Version 6.01

11 February 2025

David March © 2014

HOLMES/THOMPSON

Joseph William Holmes was born on 24 October 1834 in Ireland. According to one Ancestry family tree with information that could not be verified, his parents were James Holmes (b 1796) and Anne Fulton (1795) and his siblings were Jane (b 1819), Henry (b 1821), John (b 1823), Ann (b 1825), Sara (b 1828), James A (b 1830) and Robert Fulton (b 1832). Census records indicated that he immigrated to Canada sometime between 1863 and 1865.

Joseph married Charlotte Rapley on 9 August 1867 in St Thomas, Ontario. They had three children: William R (b 1868), Elliott James (b 1870) and Annie Charlotte (Lottie) (b 1873). In 1871, the Holmes family was living in Innisfil, Simcoe County, Ontario and Joseph's occupation was given as Wesleyan Methodist Minister. Charlotte died on 20 May 1873, likely from an infection following childbirth.

Joseph subsequently married Amanda Lucretia Burke on 23 June 1875 in Toronto, Ontario. She was born on 9 June 1846 in Cobourg, Ontario to Thomas Burke and Sarah Kells. Her identified siblings were: Elizabeth (b 1838), Martha (b 1839), William (b 1839) and Charlotte Rebecca (1845-1933). In 1861, Thomas Burke and his children were living in Northumberland, Ontario. In 1871, Lucretia was boarding with the Wardell family in Dundas, Wentworth County, Ontario. Joseph and Lucretia had three children: Joseph Henry (1876-1967), George Earnest (b 1877) and Clara Lucretia (1883-1974).

Joseph & Lucretia lived in various locations in Ontario (Wentworth in 1881, Owen Sound in 1891 and Wesminster in 1901) until 1908 when, according to Lucretia's obituary, they moved from Blenheim, Ontario to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where their son, Joseph Henry was commissioner of the Saskatoon Board of Trade. It was in this year that Rev Joseph Holmes had received his superannuation after having had various pastoral charges in the Methodist Church. They first appeared on the Roll for 3rd Avenue Methodist Church in Saskatoon in 1909. This church later became 3rd Ave United Church and according to her obituary, Lucretia was still a member at the time of her death. From at least 1911 till the time of their deaths, Lucretia and Joseph lived at 420 26th St W in Saskatoon. Rev Joseph died on 20 November 1918 and Lucretia on 16 November 1929. They were both buried in Woodlawn Cemetery.

Clara Lucretia K Holmes was born on 27 February 1883 in Listowel, Perth, Ontario. She also joined 3rd Ave Methodist Church in 1909 and lived with her parents until at least 1921. The 1918 Saskatoon Henderson's City Directory listed her as an editor of the ‘Daily Star’ and in her mother's obituary in 1929, it was mentioned that she was editor of the women's department of the ‘Star Phoenix’. Clara died on 20 September 1974 in Winnipeg, Manitoba and was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Saskatoon.

Joseph Henry Holmes was born on 2 March 1876 in Ontario. In 1905, he appeared on the Roll of 3rd Ave Methodist Church in Saskatoon. At the time of his marriage, he gave his residence as Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and his profession as journalist. He married Winnifred Elizabeth Atkinson on 27 June 1906 in London, Ontario. Reverend Joseph Holmes, the father of the groom performed the ceremony. Winnifred was born on 21 January 1874 in Orillia, Ontario to Thomas Smith Henry Atkinson (1840-1874) and Catherine Curtin (1843-1922). She had one sister, Maude Annie (1871-1876) and a half sister from her mother's second marriage to Henry Thompson (1833-1914), Mabel E Thompson (b 1880).

Winnifred's father (Thomas S H Atkinson) died in 1874 and by the time of the 1881 census her mother had remarried. The Thompson family was living in Orillia in 1881 and Westminster in 1891 and 1901. In 1911, Winnifred and Joseph were living at 239 Ave E North, Saskatoon and from 1916 to 1921 at 419 Ave E North. In 1921, Joseph was clerk of court. Joseph and Winnifred had three children: Josephine Reynolds (1908-1908), Joseph Kells (1912-1997) and Alan Baere (b 1915). Both Winnifred & Joseph died in Saskatoon; Winnifred on 30 August 1952 and Joseph on 18 August 1967. Both are buried in Woodlawn Cemetery.

Catherine Curtin was born on 27 October 1843 in England to Jeremiah Curtin and Annie (b 1818). She married Thomas Smith Henry Atkinson on 12 May 1870 in York, Ontario. Thomas was born on 1 November 1840 in Newmarket, Ontario to Thomas Atkinson & Isabella. At the time of the 1871 census, they were living in Orillia. Thomas S H Atkinson died on 2 September 1874 in Orillia, Ontario. Catherine married Henry Thompson on 18 June 1879 in Orillia Township. He was born on 28 December 1833 in Ireland to Allen Thompson and Ann and died on 18 April 1914 in London, Ontario.

The Thompson family was living in Orillia in 1881, Westminster in 1891 and 1901 and London in 1911. Children from her marriages are described above. By 1916, Catherine had moved to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and at the time of the 1916 & 1921 censuses was living with her daughter, Winnifred Holmes, and her family at 419 Ave E North. Catherine died on 22 May 1922 in Saskatoon and was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery. Although we cannot be certain that Catherine was the person who signed the C Thompson signature, we thought her the most likely candidate as many members of Winnifred's family was signers and she was living with them.

Mabel E Thompson was born on 31 October 1880 in Orillia, Ontario to Catherine Curtain and Henry Thompson who were discussed above. She had two half sisters from her mother's first marriage to Thomas Atkinson who were also discussed above. Nine half siblings from her father's first marriage to Mary Ann Perkins (1841-1878) were: Ethel (b 1859), Allan (b 1860), Marion Edith (b 1865), Eleanor Maude (b 1866), Henry Ross (b 1871), William Robinson Ross (b 1872), Beatrice M (b 1875), Gilbert Henry (b 1875) and Charles Sewell (1878-1878).

By 1918 Mabel was living with her sister, Winnifred Holmes, and her family at 419 Ave E North and according to the 1918 Saskatoon Henderson City Directory was working as a clerk for the Canadian Bank of Commerce. She was enumerated with this family in 1921. Although it is impossible to determine who signed the quilt M Thompson, Mabel seems the most likely candidate as many members of her sister's family was definitely signers and she was living with them during the time that the quilt was being signed.

This family tree can be found on Ancestry under the title 3rd Ave Holmes/Thompson Tree.