Elijah Holmes ^{1 2 3}

  General Notes:

The is not a clear cut consensus amongst researchers as to the name of his wife or even if he had more than one wife. One wife is believed to be "Phyla Bryant" but the spelling of the given name varies somewhat. Some researchers also show the same or possible second wife named "Philena Griffin". The spelling of the given names for the first and second wife seems more than just coincidental and therefore they might be the same person. This is supported by the death record for the son, Leonard, which shows his mother's name as "Philena Griffin".
----------------------------------------

1820 US Census
Page 787, Roll 61
Hopkinton, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States
Elijah Holmes
1 male 45 and up (Elijah)
1 female 45 and up (wife)
(2 family members total)

NOTE - This is probably not the correct person. Elijah's age would have been 31 years and this census if for a person age 45 years and up. Also, it is believed that by 1820, Elijah had one son named Leonard who would have been about 7 years old at the time. This census listing shows no children in the family.
--------------------------------------------

The 1850 US Census record from Salisbury, Merrimack County, New Hampshire shows a 64 year old Elijah Holmes living at the home of a William Holmes, age 34 and who is probably his wife, Jane Holmes, age 28. While the age given on the census of 64 for Elijah closely matches the expected age of about 62, there are a few problems with the information about the younger William who presumably is the son of Elijah who is living with a wife and two young children.

For example, a marriage record issued just over one year later in Dec 1851 for William D. Holmes and Eliza Blood indicate that it was to be the first marriage for each of them. Therefore the William in the 1850 census with a wife could not have been the correct William.

Additionally the age of William D. Holmes from his marriage record would seem to indicate a birth year of about 1825 but the William listed on the 1850 US Census would seem to have a birth year of about 1816.

If the older Elijah was not living with his son, then this would tend to indicate that the 1850 US Census record was not for the correct Elijah and William Holmes. However, a close examination of the marriage record for William in Dec 1851 mentions that his father currently resides in Salisbury, NH which is exactly where the 1850 US Census record was enumerated.

Therefore this does sound as if it was the correct Elijah but perhaps the wrong William and Jane Holmes. I have no idea who the William and Jane Holmes could have been especially considering the real William D. Holmes was to be married for his first time in just over one years time.
------------------------------------

  Birth Notes:

Name: Elijah Holmes
Birth Date: 20 Aug 1788
Birthplace: Hopkinton, Hillsborough, New Hampshire, United States
Father's Name: Benjamin Holmes
Mother's Name: Judith Eastman
Registration Place: Hopkinton, Hillsborough, New Hampshire, United States

Citing this Record
"New Hampshire Birth Records, Early to 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FLGS-636 : 22 May 2019), Judith Eastman in entry for Elijah Holmes, 20 Aug 1788; citing Hopkinton, Hillsborough, New Hampshire, United States, Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics, Concord; FHL microfilm 1,001,002.
-----------------------------------------

  Death Notes:

Name: Elijah Holmes
Event Date (Original): 2 Oct 1864
Event Date: 02 Oct 1864
Event Place: Hopkinton
Gender: Male
Race (Original): W
Race: White
Age: 76
Birth Year (Estimated): 1788
Birthplace: Hopkinton, , New Hampshire
Marital Status: Married
Father's Name: Benjamin
Mother's Name: Judith Eastman
Clerk's Jurisdiction Place: Hopkinton, , New Hampshire

Citing this Record
"New Hampshire Death Records, 1654-1947," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FS2C-4RW : 10 March 2018), Judith Eastman in entry for Elijah Holmes, 02 Oct 1864; citing Hopkinton, Bureau Vital Records and Health Statistics, Concord; FHL microfilm 1,001,083.
-----------------------------------------

  Noted events in his life were:

• Birth Image: 20 August 1788, in Hopkinton, NH. ¹

• He appeared on the 1790 US Census in Hopkinton, NH in August 1790. ⁴

1790 US Census
Page 338, Roll 5
Hopkinton, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States
Males under 16..4 (John, Samuel, William, Elijah)

(Living with parents.)
.

• Death Image: 2 October 1864, in Hopkinton, NH. ²

• He was buried after 2 October 1864 in the Blackwater Cemetery in Hopkinton, NH.

Find a Grave Memorial 122029789
. ³

Elijah married Philena Griffen about 1810. (Philena Griffen was born about 1793, died on 9 March 1833 in Lowell, MA ⁵ and was buried after 9 March 1833 in Hopkinton, NH ⁵.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• They appeared on the 1850 US Census in Salisbury, NH on 26 August 1850.

1850 US Census
Page 230, Family 174, Roll 436
Salisbury, Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States
Wm Holmes..34..NH..Farmer
Jane Holmes..28..NH
George Holmes..7..NH
Dorothy A. Holmes..2..NH
Elijah Holmes..64..NH
.