John B. Holmes
City of Troy

This biography is from Troy and Rensselaer County, New York, Volume III, by Rutherford Hayner, Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., New York and Chicago, 1925. It was submitted by Debby Masterson.

JOHN B. HOLMES, who from 1893 until his death in 1916 was a member of the Rensselaer County bar and of the firm Lansing & Holmes, was born August 13, 1852, in West Davenport, New York, died in Troy, New York, April 8, 1916, son of Elkanah and Betsey (Burdick) Holmes. He was educated in local public schools and in Stamford Seminary, Stamford, New York, then for several terms taught school. He began the study of law in the office of A. Raymond Gibbs, of Oneonta, New York, thence going to Albany Law School whence he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Laws, class of 1878, and the same year was admitted to practice law. He settled in East Worcester, Otsego county. New York, there continuing until 1883, when he moved to Worcester, in the same county, practicing in partnership with Frank L. Smith, under the firm name of Holmes & Smith. In 1893 he located in Troy, New York, where he practiced in partnership with James Lansing until his death, twenty-three years later, in 1916. He was an able lawyer, learned, aggressive and resourceful, a powerful advocate for the cause he espoused, and an antagonist to be respected and feared.

Mr. Holmes was a Democrat in politics, and from 1884 to 1888, was a member of the Board of Supervisors for Otsego county from Worcester, for two of those years being chairman of the board. In 1889 he was living in Otsego County and was the nominee of his party for district attorney. In Worcester he was the nominal cashier of the Worcester Bank for three years, and for a number of years was a member of the board of trustees of Worcester Academy. In Otsego County he was a member of the Democratic County Committee and attended several State conventions of his party as a delegate. He was a member of Cobleskill Lodge, No. 304, Free and Accepted Masons; King Solomon Lodge of Troy; the County and State bar associations; and was one of the foremost members of the county bar, the firm of Lansing & Holmes commanding a large and influential clientele.

John B. Holmes married, in 1878, Mary E. Tobey, of West Davenport, New York, and to them was born a son, Nortrup R. Holmes, a sketch of whom follows.



Send comments or suggestions to:
Debby Masterson

Go Back to Rensselaer Co. Biographies
Go Back to Home Page