Elizabeth Worsley Holmes à Court

The earliest Holmes family member known to date was Robert, who was an officer in the Army during the reign of Elizabeth I in the late 16th Century. Robert moved from Lancaster to Ireland and became Provost of Mallow, County Cork in 1612. Robert's grandson was also named Robert and was probably the most memorable member of the whole family. He was born in Ireland in 1622.

Third son of Henry Holmes of Mallow, County of Cork, and brother of Sir John Holmes, he served during the civil war in the Royalist Army and, after the death of Charles I, accompanied Prince Rupert (Charles I's nephew) to the continent. After 1648 he came into contact with the Navy, sailing with a Royalist fleet to Kinsale, the Mediterranean, West Africa and the West Indies. By the time of the Restoration he had obtained his first command in the Navy (the Bramble).

After the restoration of Charles II he was rewarded in October 1660 with the Captaincy of Sandown Castle in the Isle of Wight. At about the same time he sailed for the Guinea Coast for the protection of trade from where he brought back the gold from which Guineas were first minted. He is thought to have been instrumental in starting the Second Dutch War when he raided Dutch Trading Posts in West Africa in 1663. He also burnt some 150 ships in the Dutch port of Vlie and sacked the town of West-Terschelling in 1664 (known as Holmes's Bonfire). In 1668 he became Governor of the Isle of Wight. As part of his privileges he was entitled to two-thirds of the value of any enemy ship (and its cargo) that he captured in local waters. This was at a time when both France and Holland were regarded enemies. From his base in Yarmouth, Holmes carried out an almost piratical operation and added vastly to his wealth. There is some belief that he was responsible for capturing New Amsterdam from the Dutch and renaming it New York (after the Duke of York), although this is probably not in fact the case.

It appears that he never married; therefore he had no legitimate children and, by his will and after making an ample provision for an illegitimate daughter (Mary Holmes),he devised the bulk of his property to his nephew, Henry, son of his elder brother, Thomas Holmes of Killmallock, County Limerick, subject to the condition that he marry the illegitimate daughter Mary within eighteen months. This marriage duly took place, resulting in fifteen children which included Thomas, 1st Baron Holmes of Killmallock, and Admiral Charles Holmes.

There are many stories about Robert Holmes, for example his statue in Yarmouth Church was originally intended for the French King, Louis XIV. The sculptor had created the body, and was travelling to France to do the head 'from life'. The ship was wrecked, however, and Robert captured the body and sculptor who was forced to place Robert's own head on it. Robert Holmes' house that he built in Yarmouth is now the George Hotel.

The Isle of Wight and Ireland Estates were passed down through a number of lines as other families inter-married, and eventually passed to Sir Leonard Thomas Worsley Holmes, 9th Baronet who died in 1825, leaving three daughters. The youngest, Isabella, died 18 days after her father aged only 6 months. The estates were settled entirely on the eldest daughter, Elizabeth, who married William Ashe à Court.