An American Family History

Patience Bonham Willis Holmes was born about 1647 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Her parents were George Bonham and Sarah Morton. 

She married her first husband, Richard Willis, on December 28, 1670 in Plymouth. Richard was born in Plymouth in 1642 and was the son of Richard Willis and Amy Glass.

Ruhamah Willis Rogers was born in 1673 in Plymouth. She married Eleazer Rodgers.

Patience was a widow by 1678 when at a town meeting said Edward Gray was to pay her "twenty shillings silver money" for her husband's lease of Clarke's Island.

She married her second husband, John Holmes about 1681. John Holmes was born about 1636 at Plymouth and was the son of John Holmes and his wife Sarah.

He died in July, 1697. He had been previously married to Patience Faunce who was the daughter of John Faunce and Patience Morton.

The Mayflower Descendant

Eleazer Rogers (Thomas, Joseph, Thomas) was born at Eastham, 3 November, 1673, and married Ruhamah Willis, daughter of Richar and Patience (Bonum) Willis of Plymouth; bu the date and place of the marriage have not ben found. The first child was born 15 October, 1698.

Eleazer and Ruhamah Rogers had nine children: Elizabeth, Thomas, Hannah, Experience, Eleazer, Abijah, Willis, Moriah, Ruth. . .In the deeds here printed Eleazer Rogers was called yeoman in 1683 and 1699, innholder in 1719 and 1723, and "Seafayring Man" in 1725.

History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater in Plymouth County ... by Nahum Mitchell

There was a Richard Willis, servant of John Barnes, transferred by consent to Thomas Prince 1634, m. Amy Glasse 1639,was at Duxbury 1638, and at Plymouth 1640. Richard, his s. probably, m. Patience Bonum at Plymouth 1670, was dead 1678. . .

Records of the Town of Plymouth: 1636 to 1705

Att a Towne meeting held att the meeting house att Plymouth the 15th day of December 1678

The Towne have sett and to ffarme lett unto Edward Gray of Plymouth Clarkes Iland; for the tearme of seaven yeers; to begine att the date heerof and from thence to be Compleatly ended; for and in Consideration of the same of three pounds and nine shillings yeerly to be duely payed in current silver mony of New England to the said Towne or theire order for the said tearme of seaven yeers and

that hee alsoe pay unto Patience Willis widdow the Relict of Richard Willis of Plymouth late deceased: the sume of twenty shillings silver money for that the said Willis had an Interest from the said Towne for the tearme of seaven yeers as aforsaid...

Records of the Colony of New Plymouth, in New England

Att the Court of his Ma held alt Plymouth, in New England, the 29 Day of October, 1669.

In reference to a horse in controversy betwixt Thomas Pope and Richard Willis, the said horse haueing bine in the costody of the said Willis, and by him left goe soe as hee can not be found and brought to tryall, the Court haue ordered, that the said Richard Willis shall forthwith deposite the worth or vallue of foure pounds in the hands of John Wood, of Plymouth, whoe was then constable of Plymouth when the said horse was attached att Popes complaint, and that the said Pope and Willis shall appeer att the Court to be holden att Plymouth the next Mareh after the date hecrof, to make the best proffe they can whose hee is; and if in the mean time the said Willis doe produce the horse, that then hee to bee freed from this engagement of the foure pounds, but if hee doe not, that then the said foure pounds to be responsible to answare those to whom the horse shalbe found to belong vpon tryall.

Att this Court, Richard Willis came before the Court and engaged his house and land vnto John Wood for cccuritic for the payment of the said foure pounds.

from Plymouth Colony, Its History & People, 1620-1691 by Eugene Aubrey Stratton

John Holmes [Sr.], arrived at Plymouth before October 1632, when he bought a house and six acres of land from William Palmer. In 1638 he was appointed Messenger of the Court, and his duties included being summons server, jailer and exectioner. His wife was probably Sarah Holmes, and he had two sons,

John Holmes [Jr.], who married (1) Patience Faunce, daughter of John and Patience (Morton) Faunce and (2) Patience Bonham, daughter of George and Sarah (Morton) Bonham;

and Nathaniel Holmes, who married Mercy Faunce sister of Patience Faunce. Both sons had large familes and thus there are many descendants. The first four generations of this family are given by Eugena A. Stratton, "The Descendants of Mr. John Holmes, Messenger of the Plymouth Count," in June and September 1986 issues of NGSQ.