Fred (Alfred) Thomas (Holmes) Palmer

Frederick Henry Palmer and Alfred Holmes Palmer have been recorded in early archived records, whakapapa and published works as Frederick Henry Palmer. Henry Palmer was also known as Harry Palmer (refer revised page 35 template).

Alfred Holmes Palmer had been omitted as a son of William and Ann Palmer. There seems to have been a lot of confusion as Alfred Holmes Palmer was also known as Alfred Thomas Palmer, Frederick Thomas Palmer and Frederick Holmes Palmer both in Births, Deaths and Marriage records and in Court records.

After researching Alfred with the assistance of the Hocken Library, Archives NZ, Police and Court records, Paperspast, Probates, death notices and various other sources, it is now proven that he was one of William and Ann’s sons.

Alfred Holmes Palmer was born according to Court records in 1874. In his 1NZEF Notification of Death record it has his birth date as 10.04.1878 which doesn’t fit in with his earlier convictions records which started from the age of 12 years 3 months, after the death of his mother Ann. His age at time of death is recorded in BDM’S as 84 years which is in line with the Court records as being 1874.

Sadly, Alfred’s offending went from petty theft and breaking in at age 12, being admitted to the Caversham Industrial School until the age of 15; to larceny, sexual assault, grievous bodily harm, 1905 attempted rape with 4 years Christchurch Prison and then to street fighting in 1926.

Alfred was never mentioned in some family lines which made it difficult to work out but several snippets of information which weren’t exactly proof i.e. his bail in 1887 was guaranteed by John Edwin Palmer, 1903 an assault where he stated he was ¼ Maori, his death notice in ‘The Press’ stating he was (the Whaler) Bill Palmer’s last remaining son. The clincher was the 1954 Last Will and Testament of Charles Robert Palmer bequeathing the sum of £20 to his brother Alfred Holmes Palmer.