Mary (McLaren) Holmes (abt. 1826 - aft. 1863)

Born about 1826 in Glasgow, Scotland

Wife of Arthur Newstead Holmes — married 31 Jan 1847 in Glasgow, Scotland

Descendants

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Biography

• 1826 Birth: No data found prior to her marriage to Arthur. DoB estimated from 1861 Census.
• 31 Jan 1847 Marriage: Arthur Newstead Holmes marriage to Mary McLaren recorded in Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland on 31 Jan 1847.

**** NLH Note: A newspaper announcement (clipping on Ancestry.com with unknown origin) of the wedding indicates Mary McLaren was the 2nd daughter of the late James McLaren of Glasgow. Arthur likely met Mary while studying medicine in Scotland.

• 1851 Census: Mary Holmes (22, born in Glasgow, Scotland) living at West Green, Pocklington, East Riding, Yorkshire with her husband Arthur N Holmes (26, born in Wilberfoss, Yorkshire, a general practitioner with the Royal College of Surgeons) and 3 children; Agnes (3, born in Pocklington), Frederick (2, born in Pocklington) and Mary (6 months, born in Pocklington). Also on the record is a brother of Arthur, a sister of Mary and 3 servants.
• 1861 Census: Mary Holmes (35, born in Glasgow, Scotland) living at 9 Roberts Court, Bowling Bradford, Yorkshire) with her husband Arthur Newstead Holmes (36, born in Wilberfoss, Yorkshire, MD General Practitioner) and 4 siblings; Agnes (13, born in Pocklington, Yorkshire), Frederick A (12, born in Pocklington, Mary (10, born in Pocklington), Emily Newstead (7, born in Aleburgh, Yorkshire) and Charlotte Newstead (5, born in Leeds). Both Emily and Charlotte are recorded as daughters of Dr. Arthur Newstead Holmes.

**** NLH Note: Her husband died in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire in 1863. In 1862, Newspapers reported one of Dr. Holmes charwomen claimed that a medical assistant of Dr. Holmes (Dr. Stresser) forced himself on her resulting in a baby. Claims were thrown out by the courts but the claimant later attacked Mary Holmes in Nov 1863. At the time of the attack, Mary Holmes was reported in newspapers as living with Dr. Stresser.

**** NLH Note: By 1871 her youngest children Emily and Charlotte are living and working as household help with other families around Bradford. No definitive path forward for Mary Holmes is found. Her husband had a very small estate when he died so she would not have been independently wealthy. She likely left the Bradford area sometime after 1863 and the name is common enough not to be easy to trace.

Sources

• Marriage: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTBM-KMY
• 1851 Census: "1851 England Census"
  Class: HO107; Piece: 2357; Folio: 259; Page: 29; GSU roll: 87623-87624; ED, institution, or vessel: 8a; Household schedule number: 111
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8860 #17453485
  
• 1861 Census: "1861 England Census"
  Class: Rg 9; Piece: 3314; Folio: 105; Page: 10; GSU roll: 543112; ED, institution, or vessel: 14; Household schedule number: 51
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8767 #10201610