William HolmesD.D. (5 April 1689 – 4 April 1748) was an English academic,Vice-Chancellor^[1][2] andRegius Professor of Modern History of theUniversity of Oxford.^[3] He was alsoDean of Exeter between 1742 and 1748.^[4]

Holmes was born on 5 April 1689 in the parish of St Swithin, in theCity of London, the son of Thomas and Margaret Holmes of London, England. He began his education atMerchant Taylors' School, London, on 12 September 1701 and went up toSt John's College, Oxford, on 11 June 1707,matriculating on 2 July. In 1710, he became aFellow and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree on 16 May 1711, and was awarded theMaster of Arts degree on 9 April 1715.

In 1721 Holmes was appointed as aproctor of the University. He took theBachelor of Divinity degree on 13 April 1722 and the Doctorate of Divinity on 5 March 1725. Holmes held two college livings; between 1725 and 1726 that ofNorth Leigh, nearOxford, and ofHenbury, Gloucestershire from 1726 to 1728. He was electedPresident of St John's College on 3 June 1728.^[5] Holmes became the Rector ofBoxwell, Gloucestershire, on 24 September and was given the college living of Hanborough, a few miles north ofLong Hanborough, Oxfordshire, and between 1731 and 1737, he was proctor for the clergy of thediocese of Oxford inconvocation.

Holmes wasVice-Chancellor of Oxford University between 1732 and 1735,^[1][2] and in this post, was appealed to byJohn Wesley about the concerns of the critics of the Holy Club. In 1734, he became a King's Chaplain. In his role as Vice-Chancellor, Holmes presented addresses from the university on the marriage ofAnne,Princess Royal toWilliam,Prince of Orange, the Prince having been under Holmes's care whilst in Oxford.

In 1736 Holmes was appointed as the OxfordRegius Professor of Modern History, a post he held until 1742. Whilst President of St John's, Holmes had the last letter of SirThomas White, the founder of college, printed to give every scholar on entering college, urging the fellows to peacefully with each other and suggests they "take a coppye of yt for my sake".

Holmes was ridiculed as "time-serving" in an imitation of thefirst satire ofJuvenal, printed in London in 1740, and in a letter purporting to be written from Oxford, published inBritish Champions, or, The Impartial Advertiser on 10 January 1743, which printed "that ornament of learning and politeness H—es" is an example of those that "steer judiciously between all extremes". Holmes was the first president of St John's to be loyal to theHouse of Hanover.

Holmes was supportive of sound learning and met withThomas Hearne, who wished the University to plan the printing of Oxford manuscripts. On 9 July 1733, acting as Vice-Chancellor he revived the ceremony of "the act", which had been discontinued, and invitedGeorge Frideric Handel to play before and after the ceremony. However, his allowing Handel to perform inside theSheldonian Theatre on several occasions outside of University ceremonies and to charge 5shillings. for admission, offended Hearne and other traditionalists. Hearne stated that "Handel and (his lousy crew) a great number of foreign fiddlers".^[6] At another time, Holmes refused a company of players from visiting Oxford.

He was from 1728 to 1748 thePresident of St John's College, Oxford.^[5] He was nominated byGeorge II to the deanery ofExeter Cathedral on 4 June 1742. Holmes was buried in the college chapel, and on the instruction of his wife, Sarah, a monument to him was erected in the college chapel. On his death on 4 April 1748, Holmes left an estate of two farms and £200 a year to St John's College.

Only one work is ascribed to Holmes,The Country Parson's Advice to his Parishioners … of the Younger Sort, which was an anonymous publication of 1742.

• 1689 births
• 1768 deaths
• People from the City of London
• Alumni of St John's College, Oxford
• People educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood
• 18th-century English historians
• English chaplains
• Fellows of St John's College, Oxford
• Presidents of St John's College, Oxford
• Vice-chancellors of the University of Oxford
• Regius Professors of History (University of Oxford)

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