Place

A recent find on eBay unveiled the tale behind a photograph captured by W R Holmes a photographer in Billinghay, Lincolnshire. However, I was surprised by the connections revealed within this photograph.

A friend of mine brought this photograph to my attention knowing of my One Place local history study of Anwick & Billinghay and thought I might be interested in purchasing it. Whilst the woman and child are unknown, the back of the photo confirms it was taken by photographer W R Holmes in Billinghay, this raised more interest as I am a direct descendant on my paternal grandmother’s side of the Holmes of Billinghay.

The Holmes family has lived in and around the village since the 1800s. However this name did not immediately jump out to me, I had at this point no idea who this person was. Yet!

My friend who works with old postcards and photographs knows the seller, a price was agreed and the photo was mine!  

We agreed that the photo should be sent directly to my home. I gave my address to my friend and thought no more about it. Until 20 minutes later I received a message from her with a screenshot of the seller’s details, I couldn’t believe it. The seller lives in my village, which is a circa 5 minutes’ walk from home. My friend sent a message and he agreed to hand deliver the item.

Photographer

We had a laugh about that unexpected coincidence then my friend said all we need now is for you to be related to W R Holmes! I already confirmed I did not have anyone of that name in my tree. So I set about researching W R Holmes.

With limited information, apart from a name and address, the photographer had premises near the church in Billinghay.  I gambled on the first name being William, and a search located William Robinson Holmes, another search on Ancestry found one man, William Robinson Holmes, born in 1846 and baptised in Billinghay on 30 Aug 1846, the son of John and Elizabeth Holmes. A search on GRO confirmed William’s middle name is his mother’s maiden name, Robinson. John Holmes married Elizabeth Robinson on 21 November 1844 at St Andrew’s church, Potterhanworth, Lincolnshire. In 1851 John was a plumber, glazier and painter.

Searching for William Robinson Holmes

In the 1881 census William was living at Cross Street, Billinghay, with his father John, wife Maria/Myra and son John W, William’s occupation was a painter. A search of all the census returns only confirmed his occupation to be a house painter, decorator and newsagent. This was not enough evidence to confirm he was our photographer.

The breakthrough came following a search of the Directories, in the 1876 Kelly’s directory the entry revealed William Robinson Holmes – photographer and paper hanger.  Subsequent entries confirmed William was a painter and house decorator. This was definitely our man.

I also found this newspaper article in the Lincolnshire Free Press of 18 July 1876: Wanton Mischief

After establishing where William Robinson Holmes was born and who his parents were, I looked to ascertain if there was any connection to my Holmes ancestors. William married Mira/Myra Rook in Q3 1870, she was from the neighbouring village of Walcott, their first son John William Henry was born in 1874, followed by Frederick Albert James in 1878, and a daughter Rose Minnie daughter came along in 1883. Their son Frederick died when just a few months old early in 1879.

In 1891 William and Mira/Myra were with their two children living on Cross Street by the Cross Keys Inn, William was a decorator and newsagent.

On 19 June 1897 in the Lincolnshire Leader & County Advertiser, ‘where to order the Lincoln Leader, copies may be obtained from the following‘. William was one of those people.

Before 1897 they had moved out of the village and were now living on Tattersall Road, North Kyme on the 1901 census. William continued to have his own account with his newsagent and decorating business. It was interesting to find this advertisement for a ‘Young Person’ in the Lincolnshire Chronicle dated 18 May 1906.

On 16 April 1902 at St Luke’s Church, North Kyme, Billinghay, William and Myra’s son Frederick married Fanny Kennington, a local girl.

By 1911 William, Mira and daughter Rose Minnie continued to live at North Kyme, William was no longer a newsagent, just a house painter. Rose was a schoolteacher. 

Three years before his death in 1921 William, now 74 years and Myra and Rose were back in Billinghay and living on Queen Street, William was still working as a house painter, whilst daughter Rose (37) was a retired elementary school teacher. 

William and Myra both sadly died in March 1924 in Billinghay of Influenza, as reported on 31 March 1924 in the Leeds Mercury. 

Family Connection

The question still to be answered was, was William part of my Holmes family. After researching William, the answer to that question is yes!  I found William’s grandmother in my tree – Rebecca Holmes nee Skinner, she married John Holmes in 1806 in Billinghay.

It transpires we share a common ancestor my 8th great-grandfather John Holmes. Albeit the connection is far back, it confirms we all belong to the same family.

Photo

Establishing the photographer of this photo has taken me on a journey of uncovering another strand of my paternal family. 

The only thing to complete this story is to establish who the woman and child are in the photo. The photo was likely taken circa the late 1880s, a question to pose is, could it possibly be William’s wife Myra and daughter Rose Minnie (b. Jul 1883)?

Rose never married; she died on 26 Nov 1924 aged 41 years in Billinghay, later in the same year after her parents.

The following info found through Google searching: Angina pectoris, also known as stable angina, is the medical term for chest pain or discomfort due to coronary heart disease.

Graves’ disease is an immune system condition that affects the thyroid gland. It causes the body to make too much thyroid hormone.
When Graves’ disease is untreated or is not well-controlled, some people may experience complications like arrhythmia, heart failure, or stroke.

Rose left all she had when she died to her nephew Edward Albert Cecil Holmes, her brother John’s only child.

You can contact me at jackocats2@gmail.com