Person:James Holmes (36)

On his naturalization papers, James claimed to have immigrated to the US in 1832. Naturalization became effective 13 Feb 1840.

James and his family lived for many years in the town of Tariffville where he continued to work as a carpetman. He eventually moved his family to East Granby where James became a farmer. The first information about the Holmes family in East Granby appears in the records of the Congregational Church in Turkey Hills. In April 1858 his wife, Mary, was received by letter from the Presbyterian Church of Tariffville. James and several of his children were later examined and accepted for admission to th church at Turkey Hills.

On 9 May 1859 James purchased the farm at what is now 83 Spoonville Road in East Granby from Ebenezer Talbot for $200.00. The house was originally build in 1790 by Hezekiah Skinner. The farm consisted of about 9 acres and was bounded by the highway on the west. It is referred to in land deeds as the "home lot" and contained the house and barn. He later purchased another 30 acres for $400.00. Both mortgages were paid off by 1872. James purchased another 60 acres called "marble Lot" which he owned in Windsor, CT. His primary cash crop appeared to be tobacco. In 1888 James mortgaged his farm to the Suffield Savings Bank for $800.00. he was 76 at the time. After his death, the morgage was assumed by his son-in-law Charles W. Bates. (Ref. Curtis L. Holmes)

James died at his home in East Granby after an illness of about a year. His will was made out on 1 Jun 1890 leaving all of his estate to his wife. The appraisal and inventory of his estate was valued at $2,282.30 which was accepted by the court on 1 Mar 1897. He owed much more than that value and the estate was declared insolvent. The court sold the real estate with the Marble Lot conveyed to Albert C. Bates for the sum of the mortgage due. (Albert Carlos Bates was the librarian for the Connecticut Historical Society and published many vital statistics for the Granby area. The Home Lot and the South Lot were sold to Charles W. Bates for the sum of $450.00, that being the equity of redemption. The remainder of the estate was used to satisfy some of the claims presented against it. The matter was finally settled on 29 Dec 1897 but various details were not completed until 1899.