William Anthony Holmes, D.D. (1782–1843) was a Church of Ireland cleric, chancellor of Cashel from 1832 and rector of Templemore, in the same diocese.

Life

The son of Joseph Holmes, he was born in

Drogheda Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...

County Louth County Louth ( ; ga, An Lú) is a coastal county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of Meath to the south, Monaghan to the west, Armagh to the north and Down to the ...

. He entered

Trinity College, Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...

, 7 January 1799; was elected a scholar in 1801; graduated B.A. 1803, and B.D. and D.D. 1834. Having taken holy orders, Holmes became incumbent of Holywood, County Down, in 1810. While there he participated in establishing the Mendicity Institution of Belfast. In 1818 he was promoted to the rectory of

Ballyroan, County Laois Ballyroan () is a small village in County Laois, Ireland. It is in the civil parish of Ballyroan and in the former barony of Cullenagh. The R425 regional road passes through the village. History Ballyroan is an ancient settlement, though i ...

in the

diocese of Leighlin The Lord Bishop of Leighlin was a separate episcopal title which took its name after the small town of Old Leighlin in County Carlow, Ireland. The title is now united with other bishoprics. In the Church of Ireland, it is held by the Lord Bis ...

; for some years he was preacher of

Cashel Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Baptist and Saint Patrick's Rock is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Cashel, County Tipperary in Ireland. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin. Previously the cathedral of the Diocese of Ca ...

, and in 1822 became rector of Hore Abbey in the diocese of Cashel. On 22 May 1832 Holmes was collated to the chancellorship of Cashel, and in 1837 to the rectory of Templemore. Archdeacon Henry Cotton described him as "an eloquent preacher, and a person of active mind and literary habits." He died at Templemore, 30 December 1843, and was buried in St. John the Baptist's churchyard, Cashel.

Works

Besides sermons and contributions to periodicals, Holmes was author of: * ''A Plan for a Mendicity Institution'', Belfast, c. 1818. * ''Hints to the Proprietors of Loan Funds'', Belfast, c. 1818. * ''Statistical Account of the Parish of Holywood, County and Diocese of Down'' (printed in

William Shaw Mason William Shaw Mason (1774–1853) was an Irish statistician and bibliographer. Amongst his works was ''A Statistical Account or Parochial Survey of Ireland''. Irish Folk-Lore" ''The Folk-Lore Journal''. Volume 6. Life He graduated B.A. at Trinity C ...

's ''Parochial Survey of Ireland'', iii. 183–219), Dublin, 1819. * ''The Time of the End; being a series of Lectures on Prophetical Chronology'', London, 1833. * ''The Heavy Blow and Great Discouragement of Protestantism: Correspondence between Lord Viscount Melbourne and the Bishop of Exeter; also between Lord Brougham and the Rev. Dr. Holmes'', London, 1838. * ''The Queen's Declaration against Popery, and the Coronation Oath discussed'', London, 1843.

Family

Holmes was twice married, and left children: Holmes second wife was Elizabeth Brownrigg. * Margaret Sophia, married in 1852 Charles Cureton. * Caroline Louise (died 1857), youngest daughter, married John Powys of the 61st Bengal Native Infantry, and was killed with her husband in the

1857 Indian Rebellion The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against Company rule in India, the rule of the East India Company, British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the The Crown, British ...

. * Colonel Edmund Holmes Indian Army born 1821 * Matilda Martha Holmes Born 1820 Died 12 Nov 1889 in Bedford married Colonel Robert Henry Sale son of General Sir Robert Sales of Afghanistan fame * James Carmac Holmes Major Major 17/19th Irregular Cavalry married Alexandrina daughter of General Sir Robert Sale. Major and Mrs Holmes were murdered 23 July 1857 Segooowlie during the Indian Mutiny * Rev. Joseph Holmes M.A, Vicar of Swineshead, Preb. & Canon of Lincoln

References

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Holmes, William Anthony 19th-century Irish Anglican priests 1782 births 1843 deaths