George Washington Holmes - Part One

My third great grandfather, George Washington Holmes, was born in Tennessee around 1815, at the close of the War of 1812 and in the midst of the Indian Wars. By 1820, he and his family were living in Perry County, Tennessee¹ - a part of Tennessee that had been recently opened to white settlers from land ceded by the Chickasaws. George seemed to inherit a pioneer spirit from his father, often pushing westward into new lands.

At the beginning of my research into George, I had only 3 pieces of information for him: the 1850 census, the 1880 census, and marriage record that I would later find wasn't his. That left me with a lot of questions. I was curious to uncover more of George's life story.

Let’s do this!

Wayne/Perry Counties, Tennessee

I'm starting George's story in Wayne County, Tennessee. It's the 1840 census, and George is adulting - its the first census were he's head of household. The rest of his family members are just marks in a column. The marks tells us that George and his wife² are both 20-30 years old and they have two young children, a boy and a girl, both under 5. The children are probably Samuel M (born about 1839) and Mary Elizabeth (born about 1840).

1840 US Census, Middle District of Tennessee, Wayne County, pages 66/67 (stamped), line 16, Geo W Holms, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com :accessed Nov 2017)

Since Holmes is a common surname, I can't claim every Holmes that I find as an ancestor. I like to look at the people nearby for a connection, and that's the case here. George's brother Absalom is living next door. Their father, uncle, brothers and cousins are counted in 1840 in adjacent Perry County Tennessee.³ In fact, in 1846 George will record 500 acres of land along Cedar Creek in Perry County. Absalom will buy land in the same area in 1848.⁴

Here's the deed where George records land in Perry County:

Middle Tennessee Land Grants, #28705, Roll 95, Book 2 Occupant, Page number 581, Perry County; George W Holms, 4 Feb 1846; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed Nov 2017)

The blue box on the following map shows the Cedar Creek area in Perry County. The line shows the approximate boundary between Wayne and Perry Counties in 1848:

George and his wife have 6 children while living in Tennessee. Hold tight, we're about to find out more about them.

But first, the family is on the move...

Searcy County, Arkansas

In 1850 George Washington Holmes and his family are counted in the Campbell township in Searcy County, Arkansas. They would have arrived in Arkansas sometime between between William A's birth in Tennessee in March 1849 and the date the census taker knocked on their door in October 1850.

This is the first US census where all members of the household are listed by name and age, so we learn a bit more about the family. George is 35 and his wife (assuming) Caroline is 30. Their children are Samuel M, age 11, Mary E[lizabeth], age 10, Martha, age 7, Jacob [Leroy], age 6, John M[ilton], age 3, and William A[braham], age 1. All of these children were born in Tennessee. Keep in mind, we're just assuming these are their children. This census didn't record relationships, so "child" is most likely, but other relationships are possible, too. The 1850 US Federal Census Slave Schedule shows that George also has a 24 year old black male slave.⁵

1850 US Census, Searcy County, Arkansas, population schedule, Campbell township, page 172A (stamped), dwelling 131, family 134, George W Holmes, NARA microfilm publication roll M432_30; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed Nov 2017)

I wish I knew why they all left Tennessee. Seems it was a popular idea, because much of the family is in Arkansas in 1850. George's brother Abram is next door (see above). Then going back one census page:

1850 US Census, Searcy County, Arkansas, population schedule, Campbell township, page 342 (handwritten), dwelling 125, family 127, William Holmes, NARA microfilm publication roll M432_30; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed Nov 2017)

We find brother Jacob L Holmes, cousin William Holmes, and uncle William Holmes.⁶ Not to be left out of the Arkansas family party - cousin Benjamin is in the Tomahawk township in Searcy County.⁷ Brothers Absalom and James Jr are in the Hartzogg township⁸ in neighboring Van Buren County, and cousin Welcome is in the Craig township in Van Buren County.⁹ Super nerd alert - I have a spreadsheet to keep track of the ever moving Holmes family. 

A period map of Arkansas might help, too. Searcy County is north central, in orange. Van Buren County borders Searcy to the south, shown in blue:

Shall, D. F. Colton's railroad & township map of Arkansas complied from the U.S. Surveys and other authentic sources. New York, 1854. Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/98688445/. (Accessed November 28, 2017.)

While living in Arkansas, around 1852, George and Caroline have another daughter - Sarah Ann Holmes.¹⁰ 

Then they're on the move again. Next stop - Missouri. Read Part 2 Here.

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¹ 1820 US census, Perry County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 274 (handwritten), line 18, William Homes; NARA microfilm publication roll M33_122; Image 237; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed Nov 2017)

² I'm making an assumption that the 20-30 year old female in George's household is his wife, and that the wife is Caroline, but there is not enough information to know for sure. Caroline Holmes was born around 1819/1820, so her age does fit that range. Caroline is listed by name on the next census, in 1850, and it's not until the 1880 census until she is listed as George's wife.

³ 1840 US census, West District of Tennessee, Perry County, population schedule, p.165 (stamped), line 2, William Holms; Roll 530; Family History Library Film: 0024547; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed Nov 2017)

⁴ North Carolina and Tennessee, Early Land Records, 1753-1931; Middle Tennessee Land Grants, #29356, Roll 97, Book 3 Occupant, page number 298, Perry County, Tennessee, Absalom Holmes, 25 Jan 1848, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed Nov 2017)

⁵ 1850 US Census, Searcy County, Arkansas, Slave Schedule, line 14, George W Holmes; NARA mucrofilm publication; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed Nov 2017)

⁶ William Holmes [Sr.] married Elizabeth Ann Yarbrough on 15 Oct 1835 in Pulaski Co, TN. - source: Nashville Republican, Thursday, 19 Nov 1835.

⁷ 1850 US census, Searcy County, Arkansas, population schedule, Tomahawk Township, p. 341 (handwritten), dwelling 119, family 121, Benjamin Holmes; NARA microfilm publication roll M432_30; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed Nov 2017)

⁸ 1850 US census, Van Buren County, Arkansas, population schedule, Hartzogg Township, p. 297A (stamped), dwelling 13, family 13, Absalom Holmes; NARA microfilm publication roll M432_31; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed Nov 2017). 1850 U.S. census, Van Buren County, Arkansas, population schedule, Hartzogg Township, p. 297 (stamped), dwelling 15, family 15, Jas Holmes; NARA microfilm publication roll M432_31; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed Nov 2017)

⁹ 1850 US census, Van Buren County, Arkansas, population schedule, Craig Township, p. 635 (handwritten), dwelling 297, family 297, Wm Holms; NARA microfilm publication roll M432_31; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed Nov 2017) 

¹⁰ I don't have any evidence that ties Sarah Ann Holmes directly to George Washington Holmes. She would have been born after the 1850 census. I can't find any of the family on the 1860 census when she would have been still living in his household. I learned about Sarah Ann from cousin and fellow Holmes researcher Tommy Joe Holmes. (More about him in part 3.) Her marriage is mentioned in Part 2.