Holmes was the son of Henry Holmes, Governor of the Isle of Wight. From 1755, Holmes was mostly commissioned to fleets in North America. In General James Wolfe’s expedition against Canada in 1759 he was appointed third in command of the fleet in the ‘Dublin’ in the St Lawrence under Sir Charles Saunders. When Wolfe had selected his landing site Holmes had the difficult task of ensuring the army’s safe landing. Holmes died at Jamaica on 21 November 1761, and is commemorated with a monument in Westminster Abbey.

He is shown wearing flag officer’s undress uniform, 1748–67. The portrait was painted after Holmes promotion to Rear-Admiral of the Blue in 1758. As Dance was in Rome 1754–65 the attribution to him must be questioned.