Introduction
My earliest known ancestor is the Reverend William Homes. Born in 1663 in the north of Ireland, his life was shaped from the outset by war, religious persecution, and the relentless upheaval of the age in which he lived. He crossed the Atlantic not once but three times, served as minister in Strabane for over twenty years and in Chilmark on Martha’s Vineyard for over thirty, and died in 1746 at the age of eighty-three.
We are fortunate to have numerous sources about his life, including the minutes of the Laggan Presbytery2,3 and the General Synod of Ulster,4 published family memoirs5,6,7,8,9,10,11 and the works of some early historians.12,13,14 In particular, we are lucky that Homes’s personal diary has been preserved at the Maine Historical Society. It has recently been digitized and is available online through the Congregational Library and Archives1.
Early life
The diary’s entries on Homes’s family before his marriage are sparse. Two brief notices — one for a brother, one for a sister — give us almost everything we know of his immediate relatives:
My brother John Homes was killed by Thunder and lightening in his Parish of Rapho, May 20th, 1692 about two afternoon. He was burryed Next day toward night, in his father’s grave, in the Churchyard of Donachmore, he left behind him five children viz., Margeret, John, Johnet, Jane and Rebecca
My Sister Maryan departed this life Feb 24th 1705 being Lords day about 5 morning. Her distemper was a pain in her belly and Stomacke attended with frequent vomiting
The parish of Raphoe surrounds the town of Raphoe in county Donegal. It broders the parish of Donoughmore to the south. Although no marker exists, the church yard of “Donachmore” is likely the church yard of Donoughmore Presbyterian Church, just west of Castlefin.
Charles Knowles Bolton13 has suggested that William may have been the son of Robert Holmes, a ruling elder from Donoughmore who attended a meeting of the Laggan Presbytery at St Johnstown on 3 July 1678. This is plausible on several grounds: the mention of his father’s grave at Donachmore, and the fact that William married Katherine Craighead, whose father Robert Craighead had served as minister at Donoughmore from 1658 to 1688. The couple named their first son Robert, which would be consistent with the traditional Ulster-Scots practice of naming a firstborn son after the paternal grandfather — though it should be noted that they did not follow the same convention on the female side, naming their eldest daughter Margaret rather than Agnes after Katherine’s mother.
There is, however, a complication. A Robert Holmes of Castlefin left a will proved in 169715. This individual could be the ruling elder — but he cannot be William’s father, since William’s father was already dead and buried at the time of brother John’s death in 1692. The question of William’s paternity thus remains open.
The 1665 Hearth Money Rolls for County Donegal16 provide a list of possible candidates from the Donoughmore and surrounding parishes:
John Homes of Churchland, Donoughmore Parish
Robert Homes of Killineur Estate, Donoughmore Parish
John Homes of Leck Parish
James Homes of Assmoyne, Raphoe Parish
John Homes of Assmoyne, Raphoe Parish
Gabriel Homes of Avernock, Raphoe Parish
John Homes of Tulliveny, Raphoe Parish
Alexander Hoome, Corkey, Raymochy Parish
John Homes of Drumay, Taughboyne Parish
John Homes Sr of Momeen, Taughboyne Parish
John Homes Jr of Momeen, Taughboyne Parish
John Homes of Momeen, Taughboyne Parish
If the Robert Homes of Killineur Estate is the same person as the Robert of Castlefin, then the most likely candidate for William’s father becomes John Homes of Churchland — but this remains far from definitive.
Education
Bolton states that Homes received his master’s degree from the University of Edinburgh in 1693. This is clearly an error: Homes was ordained in December 1692 and would necessarily have graduated before that date. The Fasti of the Irish Presbyterian Church confirms as much, showing that the 1693 Edinburgh graduate of that name was in fact the Reverend William Holmes of Urney — a cousin17.
My own hypothesis is that Homes is the “Gulielmus Hume” who graduated from the University of Edinburgh in August 168318, though this remains unconfirmed.
First Visit to America
In 1686, at approximately twenty-three years of age, Homes found employment as a schoolteacher in Chilmark on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts.12,13,14 The question of what drew a young Ulsterman to this particular corner of New England is worth pausing on.
We must keep in mind that Homes was born and raised during a period of profound social turbulence in Ireland. The 1640s and 1650s had seen the English Civil War convulse the three kingdoms. The Restoration of Charles II in 1660 brought an end to open conflict, but also the reimposition of Anglican episcopacy across Ireland. The Presbyterians who had built their congregations under Cromwell’s relatively tolerant Commonwealth were suddenly confronted with the demand that they conform to the Church of Ireland or forfeit their livings. Thirty-six Presbyterian ministers across Ulster were ejected from their parishes in 1661 for refusing to comply. Among them were the Reverend Robert Craighead of Donoughmore, who would later become Homes’s father-in-law, and the Reverend John Hart of Monreagh, who would become his grandfather-in-law.
The Scots-Irish Presbyterians found themselves squeezed between an Anglican establishment that despised their faith and a Catholic majority that had never welcomed them. When James II, an openly Catholic monarch, ascended the throne in 1685, Ireland became a still more difficult place for a man of William’s background and convictions.
Homes may have made his way to New England through connections to the Mather family. Increase Mather, minister of the Old North Church in Boston, had received his master’s degree from Trinity College Dublin, and his brothers Samuel and Nathaniel Mather had both served as ministers in Ireland. In 1655 Samuel Mather had been appointed commissioner for the approbation of ministers under Cromwell and is noted in for having recommended John Hart. For Homes, New England would have appeared not merely as a refuge but as a kindred place — theologically sympathetic and full of opportunity.
Chilmark, moreover, was not just any corner of New England. Martha’s Vineyard had spent four decades under the stewardship of the Mayhew family — Puritan settlers who had managed something almost unprecedented in colonial America: they had maintained genuinely respectful relations with the island’s Wampanoag people. During King Philip’s War — the devastating Native uprising that had ravaged the mainland in 1675 and 1676 — not a drop of blood had been shed on the Vineyard. The island had a reputation, on both sides of the Atlantic, as a place where serious Christian work was being done. For a young man already drawn to the ministry, the Vineyard’s missionary reputation may have felt like a calling.
Purchasing land on the Vineyard
Bolton records that Homes was well received on the island, and the evidence suggests he initially intended to make a life there. On 3 April 1690, he purchased over three hundred acres of land known as Squibnocket Neck from Matthew Mayhew, acting on behalf of Thomas Dungan, Lord of the Manor of Martha’s Vineyard, for the price of “one good fat lamb not under ye age of six weeks if demanded yearly and every year for ever.”19
Yet barely a year later, on 3 April 1691, Homes sold the land back, effectively reversing the transaction20. [Note: There appears to have been some subsequent confusion about the terms of this reversal, as Homes believed he retained certain rights to the property. This was eventually resolved in the years following his return to Chilmark through a deed confirming his grazing rights on the Neck.9]
Why Homes chose to return to Ireland at this point is not known. We can speculate — family obligations, ecclesiastical opportunity, perhaps a sense that the worst of the political storm had passed — but the diary offers no explanation. What we do know is that the Ireland to which he returned in 1691 was a landscape transformed by three years of catastrophic warfare.
The Williamite War, which had begun with the siege of Londonderry in 1689 and ended with the Treaty of Limerick in October 1691, had left Ulster devastated. Presbyterian ministers who had fled to Scotland were now returning to decimated communities, and a fresh wave of Scottish immigrants was arriving to fill farms vacated by a generation of upheaval. Strabane’s previous minister, the Reverend Robert Wilson, had died in Londonderry during the siege as had several other ministers from the area. The Presbytery was in dire need of new ministers. It seems likely that Homes returned to help fill this void.
Return to Ireland and Ministry at Strabane
Homes sold his property on the Vineyard in April 1691 and was back in Ireland by July. The minutes of the Laggan Presbytery record his arrival and the warm reception he received:2,3
29 July 1691 at St Johnston “Mr Will Holmes having come from New England to this place, and appearing this day before this meeting. The meeting having received from him satisfying testimonials, after welcoming of him to the meeting they do appoint the said Mr Holmes to preach upon Heb: 10, 38 upon Tuesday next before the ministers, and then to undergo what further trials the meeting shall think fit to try him with.
Several congregations quickly sought his services. By March 1692, both Urney and Donogheady had joined Strabane in calling him to be their minister; by May, Strabane had offered him a salary of £30 per annum; and by July, the congregation at Enniskillen had dispatched an elder to press their own claim. Homes underwent his trials and was ordained on 21 December 1692 as pastor of the church at Strabane:
21 Dec 1692. This day Mr Rob Craighead preached (upon 1 Tim: 4, 16) according to appointment, at Strabane, and after sermon having proposed the ordinary questions to Mr Will: Holmes that are usual before ordination, he with the rest of the ministers then present did ordain the said Mr Will: Holmes by Imposition of hands and solemn and serious prayer to God; they solemnly sett him apart for the work of the ministry in the congregation of Strabane
It was Robert Craighead himself who presided over the ceremony — the minister of Donaghmore who had been ejected from his parish three decades earlier for refusing to conform to episcopacy, and who was now, at last, able to ordain a new generation of Presbyterian pastors openly and in good order. For Homes, stepping into the pulpit at Strabane meant stepping into a congregation that had been without a minister for three years, its previous pastor having died during one of the most dramatic episodes in Irish history.
Marriage to Katherine Craighead
The relationship between Homes and his ordaining minister deepened into family connection the following year. On 26 September 1693, William Homes married Katherine Craighead, Robert’s daughter, in a private ceremony at the Craighead family home in Londonderry:1
Mr. William Homes and Katheren Craghead were marryed Sept 26th 1693 by the Revd. Mr. Craghead of Londonderry in his own house about 8 at night in the presence of Mr. Thomas Craghead, Mr. James Hamilton, John Wilson, James Smith and his spouse, and those of Mr. Craghead’s own family. It was a Tuesday.
Katherine was exceptionally well prepared for the role of a minister’s wife, being the daughter and granddaughter of Presbyterian clergymen who had between them spent years in prison for their faith.
John Hart – the grandfather
Katherine’s maternal grandfather was the Reverend John Hart of Monreagh.17,22 Hart was born near Kirkwall in Orkney around 1617, the son of David Hart and Jean Mowat. Through his mother’s line he was a great-grandson of Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney, and thus a second great-grandson of James V of Scotland. His grandmother, Christian Stewart, was the illegitimate daughter of a man who was himself illegitimate. The lineage seems to have earned Hart no particular advantages, as subsequent events would confirm.
He matriculated at St Andrews University in 1634 and graduated with an MA in 1637. He came to Ireland in 1656, appointed minister of the congregation at Monreagh in Taughboyne parish, County Donegal. Monreagh was, and remains, the oldest Presbyterian congregation in Donegal, having been established in 1644; Hart was only its second settled minister. He arrived to serve a community of Scottish settlers in an area some ten miles from Londonderry, and he would serve that community for the rest of his life.
The early years of his ministry were conducted under the relatively favorable conditions of Cromwellian rule. Such was Hart’s reputation that in 1658 Oliver Cromwell himself invited him to a conference in Dublin aimed at resolving the ecclesiastical disputes that the Protector found so prevalent in Ireland. It was a mark of considerable standing: a Presbyterian minister from Donegal, summoned to sit at the table of the Lord Protector of England.
The Restoration changed everything. Hart refused to conform to episcopacy and was ejected from his parish in 1661. Worse was to come in 1664, when Bishop Robert Leslie of Raphoe launched a systematic suppression of Presbyterian ministers in the Laggan. Leslie summoned Hart and three others to his court and, without trial, excommunicated them and committed them to prison. For six years these four ministers were kept in confinement for no other offense than preaching to their congregations without episcopal license.
Released in October 1670, Hart returned to Monreagh and continued his ministry through the turbulent decades that followed. In 1681 he was imprisoned once more, this time for holding a fast, and spent a further eight months in jail before being released on payment of a fine of twenty shillings. In total, Hart spent approximately seven years imprisoned in Ireland over the course of his ministry — a record of suffering for conscience that was remembered with reverence long after his death.
He died on 8 January 1687, aged seventy, and was buried at Taughboyne churchyard. His Latin gravestone inscription survives and speaks for itself: “Here lies the body of Master John Hart, of noble descent, a vigilant pastor, a most devout philosopher, an outstanding theologian, who laboured with great success in preaching Christ to the church of Taughboyne for over 30 years and, after many sufferings for Christ, at length gave up his matured soul to God.” Hart’s daughter Agnes married the Reverend Robert Craighead, minister of Donaghmore.
Robert Craighead – the father
Katherine’s father was, by the time of her marriage to William Homes, one of the most venerable and distinguished Presbyterian ministers in Ulster. Robert Craighead was born around 1633 and graduated Master of Arts from St Andrews University in 1653. He came to Ireland in 1658, was licensed to the Presbyterian congregation at Donaghmore, County Donegal, and, like his father-in-law Hart before him, was ejected from that parish in 1661 for refusing to conform to episcopacy. Also like Hart, he remained with his people, continuing to minister clandestinely through the long years of persecution.18,23
By 1689, Craighead had quietly served his community for three decades when the world around him was suddenly convulsed. Having recently moved to Londonderry to take up the ministry of First Derry — the city’s principal Presbyterian congregation — he was at his post on 7 December 1688 when the thirteen Apprentice Boys shut the gates of the city against the advancing Jacobite forces. The siege that followed was one of the most dramatic episodes in Irish history.
On the second day of the full siege, in April 1689, Craighead fled with part of his family to Scotland. The flight was harrowing: Jacobite soldiers robbed them of all their possessions en route. He returned to Ireland on 3 April 1690, was admitted to the city of Derry, and was installed as minister of First Derry on 1 July 1690 — the same day, by extraordinary coincidence, as the Battle of the Boyne, where William III’s army decisively defeated James II and effectively ended the Jacobite cause in Ireland. Craighead took up his permanent charge on the very day that Williamite victory was secured.
He died in Londonderry on 27 August 1711, respected and beloved, just three years before his daughter Katherine and son-in-law William Homes emigrated permanently to New England
Family
All of the Homes children were born during this period. Their births and the death of William are recorded in the diary:
My Son Robert Homes was born July the 23d 1694 being Monday at 12 of the clock in the day time, In Stragolan [Stragullin]and was baptized the Wednesday following, in my own house by mr Robert Craghead, his grandfather ….My Son Robert was marryed in Boston to Miss Mary Franklin April 3d 1716 at 9 at night by the Revd Mr Ebenezer Pemberton
My Daughter Margaret was born Feb. 28 1695 being friday at 11 before noon. And was baptized the 5 of march following in the meeting house of Straban, by the Revd Mr Sam: Hallyday … Mr John Allen and my Daughter Margeret Homes were marryed March the 1st 1715/16. I Joyned them in marriage
My Son William was born March 24th 1696/7 being Wednesday about one of the Clock in the morning. He was baptized in the meeting house of Straban March 31st 1697 by the Revd Mr James Pringle …… My Son William departed this life Feb 18 1699 Alias 1700 about 3 morning. he sickened the 7th day of Sd month, on the Saturday following we perceived several purple spots upon him, on the Thurs day following he bleed excessively at the Nose, from 9 night to near 12. By the Application of the Juyce of Nettles, his bleeding stopped, the Thursday following his foot began to swell, and on friday his whole body His heat was excessive^ly great from friday till the Time of his death during which time he Continued speechless, He was burryed the 19 of Febe towards night in the Church yard of Straban
My Daughter Katherin was born March 20th, 1698/9 being Monday about three in the morning. And was baptized by the Revd mr Tho mas Craghead, in the meeting house of Straban March 22d being Wednesday [Katherine m. Capt. Samuel Smith]
My son John was born July 30 1700 being Tuesday, about 7 morning. He was baptized in the Meeting house of Straban July 31st by the Revd Mr Sam: Hallyday
My Daughter Jane was born August 30 1701 being Saturday about 11 night. She was baptized in the meeting house of Straban September 3d by the Revd mr William Homes of Urney [Jane m. Sylvanus Allen]
My Daughter Agnes was born May 31 1704 being Wedensday at 4 morning. She was baptized in the meeting house of Straban By the Revd Mr William Homes of Urney [Agnes m.1 Joshua Allen, m2. Alexander Houston]
My Daughter Elizabeth was born September 15th 1706 about 3 [ ] She was baptized in the meeting house of Straban by the Revd Mr William Homes of Urney [Elizabeth m. James Hutchinson of Boston]
My Daughter Hanna was born Jane 31. 1708/9 about 2 morning being Monday. She was baptized the Friday following in the meeting house of Straban By the Revd Mr Thomas Craghead
My Daughter Margery was born Jane 23d 1710/11 at 1 morning She was baptized the Thursday following in my own House by the Revd Mr Thomas Craghead. She was born on the Lords day [Margery m. Benjamin Daggett]
Ministry
Homes appears to have been an energetic and highly regarded figure within the Presbytery and the General Synod from early in his ministry. The records of the Laggan Presbytery show him engaged almost immediately in the wider affairs of the Church. The Presbytery and Synod records trace a steady accumulation of trust and responsibility over the following two decades. Homes served as clerk to the Presbytery, was regularly appointed to committees overseeing accounts and discipline, and represented Convoy Presbytery at successive meetings of the General Synod. In 1708 he was chosen by plurality of votes as Moderator of the General Synod — a mark of the esteem in which he was held by his peers:
1 Jun 1708: Mr Holmes was, by Plurality of Votes, chosen Moderator.
8 Sep 1708: Mr W Holmes, of Straban, Mod of the General Synod, being advis’d by Plurality of Presbys to call the Synod to meet here, on the Affair of the Congregations of Belfast. Mr Holmes, the Modr, having open’d the Synod by Preaching, & after Constitution by Prayer, sederunt, Min” 54, Ruling Elders 40.
The trust shown Homes is illustrated by a Synod entry from 1705. Money had been collected by various congregations to pay the ransom of one John Whitehead, who had been taken captive by the Turks. Whitehead had since died, and the Synod sought to redirect the funds to other charitable use. One sum, lent by John Galt of Coleraine to a man in Belfast, was to be recovered and paid to Homes for distribution:
5 Jun 1705 …… This Synod appoints the Clerk to write to Mr Gaalt, & desire him to see to the recovery of the said Money, & pay it to Mr Holmes, in Strabane, for the Use of Mr Pringle; which was voted & approven.
The entrusting of this small financial duty to Homes suggests a well-established reputation for reliability — and the connection to John Galt of Coleraine is intriguing, given the numerous links between the Galt and Holmes families I have discussed in previous posts.
The congregation’s finances were a persistent concern. In June 1700, an elder from Strabane reported to the Presbytery:
25th of June, 1700: They had taken pains about the augmenting of their minister’s maintainence, & that they intend hereafter to pay Mr. Homes £35 yearly while the present subscribers live, but when any dies, they fear this quota be diminished, yet hope even then to discharge what was formerly furnished. With this account the meeting is well satisfied.
Community & Connections
Several records illuminate Homes’s personal connections within Strabane. In 1693, only a year into his ministry, he was named as overseer to the will of Thomas Wilson, a merchant of the town.24 A decade later he was named overseer to the 1703 will of James Hamilton25 (see my previous post regarding the will) — a figure who clearly held a special place in his affections, as the diary records his death in two separate entries, the first of which Homes later crossed out, perhaps realizing he had already recorded the event:
Augst the 27th 1703 mr James Hamilton Senr of Straban departed this life, he had been long ill he was a man very affectionat and kind to his friend [ ] in his dealings with men and [ ] that gave evidence of true piety especially in his last sickeness, he left his family in tolerable good circumstances he died about two of the clock in the morning and was buried the Lords day followingAugst ye 27 1703 being Friday about two of the clocke in the Morning mr James Hamilton Senr merchant in Straban departed this life, he was a gentleman of good Sence, affectionate to his friends Straight in his dealings and always inclined to that which is good, he gave in his last sickness clear evidences of his piety bor his sickness with much patience and resignation, he left only one son behind him, who proving rekish and wild was a very great affliction to him, and was the occasion as some think of his falling under a decay which prevailed upon him till at last a separation was made between soul and body
The significance of Hamilton to Homes is underscored by the fact that a James Hamilton appears among the witnesses at Homes’s wedding in 1693 — a gathering that also included John Wilson (likely the son of Thomas Wilson mentioned above).
In their wills of 1709, both William Maxwell and his daughter Mary left cash bequests to Homes, a further indication of the web of trust and affection within which he moved in Strabane.25,26
Departure from Ireland
It is possible that William Homes and his wife Katherine had been contemplating their departure for some years before it came. They sold their property in Strabane in March 1712 to Samuel Sinclair of Bearney.27 In any case, by the summer of 1714, the decision was made. The minutes of the General Synod record the process with both the warmth and the reluctance his colleagues evidently felt:
15 Jun 1714 … The Comittee of Orvertures laid before this Synod that Mr Will:Homes, of Straban, designing to remove to New England, desires to take with him a Synodical Certificat. The Synod easily will grant it, as what in justice is due to him, after we inquire into the receiving of his dimission….
Mr Will Holmes of Straban, intending to go to New England, apply’d to the Interloq for a Synodical Testimonial. The reasons of his dimission being sustain’d, thô with some reluctancy, the Synod was prevail’d with, lest his not imbracing the opportunity woh now offers might be prejudicial to the worthy Brother, to grant him a Synodical Certificat; which was now read, approv’d, and subscrib’d by our Mod and Clerk….
M Will: Holmes, of Straban, to get a Synod: Certificat. That was done in the Synod, g: v:...
Mr Will: Holmes desir’d, seeing he has dimitted his charge of his flock in Straban, which dimission was accepted by the Prebry of Convoy (whereof he is a member), and also by the Synod of Derry, he designs, if the Lord will, to go to N: England. It will therefore be necessary that he have a Certificat from this Synod. Ordered, that Mr Mairs and Mr Craghead write that Testimonial to him, Derry Synodhaving giv’n reasons for their accepting his dimission, which were satisfying to this Interloqr….
Mr Holmes desir’d that Mr Bruce, Mr Cornwall, Mr Gowan, Mr Craghead, Mr Hutcheson, Mr Lang, may be allow’d to confer with him; which was granted. It was mov’d-If a Bro: or Br desire to be loos’d from his pastoral charge, that he may do service to the Interest of Christ in some of the foreign plantations, if the Prebry loose him, that he be also loos’d from this Church. This motion was dropt.
The phrase “with some reluctancy” in the Synod’s acceptance of his resignation speaks volumes. Homes had been one of the institution’s most trusted figures for over two decades. Leaving for America, he carried with him four written testimonials — from the elders of his congregation at Strabane, from the Presbytery of Convoy, from the Synod itself, and from eight Presbyterian ministers in Dublin.
Return to America and the Chilmark Ministry
The Reverend William Homes and his brother-in-law the Reverend Thomas Craighead, with their respective families, arrived in Boston in the first week of October 1714, having sailed from Londonderry aboard the ship Thomas and Jane, commanded by a Mr William Wilson.
They were well received. Judge Samuel Sewall, one of the most prominent men in Massachusetts — and a figure of considerable religious and civic influence — noted in his diary that he visited them while they were still aboard ship in Boston Harbor. Homes was then invited to dinner with the Lieutenant Governor.28 Sewall subsequently presented them with gold angels, a gift he also gave to Cotton and Increase Mather and to the Reverend Ebenezer Pemberton of the Old South Church — a notably honorable reception at a time when Irish immigrants were rarely welcomed with such warmth in Boston.
Sewall also notes in his diary on Dec 2 that he presented them with angels. A gift he also gave to Cotton and Increase Mather and to Rev Ebenezer Pemberton of the Old South Church. This is an honorable welcome at a time when the Irish in general were often not welcomed in Boston.
Sewall and Homes developed a genuine mutual regard.29 Sewall thanked Homes in correspondence for naming him in the dedication of his recent book, and he regularly gifted copies of Homes’s printed sermons to others in his circle.
Two entries in Sewall’s diary from the months before Homes’s arrival are interesting:
6 Apr 1714 -Mr. Thomas Mayhew, Mr. Allen, Father, Mr. Haws, and others come in to see us. … Mr. Torry and Cathcart dine with us, and Mr. Homes, who boards at Mr. Allen’s, to teach School.
7 Apr 1714. Major Thaxter and I went to the Gay Head, accompanied by Mr. Thomas Mayhew, Mr. Josiah Torrey, Mr. Ebenezer Allan, Mr. Robert Cathcart, Mr. Benjamin Haws, Mr. John Denison, Mr. Robert Homes, David Sinclar, Major Skiff, and Mr. Experience Mayhew,
The second entry is likely William’s son Robert who had preceded William to New England, but this is not likely the “Mr. Homes, who boards at Mr. Allen’s, to teach School.” The identity of this Mr Homes is an intriguing mystery
Land and Property on the Vineyard
Homes took over the Chilmark ministry from the Reverend Ralph Thatcher, who had resigned. He purchased Thatcher’s property of approximately forty-five acres, including a dwelling house and a full share in the common lands of Chilmark for £180.30 In 1717 he settled any remaining dispute regarding his earlier interest in Squibnocket Neck, securing life-long grazing rights for one hundred sheep for himself and his wife.21 Throughout the 1720s he continued to acquire parcels of land around his farm, later selling various allotments — most often to his sons-in-law of the Allen family.
Diary
Homes’s diary1 — a bound volume of ninety-six quarto pages, closely written in contemporary leather covers — survives at the Maine Historical Society, with a digitized copy available through the Congregational Library and Archives1. Its entries are largely weekly, focused primarily on his sermon texts, but also chronicle community events, natural phenomena, and the rhythms of island life with a directness that brings the period vividly to life. A selection of entries gives a sense of its texture:
- February the 18th 1716/17. A violent storm snow and sleet is described lasting several days during which many sheep were buried under the snow.
- March 22 1716/17. Python sheep that had been buried under snow that fell February 21, one of which was still alive. She was taken out the 23rd of March live and continue deliver several days; she had continued under the snow without any food about 31 days.
- August 15, 1718. This day about two o’clock in the afternoon, several children, particularly Benjamin Ward and Thomas Allen having at a shotgun and some powder were diverting themselves near John Allen spawn, where considerable quantity of English grain and hay, some in the barn, and some near it and stacks. Benjamin Ward having a brand of fire in his hand, seem his uncle Captain Mayhew riding by to discernment, through the brand out of his hands, his uncle might not see it. It chanced to fall near some English grain, which presently took fire, and consume the barn and all English grain ashes in a very short time. All or most of the men in town, presently came with an intent to extinguish the flames, but they did not affect anything.
- October 19, 1718. Among the last, the house of Mr. Zephaniah Mayhew was burned to the ground by an accidental fire, and much of his household stuff in wearing clothes were consumed in the flames. On Thursday, James McClellan came here to look after his sons effects and went last week to Nantucket on that design.
- December 16, 1718. This evening, about eight o’clock, Captain Zaccheus Matthews barn caught fire. How is not certainly known, and burn down to the ground, together with all his hey, except one load.
- January 10 1719/20. The week past has been very cold, specially Thursday last. Mr. Bryce Blair by a fall yesterday in the evening, broke his left arm above the elbow.
- September 4, 1720. Our house was raised on Tuesday of this week, been the sixth day.
- December 25, 1720. Our people here. Some of them brought a drift whale ashore at Squibnocket on Friday and cut her up on Saturday.
- July 12 1724. On Friday, last we raised our new meetinghouse. Gershon Cathcart, a young man belonging to Newtown fell from the third story, and was very much bruised. His recovery is uncertain. His reason seems not to be impaired by his fall. Lord make the Providence a wakening to others.
- August 23, 1724. I took occasion to reprove some young folk publicly for their irreverent and profane deportment in the time of God’s public worship.
- October 19, 1724. About three and the afternoon the chimney in the room where I commonly stay caught fire and been very all burned fiercely, which put the whole house in no small danger. It continued to burn throughout the night. It was daytime and the wind was very high, yet to the mercy of God, we receive no great damage, only the mantle tree caught fire and is partly damnified. Several of our neighbors came to our assistance seasonably, I desire to bless God for our preservation.
- January 10 1724/25. Last Monday son Allen carried two men prisoners to Boston viz: Captain Lane and Mr. McGowan.
- December 5, 1725. Last week, a sloop came ashore on the south side of the island. The men and cargo were saved. The master having been long sick, died Friday night last and was buried this day. His name was Cash. The sloop belonged to Rhode Island.
- March 13 1725/26. The snow, which is continued for most part, since sometime in November is now almost gone.
- August 27, 1727. We had an account last week, the King George died June 11 last past in Germany, on his journey to Hannover, and that his son, the Prince of Wales was proclaimed king under title of George II.
- November 5, 1727. Last Lord’s day, in the afternoon, about 11 o’clock. We had a shock of an earthquake, the continued above a minute. It was considerably great, but seemed to be greater in some places than others, whether it had been felt in all the country over or not. I have not yet heard.
- November 12, 1727. I understand that the earthquake was much more severe easterly than in these parts.
- December 31, 1727. We had a passed on Wednesday last on account of the earthquake.
- July 7, 1728. We appointed Wednesday last to be up served as a public fast, but we had a plentiful rain on Tuesday which occasioned our changing the fast into a Thanksgiving.
- June 8, 1729. I baptized a Negro of Captain Mayhew called Caesar this day.
- July 9, 1737. Last night we had excessive rains, which raised the rivers upon this island to such degree that the dams of the water mills were carried away by them. And the mowing ground near the rivers was very much damnified, to the great loss of several of the inhabitants.
- August 11, 1737. The sky towards the north and northwest compared with an unusual redness, which continued for some time extending itself more and more easterly. About 11, the red was mixed with white streaks that were very luminous, being broad below and gradually growing narrower until they ended in a point. About midnight there appeared a bow, reaching from east to west in the form rainbow, only there was no diversity of colors, the whole bow was luminous, so the air was lighter than it is it full moon, though it was two or three days before the change of the moon. It did rather to one daylight before the sun rises than moonlight.
- December 7, 1737. About 10 at night. It was felt by several persons on the island, the shock of an earthquake.
- November 21, 1738. There came a ship ashore on the south side of the island, belonging to New York. She came last from Jamaica: the lading and men’s lives were saved, but it is supposed to ship cannot be got off again.
- September 17, 1740. We observed through the island as a day of fasting and prayer to beg mercy of God, that the distemper that has prevailed among us for some time might be removed and health restored. The child of Zechariah Hatch died of throat distemper this night.
- September 6, 1741. We had this summer drought that hurt both the grass and the Indian corn very much. This was accompanied with an unusual number of grasshoppers that devoured both grass and corn.
- November 12, 1741. We had General Thanksgiving appointed by our governor, William Shirley Esq..
Published Works
Homes was the author of several works on church government and devotional life. His output, modest in quantity but consistent in purpose, reflects the preoccupations of a Reformed minister engaged with questions of polity, scriptural authority, and domestic piety:
- Proposals of some things to be done in church government, Boston, Printed for B. Gray, at his shop, no. 2. at the head of the Town-Dock., 1732.
- A discourse concerning the publick reading of the Holy Scriptures by the Lords people, in their religious assemblies, Boston, Printed by B. Green., 1720
- A brief and plain discourse,wherein the doctrine of the Sabbath is explained, Boston, N.E., Printed by Gamaliel Rogers in Long Lane, for Samuel Gerrish at the lower end of Cornhill., 1727.
- The good government of Christian families recommended, Boston, Printed for D. Henchman in Cornhil., 1747.
Death & Estate
William Homes died on 20 June 1746 in Chilmark, Dukes County, Massachusetts, in his eighty-fourth year. His wife Katherine outlived him by nearly eight years, dying on 10 April 1754. Gravestones in the Abel Hill Cemetery in Chilmark mark their resting place, alongside that of their son John.
Homes made his will in 1743, when he described himself as “far advanced in Years and Under Severall Decays of Body, yett thro’ Mercy of Sound Judgment & Memory.” The document is notable for the care with which he provided for his wife and his unmarried daughter Hannah, and for a poignant codicil noting the reported death of a grandson in England:30
I William Homes of Chilmark in Dukes County in the Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, Clerk. Being far advanced in Years and Under Severall Decays of Body, yett thro’ Mercy of Sound Judgment & Memory Calling to mind the Shortness & great uncertainty of humane Life, not knowing How Soon it may Pleas God to call me home by Death, Am Willing According to my Duty to Sett my House in Order while I Enjoy Some measure of health Therefore I make my Last Will and Testament in manner following. —
Imp: I commend my Soul to God the father of Spirits In hope and Expectation of the free & full Pardon of all my Sins Thro’ the Merits of the Lord Jesus Christ my Only Saviour and that I shall in the way of free grace Obtain an Inheritance among those that are Sanctified: And my Body I Commit to the Earth to be Buried in Christian and Decent manner by my friends In the belief and Hope of the Resurrection of the Dead According to the Holy Scriptures: —
Item My Will Is that my funerall Expenses and all my Just debts which shall be found Due by me to any Person or Persons at my Death be paid out of my Estate by my Executors herein after Named In Convenient time —
Item: It is my will, That all my Estate both Real & Personall, Remain in the possession and Improvement of my beloved Wife Katharen Homes during her naturall Life, for her own Support & for the Support and Maintenance of my Daughter Hannah Homes, If she shall Continue unmarried until the Death of my sd Wife & it is my Will that all my Debts that shall be found due to me at my death, be paid to my sd Wife, and that she have the yearly Profit arising to me out of the Privilege I have in Squibnockett for her own proper use
Item My Will is that my Daughter Hannah if she shall marry after my Death and before the Death of her Mother, have out of my Estate as a Portion One hundred Pounds to be paid her by my Executors; and in Case she shall not marry my Will is she have One Hundred Pounds Over and above her Equall Share of my Estate with the rest of my Daughters. —
Item: It is my will that my whole Estate Reall & Personall after my Death and the Death of my Wife be Equally Divided among my Children (viz) my Grandsons William & Robert Homes, my Daughters Margaret Allen, Katharen Smith, Jane Allen, Elizabeth Hutchinson, Hannah Homes, and Margery Daggett, to them & their Heirs. —
Finally I Ordain and Appoint my beloved wife above Named, and my Son in law Silvanus Allen my Executors to see that this my Last Will & Testament be Duly Executed according to the True Intent thereof: In Witness whereof I have Hereunto Set my hand and Seal this 2. day of February 1743/4.
Signed Sealed & Declared to be
my Last Will & Testament In Presence
of
Beriah Tilton
William BassettHaving heard that my Grandson Robert Homes is Dead in England. In Case it be so, my will is that what I Designed for him, be given to my grandson Robert & his heirs
His estate was valued at over £1,700, a substantial sum for a colonial minister. The principal items included:
- Land – £1200
- 80 sheep, 20 lambs – £110
- cattle – £50
- Books – £72
- Hats, wigs and wearing apparel – £31
- chocolate and coffee set, silver – £28
The valuation of his library at £72 is perhaps the most striking single figure in the inventory. This represented an extraordinary collection for a colonial minister — almost certainly including the scholarly volumes that Samuel Sewall and others had gifted him over the decades, as well as his own working theological library accumulated across two continents.
His Broader Legacy in Irish Emigration
William Homes’s significance probably extends beyond his own ministry. He built a life that spanned two continents and left traces in the records of two churches and the histories of two communities. It seems likely that his wide kinship network and his standing within the Ulster Presbyterian community enabled him to transmit first-hand knowledge of American conditions across the Atlantic. If so, he was not merely a participant in the story of Ulster-Scots emigration to the New World, but in his quiet, ministerial way, one of its early influences. He was a small but notable thread in the great tapestry of Ulster-Scots emigration.
References
2. PRONI T808/14993, Extracts from the minutes of the Presbytery of Laggan, Co. Donegal relating to the appointment of Ministers
3. PRONI CR5/5/B/5/1, Volume containing a transcribed copy of minutes of the Presbytery of Antrim, 1654-1658, of the Laggan Presbytery, 1672-1695 (apart from 1681-1690), of Down Presbytery, 1706-1715, and of Bangor Presbytery, 1739-74.
4. Records of the General Synod of Ulster, V1, Presbyterian Church of Ireland, Belfast 1890
7. A Genealogy of the Allen Family from 1568 to 1882 By Joshua Allen, Henry A. Homes · 1882, p.25
8. Lineage of the Bowens of Woodstock, Connecticut
By Edward Augustus Bowen · 1897, p.208
9. History, By Yale University. Class of 1868 · 1914, Henry Freeman Homes, p.157
11. Mrs. Arthur James Trethewey, “A Chipman Family History,” New England Historical and Genealogical Register 91 (1937), 159-176
12. In the Days of the Laggan Presbytery By Alexander G. Lecky · 1908
13. Scotch Irish Pioneers in Ulster and America by Charles Knowles Bolton · 1910, p.79-90
15. Robert Holmes of Castlefin, Co. Donegal, gent.(admin of estate granted) to Hugh Devey [Davey?] of Londonderry prin cred, JANETTA the Wid., WILLIAM of Castlefinn the son, admin granted 6 day July 1697 (Betham Genealogical Abstracts, Series description Series 2, admons.: v. 24 “H” 1668-1725)
16. TCD MS 6232, ‘Hearth money roll for county Donegal, 1665’, accessed on VRTI (24 March 2026).
17. Fasti of the Irish Presbyterian Church 1613-1840 by James Mcconnell, B.A.
19. Mayhew to Homes 1690, Dukes County Deed V1, p.175
20. Homes to Mayhew 1691, Dukes County Deed V1, p.127
21. Mayhews to Homes, Dukes County Deed v3, p.333, 17 Sep 1717
22. A True Narrative of the Rise and Progress of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (1623-1670), by Rev. Patrick Adair
23. Dictionary of Irish Biography, Robert Craighead
24. Will dated 26 Dec 1693 of Thomas Wilson of Strabane, merchant, bequeaths to wife Agnes Wilson als Stewart the house and lands called Burnes tenement for life and then to son John Wilson. Also named are sons Thomas and Francis. Son John Wilson to be administrator and friends Mr. John Crawford and Mr. WILLIAM Homes to be overseers. Witnessed by John Crawford and WILLIAM Homes. (TGA, Bundle 11 nos. 2081-2562, File 173, Source: Diocese of Derry Will) and (Restoration Strabane, 1660-1714, William J Roulston, Dublin, 2007, p. 52 with reference to PRONI T1026/6 p.20) and (Glenn, Thomas Allen. “Genealogical Gleanings of the Wilson, or Willson’s, of Ulster.” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 38, no. 3 (1914): 346–54. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20086179.)
25. Prerogative Will. William Maxwell Strabane Co Tyrone Mercht 1709
I Wm Maxwell of Strabane Co Tyrone Mercht &c do make my will &c – Body to be buried in Church yard of Strabane &c I bequeath to my Son John Maxwell 20/- he having been already provided for. My Son in law Wm Cairnes now of Limerick Mercht deposited £100 I received by hands of Wm Cairnes late of Dublin Mercht dec. for use of my grandson Wm Cairnes son of sd Wm Cairnes of Limerick &c &c I order the £200 marriage protion I promised my Son in law Mr Wm Aghanleck with my eldest dau Rebecca be pd to him. I bequeath to my dau: Jane Maxwell £110 towards her Marr: portion & I bequeath to her the house now possessed by Rob Patterson in Strabane I lately purchased from the heirs of Thos Coningham Merch“ Dec. &c &c. I bequeath to my dau: Mary £210. I leave to the poor of the Par of Camus juxta Morn £8. I bequeath Mr Wm Holmes Presbyterian Minister of Strabane £3. I bequeath all my plate to my daus Rebecca Aughenleck Jane & Mary & household goods. I bequeath to my dear brother Oliver Mocausland &c &c. My Exors to have the care of my Tan house &c. I constitute my good friends Mr John Wilson & Mr John Love both of Strabane Merchts Exors – My good friends Arthur Maxwell of Drumbeg Co Down. Sd Oliver McCausland Esq & Alexdr Tomkins of Prehen of Londonderry overseers.
Dated 9 Ap 1709
Proved 15 June 1709 by John Love
[Jane Maxwell on 7 Dec 1711 m. Gervais Kennedy b. 24 March 1684-5 d. 17– Their eldest son was Wm Kennedy who m. 1 Nov. 1739 Easter Crookshank dan. of Geo. Crockshank of Derry] (PRONI T581/3 p,192)
26. Derry Will. Mary Maxwell Strabane Date 1709
1 Mary Maxwell of Strabane Co Tyrone youngest daugh: of Wm Maxwell late of Strabane Merch dec: &c &c. do make this my last will &c this 16 Sept 1709 – &c &c And as to such legacies goods &c which was left me by the will of my Father W Maxwell &c &c – 1 bequeath the same as follows – I bequeath to my brother John Maxwell 3 guineas with a silver Server & 1 Small silver cann which two pieces of plate are now in possession of John Wilson of Strabane Mercht &c &c I bequeath to my sister Jane Maxwell £200 &c with all my share of the household goods which was left me by my Father’s will &c &c, & all my wearing apparel &c The remainder of my plate I bequeath as follows To my nephew W Cairnes 1 silver Tankard To my niece Jane Harvey 1 Silver Tumbler To my Sister Mrs Rebecca Aughinleck 1 soup spoon 8 small spoons & 2 silver salts. I bequeath to my coz Alexander Tomkins of Prehen gent 1 guinea to buy him a ring Also to my Aunt Mrs Rebecca Tomkins, my uncle Arthur Maxwell of Drumbeg Co Down Esq. my Aunt Katherine Maxwell his wife 1 guinea Ea to buy rings Also to my brother in law Mr John Harvey Minister My uncle Mr Richd Maxwell & my brother in law Mr Wm Aughinleck guinea ea to buy rings. I bequeath to the poor of the Par of Camus als Strabane £5 to be pa to my Aunt Mrs Rebecca Tomkins to dispose of 1 bequeath to Mr Wm Holmes Presbyterian Minister of Strabane 2 guineas I bequeath to Mrs Joanna Hamilton wid for attendance during my sickness £6 &c I bequeath to James Lyon of Strabane for his trouble &c £3. I bequeath to my foster sister Elisth Wilson daugh of Saml Wilson £3 &c &c Balance of goods &c to my two sisters Mrs Rebecca Achinleck & Mrs J. Maxwell equally. I appoint my cousin Mr Alexr Tomkins Prehen, my brother in law Mr Wm Aghinleck & my sister Jane Maxwell Exors
Dated 16 Sept 1709
Witnesses: Horas Kennedy, Mathew Morray, Robt Houstown, John Harvey
(PRONI T581 p.202-3)
27. Memorial of Deed of release dated March 4, 1712 whereby Mr William Homes of Strabane, clke and his wife Catherine, in consideration of 60 pounds transfer to Samuel Sinclair of Bairnie [Bearney] in the parish of Camus, Co Tyrone all that messuage, house or tenement with backhouses, backside and gardens situated in the town of Strabane containing in front to the streetwards 45 feet and extending eastwards to the back lane that leads from the upper end of town to Coll. Hamill’s Orchard (which orchard Coll. David Creighton now enjoys) and bounded on the southeast by a tenement heretofore belonging to William Maxwell, merchant, deceased (now to Thomas Powrdon) and on the northwest by a tenement heretofore belonging to John Gamble, merchant, deceased (now to said Samuel)… witnessed by James Smelie [Smyly], Robert Smelie [Smyly] and Samuel Sinclair, Jr. Memorial dated July 6, 1713. (RD 13/30/4751)
29. Letter-book of Samuel Sewall by Samuel Sewall · 1888
30. Rev William Homes of Chilmark, Will and Probate, Dukes County Probate, Dukes, Massachusetts, United States records, images, FamilySearch, image 536 of 585;Image Group Number: 007705438
Property Transactions on the Vineyard
Dukes County Deed V1, p.175, 3 Apr 1690
To all Christian people to whom these presents shall come greeting maybe known that [whereas] Attorney to Collonell Thomas Dungan Lord of ye Manor of Marthas Vineyard & Martha’s Vineyard [aforesaid] greeting—
Know ye that ye sd Matthew by virtue of sd attorney ship to him given and granted and by these presents do give and grant ratify and confirm unto William Homes a certain neck of land lying on ye south side of sd Marthas Vineyard commonly called and known by the name Squepnacket bounded northeastwardly northwestwardly and north westwardly by a high pond, southwardly southeastwardly and southwestwardly by the ocean called the South Sea westwardly by a line drawn from ye westward [point] or part of ye fresh pond southwardly to ye south sea east-wardly by the eastward side of a creek on ye east side of [Tohone?] commons called ye fish [weire?]: To have and to hold the sd neck of land with all and every ye rights members and appurtenances, swamps, woods, underwoods, meadows, beaches, within the bounds and limits aforesaid and every ye profits and commodities of ye sd neck of land being belonging and appertaining to the sd William Homes his heirs and assigns for ever [yielding] and paying to ye sd Collonell Thomas Dungan his heirs successors or assigns Lords of ye manner aforesaid as such [time?] as shall be [taken?] [by?] ye manner appointed one good fat lamb not under ye age of six weeks if demanded yearly and every year for ever in lieu of all other rents and services in witness whereof I ye sd Matthew Mayhew have to these presents subscribed with my hand and put to my seal this third day of April Anno Dom: one thousand six hundred and ninety [3 Apr 1690]. Matthew Mayhew. Signed and sealed in presence of us Thomas Mayhew, Samuel Sarson
The above sd Matthew Mayhew acknowledged the above written to be his act and deed before me. Thomas Mayhew Justice of ye peace
Memorandum that the above Matthew Mayhew gent: on ye five and twentieth day of September Anno Dom: 1690 gave unto William Homes lawful and peaceable possession of all ye land in ye within deed [purported] to be granted according to ye import and true meaning thereof in presence of Thomas Mayhew Justice of ye peace
The deed was entered October 29th 1690
Dukes County Deed V1, p.127, 3 Apr 1691
[To all Christian people to whom these presents shall come] William Homes sendeth greeting Know ye me ye sd William Homes to have given and granted and by these presents doe give and grant rattifie convoigh & confirme unto me Thomas Mayhew a certain neck of land lying and being on the South Side of marthas vineyard commonly called and known by the name Squspannacat [Squibnocket] northeastwardly northwardly and northwestwardly by a fresh pond southwardly southwestwardly and southeastwardly by the ocean called ye South Sea westwardly by a line drawn from the westward point or part of ye fresh pond to the South Sea eastwardly by ye eastward side of a creeke on ye East side of sd necke commonly cald the fish ware To have and to hold ye sd necke of land with all and every the rights members and appurtenances Swamps woods meadowes beaches within ye bounds and limits aforesd and every the profitts and commodities to the sd necke of land being belonging and appertaining to him ye sd Thomas Mayhew his heirs or assigns therefor yealding rendering and paying to the sd William Homes his heirs and assigns one good fat lamb not under the age of Six weekes yearly and every year for ever in lieu of all other rents services; in witness whereof ye sd William Homes have to these presents Subscribed with my hand and put to my Seale this third day of Aprill an: Dom: one thousand Six hundred ninety and one. Signed – William Homes [Seal]
Signed & Sealed in presence of Benjamin Skiffe, James Allen
The within mentioned William Homes acknowledged the above written instrument to be his act and Deed may the 7th an: Dom: 1691 — Before me Richard Sarson, Justis of peace
Entered may 20th 1694
Dukes County Deed v3, p.102, 14 Apr 1715
To all Christian people to whom these presents shall come Ebenezer Allen of the town of Chilmark in Dukes County in the Province of the Massachusetts Bay high sheriff of Dukes County aforesaid and steward and attorney to the Reverend Ralph Thatcher late of the town of Chilmark minister of the Gospel and now an inhabitant in a town called Lebanon in the province of Connecticut send greeting—
Know ye that I Ebenezer Allen by virtue of a full power lodged in me by the warrant Ralph Thacher above named to have bargained and sold and do by these presents for and in consideration of the sum of one hundred and eighty pounds to me well and truly paid before the signing sealing and delivery of these presents the weight whereof I do hereby acknowledge by the Rev. William Homes of Chilmark in Dukes County aforesaid of which sum of money I do hereby fully discharge and acquit the sd William Homes his heirs and assigns for ever give grant sell and convey and confirm unto him the sd William Homes his heirs and assigns for ever a certain tract and parcel of land lying and being in the township of Chilmark aforesaid and bounded eastwardly or northeasterly by a line drawn from a certain Rock near the top of a hill southwestwardly to the place where a marked white oak tree formerly stood—
Extending about forty poles and extending westwardly from thence in a direct line to the easternmost corner of Major Benjamin Skiffs his house lot and from thence extending by the bounds of the sd Major Skiffs lands about fifty poles and on the north or north east side by a direct line drawn from thence to the above mentioned Rock standing on the north east corner of sd parcel of land being by estimation about forty and five acres be it more or less together with a full share in the common land of sd town of Chilmark; which common land is now partly divided and partly undivided…
To have and to hold all the sd tract and parcels of land with a full share in the common lands of Chilmark aforsd… with the house standing upon the premises and all its members and appurtenances whatsoever and all the fences thereon and all that the above named Mr Ralph Thacher doth claim or hath right to claim by virtue of a deed from Major Matthew Mayhew Esq bearing date 13 Feb 1694
In witness whereof the sd Ebenr Allen hath to these presents subscribed with his hand and hath his seal put this fourteenth day of April in the first year of the Reign of Lord and King George by the grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King; and in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and fifteen. Ebenezer Allen [S]. Signed Sealed & Delivered in presence of Benja: Skiff Sarah Skiff
Dukes County Deeds v3, p.349, 5 Dec 1716
To all Christian people to whom these presents shall come John Hilman of the town of Chilmark in Dukes County in the province of Massachusets Bay in New England Junr Sendeth greeting Know ye me the Sd John Hillman for and in consideration of a valuable consideration to me in hand paid before the ensealing of these presents by Experience Mayhew of the town County and provice abovesd Clerk do give and grant a certain tract or parcell of land being about eleven acres more or less lying and being in the township of Chilmark abovesd it being the tenth allotment of land as layd out in the common lands belonging to the proprits of sd town of Chilmark reference thereunto being had it lying and being and adjoyning to a lot of land on the East belong ing to Pain Mayhew Esqr on the East and on the West to a lot of land laid out in sd dursion to McRalph Thacher , now belonging to Mr William Homes of Sd town of Chilmark , to have and to hold the sd land with all the wood and time and under wood standing for lying on the same with all the privelledges and appurtenances thereunto belonging or in any wise appertaining to him the sd Experience Mayhew his heirs executors administrators or assigns to his and their sole use behooffe , & benefit forever free from me the sd John Hilman my heirs or assignes or any other person whatsoever claiming any right to the same or any part thereof and in witness and confirmation of the premises I the sd John Hilman have hereunto put my hand & seal this fifth day of Decembr one thousand seaven hundred and sixteen . Signed Sealed and delivered in presence of Pain Mayhew Janr John Helman ℗ Pain Mayhen Dukes County SS . Ye above named John Hillman appeared before me the subscriber and acknowledged ye above written to be his act and deed the day and year above written Pain Mayhew Justice of ye Peace . Entred August ye 11 1718
Dukes County Deed v3, p.333, 17 Sep 1717
The Indenture made 17 Sep 1717 Between Zachr Mayhew & Zephaniah Mayhew farmers both of Chilmark in Dukes County… on the one part and Mr. William Homes of the same town… on the other part—
Witnesseth that whereas Zachs and Zephaniah Mayhew sons of Thomas Mayhew Esqr late of Chilmark deceased being in possession of a certain Neck of land lying and being in Dukes County aforesaid which the sd William Homes was formerly inhabited unto and of late alleged that he hath still some right & interest in… formerly called Squibnocket which neck was given and granted unto them the sd Zachr & Zephaniah Mayhew by the abovesd Thomas Mayhew their father in his life time…
Now the sd William Homes doth by these presents for himself his heirs and assigns conclude covenant and agree that the sd Zacharias and Zephaniah Mayhew their heirs and assigns shall for the future peaceably & quietly have hold possess and enjoy all the sd neck of land… And the sd Zachs & Zephaniah Mayhew do… grant unto him the sd William Homes and Kathren his now wife the liberty privilege & benefit of keeping and pasturing in the abovesd Squibnocket, neck one hundred sheep winter & summer yearly & every year during the term and time of their natural lives or the longest liver of them…
In Witness of all which the parties above named have to these presents interchangeably set their hands & seals the day & year first above written.
Zachr Mayhew [S] Zephaniah Mayhew [S]
Signed Sealed & Delivered in presence of Ebenezer Allen Elisabeth Allen
Dukes County Septembr ye twenty sixth anno: Dom: 1717 The within Zacharias & Zephaniah Mayhew acknowledged this instrument to be their act & deed before me Ebenezer Allen Justice of the peace.
Entered April ye 10: 1718
Dukes County Deeds v3 p.398, 16 Apr 1719
To all Christian people to whom these p[re]sents shall come William Homes of ye town of Chilmark in Dukes County and in ye prouance of ye massachusets bay in New-England Clark send greeting know ye me ye sd Willm homes for and in Consideration of ye full and Just sum of thirty pounds Curant mony in New England to me in hand paid before ye ensealing of these p[re]sents by Benjamin Hilman & Jonathan Hilman both of ye town abovesd husbandmen have given and granted and do by Vertue of these p[re]sents give grant Rattify and Confirm unto ye sd Benjamin and Jonathan hilman a certain tract or parsell of land lying and being in Chilmark aforsd being about fourteen acres more or less being ye eleventh lot of or allotment of land laid out in ye first devision of Comon land in ye sd town of Chilmark and is butted and bounded as may appear of record in the Trust of sd devision bearing date october ye nineteenth anno: 1713 referance thereunto being had: To have hold posses and injoy ye sd Lands and premises with all ye proffits previledges and appertanances to ye same being belonging or any ways appertaining to ye same or any part or parcell thereof: to ye sd Benjamin and Jonathan Hilman their each and every of their heires Executors administrators or assignes & Every of their Sole use behooff and bennefit for Ever free from me ye sd Willm Homes my heirs Executors administrators or assignes or any other person or persons Claiming any Right title or Intrest in ye same or any part or parcel thereof and in witness and Confirmation of ye premises I ye above named Willm Homes have hereunto put to my hand and seal this sixteenth day of april and in ye yeare of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and nineteen.
Signed sealed & d:d: | Catherine ye wife of ye abouenamed in p[re]sents of | Willm homes in tack taken of her free consent | of ye above bargan and sale as also for her Ann Smith giving up her Right of Dower in ye same Pain Mayhew hath hereunto put her hand and Seal ye | Day and year above written.
Dukes County ss: ye Day and yeair | Willm Homes {S} above writen ye above named William | X X X hom[es] [and Catherine] his wife psonally | Kathrin Homes {S} [appeared before] me one of his | [Majesties Justices of the] County | [and acknowledged this] Instrument to | Entred febry [be their act and deed] Mayhew | ye 17: 1719/20
Dukes County deed v3, p.400, 16 Apr 1719
To all Christian people to whome these p[re]sents shall come, John Hilman Senr of Chilmark in Dukes County & in the province of ye Massachusets Bay in New England yeoman Sendeth greeting Know ye me the sd John Hilman for and in Consideration of the Summ of thirteen pounds of good and Lawfull Mony in and of the sd province to me in hand paid before the Signing & Sealing hereof the Receipt whereof Do hereby acknow- ledge To have given and granted and by these p[re]sents Do give grant sell & confirm unto unto the reverend William Homes of the Same Town County and province abovesd Clerk one quarter of a lot of land in the Second devision of the common lands belonging to the sd town of Chilmark cald the fifteenth lot lying and being in the sd town and bounded on the west side partly by a lot of land which belongs to mr Matthew Mayhew and partly by the house lot of old abed the indian and on the north by a Straight line drawn from the Northeast corner of sd abeds house lot to a piece of meadow land belonging to mr John Allen and on the East Side of mr William Tilton and on the South by land belonging to the sd william Homes & Tilton To Have & to hold posses & Enjoy sd quarter of a lot of land being Estimation Six acres and an half be it more or less with all the rights numbers wood & underwood with all the proffits and appurtenances thereunto belonging or any way appertaining unto him the sd William Homes his heirs and assigns for ever without any Suite trouble molestation or Disturbance from him the sd John Hilman his heirs or assignes for ever and the sd John Doth by these p[re]sents firmly bind & oblige himself his heirs and assignes that he will warrant and Defend the sd william his heirs and assigns in the quiet and peaceable possession of the sd quarter of a lot of land against all persons whatsoever claiming any right title or interest in or to ye sd quarter of the lot of land above Described by from or under him or them Witness of the whole premises the sd John Hilman hath hereunto Set his hand and Seal this Sixteenth day of april anno: Dom: one thousand Seven hundred and nineteen and in the fifth year of the Reigne of our Soveraigne Lord George by the grace of God of great Britain France and Ireland King. John Hilman {S}
Signed Sealed & Delivered in the presence of Pain Mayhew and Ann Smith
Dukes County ss | The day and year above written ye above named John Hilman personally appeared before me | the Subscribed one of his Majesties Justices of the peace for sd county and acknowledged the above | written instrument to be his act and Deed
Entred february 27: 1719/20
Dukes County deed v3, p.401, 20 Jan 1719/20
To all Christian people to whom these presents shall come William Homes of Chilmark in Dukes County and in the province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England clerk sendeth greeting— Know ye me the sd William Homes for and in consideration of the sum of twenty and six pounds, of good and lawful money in and of sd province to me in hand paid before the signing and sealing hereof, the weight whereof I do hereby acknowledge; To have given and granted and by these presents do give grant sell & confirm unto John Allen Sheriff of the same town County and province abovesd one half of a lot of land in the second Division of the common lands belonging to sd town of Chilmark, called the fifteenth lot lying and being in the sd town of Chilmark…
…and bounded on the west side by the high way joining to house of old Abel the Indian and on the north by a straight line drawn from the northeast corner of sd Abels house lot to a piece of inclosed land belonging to John Allen and on the east side partly by John Allens land abovesd and partly by the land of Mr. William Tilton and on the south by half of a lot which did belong to Isaac Little late of Plymouth and now to his heirs which is now improved by William Tilton above named…
To have and to hold, possess and enjoy sd half lot of land, being by estimation thirteen acres be it more or less with all the rights members, wood and underwood, with all profits and appurtenances thereunto belonging…
In witness of the premises I the sd William have hereunto set my hand and seal this twentieth Day of January anno Dom, one thousand seven hundred and nineteen alias twentieth and in the sixth year of the Reign of our Sovereign lord George King of Great Britain France & Ireland etc. Will: Homes [Seal]. Signed Sealed & Delivered in presence of Ebenezer Allen and Katherin Homes.
Memorandum; that the words (a high way be) were interlined between the tenth and eleventh line before the signing and sealing of this instrument.
Dukes County Jan: 20th 1719/20: This day the abovesd William Homes appeared before me Ebenezer Allen Esqr one of his majesties justices of peace for sd county and acknowledged the above instrument to be his act & deed.
Eben Allen. Entered Feb 27: 1719/20
Dukes County Deed v4 p.207, 26 Oct 1726
To all Christian People to whom these presents Shall Come William Homes of Chilmark In Dukes County and Province of ye Massachusetts Bay in New England Clarke sendeth Greeting—
Know ye me the sd William Homes for and in Consideration of ye sume of fifty and eight pounds of Currant mony in New England aforsd to me well and truly paid by Thomas McGee Tailor and John McGee weaver Both of ye Town County and Province above sd before ye Signing Sealing and Delivery of these presents the receipt whereof I Do hereby acknowledge… to have for me my heirs and assigns bargained Sold conveyed and confirmed to them ye sd Thomas and John McGee… a certain parcell of Land Lying and being within ye township of Chilmark abovesd being ye Sixth Lot in ye Second Division of ye Common Land belonging to sd town made by order of ye proprietors thereof: the said Lot and parcell of Land with all the wood and under wood growing and Lying thereon…
To have and to hold possess and enjoy the sd lot and parcel of Land with all the rights and profits thereunto belonging to them ye sd Thomas and John McGee their heirs and assigns… free from all duties quitrents and services whatsoever from me the sd William Homes my heirs and assigns…
In witness whereof I ye sd William Homes have to these presents subscribed with my hand and have my Seal put this twenty & sixth day of October in the thirteenth year of our Sovereign Lord George by ye Grace of God of Great Briton Franc & Ireland King and in ye year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred twenty & Six. William Homes [Seal]
Signed Sealed & Delivered In Presence of ? Homes, Hannah Homes
Entered August 18th Day 1727
Dukes County deed v5 p.4, 28 Jan 1728
Know all Men by these presents that I Pain Mayhew of Chilmark in Dukes County in ye province of ye Massachusetts Bay in New England Gent. Man for and in Consideration of ye full and Just Sum of thirty pounds Currant money in New England to me in hand paid before ye Ensealing of these presents by Mr. William Homes of ye town County and province aforesaid Clerk, Do give grant Rattify Convey and Confirme unto ye sd William Homes a Certain Tract or parcel of Land Lying and being in Chilmark aforesaid Containing thirteen acres and is butted and Bounded as follows viz.
Beginning at a Great Rock on a hill being ye Northerly Corner of ye sd homes’s land and to Extend westerly from sd Rock Sixty six Rods and Eighty Rods Bounded Northerly by a Line Drawn from sd Rock west Sixty six Rods as aforesaid: & South Easterly Corner of other land of sd homes’s land to Extend westerly by sd homes’s land all ye same breadth (viz) twenty Six Rods untill it meet with a westernmost End of ye first mentioned Sixty Six Rods so as to make thirteen Acres in whole.
To have and to hold ye sd granted and bargained premises as above bounded together with all and singular ye profits privileges and appurtenances to ye Same being belonging or in any wise appertaining to him ye sd William Homes his heirs Exects administrators or Assignes, to his and their Each and Every of their Sole use behoof and benefit for Ever free from me ye sd Pain Mayhew my heirs Exects administs or Assignes or any other person or persons Laying any Claime to ye Same or any part thereof…
In witness of ye above Named Pain Mayhew have hereunto put my hand and Seal ye twenty Eighth Day of January in ye year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and twenty Eight.
Pain Mayhew [Seal]. Signed Sealed in presents of Zac. Allen, John Mayhew
Dukes County ss November ye 7th 1729
The above Named Pain Mayhew personally appeared before me ye Subscriber and acknowledged ye above written to be his act and Deed.
Benj. Allen Justice of Peace
Entered November 10th 1729
Dukes County deed v5 p.289, 29 Jan 1728
Know all men by These Presents yt I William Homes of Chilmark in Dukes County, in ye Province of ye Massachusetts Bay in New England Clerk for and in Consideration of ye Full And Just Sum of Thirty Pounds Currant Money in New England to me in hand Paid Before ye Ensealing of These Presents by Pain Mayhew of ye Town County & Province Aforesd Gentleman Do give and grant and Do by These Presents give Grant Rattify Conveigh And Confirm Unto ye sd Pain Mayhew his heirs And Assignes A Certain Tract or parcell of Land Lying and Being in Chilmark Aforsd Containing Thirteen Acers Being ye Twentyeth Lott in ye Second Division of ye Comon Lands in the Town Abovesd being one hundred and Twenty Rods in Length And Seventeen Rods in Breadth To have And To hold ye Abovesd Lott or Parcell of Land With all And Singular ye profits privileges And Appurtenances To ye Same Being Belonging or any Ways Appertaining To the Same or any Parte Thereof to him ye sd Pain mayhew his heirs Executors Administrators or Assignes to his Their Each And Every of Their Sole Use Behoofe and Benefitt for Ever free from me ye sd Willm Homes my heirs Execs Admrs or Assignes or any other Person or Persons Laying Any Claime to ye Same or any parte Thereof In Wittness and Confirmation of ye Above Written I the Above Named Willm Homes have hereunto Sett my hand and Seall This Twenty Ninth Day of January in the Year of our Lord one Thousand Seven hundred & Twenty Eight —Willm Homes [Seal] Signed Sealed and DD [Delivered] In Presents of Ebenr Allen and John Mayhew
Dukes County ss: The Above Named Willm Homes personally Appeared Before me ye Subscriber and Acknowledged ye Above Written to be His act and Deed
Ebenr. Allen Justice of Peace. Entered Octobr 31st: 1732
Dukes County deed v6 p.159, 14 Jul 1732
Know all men by these Presents That I Silvanus Allen of Chilmark In Dukes County in ye Province of ye Massachusetts bay in New England Yeoman for and in Consideration of a Valuable Sum of Money To me in hand paid before The Sealling hereof by ye Reverend William Homes of the Town and County aforesaid Clerk have given granted Bargained Sold Conveyed And Confirmed unto him ye sd William Homes his heirs And Assignes for Ever A Certain Tract and parcell of Land Lying and being in The Town of Chilmark afsd being the One halfe of ye Eleventh Lott Bounded On the South or Southwardly by the Lands of And Belonging Unto Zaccha Mayhew of the Town afsd Esqr And Northwardly by ye highway And Westwardly by the Lands of And belonging Unto John Allen of sd Town of Chilmark aforsd & Eastwardly by the land of sd Lott afsd —
To have & To hold The said Granted And Bargained Premises with All The Appurtenances Priviledges And Comodities To ye Same Belonging or in Any Wise Appertaining To him ye sd Revd Wm Homes his heirs & Assignes for Ever To his and their only proper Use And benefit And behoofe for Ever and I ye sd Silvanus Allen for me my heirs Execrs And Admrs Do Covenant promise & grant To and with ye Said Revd Wm homes his heirs And Assignes that before ye Ensealling hereof I am ye True And Lawfull owner of ye Above Bargained Premises and have in My Selfe good Right full Power And Lawfull authority To Grant Bargain Sell Convey & Confirme ye sd Bargained Premise in Maner as Abovesd Furthermore I the sd Silvanus Allen for my Selfe my heirs Execrs Admrs Do Covenant and Engage the Above Demised Premises To him ye sd Revd Wm Homes his heirs And Assignes Against ye Lawfull Claimes or Demands of Any person or persons Whatsoever for Ever hereafter To Warrant Secur And Defend —
In WITNESS whereof I the sd Silvanus Allen have hereunto Put my hand And Seall this 14th Day of July In the Year of our Lord 1732 — Silvanus Allen [Seal]. Sign’d Seal’d & Deliver’d In the Presence of John Mayhew and Moriah Allen.
Dukes County ss on the Day and year Abovesd. The Above Silvanus Allen Personally Appeard And Acknowledge’d The Above written Conveyance to be his Act And Deed Before me Ebenr. Allen Justice of Peace. Enter’d Septr ye 22: 1736
Dukes County Deed v7 p.426, 24 Jun 1747
Know all men by these presents That I William Homes of Boston in The County of Suffolk in the Province of the Massachusetts bay in New England Goldsmith For and in Consideration of ye Sum of two hundred Pounds in bills of Credit of ye old Tenor of the Province of ye Massachusetts bay afsd to me in hand paid before The Signing & Sealing of These Presents by John Allen of Chilmark In Dukes County in ye Province afsd Esqr. Do give Grant Convey and Confirm unto him ye sd John Allen his heirs and Assignes for Ever all ye Right Title and Interest That I have or Ever Shall have in all The Estate Real and Personall upland or Meadow And in All ye buildings Which was Given to me by my Grandfather the Reverd Mr. William Homes Late of Chilmark Decd by his Last Will and Testament sd Estate Lying and being in ye Town of Chilmark afd.
To have and To hold all ye Above Convey’d Premises Together With All and Every ye Appurtenances and Priviledges Proffitts and Advantages in any Respects Appertaining or Belonging To sd Estate To ye only Use and Benefitt of him ye sd John Allen his heirs and Assignes for Ever hereafter To be holden from me my heirs and Assigns for Ever Allways Reserving one half of ye Personal Estate That Shall be my part After my Grand Mother’s Decease. In Witness and confirmation of ye Above written I have hereunto Set my hand and Seall this 24th Day of June 1747 — William Homes {Seal} And furthermore Rebecca Wife to sd William In Token of her free Consent To ye Above Bargained Premises as also Quitting her Right of Dower or Power of Thirds in sd Estate hath hereunto Putt her hand and Sett to her Seall the Day and year Above Written. Rebecca Homes {Seal}.
Sign’d Seal’d & Deliver’d in Presence of us James Tyng and Abner West. Suffolk ss Boston June 24: 1747. Then Mr. William Homes and Rebecca Homes his Wife personally Appeard and Acknowledg’d This Instrument to be their act and Deed — Before me Joseph Wadsworth Justice Peace. Dukes County ss July ye 28th 1747. Then ye Within Named James Allen Personally Appeard before me and Acknowledg’d ye Within Deed to be his Voluntary Act And Deed. Zach: Mayhew Justice of the Peace. Enter’d July 29th 1747
Dukes County Probate v4, p.22, 19 Feb 1755
Know all Men by these Presents That Whereas the Reverend Mr. William Homes Late of Chilmark in Dukes County… Did by his Last Will and Testament Give & Bequeath all his Real Estate unto his Children to be Equally divided between them. And John Allen Esqr. & Silvanus Allen Gentleman both of Chilmark aforsd married two of their Daughters… they together with Andrew Boardman of Chilmark aforsd Clerk having purchased of all the other Heirs or Children all the Right Title or Interest… so that now the whole of the sd Estate belongs unto the before mentioned John Allen, Silvanus Allen and Andrew Boardman …mutually agreed to and by these Presents have made Division of the sd Estate… a Straight Line drawn from a Stake Stuck in the Ground on the south side of the sd Tract of Land by the side of the Land belonging unto Pain Mayhew Esqr Crossing the Middle of a Spring of water to a stone wall made by Doc Matthew Mayhew…And that the sd Silvanus Allen and Andrew Boardman are to have and to hold all that part of sd Tract of Land Together with that… Which Lies to the Westward of the aforsd Dividing Line with the Dwelling House thereon… And the sd John Allen is to have all that Tract of Land which Lyeth to the Eastward of the above mentioned Dividing line with the Barn thereon… In Witness and Confirmation whereof we have to these Presents Signed with Our Hands and Put to Our Seals this Nineteenth Day of February Annoq Domini One Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty five. John Allen [Seal], Silvanus Allen [Seal], Andrew Boardman [Seal] In the Presence of Zacheus Mayhew, Rebekah Mayhew
Holmes Genealogy 
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