Obadiah Holmes

Obadiah Holmes was an early Rhode Island clergyman and a victim of religious persecution in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was pivotal in the establishment of the Baptist church in America.

Contents

Ancestry and Vital Facts

Obadiah Holmes was the son of Robert Hulme and Katherine Johnson. He was born circa 1606/7 at Reddish, Cheshire/Lancashire, England, baptized on 18 March 1609/10 at Didsbury, Lancashire, England. He married Catherine Hyde on 20 November 1630 at Collegiate Church, Manchester, Lancashire, England. He died on 15 October 1682 at Newport, Newport, RI.

Early Life in New England

Soon after landing at Boston in the summer or early fall of 1638, Holmes and his family made their way up the coast and settled at Salem, Massachusetts. By January, 1639, they were in Salem; on the twenty-first of that month Holmes received 1-acre (4,000 m2) of land for a house and a promise of ten more acres "to be laid out by the town." The young Salem settlement encouraged Holmes and his co-workers in the development of what may have been the first glass factory in North America. In March 1640, Obadiah and Catherine became members of the Salem church.

He sold his holdings in Salem by 1645, removing himself and his family to Rehoboth the same year. There he was elevated to the status of freeman in 1648. Holmes' religious views placed him in conflict with Samuel Newman, minister of the Rehoboth church. He became the leader of a group of nine schismatists, formally declaring their separation from the religious establishment. On October 2, 1650, Holmes and his eight associates were indicted for perpetrating a separate and irregular church meeting in opposition to the established congregation led by Rev. Newman. The group responded by removing to Newport, Rhode Island.

Persecution in Massachusetts

Holmes, John Clarke, and John Crandall were arrested by Massachusetts authorities on July 20, 1651 as they visited William Witter, a sick friend in Lynn. Clarke protested their heavy fines and Governor John Endecott replied that Clarke "deserved death" and "was worthy to be hanged." Holmes refused to pay his fine, nor would he allow others to pay it on his behalf. Holmes was severely whipped (thirty lashes) and carried his scars for life. Holmes said later about the whipping: "...having joyfulness in my heart, and cheerfulness in my countenance...I told the magistrates, 'You have struck me as with roses.'" This event (and others like it) served as the basis for Clarke's "Ill Newes from New England, or a Narrative of New England's Persecutions" (1652).

After his release from jail, Holmes returned to Newport and in 1652 succeeded Dr. John Clarke. He became the second minister of what was arguably the first Baptist Church in America. The church at Newport was his permanent charge for more than thirty years until his death.

Chronology of Obadiah Holmes

A chronology of his life appears below:

Relation to Abraham Lincoln

One of Obadiah Holmes descendents, Abraham Lincoln, became the 16th president of the United States. The line of descent is shown below.

References