Thomas Holme, my maternal 9th great grandfather was also William Penn’s, (Founder of Pennsylvania) First Surveyor General, a captain in Cromwell’s army, a Quaker minister, an author, an administrator, landholder, and a merchant.
Thomas was most likely born in England, but spent a lot of time in Ireland, Thomas married in 1649 and soon after enlisted in the British Army under the leadership of Oliver Cromwell where he earned the rank of Captain. While in Ireland in 1659 he was a member of the Society of Friends, also known as a Quakers. Thomas was an important man among the Friends in Ireland, he traveled over the central and southern part of Ireland attending meetings of the Friends. Thomas was persecuted for being a Friend. In 1655, in Thomas' home in Limerick, he was meeting with others peacefully, when his home was seizured by a Guard of Soldiers and banished from the city and Thomas was committed to prision by the order of Colonel Ingoldsby.
Thomas first came to Pennsylvania on April 18,1682 when he was appointed Surveyor-General of the Providence by William Penn. On April 23, 1682, Thomas, his family, and Silas Crispin (son of William Crispin, who was the actual first Surveyor-General of the Providence) but died on the way in 1681) left Waterford, Ireland for Pennsylvania on the ship “Amity” Thomas was on the list of “First Purchasers” and a member of the Free Society of Traders,” one of the Society’s Committee of twelve to live in Pennsylvania. Thomas and his family made their home in Shackamaxon, now known as Fishtown.
Thomas’
first task was to lay out the City of Philadelphia which was not an easy task.
William Penn wanted the City to be near the Delaware River so large ships could
be close to the bank of the Delaware and be high, dry, and healthy and to have
ten thousand acres for the City. When William Penn arrived the following October,
he changed his idea to 1280 acres for the City.
When the
plan of Philadelphia and the assignment of lots was completed, Thomas drew a
map of the Providence. The map included the counties of Philadelphia, Chester,
and Bucks’. The Commissioners who were settling the colony also could have also purchased land from the
Indians. Thomas Holme was present for most of the Treaties with the Indians and
played an important part in some of the Treaties.
Thomas Holme, surveyor, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Thomas's Will was written on December 10, 1694, Thomas died at Wellspring, his estate in Bucks County's Dublin Township, in March 1695. Thomas was buried shortly afterwards in thre Old Crispin Cemetary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/20085658.pdf
https://www.pennpress.org/9780871692009/thomas-holme-surveyor-general-of-pennsylvania
https://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-2A
https://archive.org/details/immigrationofiri00myer_0/page/248/mode/2up?q=holme
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