There have been Holmes in Befast since at least 1634 when Edward Holmes was sovreign. The family below probably sprang from Maritime family in Belfast of the late 1600’s. Samuel Holmes of Belfast was the son-in-law of James Smith of Drumadaragh, county Antrim. His brothers-in-law included Samuel Smith, Sr of Belfast. Documentation for this tree can be found in the records on this site. I hope to incoroprate many of them into this page over time. Until then if you have access to Ancestry you can view a family tree that includes documentation.
Descendant List of Samuel Holmes of Belfast
1-Samuel Holmes (abt 1650-abt 1710)
+Smith (abt 1655-aft 1706)
. . 2-Holmes (abt 1675-bef 30 Jul 1737)
. . +Jennett (Holmes) (abt 1675-bef 16 Nov 1744) [Widow or daughter-in-law of Samuel]
. . . . 3-Samuel Holmes (-)
. . . . 3-James Holmes (2 Jun 1693-23 Oct 1732)
. . . . +Mary How (-)
. . . . . . 4-Thomas How Holmes (abt 1720-abt 1770)
. . . . . . 4-Mary Holmes (bef 1732-)
. . . . . . +Rev John Palliser of Rathfarnham, Chancellor of Cloyne (-bef 26 Jun 1795)
. . . . . . . . 5-George Palliser (-)
. . . . . . . . 5-Mary Palliser (-)
. . . . . . . . +Thomas Loftus (-)
. . . . . . . . 5-Jane Palliser (-)
. . . . . . . . +Rev Henry Maclean of Rathfarnum (-)
. . . . . . . . 5-Charlotte Palliser (-)
. . . . . . . . +John Hodson of Rathfarnum (-)
. . . . . . 4-Jennett Jane Holmes (bef 1732-)
. . . . . . +William Lord (-)
. . . . 3-Hugh Holmes of Antigua (1694-23 Oct 1762)
. . . . +Rebecca Hanson (abt 13 Jul 1708-abt 19 Jun 1724)
. . . . . . 4-John Hughson als Holmes (-)
. . . . 3-Robert Holmes of Dublin, goldsmith and watchmaker (7 Jun 1699-19 Jun 1787)
. . . . +Sarah Jellett (11 Sep 1724-1805)
. . . . +Elinore Robinson (20 Jul 1706-4 Jun 1755)
. . . . . . 4-James Holmes (9 Mar 1725/6-26 Mar 1728)
. . . . . . 4-Samuel Holmes of Dublin, Goldsmith and later of Com Waddles (16 Sep 1729-7 Oct 1794)
. . . . . . +Mary Waddell (-1813)
. . . . . . . . 5-Robert Holmes (-)
. . . . . . 4-James Holmes (16 Nov 1731-abt 1798)
. . . . . . +Mary Waring (1741-7 Dec 1781)
. . . . . . . . 5-Eleanor Holmes (-)
. . . . . . . . 5-Mary Holmes (-)
. . . . . . . . 5-Hester Holmes (27 Jul 1760-)
. . . . . . . . +John Jellet of Dublin, jeweler (1749-15 Jun 1792)
. . . . . . . . . . 6-Rev Morgan Jellet (1787-1831)
. . . . . . . . 5-Robert Holmes (4 Dec 1763-)
. . . . . . 4-Hugh Holmes of Richardstown Co Louth and later of Chapelizod (18 Nov 1733-)
. . . . . . +Mary Smith (daughter or granddaughter of Patrick) (1728-9 Oct 1795)
. . . . . . . . 5-Hugh Holmes (-)
. . . . . . . . 5-Robert Holmes (1765-30 Nov 1859)
. . . . . . . . +Eliza Lawrence (-1811)
. . . . . . . . +Mary Anne Emmett (10 Oct 1773-10 Mar 1805)
. . . . . . . . . . 6-Elizabeth Emmet Holmes (1800-abt 1889)
. . . . . . . . . . +George Lenox-Conyngham (abt 1796-1866)
. . . . . . 4-Robert Holmes (5 Nov 1738-5 Apr 1739)
. . . . . . 4-Elinore Holmes (25 Oct 1742-21 Nov 1762)
. . . . . . 4-Robinson Holmes (12 Sep 1747-aft 2 Jul 1772)
. . . . 3-John Holmes of Belfast and late in life of Dublin (30 Jul 1703-4 Jul 1779)
. . . . +Elizabeth Cunningham (-)
. . . . +Mary Wilson (working hypothesis that Mary is the sister of Robert and William) (1714-1779)
. . . . . . 4-Nathaniel Wilson Holmes (28 May 1734-)
. . . . . . 4-John Holmes of Belfast and Donaghadee (17 Jul 1745-1 Sep 1825)
. . . . . . +Isabella Patterson (abt 1753-18 Apr 1823)
. . . . . . . . 5-Mary Isabella Holmes (14 May 1771-7 Oct 1832)
. . . . . . . . +Henry Joy (1754-1835)
. . . . . . . . . . 6-Robert Joy (-1813)
. . . . . . . . . . 6-William Bruce Joy of London (-)
. . . . . . . . . . +Arminella Vance (-)
. . . . . . . . . . 6-Frederick Joy (-1853)
. . . . . . . . . . 6-Mary Joy McGeough-Bond (-)
. . . . . . . . . . +Walter McGeough-Bond of Drumsill (1790-1866)
. . . . . . . . . . 6-Henry Joy (1805-1875)
. . . . . . . . . . 6-John Holmes Joy (abt 1810-)
. . . . . . . . 5-John Holmes (abt 1774-18 May 1825)
. . . . . . . . +Anne Lindsey Daniel (-)
. . . . . . . . . . 6-Ann Lindsey Holmes (-)
. . . . . . . . . . +John Agnew , Sovreign of Belfast (-4 Aug 1844)
. . . . . . . . . . 6-Isabella Holmes (9 May 1805-)
. . . . . . . . 5-Jennett Jane Holmes (9 Oct 1774-1848)
. . . . . . . . +William Russell of Edenderry (-)
. . . . . . . . 5-Elizabeth Holmes (11 Oct 1775-1849)
. . . . . . . . +John Holmes Houston (abt 1769-10 Mar 1845)
. . . . . . . . . . 6-Mary Isabella Houston (-)
. . . . . . . . 5-James Holmes (9 Feb 1777-1796)
. . . . . . . . 5-Henry Holmes (3 Jun 1778-)
. . . . . . . . 5-Catharine Holmes (1780-1817)
. . . . . . . . +John Russell of Newforge (1777-1852)
. . . . . . 4-James Holmes of Belfast, Ballymenoch and Inver Lodge (abt 1747-1832)
. . . . . . +Jane Davis (abt 1762-27 Mar 1838)
. . . . . . . . 5-Frances Holmes (-abt 1863)
. . . . . . . . +James Coates (-)
. . . . . . . . 5-Sydney Holmes (-)
. . . . . . . . +James Gammell (-)
. . . . . . . . 5-Anna Maria Holmes (17 Jun 1783-)
. . . . . . . . +William Isaac Corry of Ivy Lodge (-14 Sep 1853)
. . . . . . . . 5-Rev Frederick Holmes (1791-1850)
. . . . . . . . +Anna Maria Loxdale (1792-1863)
. . . . . . +Margaret Savage (-)
. . . . . . . . 5-Mary Ann Sophia Holmes (23 Aug 1768-)
. . . . . . . . +Henry Watts (-)
. . . . . . . . +Benjamin McDowell (-)
. . . . . . . . 5-Elizabeth Holmes (25 Jan 1769-)
. . . . . . . . 5-Jane Holmes (13 May 1771-1772)
. . . . . . . . 5-Paul Holmes (25 Sep 1772-5 May 1781)
. . . . . . . . 5-Samuel Holmes (12 Oct 1776-)
. . . . . . . . 5-John Holmes of Black Bush, Co Dublin (6 Mar 1779-)
. . . . . . . . +Sarah Barker or Barbur (-)
. . . . . . . . . . 6-Rev James Paul Holmes of Carramore Glebe, Kings Co (-)
. . . . . . . . . . +Lucy Marsh (-)
. . . . . . . . . . +Katherine Mulock (-)
. . . . . . . . . . . . 7-Rev John Gordon Holmes (12 Aug 1842-13 Nov 1889)
. . . . . . . . . . . . +Elizabeth de Lacherois Crommelin (-)
. . . . . . . . . . 6-Mary Ann Sophia Holmes (5 Apr 1800-)
. . . . . . . . . . +James Rainsford (-)
. . . . . . . . . . 6-Lucy Savage Holmes (23 May 1802-)
. . . . . . . . . . +William Jameson ,younger of York St, Dublin (-)
. . . . . . . . . . 6-Charles Gordon Holmes (19 Oct 1804-)
. . . . . . . . . . +Anna Maria Hatch (-)
. . . . . . 4-Mary How Holmes (21 Mar 1747/8-1830)
. . . . . . +Thomas Houston of Dublin (-1771)
. . . . . . . . 5-Elizabeth Houston (-)
. . . . . . . . 5-John Holmes Houston (abt 1769-10 Mar 1845)
. . . . . . . . +Elizabeth Holmes (11 Oct 1775-1849)
. . . . . . . . . . 6-Mary Isabella Houston (-)
Holmes Genealogy 