Ira Holmes ^{1 2 3 4 5 6}

  General Notes:

Because the name of Ira Holmes was such a common name in Massachusetts at the time, determining the correct person and correct family is very difficult and sometimes just a guessing game. Even his correct parentage is assumed mostly because the death records for Ira and his daughter, Abigail, show that his birth location was Hopkinton, New Hampshire. The John and Mary Holmes that were living in Hopkinton around the time of his birth are the most likely candidates for parentage.

There is an 1855 Massachusetts State Census which shows an Ira Holmes living with the Ervin family in Pepperell. His age would seem to indicate a correct birth year of 1815 but this is most likely not correct person because it shows an apparent wife named Susan.

There is another 1855 Massachusetts State Census in Taunton, Bristol County, Massachusetts which shows an Ira Holmes living with a wife named Maria with 2 young children. Because he was married to Mary Abigail Reed in about 1852, therefore it means that this is not the correct Ira Holmes.

There is another 1855 Massachusetts State Census in Lowell, Middlesex County, Massachusetts which shows merely a "Mr. and Mrs. Holmes", both aged 30 to 40 years old. The Mrs. Holmes appears to be born in New Hampshire with Mr. Holmes born in Massachusetts. There are no children shown with the couple. But the 1860 US Census shows the real Ira Holmes, with his 2nd wife have a son born about 1853. Therefore this 1855 state census which shows Mr. and Mrs Holmes without any children is most likely not the correct person.

So, where is the real Ira Holmes in the 1855 Massachusetts State Census? There should be one showing Ira, his wife of 6 years, Mary Abigail Reed, and at least one child, a son aged about 3. So far no reliable reference to him, his 2nd wife, or their one son has been found.
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  Death Notes:

Name: Ira Holmes
Event Type: Death
Event Date: 16 Jan 1890
Event Place: Groton, Massachusetts
Gender: Male
Age: 74
Age: 74y 11m 2d
Age: 74 years 11 months 2 days
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: Laborer
Birth Year (Estimated): 1816
Birthplace: Hopkinton, N.H.
Burial Place: Pepperell
Father's Name: John Holmes
Father's Birthplace: -
Mother's Name: Mary Holmes
Mother's Birthplace: -
Source Reference: Holmes, Ira, 1890
Digital Folder Number: 004224894
Record Number: 17
Reference ID: v 410 p 127

Citing this Record
"Massachusetts Deaths, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N71H-5J7 : 6 April 2020), Mary Holmes in entry for Ira Holmes, 16 Jan 1890; citing Groton, Massachusetts, v 410 p 127, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 961,501.
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  Noted events in his life were:

• He appeared on the 1860 US Census in Pepperell, MA on 22 August 1860. ^{4 7}

1860 US Census
Page 236, Dwelling 1969, Family 1936, Roll 511
Pepperell, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Value of Real Estate, $250 (comparatively very low)
Ira Holmes..45..MA..Farmer

(Living with second wife, 2 of their children, and 2 children from his previous wife.)

NOTE - If his birth date was 22 Aug 1827, then his age should have been 32 instead of 45.
.

• Death Image: 16 January 1890, in Groton, MA. ⁶

Ira married Harriet Newell, daughter of Ezekiel Newell and Abigail Warner, on 12 October 1836 in Pepperell, MA.^{1 2} (Harriet Newell was born on 6 May 1809 in Pepperell, MA,^{1 2 8} died on 22 October 1847 in Holliston, MA ^{1 2 8} and was buried after 22 October 1847 in Pepperell, MA ⁸.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• Marriage Image: 12 October 1836, in Pepperell, MA.

  Marriage Notes:

The marriage dates vary slightly based on the referenced document which does not necessarily show the actual event. Some documents show a historic and archaic terminology still being used in Massachusetts at the time such as a "Marriage Intention" or "Purpose of Marriage" which I gather are similar to a modern day marriage application.
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"Purpose of Marriage"
Name: Ira Horn
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 17 Sep 1836
Event Place: Pepperell, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States
Event Place (Original): Pepperell, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States
Gender: Male
Spouse's Name: Harriet Newell
Spouse's Gender: Female

Citing this Record
"Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHQP-HY8 : 24 January 2020), Harriet Newell in entry for Ira Horn, 1836.
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"Certification of Joined in Marriage"
Name: Ira Homes
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 12 Oct 1836
Event Place: Pepperell, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States
Gender: Male
Spouse's Name: Harriet Newell
Spouse's Gender: Female

Citing this Record
"Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHQG-GN5 : 6 November 2017), Ira Homes and Harriet Newell, 12 Oct 1836; citing Marriage, Pepperell, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 763,904.
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Following the death of Harried in 1847, their two children were sent to relatives or neighbors. The 1850 US Census shows the children living with Samuel and Sarah Merrill in Pepperell. The 1860 US Census shows the children living back with their father and their stepmother.
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Ira next married Abigail Angelina Reed, daughter of Lewis Reed and Mary, in March 1852 in Pepperell, MA.^{3 4} (Abigail Angelina Reed was born on 27 December 1831 in Woburn, MA ^{9 10} and died after 1 June 1860.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• Marriage Image: March 1852, in Pepperell, MA. ¹¹

• They appeared on the 1860 US Census in Pepperell, MA on 22 August 1860. ⁴

1860 US Census
Page 236, Dwelling 1969, Family 1936, Roll 511
Pepperell, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Value of Real Estate, $250 (comparitively very low)
Ira Holmes..45..MA..Farmer
Abigail Holmes..38..MA
Ira K. Holmes..7..MA
George C. Holmes..4..MA
Abigail Holmes..23..MA.Domestic
Charles Holmes..19..MA..Farmer Laborer
.

  Marriage Notes:

Name: Ira Homes
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: Mar 1852
Event Place: Pepperell, Pepperell, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 35
Birth Year (Estimated): 1817
Father's Name: John Homes
Mother's Name: Betsey Homes
Spouse's Name: Mary A. Reed
Spouse's Gender: Female
Spouse's Age: 24
Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1828
Record Number: 726
Reference ID: 137

Citing this Record
"Massachusetts Marriages, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N49G-J2Z : 24 May 2018), Ira Homes and Mary A. Reed, Mar 1852; citing Pepperell, Pepperell, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 1,432,878.
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His second marriage to Abigail Angelina Reed is somewhat puzzling. There is a March 1852 marriage record from Pepperell, Massachusetts for an Ira Holmes (b. about 1817) and Mary A. Read (b. about 1828).

On that document, Ira's father is correctly given as John Holmes but his mother's name is Mrs. Betsy (or Retsy) Holmes instead of the expected "Mary".

Other than the exact given names for the bride and Ira's mother being somewhat wrong, this would seem to be the correct Ira Holmes because of the following:

The "Intention of Marriage" papers filed a month before in February in Pepperell state that Ira was born in Hopkinton, New Hampshire and that this was to be his second marriage. This matches exactly what is known about the correct Ira Holmes. But why the bride's name appears as "Mary A. " instead of the expected "Abigail Angelina" is a mystery. Abigail's mother's name was Mary so perhaps this was a clerical error on the document.

So the question is if this was the correct Ira Holmes. There is no other marriage record found for the correct Ira Holmes and Abigail Angelina-Mary Reed.
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