So, all my life I remember my father saying that he knew nothing about his father. He said that he'd once heard he'd been shot as a deserter in the first world war but it might have just been a rumour. Anyway, I knew his name was William Longvil Holmes and grandma had two children with him - William and my dad, James. Father was born September 15, 1914 and I had no idea when Uncle Bill was born.
My grandmother, Alice Maud Alger, was married 5 times in her life......Holmes being the first.
After Holmes she married Patrick O'Brien, who is the man my dad considered his father. One time when I was listing the family tree in Zolynne's baby book, I asked him for the name of his father and he said 'Patrick O'Brien' - no, I said, your REAL father. 'I consider Patrick O'Brien my real father'. Eventually he gave me Holmes' name.
Just a quick aside. Father was born James Edward Holmes but when Grandma married O'Brien, both he and Bill used O'Brien as their last names. Bill changed his back to Holmes when he went into WWII, I believe. Father never did. We were registered as O'Brien at birth but in 1954, Father found out he couldn't legally use 'O'Brien' as his name unless he legally changed it.......which he did.......along with all of our names. I have the paper somewhere showing all of us going from 'Holmes' to 'O'Brien' and eventually will scan and post it.
OK, no info on Holmes. Then I got an email from Helene, in Terrace, with a photo of Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle Bil and Father - had never seen it before. She received it years ago from the husband of one of Uncle Bill's daughters. I've visited Helene a couple of times as she's compiling and writing about the history of Usk, where my family lived when I was born.........super interesting talking to her. Anyway, she also sent a website on the history of the Terrace/Usk/Amesbury area and I was amazed at how much information there was! I wrote to the fellow who owns it to thank him and also asked about my grandfather and how I might find him. He gave me an armed forces website and I was off. Looked and looked and couldn't find him and then I just looked under the name 'Holmes', with no first names and there he was! His bloody name was JAMES Lonville Holmes! I found his army papers, signed November 28th, 1914. The picture Helene sent me must have been taken not long after he signed up and got his uniform as father was just a tiny baby in it. My grandmother was only 18 at the time - she was born in 1896. Helene also found their marriage certificate - 1911. Makes me wonder if I have the date of Grandma's birth wrong.......... I just found the 'Alger Family History' - which I've had for years and couldn't remember where it was - and Grandma (Alice Maud Alger) was born February 23, 1894 - that makes more sense - she would have been 17 when she married, not 15.
Ok, you following so far? At the beginning of 1915, father was 4 months old and, presumably, my grandfather was off to war. They were living in Brandon, Manitoba, where my father was born.
My father's half-sister (and favourite) was Bessie O'Brien and she was born May 9, 1918 and her brother, Patrick Vernon, was born in August, 1921.
(Italics are from the Alger Family History)
I cannot find any record of my grandfather's death - or even of his birth, actually. The army papers show he was born in Manitoba but I can't read the name of the town. I went to the Manitoba vital statistics site and looked up all with the last name 'Holmes' who were born in 1889 and he's not there! My grandfather was born April 13, 1889. Eighty-six years later, on that day, our youngest daughter, Dana was born!
So that's it for this time...........
cheerio,
This winter in Yuma I hope to spend some time on research and maybe
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