Thomas Holme (1624–1695) was the first

surveyor general A surveyor general is an official responsible for government surveying in a specific country or territory. Historically, this would often have been a military appointment, but it is now more likely to be a civilian post. The following surveyor ge ...

of the colonial-era

Province of Pennsylvania The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as the Pennsylvania Colony, was a British North American colony founded by William Penn after receiving a land grant from Charles II of England in 1681. The name Pennsylvania ("Penn's Woods") refers to W ...

. He laid out the first and original plan for the city of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. Holme was a member of the

Valiant Sixty The Valiant Sixty were a group of early activists and itinerant preachers in the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). Mainly from northern England, they spread the ideas of the Friends in the second half of the 17th century. They were also call ...

, a group of early leaders and activists in the Religious Society of Friends, known as the

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...

Early life

Holme was born in

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

, England, on November 3, 1624, to a

yeoman Yeoman is a noun originally referring either to one who owns and cultivates land or to the middle ranks of servants in an English royal or noble household. The term was first documented in mid-14th-century England. The 14th century also witn ...

, George Holme, and his wife Alice (née Whiteside). He married Sarah Croft in 1649.

Career

Map of the Original City of Philadelphia in 1682 by Thomas Holme

Soon after his marriage, Holme enlisted in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

, which was then under the leadership of

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...

, where he attained the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. It may have been in the army that he gained some experience in surveying. He was reportedly converted to the

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

movement by

George Fox George Fox (July 1624 – 13 January 1691) was an English Dissenter, who was a founder of the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as the Quakers or Friends. The son of a Leicestershire weaver, he lived in times of social upheaval and ...

, founder of the sect. There, he met fellow Quaker

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy a ...

, founder of colonial-era

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. In 1682, Penn wrote to Holme from the colony asking him to come be his surveyor, since his original surveyor, Captain

William Crispin Captain William Crispin III (October 3, 1627 – October 4, 1681) born the son of William Crispin II (1602-1645) and wife Elizabeth (ne. Harrison) (1604-1645). Crispin was one of five Commissioners appointed by William Penn for settling the colon ...

, had recently become ill and died on the voyage to America. Shortly thereafter, Holme, a widower, sailed with four of his children to America, where he arrived in August 1682.Thomas Holme Historical Marker
/ref> Holme designed the plan of the city of

and produced the first detailed map of Pennsylvania, titled ''A Mapp of Ye Improved Part of Pensilvania in America, Divided Into Countyes, Townships and Lotts....'', published circa 1687."A Brief History of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Spring City, Pa" Page 7, 1899
/ref> Once Penn arrived in present-day Pennsylvania, he appointed Holme one of his councilors. Holme also served as a justice of the peace and commissioner of property. Holme held the office of Surveyor-General until his death at age 71 in the spring of 1695, in Dublin Township, Pennsylvania in the present-day

Holmesburg Holmesburg began as a Village within Lower Dublin Township, Pennsylvania. It is now a neighborhood in the Northeast section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Holmesburg was named in Honor of Surveyor General of Pennsylvania Thomas Holme, who was a ca ...

section of

. After retiring, he was granted more than 4,000 acres (16 km²) in

County Wexford County Wexford ( ga, Contae Loch Garman) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was based on the historic Gaelic territory of Hy Kinsella (''Uí Ceinns ...

, Ireland, which was then under the control and colonization of England. In 1863, a memorial was erected at his burial site, in the form of a six-foot-tall

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...

obelisk An obelisk (; from grc, ὀβελίσκος ; diminutive of ''obelos'', " spit, nail, pointed pillar") is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top. Originally constructed by Anc ...

, near where his home is believed to have been located, which is now part of

Pennypack Park Pennypack Park is a municipal park, part of the Philadelphia Parks & Recreation system located in Northeast Philadelphia in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Established in 1905 by ordinance of the City of Philadelphia, it includes about of woodlan ...

Legacy

Philadelphia's Holme Avenue, Holme Circle, Thomas Holme Elementary School, and

, a Philadelphia neighborhood, are all named in his honor.

References

External links

* http://archives.profsurv.com/magazine/article.aspx?i=711 * Biographical essay in ''Professional Surveyor'' magazine:
Part 1

Part 2

from the Lower Merion Historical Society

* ttp://virtualology.com/apthomasholme/ Brief biography at virtualology.com* {{DEFAULTSORT:Holme, Thomas 1624 births 1695 deaths 17th-century Quakers American cartographers American Quakers Broad Street (Philadelphia) Converts to Quakerism English emigrants History of Philadelphia People from Lancashire (before 1974) People from colonial Pennsylvania Roundheads

Early life

Career

Legacy

See also

References

Further reading

External links