HOLMES OF ROTHWELL AND BEESTON

 

Martha Holmes, wife of Joseph Sykes, was born at Beeston about 1800 according to the 1851 census returns. There was a “Martha Daughter of Jas & Ann Holmes of the Parish of Leeds” born on 14 June 1801.[1] If this was Martha (Holmes) Sykes then “Jas” (James) appears to be an error for Joseph because there are good reasons to think that the wife of Joseph Sykes was a daughter of Joseph and Ann (Fisher) Holmes who were married at Rothwell in 1795. The reasons are:

 

Joseph and Martha (Holmes) Sykes had a son called Joseph Holmes Sykes

The mother of Ann (Fisher) Holmes was named Martha

Ann, wife of Joseph Holmes, was buried at Beeston in 1811

Sarah, daughter of Joseph and Ann (Fisher) Holmes, was born at Rothwell in 1799 and her marriage in 1823 was witnessed by a Joseph Sykes

Esther, daughter of Joseph and Ann (Fisher) Holmes, was born in 1810 at Beeston and her marriage in 1830 was also witnessed by a Joseph Sykes

 

Another marriage witnessed by a Joseph Sykes was that of Joseph Holmes, clothier, and Elizabeth Mann, widow, at St Peter, Leeds, on 22 April 1818. This may have been a later marriage of the Joseph Holmes who married Ann Fisher. He might be the Joseph Holmes of Holbeck, widower, aged seventy, who was buried at Beeston on 2 October 1836. However, there were multiple men named Joseph Holmes in the area and more evidence would be needed to confirm the identity.

 

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HOLMES

 

JOSEPH HOLMES of Carlton, Rothwell, and of Beeston, Yorkshire, cloth weaver, married on 13 December 1795 at Rothwell, ANN FISHER,[2] daughter of William and Martha (Parkinson) Fisher (see here). Ann was baptised on 9 July 1769 at Rothwell and buried on 29 November 1811 at Beeston.

 

Children of Joseph and Ann (Fisher) Holmes:

i               THOMAS HOLMES of Holbeck, cloth weaver, b 19 Jun 1797, Rothwell,[3] d 29 May 1853, Leeds;[4] m 4 May 1823, St Peter, Leeds, SARAH EDDISON.[5]

ii             SARAH HOLMES, b 14 Mar 1799, Rothwell,[6] d 3 May 1871, Leeds;[7] m 24 Feb 1823, Birstall, RICHARD MORTIMER.[8]

iii            MARTHA HOLMES, b ca 1800, Beeston,[9] d 28 Mar 1861, Holbeck;[10] m 2 Sep 1818, St Peter, Leeds, JOSEPH SYKES[11] (see here).

iv            ESTHER HOLMES, b 9 Mar 1810, Beeston,[12] d 13 Aug 1861, bur 15 Aug 1861, Leeds;[13] m 29 Aug 1830, St Peter, Leeds, WILLIAM ROGERS.[14]


[1] Leeds Old Chapel Wesleyan registers (National Archives, RG 4/3205). There was also a Martha, daughter of Thomas Holmes of Kirkgate, baptised at St Peter, Leeds, on 19 Mar 1799, but she was buried there on 3 Sep 1800.

[2] Rothwell parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[3] Rothwell parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com); 1851 census return, Holbeck (HO 107/2317, fol. 514).

[4] The Leeds Mercury, 4 Jun 1853.

[5] St Peter, Leeds, parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[6] Rothwell parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com); 1851 census returns, Leeds (HO 107/2321, fol. 61).

[7] Leeds General Cemetery registers; national probate calendars.

[8] Birstall parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[9] 1851 census returns, Holbeck (National Archives, HO 107/2317, fol. 495).

[10] Death certificate.

[11] St Peter, Leeds, parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).

[12] Holbeck Wesleyan registers (National Archives, RG 4/3177); 1851 census returns, Leeds (HO 107/2321, fol. 457).

[13] Leeds General Cemetery registers.

[14] St Peter, Leeds, parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com). The surname is spelt Roger in the marriage record but usually Rogers subsequently.