• Some records list his birth year as “1733”

• Was a Cooper by trade and was one of the first users of the Semper Eoden torch.

• He was said to have participated in the "Boston Tea Party.", … "Mr. HOLYOKE, however, never confirmed the tale; the whole party was pledged to secrecy." Even though his name does not appear on the list given by Drake’s Tea Leaves … there was enough corroborative testimony to remove any doubts to its truth.”

• He served in the American Revolutionary War as a private55

• Moved from Boston, Suffolk, MA to Orrington, ME (now called Brewer, Penobscot, ME) - ca. 1777.

• He is considered as one of the earliest settler of Brewer, ME. … He built and lived in the first log house in what is now Brewer proper. This cabin was on Center Street site of the brick building known as the Harlow Block.

• When he arrived he took up two lots of land, one above and on below the bridge. Each of these lots extended forty rods on the river side and went back into the interior for four hundred yards.

• In 1783, a group of men from Brewer and Orrington submitted a petition to the General Court of Massachusetts asking for the grant of a township. The beginning of the petition follows:
Petition of the inhabitants of the plantation of New Worchester, to his excellency, John Hancock. "to his excellency, John Hancock, Esquire, Governor and Commander-in-chief of the Commonwealth of the State of Massachusetts, the honorable Council and House of Representatives of the same, in General Court assembled.
The representatives from Brewer part were: John Brewer, John Emery, James Budge, John HOLYOKE, Kenneth McKensie, John Mansell, Thomas Campbell Sr., John Rider, David Budge, John Thoms, Simeon Johnson, John Mansell Jr., and Emerson Orcutt.
On the 17 March 1786, each petitioner received "one hundred acres each, to be so laid out as to include their improvements respectively, on condition that each of the grantees aforementioned, pay to John Brewer and Simeon Fowler, five pounds of lawful money within one year from this time, ..."

• He also built and lived in the first frame house in 1788, a one story dwelling on State Street..." This house stood twenty rods from the river and in later years was replaced by another building.”

• For many years many native Americans use to encamp on his property near his home … though they were friendly, they did at times enter his home, sometimes forcing open the door and then help themselves to food and sleeping by the fire. It was thought best to submit quietly to these rude ways rather than incur any risk of trouble.

• During the first town meeting for Orrington after its incorporation, April 7, 1788, John HOLYOKE was elected as the first town treasurer.

• He and his brother-in-law, Major Treat ‘… frequently went up the Kenduskeag hunting; it was a famous hunting ground about the meadows - plenty of moose, deer, caribou, partridges, rabbit …”

• He is the ancestor of the Maine and New Brunswick line of HOLYOKE’s.

• He became a Selectman in 1791 and held other town offices.

• In 1812 Orrington split into two towns with the northern part becoming the town of Brewer.

• Direct line of Revolutionary War; all daughters & their daughters eligible for DAR.


[S:9], [S:96], [S:33], [S:76], [S:178], [S:179], [S:227], [S:243]


Side-Note …

Commonwealth of Massachusetts
To John Brewer and Simeon Fowler, and other settlers:

Know all men by these presents, that we, whose names are undersigned and seats affixed, appointed a committee by a resolve of the General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, passed the 28th of October, 1783 on the subject of unappropriated lands in the County of Lincoln, and by that and other resolves of the said General Court empowered to sell and dispose of the unappropriated lands of this Commonwealth in the said County for and in consideration of the sum of three thousand pounds in the consolidated securities of this Commonwealth, to us paid by John Brewer and Simeon Fowler, both of a place called New Worcester, in the County of Lincoln, gentlemen, in behalf of themselves and others, settled at that place the receipt whereof, by their obligations for that sum to the treasurer of the Commonwealth, we do hereby acknowledge, do hereby give, grant, sell and convey to the said Brewer and Fowler, and other settlers at he place aforesaid, a certain tract of land containing ten thousand eight hundred and sixty-four acres adjoining to Penobscot river and on the east side thereof, bounded as follows, viz.: Beginning at said river and on the northwest corner of number one, or Buck town, thence running north seventy degrees, east three miles, two hundred and sixty rods; then north forty-eight degrees west two miles, two hundred and ten rods; then north, sixty-four degrees east, one mile, one hundred and fifty-four rods; then north seventy-five degrees east; one hundred and eighty-three rods; then north eleven degrees west, fifty-six rods; then north eight degrees east, two miles eighty-eight rods; then north fifteen degrees west, one mile and about forty-five rods to a bend of the said river, within about one hundred rods of the north-west corner of Dodge's plan; thence southerly by the said river to the place begun at; excepting and reserving however, the lot called number twenty-one in said Dodge's plan, containing two hundred and sixty-four acres, which was formerly sold to Robert Smith of Needham, and also suitable and convenient landings and roads to the same, from the lands purchased by Moses Knapp and associates, and the privilege of taking fish, which are to be held in common between the said Brewer and Fowler, and other settlers and the said Knap and his associates -- to have and to hold the above--granted premises in the manner and proportion hereafter mention, viz.; to John Brewer, Simeon Fowler, George Gardner, Thomas Campbell, Josiah Brewer, and James Ginn, Gentlemen, Charles Blagden, Samuel Knap, Emerson Orcutt, Joseph Mansell, Solomon Harthorn, Kennett McKenney, John Thomas, John Rider, Simeon Johnson, John Holyoke, Henry Kenney, John Hutchings, John Crocker, John Tibbetts, David Wiswell, Joseph Baker, Benjamin Snow, Solomon Sweat, Samuel Freeman, Jesse Rogers, Peter Sangster, George Brooks, Jesse Atwood, Oliver Doane, Warren Nickerson, Eliphalet Nickerson, Paul Nickerson, Henry Cole, Ephraim Downs, Moses Wentworth, James McCurdy, John Mansell, John Emery, Robert McCurdy, husbandmen, the widow of John Mansell, Junior, deceased, Hannah Ary, widow and the heirs of Simeon Smith, their heirs and assigns, one hundred acres each, to be so laid out as to include their improvements respectively, on condition that each of the grantees aforesaid, pay to John Brewer and Simeon Fowler five pounds lawful money within one year from this time, with interest till paid; and to each settler on the said tract who has made a separate improvement thereon, one hundred acres, to be so laid out as will best include his improvements, on condition that each settler last mentioned pay to the said John Brewer and Simeon Fowler fourteen pounds, thirteen shillings and six pence, lawful money within one year from this time, with interest till paid; and the residue of said tract to all settlers indiscriminately who have made improvements as aforesaid, on condition that each of such settlers pay to the said John Brewer and Simeon Fowler the sum of fourteen pounds, thirteen shillings, and six pence, lawful money within one year from this time, with interest till paid, for each hundred acres which shall be assigned and set off to him out of the residuary part and in the same proportion for a greater or lesser quantity; provided nevertheless, if any settler or other grantee aforesaid shall neglect to pay his proportion of the sum or sums aforesaid, to be by him paid, in order to entitle him to one hundred acres as aforesaid, in that case the said John Brewer and Simeon Fowler shall be entitled to hold the same in fee, which said negligent person might have held by complying with the conditions aforesaid on his part. Provided nevertheless, if any dispute or controversy shall arise between the said John Brewer and Simeon Fowler on the one part, and any settler on the lands aforesaid, or other person who has purchased of an original settler there, on his part, in that case there is hereby reserved full power and authority to the committee aforesaid, or their successors in office, to adjust such dispute and controversy on the principles of equity, and to assign and convey to such settler, or to him or them who hold under such settler, his or their heirs and assigns, such quantity of the land aforesaid as to the same committee shall appear reasonable, and at such a rate as they may think just, so as that the said John Brewer and Simeon Fowler shall have a right to receive from all persons interested or which may be interested in the tract of land aforesaid, a sum of money of equal amount with the several sums for the payment whereof to the said John Brewer and Simeon Fowler provision is herein before made, in case application shall be made to the said committee at any time within three years next following the date hereof; and the said committee, in behalf of the said Commonwealth, covenant and agree that the said Commonwealth shall warrant and defend the premises on the conditions and with the reservations aforesaid, to the grantees aforesaid, their heirs and assigns to be held in the proportion and manner, and upon the conditions aforesaid, against the lawful claims and demands of all persons.

In witness whereof, the said committee set their hands and seals, this twenty-fifth day of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-six.

Signed, sealed and delivered in presence of us,
Lewis Whiting, Sam'l Phillips, Jr., (Seal)
Committee
Jacob Kuhn Nath'Wells (Seal) 56

• Granddaughter of the Rev. Samuel Treat.

• Great-granddaughter of Gov. Robert Treat of Connecticut.

• Some records lists her date of death as “21 Aug 1830”