James was born in Groton CT on February 21, 1836. His parents were Maj. Noyes Holmes and Lucy Wheeler Holmes. According to a “Biography of Major Noyes Holmes” appearing in Find A Grave, Noyes and Lucy had ten children, including William (born 6/28/1822) who was “killed by a whale while first mate of the whaler Hellespont [AS1567]” and “James Madison Holmes, born Feb. 21, 1836, photographer”.
James married Julia Emma Burdick on November 22, 1858 in Hopkinton RI. She was born in 1836. The 1860 census for Stonington CT records James (age 24, occupation “deguerican [author: probably deguerrotype photography] artist)”, Julie (age 22) and an unnamed infant. Ten years later the 1870 census shows James’s occupation as “artist” and their son Willie is ten years of age. An 1865 New London City Directory lists under Photographers “James M. Holmes” of Stonington. James served during the Civil War, apparently aboard the USS CHILLICOTHE: a request from that ship to “Hospital Pinckney Memphis” requested treatment for “Act’g Master J. M. Holmes” for “melancholia”.
In the decade of the 1860’s, James was working as an artist/photographer. In the decade of the 1870’s, he appears in the whaling industry, sailing on his first voyage in August 1871. AOWV records him serving as master of one voyage on each of three ships, all with New London as home port:
FRANKLIN (AS1406): (schooner, 99 tons, length 73 ft., built in Eastport ME in 1833, condemned and broken up in New Bedford in 1893). FRANKLIN sailed on August 6, 1871 for the Atlantic, was forced to return to port on August 12 because of leaks and left again on August 26. It returned from the voyage on June 9, 1872. Dennis Wood Abstract 4-308. Williams, Haven & Co. was the agent. AV05257.
FLYING FISH (AS1380): (schooner, 74 tons, length 76 ft., built in Essex MA in 1857, abandoned off Cape Horn in 1878). FLYING FISH sailed on June 29, 1876 for the Atlantic and returned on May 2, 1877. Lawrence & Co. was the agent. AV05022.
GOLDEN WEST (AS1483): (schooner, 99 tons, length 82 ft., built in Newburyport MA in 1853, condemned in Magellan Strait in 1880). GOLDEN WEST sailed on June 28, 1877 for the Atlantic and returned on May 2, 1878. Lawrence & Co. was the agent. AV05894.
James served as a member of the crew of FLYING FISH (see above) for its 1874 voyage and FRANCIS ALLYN (AS0758) for its 1872-1873 voyage.
One can speculate at what prompted James to turn from the relative safety of photography to the hazards of whaling. Was his brother William’s death aboard HELLESPONT a factor? It occurred before 1855, the year HELLESPONT returned from her final voyage. James went to sea more than 15 years after the death of William.
James died at sea on April 22, 1878. Entried in the ship’s logbook (at Mystic Seaport Museum) traces the steps leading to James’s death: February 27, 1878: “Capt. Holmes was taken ill at 7 a.m.” and was visited by Capt. Benjamin Rogers (AM4129) from TRINITY (AS2509) “being close by”. April 4: “The Captain is a little sick”. April 19: “Capt. still very weak”. April 15: “The Captain is no better yet, he had himself bled today, his disease is supposed to be the jaundice”. April 22: “At noon Capt. Holmes died. Lat 27.52N, Long 61.00 W”, enroute from Pernambuco Brazil to New London. April 23: “Buried Capt. Holmes at 2 o’clock p.m.”. His ship returned to New London nine days later, on May 2. He is memorialized by a thin cylindrical tower atop of square base in Elm Grove Cemetery in Stonington (Mystic). The base reads “Acting Master in the [indecipherable] of the Late Rebellion” and on the next line “Died at Sea”. He was 42 years old at this death. Julia survived him, dying in 1899.
Note: AOWV incorrectly showed under the name of James Mason Holmes (AM2650) as master of the voyages described above (he died before those voyages). Those voyages should have been attributed to this James, James Madison Holmes. AOWV will be corrected to transfer those voyages from AM2650 to AM6034.
Sources used: see sidebar and sources cited in text.
George Shaw
American Institute for Maritime Studies
Mystic Seaport Museum
May 2026