Holmes, John (1758 -1841)

There were two John Holmes.
This John Holmes F.S.A. was an attorney from Retford, Nottinghamshire. He is sometimes confused with his namesake, an antiquary and bookseller, whose catalogues of oriental manuscripts and of the Battle Abbey charters brought him to the attention of Lords Bexley and Glenelg who recommended him to the Department of Manuscripts in the British Museum in which he rose to be Assistant Keeper. There were sales of books from his library at auction, by S. L. Sotheby as `The library of John Holmes F.S.A. of Retford' on 18 October 1841, a further sale of books from the libraries of John Holmes F.S.A., and another of books remaining from the first sale also by Sotheby 22 March 1842.