Editing Thomas Holme (section)

== Early Life and Quaker Conversion ==

Thomas Holme was born around 1624 in England, though some sources suggest he may have had Irish origins or connections. Little is known of his early life and education, though he clearly acquired training in surveying and land measurement—skills that were in high demand in the expanding English colonial world. Holme served in the Parliamentary army during the English Civil War, rising to the rank of captain. This military service brought him into contact with Quakerism, which attracted many soldiers disillusioned with the violence and religious hypocrisy they had witnessed during the conflict. Holme converted to the Religious Society of Friends and became an active member of the Quaker community.<ref name="bronner">{{cite book |last=Bronner |first=Edwin B. |title=William Penn's "Holy Experiment": The Founding of Pennsylvania, 1681-1701 |year=1962 |publisher=Temple University Publications |location=Philadelphia}}</ref>

By the 1670s, Holme had established himself in Ireland, where a significant Quaker community existed despite periodic persecution. He married and began purchasing land, building a life as a substantial farmer and surveyor. When William Penn began organizing his Pennsylvania venture in 1681, Holme was among those who saw opportunity in the New World. He purchased 5,000 acres of Pennsylvania land—a significant investment that demonstrated his confidence in Penn's colony and his commitment to participating in the "Holy Experiment." Penn recognized Holme's surveying expertise and appointed him Surveyor General of Pennsylvania, a position that would make Holme responsible for one of the largest land distribution efforts in colonial American history.<ref name="holme-bio">{{cite journal |last=Lemon |first=James T. |title=The Best Poor Man's Country: Early Southeastern Pennsylvania |year=1972 |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |location=Baltimore}}</ref>