Richard Holmes (earlier spelled Richard Homes) (b. 1704) was a founding

settler A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a pioneer. Settl ...

of Norwalk,

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

. Holmes was born about 1633, in

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, the son of Francis Holmes and his first wife, whose name is unknown. Francis married a woman named Ann, and came to America with her prior to 1634. They originally settled in

Watertown, Massachusetts Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and is part of Greater Boston. The population was 35,329 in the 2020 census. Its neighborhoods include Bemis, Coolidge Square, East Watertown, Watertown Square, and the West End. Waterto ...

. In 1636, Francis and Ann moved from Watertown to Wethersfield, Connecticut Colony. In 1657, Francis and Ann with their four children moved from Wethersfield to Stamford, Connecticut. He was one of the earliest settlers in Stamford. Richard Holmes bought his Norwalk lot on 12 October 1657, from Alexander Bryan of Milford.Norwalk Vol. 1
/ref> He was the settlement's blacksmith. He also built the settlement's first saw mill on the

Five Mile River The Five Mile River is a river located in Connecticut's Northeast Corner and flows through the towns of Thompson, Putnam, and Killingly.The original Nipmuc name was ''Assawaga'', meaning "place between" or "halfway place". The Assawaga received ...

.Norwalk After Two Hundred & Fifty Years
/ref> He is listed on the Founders Stone bearing the names of the founding settlers of Norwalk in the East Norwalk Historical Cemetery.

References

1633 births 1704 deaths American blacksmiths American Puritans Founding settlers of Norwalk, Connecticut People from York {{US-bio-stub