Ancestors of Charles Stephen DeFrance (Direct Holmes Line)
William Holmes is the earliest known member of the Holmes family and was born in
the middle of the 18th century (c1750) in Scotland. He married Elizabeth Brown, the daughter
of William Brown. William was by occupation a sea Captain in command of a large sailing
vessel trading between Scotland and the continent. He met his death in an accident while
taking on a cargo of lumber at some Norway port. His wife was left with four children,
Robert, William, Martha and Elizabeth.
At the present time no information can be obtained regarding the lives of the two daughters.
Robert grew to manhood and was graduated from the Universities of Glasgow and Dublin. He
became a surgeon but 9 months later died of Typhus Fever contacted in his medical practice.
The second son, William Holmes, married Elizabeth (Betty) McNeilage, the 4th daughter of
John McNeilage of Glasgow, Scotland. This marriage took place in Glasgow on July 31, 1803.
William learned hand-loom weaving from his grandfather, William Brown. He then worked as
a clerk at Irwin Bank. Later he engaged in the grocery business. Then he was appointed
postmaster an agent for the Crown. With deplorable conditions in Great Britain, after the
fall of Napoleon, William decided to depart for the New World. So on April 22, 1830 he
set sail with his family for America on the British ship "Rodger Stewart". Their family consisted of the following children: Margaret who married William Brown, Janette, Robert H. who married Mary Morrison, John Brice, Elizabeth who married Gryan Moore, Mary who married Isaac Carson, Martha who married Frank Conor, William, George Young who married Elizabeth Snodgrass, Agnes Jane who married Robert Laird.
Holmes in America
Margaret, the oldest daughter of William Holmes, married William Brown and remained
in Scotland. William, with the remainder of his family, arrived in America at New York
after 6 weeks and 4 days at sea on board the "Rodger Stewart", an American vessel that
had been captured by the British during the War of 1812. During the long voyage William
kept a journal. On Friday, May 7, 1830 during a storm and heavy sees his son, George Young
Holmes, was struck against the bulwarks, fell, and fractured his right thigh bone. The leg
was "set". Then on May 13th there was a fire on board. With a combined effort the crew
and passengers extinguished the flames. On arrival in New York William found quarters for
his wife and family. He and his son, Robert, then set out for Canada with a letter of
introduction. They traveled by way of Albany, Buffalo and then to Toronto. There they met with
the Governor but then decided to return to America. They entered at Niagara Falls and made
their way southward to Claysville, Washington Co., PA. There they bought a farm one mile
northwest of Claysville. Mr. Holmes then returned to New York and brought his family by
water to Baltimore, MD and then by wagon road to Claysville. For more that 20 years he
was pastor of the church in his native Saltcoats, Scotland. After coming to America he
continued to preach to his friends and neighbors who would gather in his farm house on
Sabbath days. William resided on his farm until his death in 1847.
Agnes Jane Holmes was born in 1823 in Glasgow, Scotland. She married Robert Laird in 1847. They lived on the Laird farm 2 miles west of Claysville on the old National Pike. They had the following children: Elizabeth who married Archibald McClellan, John who died young, Margaret Grissella who married David Simpson Reed, William Holmes who married Emma Henderson, Agnes Anna who married Joseph Griffith, Mary Martha who married John G. Titus and Sarah Maude who married Reese Meloy DeFrance.
Sarah Maude (Sadie) Laird was born on the farm in Donegal Township in 1862. She married Reese Meloy DeFrance in 1882. Sadie died in Claysville, PA in 1942. Reese and Sadie had the following children: Charles (Charley) Hoon who married Beulah Mariah Johnson, Ruth Margaret (Nellie) who married Clyde Scott and Jane Meloy (Jeane) who never married.
Charles Hoon DeFrance was born 31 Aug 1884 at the farm in Donegal Twp., Washington Co., PA.
He married in Beulah Mariah Johnson, the daughter of Tolbert Fenning Johnson and Grace
Evelyn Biddle. They had a son who died at birth, Charles Reese. The other son is Charles Tolbert.
Charles Tolbert DeFrance was born 30 Jul 1934 at Wheeling, Ohio Co., WV. He married Daisy
Cascante-Mora on 12 May 1973 at San Jose, Costa Rica. They have the following children:
Charles Stephen and Jacelyn Dyann.
Charles Stephen (Steve) DeFrance was born on 16 Jun 1974 in DeLand, FL. Steve graduated from
The Citadel in Charleston, SC and now works in Washington, DC where he is attending George
Washington University working on his Masters degree in Forensic Science.