Possibly Thomas, son of John Holmes and Dorothy Bamfield or Bamford, baptised on the 5th of June 1751 at St Andrew's.4
Married Faney7 Soper on the 5th of April 1784 in Sherborne, Dorset
Children
?John, born 1st April 1787 in Sherborne, Dorset 1
Thomas, baptised on the 23rd of May 1788 in Sherborne, Dorset (died 1799)
Fanny, baptised on the 22nd of October 1790 in Sherborne, Dorset
James, baptised on the 21st of September 1791 in Sherborne Dorset 2
Susanna, baptised on the 28th of February 1794 in Sherborne, Dorset (died 1796)
William, baptised on the 30th of July 1796 in Sherborne, Dorset
John, baptised on the 21st of November 1798 in Sherbourne, Dorset
Buried 3
Employment unknown but see note 4, 5.
1 The Don Ross & Jeanne (Guppy) Ross Family Tree on Ancestry.com has Thomas Holmes marrying a Fanny Hoddinott with son John as above - not in the Sherborne registers - and then Thomas, Fanny, James, William, Susanna as in the Sherborne registers.
2 James's parents are given as Thomas and Jane in the OPC transcription of the Sherbourne Registers but Thomas and Fanny in the actual registers and in the SoG transcription of the Bishops Transcripts.
3 A Thomas Holmes was buried on the 27th of October 1826 at Sherborne aged 79 (ie born c 1747)
4 Thomas apprenticed his sons James and William to a printer and carpenter. This implies that he had an employment enabling him to do so, i.e. above the agricultural labourer. See note 5
5 The Holmes found in the parish registers seem to have been mobile in the parishes around Sherborne. This would suggest agricultural labourers accepting hire where it was availble. However se note 4.
6 Another Thomas Holmes was baptised in 1750/1 but he appears to have married and died in the adjoining parishes of Lydlinch and Stock Gaylard.
7 Fanny signed her name as 'Faney' both in 1784 and 1803. In the marriage register the written Christian name is erased (but not the signature) but in the banns the name is spelled Fanny.