The History of the Holmes Family


The main focus of the material that follows is to tell the story of Reuben Holmes and his descendants.  The material that comes first, however, outlines the history of the Holmes Family as thoroughly as possible. (The direct line of Reuben's ancestors is in bold text.)  Additionally, as part of the story of Reuben Holmes, expanded material is included on the family of his wife, Ellen Alton.
The Family of William and Sarah Holmes
The History of the Holmes Family begins in the parish of Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England.  It was there, around the year 1807, that William Holmes was born.  In the mid 1820's, William married a woman named Sarah Twigg.  Sarah was born in 1803 in the nearby parish of Hollington, Derbyshire.  Together, William and Sarah would have a family of six children.  The lives of William and Sarah Holmes, and their children, can be traced through a combination of records:  baptismal; birth, marriage, and death; and the census that was taken every ten years, beginning in 1841. 

Throughout his adult life, William Holmes worked as a coachman, a career he began in the 1820's.  It would seem that he worked along a route that connects the towns of Derby, Derbyshire and Leek, Staffordshire (passing through Ashbourne on the way) as the children of William & Sarah Holmes were born in different locations along this road.  All but one of the children, however, is recorded in the baptismal records of St. Oswald's, the Parish Church of Ashbourne.  The eldest son, John, was born in Ashbourne on January 20th 1826, and baptized on August 19th 1827.  Next came Mary, who was baptized January 20th 1828.  She was followed by James, who was born October 31st and baptized on December 7th 1829.  (The baptismal record of James is especially interesting as it alone includes the maiden name of Sarah Twigg.)  The fourth child, George was born in Waterhouses, Staffordshire, and baptized on February 26th 1832.  Ann was born in Ashbourne on April 5th and baptized there on May 4th 1834. The final child of William and Sarah was Matthew Charles, who was born in Leek, Staffordshire in 1836.  By 1841 William had settled permanently in the town of Derby.  The next source of information that should help trace the movements of William and Sarah Holmes is the Census of 1841.

 The 1841 Census of England contains limited, and often inaccurate, information.  An extensive search of this census reveals no record of a William and Sarah Holmes with son, John.  Nevertheless, this census does identify a William and Sarah Holmes living at 3 Brook Walk, in All Saints, Derby with five children:  Mary (born 1827), James (born 1829), George (born 1832), Ann (born 1834), and Charles (born 1836).  William lists his occupation as “coachman.”   As for John, it is possible that at age 15 he was employed and living away from home on the day of the census.  There is, in fact, an entry for a John Holmes, born in 1826, working a short distance away.  The Census of 1851 provides more valuable information.

By 1851, the Holmes family lived on Markeaton Street, in St. Werburgh, Derby. Still living with William and Sarah are three children: George, Ann, and Matthew Charles.  William's occupation is listed as “coachman and gardener.” Sometime in the 1850's, Sarah Holmes passed away in Derby.  William then remarried, to another woman named Sarah, Sarah Pearson, on November 10th 1860.  (The marriage record of William Holmes and Sarah Pearson is interesting, as on this registry William Holmes identifies the name of his father as William.)  In 1871, William and Sarah are found at 57 Nun's Street, just around the corner from Markeaton Street.  In 1881, William and Sarah moved one more block, and lived at 27 Kedleston Street in the home of William's daughter, Ann.  William Holmes passed away in Derby on February 10th 1885, age 78.  The informant on the registry of death is his son, John.  His second wife, Sarah, then went to live with a daughter from her first marriage.  The second Sarah Holmes passed away on July 7th 1893.  The death registry of the second Sarah Holmes identifies that she was the “widow of William Holmes, Coachman.”

Before turning to the history of the John Holmes family, the next material provides information about the families of James, George, Ann, and Matthew Charles.  As nothing more is known about daughter Mary, she is not included here.

The Descendants of William & Sarah Holmes through Son James
James Holmes was born in Ashbourne, Derbyshire in 1829.  He married Ann Moreledge in Derby on July 8th 1849.  With his wife Ann, James lived the rest of his life in Derby where he worked as an Iron Foundry Striker and Blacksmith.  James and Ann had a family of 11 children:
  • James Holmes was born in Derby in 1849.  He is found with his family in the census of 1851, 1861, and 1871.  It is possible that James moved to Sheffield, Yorkshire in the late 1870's.
  • Reuben Holmes, born in Derby in 1851, was the husband of Hannah.  Reuben and Hannah are found in the census of 1881, but not thereafter.
  • Sarah Ann Holmes was born in 1854.  In 1879, in Derby, she married Jacob Twigg.  Sarah Twigg is found living with Reuben Holmes in 1881, but are not found thereafer.
  • John Holmes was born in Derby in 1855.  On May 17th 1880, he married Millicent Goodband (1861-1891).  John and Millicent moved to Sheffield, where they raised four children:  John, Louisa, Millicent, and Mary Anne.  Louisa (1889-1963) married Frank Raynes, and had a family of seven. 
  • Harriet Holmes was born in 1858, and married to James Jones (1851-1907).  They were the parents of Harriet, Sarah Ann, Fanny Isabella, Elizabeth, James, Edwin, Robert, Rubin, and Charles.  The Jones family is found still living in Derby as of the census of 1901.
  • Mary Elizabeth Holmes, born in1860, was the wife of John Smitherman (also spelled Smithyman), and the mother of John Edwin, Mary Elizabeth (Mrs. Ernest Manning), Fanny, Sarah Ann, Emily, Ann, and Frances.  The Smitherman family is found still living in Derby as of the census of 1901.
  • Maria Holmes was born in Derby in 1861.  She is found with the family for the census of 1871, but not thereafter.
  • Thomas Edward Holmes, born in 1863, was the husband of  Agnes Ellen Chapman.  Thomas and Agnes moved to Sheffield where they raised four children:  Thomas Edward, Agnes Ellen, Albert, and Fielden
  • Fanny Holmes was born in Derby in 1866.  She is found at home for the census of 1871 and 1881, but not thereafter.
  • Charles Holmes born in 1867.  He is found living at home for both the census of 1871 and 1881.  Like others in his family, it seems likely that Charles also moved to Sheffield.
  • Richard Holmes was born in Derby in 1869.
Very little else is known about this family.  James passed away in Derby in 1890.

 
The Descendants of William & Sarah Holmes through Son George
George Holmes was born in Waterhouses, Staffordshire in1832.  Tracing the events of his life thereafter varies from difficult to impossible as he seems to have moved several times, changed careers, and may have married three times.  More complicating is that it is not always possible to determine who mothered which children.  At least one child may have been “adopted” after his marriage.  Based upon census returns, this is what can be determined about the life and family of George Holmes.

According to the Census of 1861, George was born in Waterhouses, Staffordshire in 1832.  By 1861 he lived in Derby, and worked as a Green Grocer.  His spouse is identified as Hannah, who was born in Derbyshire in 1833.  George and Hannah have with them two children: Sarah Ann, born in 1855; and Joseph born in 1856.

In the Census of 1871, the only George Holmes family that seems to match is found living in Southport, Lancashire, but there are a couple of significant differences.  First, although born in Waterhouses, this George was born in 1835.  Next, he lists his occupation as Doctor.  Finally, his wife is identified as Mary E, born in Bradford, Yorkshire in 1840.  The children listed with the couple are Sarah A Holmes, age 15; and Louisa G Holmes, age 6.

By the time of the 1881 Census, the George Holmes family is located in Huddersfield, Yorkshire.  This time George was born in Derby in 1833.  He also now worked as a Chemist and Druggist.  And finally, although the census states that he is married, no Mrs. Holmes is listed with the family.  Two daughters, though, are still with George:  Sarah Ann, age 26; and Louisa, age 18.  There are, however, three other people in the home, a housekeeper and her two children:  Mary Ann Saunders, born in Nottingham about 1850; her eldest daughter Georgenna Saunders, age 5; and a younger daughter, Ethel Saunders, age 3.

The last census in which George Holmes appears is that of 1891.  For this census, George was born in Derby in 1836.  Somewhat unusually, he still lived in Huddersfield, and still listed his occupation as Chemist and Druggist.  His wife in 1891 is Mary Ann Holmes, born in Nottingham in 1850.  There are four children in the family:  Sarah Ann, age 15; Ethel, age 13; William Henry, age 9; Charles Edward, age 6; and Edith, age 3. 

Clearly there is no way that all of this information can be correct, leaving open the possibility that at least one of the George's identified above is not the correct one.  The George found in 1881 and 1891, however, must be correct.  One other person living in his home for the 1891 census is very important for identifying that at least this is the correct George Holmes, and that is his sister, Ann Cowley (see below). George passed away in Huddersfield in 1895.  The only other information about his family centres on his son, William Henry Holmes.

First, William Henry Holmes was the son of George and his third wife, Mary Ann Saunders.  William Henry Holmes is found living at home for the census of 1891.  By 1901, he was a Sapper in the Royal Engineers.  After completing time in the military, he moved to South Africa.  There he married Jessica Tweedy; they had one son, Charles William Saunders Holmes (1921-1992). Charles W. S. Holmes married Barbara Helen Chatterton (1920-1977).  They had three children; family members still lives in South Africa.

 
The Descendants of William & Sarah Holmes through Daughter Ann
Ann Holmes was born in Ashbourne, Derbyshire in 1834.  She married Joseph George Cowley (1830-1891) in Derby in 1856.  They remained in Derby, where they raised two daughters:
  • Louisa Jane Cowley married James Morecroft in Derby in 1876.  Louisa and James were the parents of Martha Louise; Ada, Mrs. Albert Pearman; Florence, Mrs. John William Peach; Frederick James; Mabel Annie, Mrs. John Phillips; and Lilian, Mrs. George Newton
  • Sarah Ann married Arthur J. Potts in Derby in 1887.  Sarah Ann and Arthur were the parents of Gertrude Martha, Mrs. Albert Meakin; and Arthur J. Potts, Jr. 
Proof that Ann Cowley is the sister of John Holmes comes from the census of 1881.  This census identifies not only the Cowleys, but also two others in the Cowley home: William and Sarah Holmes.  More importantly, this William Holmes identifies his birthplace as Ashbourne, Derbyshire, and also states that he is an unemployed coachman.  Thus, Ann Cowley must be the sister of John Holmes.  Furthermore, because Ann was with her brother George Holmes in Huddersfield in 1891 (see above), George must also be the brother of John Holmes.  Ann Cowley passed away in Derby in 1911.

 
The Descendants of William & Sarah Holmes through Son Matthew Charles
Matthew Charles Holmes was born in Leek, Staffordshire in 1836.  He married Emily Rumbold (1839-1886) in Nottingham on August 30th 1857.  Matthew Chalres and Emily also lived in Derby; where they had six children.  Matthew Charles Holmes died in Derby in 1917.
William Joseph Holmes was born in Derby on September 23rd 1859.  He married Alice Humphreys there around 1880,   Together, they had one son, Matthew Charles.  In 1882 it seems likely that William and his family moved to Canada, possibly even having a daughter, Lucy, born there.  However, the family must have returned to England, as they are found in Yorkshire for the census of 1891.  Alice Holmes appears to have passed away in Derby in 1898.  By 1901, William is found living in Leicester, but his life would soon change again.  In 1902, William and his second wife, Jemima Hind (nee Rivett), left England, and returned to Canada, settling near Huntsville, Ontario.  Jemima passed away there on February 10th 1924.  William then remarried to Susan Ruthven (nee Williamson), who passed away on October 1st 1928.  William married one final time, to Alameda Wallace (nee Barrigar) in 1931.  William passed  away in Huntsville on October 15th 1933.
  • Matthew Charles Holmes was born in Derby on July 13th 1881.  He married Rose Hind in Leicester in 1900.  She was born in Buenos Airies, Argentina on August 1st 1882.  (Rose's mother was Jemima, second wife of William Jospeh Holmes.)  In 1902, Matthew and Rose also emigrated to Canada.  According to the 1911 census of Canada, Matthew and Rose lived next door to William and Jemima.  Matthew and Rose had a family of eight children:  Violet Florence, William Matthew (Bill), Elsie May, Florence Edith, Ivy Evelyn,  Leonard, Edna, and Winnifred Holmes.
  • According to the census of 1891, William and Alice Holmes also had a daughter, Lucy who was born in Kingston, Ontario, Canada in 1885.  Somewhat unusually, no record of the birth can be found.  However, William's brother did have a daughter named Lucy Edith Holmes born near Kingston in 1888.  It is not known what happened to Lucy.
 Edward Edmund Holmes was born in Derby in 1861; he married Betsy Watts there in 1881.  A short time later they left England for Canada, settleing first on Wolfe Island, Frontenac County, Ontario - an island in the mouth of the St. Lawrence River.  Later, they moved to live near Toronto; later still, the family moved to Gravenhurst, Muskoka district.  Edward Edmund Holmes, Sr. was killed in an accident near Toronto in 1902.  Follwing his death, Betsy remained with the family in Gravenhurst.  Betsy died there in 1937.  Edward and Betsy Holmes were the parents of  George Arthur, Lillian May, Lucy Edith, Francis Edward, John Robert, Albert Sydney, William Alfred, Harry James, and Edward Edmund, Jr. 
  • George Arthur Holmes was born on Wolfe Island on August 4th 1883.  He married Ethel Grace Strothers (1882-1959) in 1904.  Together they had nine children:  George Earl, Edith Pearl, Mary Lillian, Arthur Leslie, Ernest Edward, Charles, Dorothy, Lloyd Sidwell, and Lyle Sidwell Holmes.  George Holmes passed away in Muskoka on April 9th 1950.
  • Lillian May Holmes was born on Wolfe Island on January 14th 1886.  In 1906, she married Henry Hind (1886-1936).  Henry (aka Harry) was the younger brother of Rose Hind, the wife of Lily's cousin Matthew.  Lily and Harry had six children:  Henry Edward, Alice Edith, Violet, Arthur, Tessie, and Irene Hind.  Lily Hind passed away in toronto on May 14th 1962.
  • Lucy Edith Holmes is a child of mystery.  According to birth records for the province of Ontario, a Lucy Edith Holmes was born on Wolfe Island on April 5th 1888, the daughter of Edward Holmes and Betsy Watts.  Lucy does not appear with the family for the census of 1891, nor any time after that.  Moreover, no record of her death exists.  The mystery deepens in that a Lucy Holmes is found with William Joseph Holmes in England in 1891.  The apparent explanation is that William Joseph Holmes took his neice with him when he returned to England.  The reason for this may never be known.
  • Francis Edward Holmes was born on Wolfe Island on April 5th 1889.  He passed away in Muskoka on September 22nd 1916.
  • John Robert Holmes was born in Toronto on September 10th 1891.  He married Mary Margaret Walmsley (1894-1941), and had six children: Isabelle, John James, Betsy, Frederick, Alice, and Victor.  John Robert Holmes passed away in Toronto on August 16th 1956.
  • Albert Sydney Holmes was born in Toronto on March 2nd 1894.
  • William Alfred Holmes was born in Muskoka on October 22nd 1897.  In 1917, he married Edith May Barnes in Gravenhurst.  They would have a family of three:  Betty, Roy William, and Harvey Calvin Holmes.  William passed away in Gravenhurst on June 22nd 1986.
  • Harry James Holmes was born in Muskoka on May 10th 1900.  He passed away in Bracebridge, Ontario on June 2nd 1978.
  • Edward Edmund Holmes, Jr. was born in Toronto on December 9th 1902, and passed away there on April 25th 1903.
Mary Ann was born in Derby in 1863.  She is found with her family for the census of 1871 and 1881, but not thereafter Emily Holmes was born in Derby in 1865.  In 1886, in, Derby, she married Charles Dunn (1854-1898), and had three children:  Emily, Minnie, and Harold.  In 1904, Emily remarried, to a man named Joseph Robert Hague (1864-1918).  Together, they had one son, John (1904-1905).  In 1919, Emily married a third time, to Walter Alcock (1864-1931). Sometime after this marriage, Emily and Walter left England for Canada, settling just north of Toronto.  Following Walter's death, Emily came to live in the Muskoka district, near her older brother, William.  In 1933, she married Harry Joiner (1865-1934).  Following his death, Emily married one more time, to David Ayres (1866-1938) in 1937.  Emily passed away a few years later.
  • Emily Dunn was born in Sheffield on January 27th 1889. She married Arthur Berry (c. 1885-1929) there on March 14th 1914, and had six children: Gwendoline, Frances, Ann, Ivy, Edith, and James Berry. (Emily also had a child, Horace, prior to her marriage.)  Emily passed away in 1928. Following the untimely death of her daughter, Emily Alcock returned to England from Canada, and took some of her grandchildren to that country; the rest remained in England.
  • Minnie Dunn was born in Sheffield in 1891; she passed away there in 1904.
  • Harold Dunn was born in Sheffield in 1898.  He married Annie Green there in 1918.
John Charles  was born in Derby in 1867.  He is found with his family for the census of 1871 and 1881, but not thereafter.  George was born in Derby in 1871.  He is found with his family for the census of 1871 and 1881, but not thereafter

 
 
The Descendants of William & Sarah Holmes through Son John
John and Elizabeth Holmes were married in the Parish Church at Duffield, Derbyshire on May 13th 1846.  Elizabeth Holmes was actually born Elizabeth Haworth, the daughter of James Haworth and Mary Bratby.  Parish records identify that she was born on August 30th 1829, and baptized on October 5th 1829 at the Wesleyan Methodist Church on King Street, in the Parish of Saint Alkmund, Derby.  On March 30th 1851, John and Elizabeth Holmes, and their son William, are found at 11 Bleach Yard, in St Alkmund, Derby. By the time of the 1861 census, the family of John and Elizabeth had moved to 6 Sadler Gate Bridge, St Werburgh, Derby.  The family had also grown substantially in ten years.  In addition to eldest son William, John and Ann had four more children:  Mary Elizabeth (born 1853), Reuben (born 1855), Martha (born 1857), and Eliza Ann (born 1860).  John listed his occupation as “Baker.”  The 1871 census reveals that John had changed his occupation to  “Grocer and Flour Dealer,” and that John and Elizabeth lived at 7 Abbey Street, Derby, next to or behind a grocery store listed at 5 Abbey Street.  Also living with them at this time were their children, Mary, Reuben, Martha, and Eliza Ann.  According to the Census of 1881, the family lived at 81 Uttoxeter New Road, Derby.  John, at this time, listed his occupation as “Brick Maker.” By 1881, John and Elizabeth lived with only their two youngest daughters, Eliza Ann and Martha.

Elizabeth Holmes passed away on May 31st 1890.  On September 27th 1890, John remarried, to a woman named Sarah Summerside.  (On the marriage registry, John states he is the son of William Holmes, coachman.)  Sarah Summerside was born about 1835 in Burton, Staffordshire, England to Mr. & Mrs. William Clarke.  John and Sarah are found in the Census of 1891, but this would be the last time that John would be recorded in any census:  he passed away in Derby on August 23rd 1895.
 

The Descendants of John & Elizabeth Holmes through their Children
William, Mary Elizabeth, Martha, and Eliza Ann

William Holmes was born in Derby in 1849.  On December 15th 1875, he married Jane Elizabeth Beadman.  She had been born in the nearby county of Rutland in 1851.  William and Jane Elizabeth lived primarily in Derby, where William worked as both dental and medical assistant.  In 1901, William and Jane Elizabeth left Derby to become the proprietors of the Farmer's Hotel in Lancing, St. James, Sussex, on the south coast of England.  By 1902, however, they returned to Derby.  Jane Elizabeth passed away there in 1908; William died sometime thereafter.  They had no children.
 Mary Elizabeth Holmes was born in Derby in 1853.  She married Frederick Jephson (1854-1919) on December 16th 1874.  Frederick worked as a Furniture Dealer in Derby his entire career.  Mary and Frederick Jephson had a family of seven children.  Like her husband, Mary Elizabeth Jephson died in Derby in 1919.
  • Frederick John Holmes Jephson was born in Derby in 1875.  In 1900, he married Ellen Elizabeth Edwards.  They had at least one child, Doris Victoria Jephson.
  • Ethel Alice Jephson was born in Derby in 1877.  She married Harry Cott there in 1900, and had two sons, Harold (1901-1993), and Sydney (1902-1988).  A grandson of Sydney, Nicholas Martin Cott is today a city councilman in Newcastle, England.
  • Eveline Beatrice Jephson was born in Derby in 1878.  She married Joseph Smart in Derby in 1900.
  • Bernard Harold Jephson was born in Derby in 1881.  In 1902, he married Sarah Jane Wilson; he and his wife lived in Darlington, County Durham, England.  Their daughter, Helga, was born there in 1910.  During World War One, he served as a Lance Corporal in the 6th Battalion of the East Lancashire Regiment in Mesopotamia.  He was killed in action on December 15th 1916, and is honoured at the Basra Memorial, in southern Iraq.
  • Mabel Susan Jephson was born in Derby in 1882.  As of the deaths of her parents, in 1919, she was still unmarried.
  • Clarice Edith Jephson was born in Derby on December 25th 1883.  In 1907, she married Walter Stanley Highton.  He worked as an accountant for Thomas Cook and Sons, even being positioned in the United States for a period of time.  On October 26th 1910, Walter and Clarice arrived in New York, and took up residence in Bergen, New Jersey.  The Hightons were in the United States long enough that Walter registered for the draft into the American army in 1918.  By 1920, however, Clarice had returned to England, to live in London.  Her husband rejoined her some time later.  It would seem they had no children.
  • Arnold Haworth Jephson was born in Derby on June 25th 1887.  In 1912, he left Derby, and eventually made his way to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.  A short time later, he was met by Ada Jeannette Gibson.  They were married in Victoria on June 14th 1913.  In 1914, with the outbreak of World War One, Arnold joined the Canadian army, and served in the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.  He was killed in action on May 8th 1915, at the Battle of Frezenberg, one of the first occasions when poison gas was used during the war.  He is honoured at the Menin Gate, Ypres Memorial in Belgium.
 Martha Holmes was born in Derby in 1857.  She married Frederick Kirk in Derby on April 20th 1881.  Frederick was born in Nottingham in 1855.  He worked as a clothier and tailor.  By 1901, Martha and Frederick lived in Wilsford, Lincolnshire:  he as a tailor; she as a postmistress.  It would appeathat Martha and Frederick had no children.
 Eliza Ann Holmes was born in Derby on July 19th 1860.  On February 1st 1882, she married Thomas Henry Moore (June 1st 1859-July 3rd 1915), a grocer.  Eliza Ann and Thomas Moore had three daughters:  Frances Haworth, Florence Eveline, and Annie Victoria Moore.  Eliza Ann Moore passed away in Nottingham on May 5th 1918
  • Frances Haworth Moore was born in Derby on July 29th 1883.  On December 26th 1910, in Nottingham, she married Henry, aka Dick, Skellett (1880-1957).  She passed away in Nottingham on September 7th 1962.  Frances and her husband had one son, Henry Francis Skellett.
      • Henry Francis Skellett was born in Nottingham on October 28th 1912.  In 1939, he married Ivy Parkes (1916-1989).  They were the parents of Colin Frank and Trevor John Skellett.  Henry passed away in Nottingham in 2006.
  • Florence Eveline Moore, known as Florrie, was born in Derby on October 20th 1885.  In 1909, she married Harry Hazeldine.  They had two daughters, Sarah Dorothy (b. 1910), and Lillian (b. 1913).
  • Annie Victoria Moore was born in Derby on April 3rd 1887.  In Nottingham, on May 29th 1909, she married Henry William Chipperfield Betts (1885-1960).  Their daughter, Hilda Evelyn Betts, was born in Nottingham on September 23rd 1911.  Annie passed away in Nottingham in 1961.
      • Hilda married Ralph Edward Richards (1906-1971) on July 23rd 1938 in Nottingham.  She passed away there on December 10th 1976. Hilda and Ralph were the parents of Ralph Gordon and Lesley. 

 
The Descendants of John & Elizabeth Holmes through Son Reuben
Reuben Holmes was born in Derby on June 27th 1855, and was raised in various neighbourhoods in the town of Derby.  On February 2nd 1875, he married Ellen Alton.  By 1881, Reuben and Ellen lived at Bakehouse, on Derby Road, Etwall, Derbyshire.  By this point in time, they had two children:  Elizabeth Ann Holmes, born on August 25th 1875 in Derby; and John William Holmes, also born in Derby, on July 23rd 1879. Reuben listed his occupation as “Baker,” the trade he would follow for much of his life. Sadly, daughter Elizabeth (included in this photograph, right) passed away on July 3rd 1883 from typhoid fever.
 Ten years later, Reuben and his family were living in the home of his father-in-law, William Alton, when the census was conducted.  In addition to John William, Reuben and Ellen had three more children:  Ernest Reuben, born May 27th 1881; Ethel, born December 24th 1887; and Arthur, born on January 28th 1891.  The census of 1901 shows that the family lived at 57 Bridge Street, Derby, but had not grown in size.  In fact, by 1901, John William was no longer living at home.

 
The Family of Reuben & Ellen Holmes, 1900
Standing:  John William and Ernest Reuben Holmes
Seated: Selina (Mrs. John William Holmes) holding Florence May, Reuben, Ellen, and Ethel Holmes
Front:  Arthur Holmes

 
In the years 1903-04, the lives of Reuben and Ellen Holmes changed dramatically, as the entire Holmes family moved from Derby to Toronto, Ontario.  In all likelihood, they sailed from Liverpool, England to Halifax, Nova Scotia, or to Montreal, Quebec.  It is even possible that they sailed directly to Toronto.  By 1910, the following information appears in a directory for the city of Toronto: “HOLMES, Reuben baker 1366 Bathurst, h same.”  It was from this location (photographed here in 2005) that Reuben operated the Holmes Bakery.  Another key source of information is the Canadian census of 1911.  It shows Reuben and Ellen at 1366 Bathurst Street, with son Ernest, and his wife, Isabella.  Also living with Reuben and Ellen were two nephews, Bertram Alton (see below) and Andrew Brooks.  By 1918, according to the City of Toronto directory, Reuben listed his occupation as “elevator operator;” in 1920 he was a “ship builder;” and in 1922, he was a “bailiff” at city hall.  Reuben passed away in Toronto on April 17th 1929.  Following the death of her husband, Ellen continued to live in the same house, as shown in the 1930 Toronto City Directory:  “HOLMES, Ellen, h 1366 Bathurst.”  By 1931, Ellen was still at 1366 Bathurst, but now she was married to Samuel Glass.  The last time that Ellen is found at 1366 Bathurst is in the Toronto City Directory of 1932.  Samuel Glass must have died soon after.  Ellen died at 116 Hope Street, the home of her son, John William, on February 22nd 1937.  She and Reuben are buried together in Prospect Cemetery, Toronto.

1366 Bathurst Street as photographed in 2005

 
The Family of Ellen Alton, Mrs. Reuben Holmes
Ellen Alton was born in Duffield, Derbyshire, England on June 6th 1856.  She was the daughter of William Alton, a surgical bandage maker, and Grace Shaw.  William, in turn, was born on June 3rd 1827 to Thomas and Hannah Alton; and Grace was born in 1816, the daughter of John and Sarah Shaw.  On November 8th 1853, William Alton and Grace Shaw were married in Duffield.   They would have three children:  William, Ellen, and Grace.  Both William and Grace Alton passed away in Derby in 1897. 

William Alton, Jr. was born in Duffield in 1855.  In 1880, he married Sarah Louisa Litchfield Walker, and had three children.  William Alton passed away in Yorkshire, in 1896.  Following the death of her husband, Sarah returned to Derby, where she passed away in 1905.

  • Florence Walker Alton was born in Derby in 1880.  By 1914, she was married to a man named Williamson.
  • William Bertram Alton was born in Derby on November 15th 1887.  Around 1910, Bert Alton emigrated to Canada, and lived near his Aunt Ellen and Uncle Reuben.  In 1914, Bert joined the Canadian army, and served throughout World War One.  On August 9th 1919, he married Agnes Theresa Prescott.  They had no children.  Bert died in Toronto on January 30th 1971.
  • Ettie Louisa Alton was born in Yorkshire, England in 1894.
Grace Alton was born in Duffield in 1859, and passed away there in 1865.

Ellen Alton also had an older half-brother named John Greaves.  John was born in 1845, the son of Grace Shaw and her first husband, George Greaves.  Although John is found living with his mother and step-father for the census of 1861, it is not known what became of John after that.
These two photographs may well be of members of the Holmes or Alton Families, as they were both taken in Derby and sent to Toronto.  Unfortunately, they are not identified in any way.  All that can be determined -from the name and address of the photographer- is that the photo on the left was taken between 1899 & 1903, and the photo on the right was taken between 1903 & 1912.
Even more intriguing is this photograph, found stored with the two above.  It is not identified in any way, but since it was found with other photos of the Holmes Family, perhaps this couple, too, are members of the family.  Dating this photo is possible only because of the type of photograph that it is.  The picture is not on paper, but was printed directly onto a copper sheet.  This technique was used in the 1830's and 1840's.  If these two really are members of the Holmes Family, perhaps they are William and Sarah Holmes.  But I'm just guessing!

 
The Descendants of Reuben & Ellen Holmes through son
John William Holmes
John William Holmes was born on July 23rd 1879 in the town of Derby.  Although he would eventually earn his living as a 
blacksmith and carpenter, John William Holmes also had military inclinations. On February 15th 1899, he enlisted with the King's Dragoon Guards.  He was discharged, however, on March 2nd 1899, which was his right to do within 3 months.  Later, he served four years in the 1st Volunteer Battalion of the Derby Regiment, the so-called Sherwood Foresters Volunteer Battalion.  During World War One, he served in the 139th Overseas Battalion, Northumberland Battalion in the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

On August 29th 1899, he married Selina Bull.  The daughter of William and Charlotte Bull, she was born in Derbyshire, England on November 30th 1876. 

Follow this link to learn more about the Bull Family

According to the 1911 Census of Canada, John William and Selina Holmes lived at 54 Wychwood Road in Toronto (not far from 1366 Bathurst Street).  The census also records that they arrived in Canada in 1904  (It would seem most likely that the entire Holmes family arrived at the same time.)  By 1916, when John William signed his Papers of Attestation for the Canadian Army, the family lived at 85 Wychwood Avenue.  The 1920 City of Toronto Directory records the family as living at 13 Alcina Avenue, very close to his parents' bakery.  In 1924, the family lived at 18A Vaughan Road; in 1933 they lived at 110 Alcina Avenue.  By 1937, John William and Selina lived at 116 Hope Street.  Selina died there on January 12th 1937; John died there on December 15th 1948.  John William Holmes is buried in the Veteran's section of Prospect Cemetery; his wife is buried nearby.  John William and Selina Holmes had four children who lived to adulthood: Florence May, Frank Frederick William, Ernest Alan, and  Gladys Holmes.  They also had a daughter, Ellen.  She was born in Toronto on September 13th 1906, and died there of cholera on August 25th 1907.  Ellen Holmes is buried in Prospect Cemetery.

 
Florence Holmes was born in Derby on May 22nd 1900. On December 11th 1923, she married Ernest George Henry Ball.  They had one son, Herbert.  Ernie Ball passed away on May 14th 1939; Florence Ball passed away on March 7th 1956.  They are both laid to rest in Prospect Cemetery.
Herbert H Ball was born in Toronto in 1925.  Like his father, who had served in World War One, Herb Ball also served his country, in the air force, in World War Two.  For many years, Herb lived in Ajax, Ontario.  He passed away there in 1984.  Herb and his wife, Kathelene Fox, had three children:  Lucille, Robert, and Steven Ball 

Follow this link to learn more about the Ball Family

Frank Holmes was born on October 22nd 1901 in Derby.  On July 30th 1919, Frank followed his father's footsteps by serving in the Canadian military, specifically in the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery.  He was discharged on August 2nd 1923, soon after which he married Florinda Mary Beriault (1904-1968).  The couple had one son, Franklyn Charles Holmes.  During World War Two, Frank briefly rejoined the army, serving in Canada.  It was about this same time that Frank and Florinda divorced.  Following his divorce, Frank moved to Windsor, where he earned his living as a deliveryman.  He died there on August 25th 1962.
Frankie Holmes was born on January 22nd 1925, and raised in Toronto.  Like other men in the Holmes Family, he joined the military.  On August 5th 1943, he completed his papers of “Enrolment and Attestation” for the Canadian Army, and began his basic training soon after.  He was assigned to R Wing of the 5th Company in Toronto until December 9th 1943.  He was then transferred to the Basic Training Centre in Brampton.  He remained here until February 14th 1944, when he was transferred to Base Borden.  Here he trained as a driver, and as a mechanic.  He completed this training by July 8th 1944, and was then granted leave until July 23rd 1944. 
On August 3rd 1944, he departed for Europe, arriving in England on the 10th of August.  He was then Taken on Strength in the Canadian Armoured Corps, Reinforcement Unit as a Driver Mechanic.  He received additional training in England until October 16th 1944, when he was shipped to Belgium (arriving there on October 17th) and assigned (on October 19th) to the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry.  On January 7th 1945, he was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal.  On March 2nd 1945, he was severely wounded in battle (shrapnel wound to the chest), and died that day from his wounds.  He is buried in the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, near the town of Nijmegen, Holland, close to the German frontier. 


Photographs of Lance corporal Frank Holmes can be found at the Canadian Virtual War Museum Website.  His name is also commemorated on page 525 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance, located in the Canadian House of Commons in Ottawa. Every morning, at eleven o'clock, the pages of the Books of Remembrance are turned by a member of the House of Commons Protective Service Staff.  A calendar was devised so that each page of each book is turned once a year. The page which honours his name is open on November 6th of each year.

 
Ernie Holmes was born in Toronto on July 5th 1904, the first member of the Holmes family to be born in Canada.  Like his father, he made his living as a carpenter.  As a young man, however, Ernie left Toronto, and moved to Vancouver, British Columbia.  It seems most likely that Ernie went there soon after his uncle, Ernest R. Holmes, moved to Vancouver (see below).  It would be in Vancouver, on September 29th 1926, that he married Christina Caroline Campbell.  Eventually he would settle on Glisan Street in Portland, Oregon, and establish a carpentry business,   It was in Portland that Ernie and Chris would raise their daughter, Rosemarie. Ernie died in Portland on December 26th 1972; Chris, died there on April 14th 1982.  They are laid to rest together in Portland.
Rosemarie Holmes was born in Puyallup, Washington in 1929.  In 1948, she married Austin Dale Small (1926-1989), and had three sons:  Steven, Martin and Kevin. Later, Rosemarie remarried to Joseph E. Manley (1927-2000).  She now lives in Portland, Oregon.  Steve is the father of Justice, Jesse, and Ember Rose Small.  Martin is the father of Ginger and Martin D. Small II, and the grandfather of Rebekah Ann Alvear.

 
Gladys Holmes was born in Toronto on May 21st 1909. In 1928, she married Colston Robert Ball (born on July 22nd 1905). (He was the younger brother of Ernie Ball, husband of Florence.)  They lived in Toronto, and Orangeville, Ontario, where they raised their five children:  Lorraine, Eileen, Helen, John (Jack), and Robert (Bob) Ball. Gladys passed away on May 18th 1964; Colston Ball passed away on December 12th 1969.  They are laid to rest together in Riverside Cemetery in Toronto.
Lorraine married Ray Gemmill.  She is the mother of Sharon, Brian, Karen and Kathy.  Sharon and her husband Lloyd Moore and the parents of James and Deborah, and the grandparents of Jacob, Andrew, Matthew, Robert, and Jessica.  Brian and his wife Theresa are the parents of Nicole, Sonya, Mari, and Bronwen, and the grandparents of Robbie, McKenzie, Zachary, Benjamin, Kira, and Gabrielle.  Lorraine now lives in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
Eileen married Roy Shinniman, and lived in Orangeville, Ontario.  There, they raised their family of five:  Carol, Pat, Frank, Steven, and Peggy.  Carol is the mother of Larry, Stanley, and Shaun; and the grandmother of Elaine, Deanna, Danielle, and Nicole.  Pat is the mother of Cynthia, Wesley, and Mark; and the grandmother of Logan, Avery, and Jamie.  Eileen passed away in 1969.
Helen married John Lamb, and lived for many years in Durham, Ontario.  Here they raised their family of five: Barbara, Bruce, Bob, David, and Terry.  One son, John, died in infancy.  Barbara is the mother of Carrie and Christopher.  Bruce is the father of Jackie, John, and Jeremy.  Bob is the father of Pamela, Joseph, and Nathan.  David is the father of Brendan, Collin and Garrett.  Terry is the father of Coleson and Cylis.  Helen passed away in 1979.
Jack married Lois McConnell, and had three children:  Linda, Wayne, and Tracy.  Wayne and his wife, Marriana, are the parents of Andrew and Michael.  Tracy and her husband, Kelly, are the parents of Robyn and Tara.  Jack passed away in 2003.
Bob and his wife Marty had five children:  Michael, Robert, Lori, David, and Darren.  Lori is the mother of Krista and Kaillie.  David and his wife, Angela, are the parents of Shelbu and Abigale.  Bob passed away in 1992.

 
The Descendants of Reuben & Ellen Holmes through son
Ernest Reuben Holmes
Ernest Reuben Holmes was born in Etwall, Derbyshire on May 27th 1881.  In Toronto on January 23rd 1911, he  married Isabella (Bella) O'Connor.  The daughter of William and Mary O'Connor, she was born in Dundee, Scotland on May 6th 1885.  On his marriage license, Ernest Holmes provided another clue about when the Holmes Family arrived in Canada, as he stated that he had been living in Toronto since June 1st 1903.  According to the Canadian Census of 1911, Ernest & Bella lived with his parents.  Like his father, Ernest listed his occupation as baker.  On December 7th 1914, Ernest completed his Papers of Attestation to join the Canadian Expeditionary Force.  As with the 1911 census, he again listed his address as 1366 Bathurst Street, and his occupation as baker.  Not surprisingly, he served as a baker in France.

Following World War One, Ernest returned to his wife in Toronto.  However, in 1921, Ernest and Bella moved to British Columbia where Ernest operated a bakery for a few years.  By 1931, Ernie and Bella came to live at 935 Lynn Valley Road in North Vancouver where they would raise their three children:  Mary Ellen, Frank, and Isabel Marjorie.  Ernest died in Vancouver on November 20th 1967; Bella passed away there on November 15th 1969.
Ernie & Bella Holmes, with daughter Isabel
Mary Ellen Holmes maried Harry Jacobson, and lived in Vancouver.
Frank Holmes lived first at the family home on Lynn Valley Road, then in other parts of North Vancouver.  Frank never married.
Isabel Marjorie Holmes married William John Kenneth (Ken) Wilson (1917-1993) on June 7th 1947 in Vancouver, British Columbia.  A few years later, the Wilsons moved to Portland, Oregon, and came to live on Glisan Street, just a few blocks from Ernie and Chris Holmes.  Here Isabel and Ken raised three children:  Donna, Glen, and Jeff.  Isabel Wilson still lives in Portland.

 
 
The Descendants of Reuben & Ellen Holmes through daughter
Ethel Holmes
On October 22nd 1904 Ethel Holmes married Arthur Henry Cooke.  The son of John and Sophia Cooke, he was born in England on March 24th 1882.   Ethel and Arthur met while sailing on the same ship from England to Canada.   Arthur Cooke passed away in Toronto on June 11th 1960.  Around 1968, Ethel remarried, to a man named Albert Pitt.  Albert passed away in 1970.  Ethel passed away in Toronto on October 12th 1975.  Ethel and Arthur Henry Cooke had nine children
  • Evelyn Ellen May (Eva) Cooke was born on July 27th 1905.  She first married George Eldridge, on August 13th 1924, and was the mother of George, Lorraine, and Joyce.  Following the death of her husband,  Eva remarried to F. Elliot.  Eva Elliot passed away in Toronto on April 13th 1985.
  • Arthur Oswald Cooke was born on August 10th 1909.  With his wife, Ethel Powel, he had two children, Kenneth and Joan.
  • Albert E Cook was born in January, 1911, and died on January 12th 1912.
  • Ethel Mary Cooke was born in 1912; she passed away in 1950.
  • Leonard Cooke was born in Toronto on July 18th 1915.  With his wife, Ethel Margaret Winterburn (1917-1974), he had five children:  Elizabeth, who passed away as a newborn in 1938; George Gordon (1940-1973); James Leonard (born in 1943);  Dianne Elizabeth (born in 1945); and Deborah Lee (born in 1955).  Leonard passed away in Toronto on July 3rd 1978.
  • Lillian Cooke wass born on October 27th 1918.  On January 3rd 1938, she married John Mudrey (1918-1990), and lived in Oshawa, Ontario.  They had five children:  John Arthur, Yvonne, Audrey, Patricia, and Robin.  Lillian passed away in Oshawa on November 6th 1990.
  • John Henry Cooke was born in 1920.  He and his wife, May Short, were the parents of John (Jack), Gordon, and Kathy.  John Henry passed away in Peterborough on March 1st 1982.
  • Gordon Cooke was born in 1926.  He is the father of Marion, Gordon Leonard and Albert William Cooke.  He now lives in Little Current, Ontario.
  • Albert William (Bill) Cooke was born in Toronto in 1930.  He and his wife, Lois, are the parents of Brenda Elaine Cooke.

 
The Descendants of Reuben & Ellen Holmes through son
Arthur Holmes
Arthur Holmes married Grace Avis on September 11th 1909.  Grace was the daughter of John Avis and Annie Parrott, and was born on June 22nd 1891.  Arthur and his family lived for a period of time at 425 Glenholme Avenue.  He passed away there on November 2nd 1948.  His wife, Grace, passed away in Toronto on July 27th 1979.  Arthur and Grace raised a family of twelve children in Toronto, about whom the following is known.
The eldest daughter, Beatrice Mae Grace, was born on March 31st 1910.  She was married to Thomas Walter Balding (1909-1989), and together they had two children: Isabelle and Stanley.  Mae passed away in Toronto on October 4th 1997.
  • Isabelle married Robert McAllister
  • Stanley married Carole Coupland, and had three sons:  Bryan, Lawrence, and Wayne.
Second daughter Nora Kathleen, born February 2nd 1912, was married to Harold Dennison Elliot (1905-1991) on June 6th 1936.  Together they had four children:  Nora passed away in Toronto on June 9th 2001.
  • Arthur, husband of Jane
  • Ronald, husband of Marcia
  • Susan, wife of John Houston
  • Douglas, husband of Susan
Elsie, the third daughter was born on December 18th 1914, and passed away in Toronto on September 11th 1990.  She was married to Jack Hardy, and had three children
  • Robert
  • Jackie, Mrs. Jean Nielson
  • Susan, Mrs. James Mininni
Arthur Edward Holmes was born on November 28th 1916, and passed away on June 7th 1967.  He and his wife, Gertrude Colmer (1916-1994), had no children.
Ethel Louise was born on February 19th 1918, and was married to Larry McKenzie Dunn (1918-1984).  They were the parents of Judy and William.  Ethel passed away in Toronto on December 23rd 2005.
  • Judy married John firth, and had two children:  Jason David and Stephen John Firth
  • William is the father of Terry and Timmy Firth
Marjorie Isabel was born on November 25th 1919 and  passed away on November 19th 2003.  On November 22nd 1941 she married Roland Harry Davis (born 1917).  They had one son:
  • Donald
Doris Ellen, Mrs. Robert Howard Wills (1922-2006), was born November 23rd 1921, and died in Toronto on December 11th 1996.  She and her husband had three children:
  • John, is married to Noreen
  • James
  • Linda is married to William Goodhand
Edith Florence Ruth was born in 1925.  With her husband, Kenneth William O'Brien, she had two children:
  • David Kenneth O'Brien is the father of Matthew David and Victoria Margaret Grace O'Brien
  • Kathryn Lynn
John Howard (Jack) was born on July 1st 1927.  With his wife, Iris Redfern, he lived most of his adult life in Owen Sound, Ontario.  He passed away there on June 24th 1997.  Jack and Iris had two chidren:
  • Lance and his wife Deborah are the parents of Robert and Sandra
  • Grace married Mel Pampu
Marie Shirley was born on September 16th 1929.  With her husband, Douglas Campbell, she is the mother of Blair, Gordon, and Jennifer.  Marie passed away in April of 2008.
  • Blair
  • Gordon
  • Jennifer
Ernest Gordon (Gord) is Joan's twin.  He was born in 1932.  He is married to Imelda Desgrosseilliers.
Annie Joan is Gord's twin, and was also born in 1932.  She and her husband, Donald Hardinge, are the parents of 
  • Patricia
  • Thomas
  • Michael and his wife Michele are the parents of Amanda Nicole and Mark Edward Hardinge
The other pages to visit are:
The Holmes Family Main Page
The Index Page