Samuel Alexander Holmes (1858 - 1943)

Born 15 Sep 1858 in Mageestown, Raphoe, County Donegal, Ireland

Ancestors

Husband of Catherine (Lynch) Holmes — married 31 Aug 1879 in Convoy Parish Church, County Donegal, Ireland

Descendants

Died 23 Mar 1943 at age 84 in Drumoghill, Raymoghy, County Donegal, Ireland

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Biography

Samuel was born in 1858 to Letitia Byers and Samuel Holmes. His parents were not married.

Letitia lived with her own Byers family in Mageestown and Samuel Holmes lived at Creggan, both Raphoe. Letitia had a second child, Elizabeth , in 1867, with George Dunlop or Delap of Slievebuck.

In 1878 Letitia Byers married Robert Tinney and had a third child, Martha. Samuel Alexander Holmes worked as a ploughman for Kincaids of Ballyholey. He married Catherine Lynch in 1879. Together they had ten children. Three daughters Martha, Catherine and Elizabeth, died within 7 months in 1898 and 1899 with TB and bronchitis. Their eldest son Samuel died in 1905 from TB.

As the six remaining children came to working age, they worked in unison with their father Sam, and mother Kitty, taking road maintenance contracts from the rural district council and also renting land to grow lint. Both were very labour intensive, but very profitable, and by 1916 the family bought their first farm at Mondooey, for 1,325 pounds. During the next 20 years each son bought their own farm and the two daughters bought houses. Sam Holmes retired to live with his son William at Drumoghill, and died there in 1943, and is buried in Drumoghill.

Sources

Marriage: Irish Genealogy

1901 census: National Archives

1911 census: National Archives

Death: Irish Genealogy

Burial: Irish Graveyards