Thomas Holmes (About 1770-1856) - *coppersmith and Rebecca Marlow were married at St Pauls Church, Philadelphia in 1792. It was in June, 1793, that Thomas and Rebecca became the proud parents of a little baby boy whom we know of today as John D. Holmes (1793-1869).
   However, tragedy soon struck. In August, 1793 Philadelphia was hit with a yellow fever epidemic of serious proportions. Rebecca Holmes died in the epidemic and it was assumed Thomas died too, because of his son John D.'s Baptismal record. *The Philadelphia Directory 1791 Their son, John D. Holmes (1793-1869), was baptized at the 2nd Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia on February 23, 1796. His date of birth was given as June 16, 1793. The Baptismal record further states that "Thomas and Rebecca Holmes being dead, John and Martha Doughty adopted the child and presented him for baptism". (1) John Doughty and Martha Holmes Doughty had married in the 2nd Presbyterian Church in 1792. (1) Correct name is Robert Doughty.

Mike's note: As I was strolling through the list of deceased victims I came to page 118 and saw the entry that I had observed some two decades ago. At first blush it looks to me like it says "Thomas Holmes & wife ". That's what I came away with 2 decades ago. I'm not even sure I knew of any way to magnify things 2 decades ago. Anyway I magnified the entry and it actually says "Thomas Holmes 's wife". Here and there you would see similar entries something like "Henry Smith's wife" etc. The mystery had been solved to my satisfaction. Thomas Holmes survived the epidemic.

It is likely that Thomas Holmes left our baby "John D." in the care of his sister Martha Holmes Doughty and then he took off down the Great Phil. Wagon Road where he was later joined by his son John D. in N. C.
   Thomas Holmes married Barbara Crider/Krider in Rowan Co., N C on January 25, 1803. Then John D. Holmes married Barbara's sister (Sally Crider/Krider) in Rowan Co. N. C. on January 5, 1815. The girl's father was Jacob, whom John D later named a son. The 1820 Rowan Co., N. C. census has a Thomas Homes household right next to a John D. Holmes household. They appear to be "blended" families --probably with Crider kinfolk living with them.
   Thomas Holmes and John D. Holmes disappear as neighbors in N. C. We know that our John D. Holmes went on down to Ala.--1830 census--and then Monroe Co., Miss. in 1840 census.
   Martha Holmes Doughty was known as simply "Aunt Martha Doughty". and her brother Abel Holme Jr. who evidently went down the Great Wagon Road but cut off and swung over into the Kentucky area where he died in (I believe) 1818 . He was more or less in the Ky./Indiana border area.
   Thomas's brother John Holmes who was down in Ga. came back up (as the story goes) to Phil. and helped his widowed sisters (Martha Holmes Doughty and Ann Holmes Young) move to the Ky./Ind. border area where their brother Abel Holme(s) had settled.
   Thomas Holmes joined his sisters Aunt Martha Holmes Doughty and his brother John Holmes in the Ky/Ind. Area also. Mary Ann Young was left behind in Philadelphia to finish her education when she met and married Baynard Rush Hall.   
   Hall (Philadelphian--Princeton Univ. grad. --Presbyterian minister etc.) and his wife journeyed in 1822 to live with John Holmes. Hall after 7 and half years in Indiana returned to live in Brooklyn, NY as a professor. In 1843 he wrote "The New Purchase", an account of his experience in Indiana. First published in 1843 --later edition in 1855. In 1916 Indiana had it's Centenial celebration on becoming a state (focus on history) so the Princeton University Press issued another printing of the book. His casts of characters were based on actual people. There is a KEY on page xiii of the 1916 printing. Aunt Kitty � Aunt Martha Holmes Doughty Uncle Tommy � Thomas Holmes Thomas Seymour � Thomas Holmes Uncle John Seymour � John Holmes.
   An excerpt from "The New Purchase" Pg 146 "Oh! no, uncle Tommy"- said Mr. Ashford - "We've time for that 'venture of yours'" This was enough for Uncle Leatherstocking; for no man so delighted in telling adventures. Indeed, few ever encountered more; and still few fewer could orally relate them so well. He was not an educated man, or even a good English scholar; still he had read much and conversed much with intelligent persons; and he was fluent in natural English, and could aptly coin words and pronunciations to suit new ideas and circumstances. I shall try and preserve his manner and spirit: but to enjoy his stories, one should sit in his lonely cabin of a winter's night away in the howling wilderness, and see his countenance and action, and hear his tones. 2 years after Hall moved to Indiana, Thomas in his 70's and his wife left and built a cabin on the shore of Lake Michigan.