as of fee at the faith and peace of the said deceased King in 17 shilling and 9 penny lands of Gamelieth with houses, buildings, yards, parts, pendicles [appurtenances], annexes and all pertinents in the barony of Rowallan, bailiary of Cunningham, within the sheriffdom of Ayr;
And that the said John Holmes is the lawful and nearest heir of the deceased James Holmes his father in the said lands, both by right and by retour [official return] between the said deceased father and the deceased Margaret Holmes his mother; And that he is of lawful age;

And that the said lands formerly held of Gamelieth are now held of us in free burgage [town tenure] for the annual payment of one penny at Pentecost upon the ground of the said lands by way of blench farm [nominal rent] only;
Therefore we command you that upon sight of these presents you give heritable sasine by earth and stone [symbolic transfer] of the aforesaid 17 shilling and 9 penny lands of Gamelieth with houses, buildings, yards, parts, pendicles and all pertinents to the said John Holmes as lawful son and undoubted heir of the said deceased James Holmes his father…
Given at Glasgow, the 26th day of June, in the year of Our Lord 1626 [note: there’s a discrepancy in dates]
Witnesses: John Mure, Adam Mure serving in Glasgow, and George Hache, notary, with diverse others.

[The document then describes the actual ceremony:]
After the reading and exposition of the precept, the foresaid John Hall, baillie in this matter, by virtue of the said precept and his office of baillie, gave heritable sasine by actual corporal possession and delivery of earth and stone from the ground of the said lands to the said John Holmes as lawful son and undoubted heir of the deceased James Holmes his father, personally present and accepting…
….William Tod in Thorne, John Thomeson in Mcbiehill [Macbie Hill], James Gemill in Blackwood and John Hall junior in Gamleithe witnessing.

I know enough about A. I. not to trust the result without checking, but my initial trial is very promising. With dozens of images in my files to review, I should be busy for quite some time.