Thomas Holman (1754 - 1836)

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Thomas Holman, born in Middlesex County NJ in the mid- to early 1750's, married the daughter of John Enoch Yetman and Margaret Gordon around the time of the Revolutionary War. The daughter was one of six female children born to John and Margaret; Isabella (Yetman) McDermott, in a Revolutionary War Pension application[1], stated that Thomas Holman married her sister. Thomas, his wife, and at least one of his children (Catherine) moved from New Jersey to Pennsylvania about two years after the Revolutionary War, and eventually settled in Franklin Township (now Franklin Park Borough) in the early 1800’s. Additional children followed.

Thomas Holman did not know his exact birth date. The affidavit on page 4 of his pension application from 1836 states that he was eighty-one at the time, which would put his birth date in 1755. However, he also states on page 5 that his birthdate was recorded in the family bible, which was lost. The best estimate, based on the birth of his daughter Catherine in 1776, would be between 1750 and 1755, which would put him between age 20 and 26 when he became a father.

There is no known documentation of Thomas’ family or heritage, although some have speculated that he was of German ancestry. The book “History of Allegheny County”[2] stated that a “German by the name of Holeman” settled in Franklin Township (which was then Ohio Township) around 1800. It is far more likely that Thomas Holman was of English descent, based on information given in his pension application stating that he was born in Middlesex County New Jersey in the mid-1750’s, and remained there until he left for Western PA.

Circumstantial evidence supporting his ENGLISH heritage includes the following facts:

• At the conclusion of the 18th century, roughly 70% of the New Jersey population traced their heritage back to the British Isles, with the rest split between Dutch and Germans.
• While the early New Jersey official census records were lost, the tax records show the following people with the surname of Holman owned land in New Jersey. There were no listings for similar spellings (e.g. Holeman).
  • Holman       **, Gloucester County, Deptford Twp, 1777
  • Holman       Aaron, Middlesex County, E Windsor Twp, 1797, 1802
  • Holman       Hannah, Middlesex County, E Windsor Twp, 1808
  • Holman       Jacob, Middlesex County, E Windsor Twp, 1797, 1802
  • Holman       Joseph, Middlesex County, E Windsor Twp, 1797
  • Holman       Margaret, Middlesex County, E Windsor Twp, 1819
  • Holman       William, Monmouth County, Dover Twp, 1779
  • Holman       William, Monmouth County, Freehold Twp, 1781
• Immigrants from Germany were much more likely to settle around existing German     settlements that shared the same language and culture; these early settlements were located in the following townships: Sussex, Morris, and Hunterdon. Middlesex County and Monmouth County were settled mainly by the English and Dutch.
• Middlesex County New Jersey was named after Middlesex County in England. This naming      followed a common colonial tradition of naming places in the American colonies after locations in the home country (England), especially as many early settlers and officials were English.
• There  were a few German-speaking churches in the mid-1700’s when Thomas was born, which is indicative as to where the German immigrants settled:
  • Zion Lutheran Church in German Valley/Long Valley, founded 1745 in Morris County
  • German Valley Reformed Church (now First Presbyterian Church of Long Valley), founded 1769 in Morris County
  • The  United First Presbyterian Church of Amwell (now Larison’s Corner Presbyterian Church), founded 1747 in Hunterdon County
  • St. James Lutheran Church of Knowlton, founded 1760 in Sussex County
  • First Presbyterian Church of Stillwater, founded 1769 in Sussex County
• A search of records in Ancestry.com for the location of Holman surname records in the 1700’s shows England as the primary location for Holmans in Europe.

There is some extremely strong circumstantial evidence that Thomas Holman is the son of Aaron Holman (1714 – 1782) and Anne Story (1720 – 1813). This would put Aaron in his 40’s and his wife in her early 30’s when Thomas was born.

First, Aaron Sr had a will dated March 5, 1782[5] that shows he had a son named Thomas.

Second, there was a Middlesex County deed transferred FROM Thomas Holman to Alexander Smith in March of 1787. This corresponds with the approximate time Thomas Holman left New Jersey to move to western Pennsylvania. Thomas would have been about 30 - 35 years old at the time.

Third, Aaron Holman, the presumed father of Thomas Holman, had a son named Aaron Jr. Aaron Jr's 1812 will mentions his brother Thomas and Thomas’s sons, Thomas Jr and Joseph, aligning with the children of Thomas Holman who arrived in Allegheny County, PA.  A partial transcription follows (underline added):

“I give and bequeath unto my beloved brother Thomas Holman all my wearing apparel. Thirdly I give and bequeath unto my brother Thomas Holman’s son Joseph Holman my Gun with its accoutrements, and further to enable my Executors herein after named to pay my debts including doctors bill and funeral expenses and also the legacies here in after named to sell all my real and personal estate, to the best advantage they may think best and the money arising there from to pay my debts and expenses as aforesaid--Secondly to pay Elizabeth Lane, Daughter of Henry Lane, thirty Dollars And lastly the residue to be divided into two equal parts one of which I give and bequeath unto Thomas Holman, son of my brother Thomas Holman, and, lastly I give and bequeath the other one half as aforesaid unto Joseph Holman, son of my aforesaid brother Thomas Holman,--and finely by these presence I do hereby nominate and appoint my friend James Voorhees and by beloved Sister Margaret Holman to be my Executors to execute this my last will and testament...”

Thomas Holman had six children with Miss Yetman - the only two sons match with his presumed brother Aaron's will:

• Catherine Holman (1776 – 1852) married William Jones (1761 – 1836), a farmer. They settled in Franklin Twp, Allegheny County PA and had five children.
• Catherine Holman Jones (1776 – 1852)
• Thomas  Holman Jr (1787 – 1873)
• Joseph Holman Sr (1801 – 1848)
• Mary Holman Haines (1786 – 1839)
• Lucy Holman
• Esther Holman
• Elizabeth Holman (died prior to 1836)

Presumably, if Thomas had sons other than Joseph and Thomas Jr, they too would have been mentioned in Aaron's will. By the time Aaron passed in 1812, Thomas and his wife would likely have been in their fifties or early sixties and had completed their family. Also, Aaron's will is passing along money and physical possessions, rather than land, which would have been possible given the distance between them.

Lastly, it was often customary to give all, or more, of one's possessions to the male heirs. Aaron Holman Sr had three sons: Aaron Jr, Joseph and Thomas. In Aaron Jr's will, he did not mention a wife or any sons (only a daughter). Since Joseph died in 1781, and left no male heirs, Thomas and his sons would have been likely to inherit Aaron Jr's belongings and residue of his estate. 

Information on Thomas Holman’s children comes from his will, which is transcribed below:

THOMAS HOLMAN (1755 – 1836) WILL

Pennsylvania, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993

Allegheny Will Books, Vol 004-005, 1832-1845, pp 367-368

The last will and testament of Thomas Holman of Franklin Township Allegheny in the name of God Amen. I Thomas Holman considering the uncertainty of this mortal life and being of sound mind and memory do make this my last will and testament in the manner and form following – I direct that my executor sell or cause to be sold all of my personal property as soon as they can conveniently after my decease And from all my just debts and funeral expenses second i order and direct my executors to pay off 1 acre of land at the southwest corner of my farm for the use of the neighborhood for a school.

2nd,  I give and bequeath to my grandson William, son of Thomas Holman, all the residue of my real estate out of which he is to pay to his sisters viz. Elizabeth  Margaret and Mary $60.00 each in the following manner: one fourth of the said sum to be paid to his oldest sister in six months after he is of age, And one fourth to each of his other sisters as they arrive at the age of 21 years provided he shall have arrived at the age of 21 years and he is to pay his said sister's regularly $15 Each commencing six months after he is of age And so on until he shall have well and truly paid $60 to each of them a four said given bequeathed to my son Joseph beside what has already been given to him $1.00

To my son Thomas beside what I have already given him $1.00 to my daughter Catherine $1.00. To my daughter Lucy, Mary, each $1.00 and to the surviving children of my daughter Elizabeth each $1.00 and also to my daughter Esther $1.00.

And all the residue of my estate it is my will that my executors shall lay out in improving and keeping in repair my real estate during the minority of my grandson William Holman to whom I have been bequeathed it above and in it, should the said William die without issue I give and bequeath to the above real estate to my son Thomas who is to pay and take it with conditions and bequests that my grandson was to have. And lastly, I hereby appoint John Dickson and Robert Hollands to be the executors of this my last will and testament, hereby revoking all former wills and testaments. In witness thereof, I hear unto set my hand and seal this 20th day of June AD 1836.

[1] "Holman, Thomas. Page 4.** US, Revolutionary War Pensions, 1800–1900. Fold3. Accessed July 28, 2025. https://www.fold3.com/image/29346352/holman-thomas-page-4-us-revolutionary-war-pensions-1800-1900?xid=1945."

[2] Durant, Samuel W., Pliny A. Durant, and A. Merrill, comp. History of Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania: With Illustrations Descriptive of Its Scenery, Palatial Residences, Public Buildings, Fine Blocks, and Important Manufactories. Philadelphia: L. H. Everts, 1876. Deposited by the University of Pittsburgh. P 166. https://digital.library.pitt.edu/islandora/object/pitt%3A00aee8639m  Accessed July 2025.

[3] “Who Are We, Where We Came From?” Edge Magazine. Published on EdgeMagOnline.com. Accessed July 28, 2025. https://edgemagonline.com/article/who-are-we-where-we-came-from

[4] Ronald Vern Jackson, ed., New Jersey Tax Lists, 1772–1822 (Salt Lake City, UT: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1981).

[5] Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. Vol. 35. FamilySearch International. FamilySearch Library. Page 200. Accessed July 28, 2025. https://www.familysearch.org.

[6] Deed of Thomas Holman to Alexander Smith for land in Middlesex Co., NJ; Stockton Family Papers, C0490, Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library