John Holmes (Royal Navy officer)

For other people with the same name, see John Holmes.

Admiral Sir John Holmes
Governor of Hurst Castle
In office 1675–1683
Monarch	Charles II
Preceded by	Edward Strange
Succeeded by	Henry Holmes
Member of Parliament for Newtown, Isle of Wight
In office 1677–1685 Serving with John Churchill Lemuel Kingdon Daniel Finch
Monarch	Charles II
Preceded by	Sir John Barrington Sir Robert Worsley
Succeeded by	Thomas Done William Blathwayt
Personal details
Born	1640 (1640)
Died	28 May 1683(1683-05-28) (aged 42–43)
Nationality	British
Parent	Henry Holmes
Relatives	Sir Robert Holmes (brother) Henry Holmes (nephew)
Military career
Allegiance	England
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1663–1683
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	HMS Paul HMS Bristol HMS Triumph HMS Gloucester HMS Rupert
Battles/wars	Battle of Lowestoft St James's Day Battle Battle of Solebay First Battle of Schooneveld

Admiral Sir John Holmes (1640? – 28 May 1683) was an English naval leader who rose to be Commander-in-Chief of the fleet in the English Channel (1677–79) and was the younger brother of the more famous Admiral Sir Robert Holmes.

Military career

The attack on the Smyrna Fleet, 12 March 1672

Holmes served in his brother's expedition to West Africa in 1663–1664. At the Battle of Lowestoft in 1665, and until June the following year, he commanded the Paul.

He also fought in the St James's Day Battle, as captain of the 48-gun Bristol. He was then promoted to command of a second-rate, HMS Triumph, of 64 guns. In 1670-1 he was in Vice Admiral Sir Edward Spragge's expedition against the corsairs of Algiers.

He commanded the Gloucester (62 guns) in the attack on the Dutch Smyrna fleet in 1672, which opened the Third Anglo-Dutch War, capturing one of the Dutch ships though it sank almost immediately because of damage inflicted in the fight. He was wounded, and following this action, knighted, and appointed to command the 66-gun HMS Rupert, in which he fought at the Battle of Solebay in 1672, and a number of the battles of the following year.

At the First Battle of Schooneveld he was mentioned in dispatches. In 1673 he was promoted to flag rank, and in 1677–1679 was Commander-in-Chief of the fleet in the English Channel.

Political career

Holmes's brother, Sir Robert Holmes, had been appointed Governor of the Isle of Wight, and was willing to use the influence this gave him on his brother's behalf. In 1675, Sir John was appointed Governor of Hurst Castle, and from 1677 to 1685 was Member of Parliament for Newtown, Isle of Wight.

Genealogy

• Henry Holmes of Mallow, County Cork, Ireland
  • Colonel Thomas Holmes of Kilmallock, County Limerick, Ireland
    • Henry Holmes (c. 1660–1738) m. Mary Holmes (daughter of Admiral Sir Robert Holmes)
      • Thomas Holmes, 1st Baron Holmes (1699–1764)
      • Lieutenant General Henry Holmes (1703–62)
      • Rear Admiral Charles Holmes (1711–1761)
      • Elizabeth Holmes m. Thomas Troughear
        • Leonard (Troughear) Holmes, 1st Baron Holmes (c. 1732–1804) m. Elizabeth Tyrrell (d.1810)
          • The Hon. Elizabeth Holmes m. Edward Rushout
            • Descendants
  • Admiral Sir Robert Holmes (c. 1622–1692), English Admiral
    • Mary Holmes (wife of Henry Holmes)
  • Admiral Sir John Holmes (1640?–1683), English Admiral leader

References

• Concise Dictionary of National Biography (1930)
• Robert Latham, The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Volume X: Companion (London: HarperCollins, 1995)
• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages