Robert Holmes Orr of Woodview House
Robert Holmes Orr was the son of General Andrew Orr and Mary Holmes. He was
educated at the Royal school of Enniskillen and entered Trinity in 1843. He married Mary
Guinness the daughter of the Rev Arthur Guinness and Catherine Laughton Paul. It was a
double wedding at Monkstown church as Mary's sister Catherine’s married Archibald
Robertson. Robert became the principal of the Irish Church Mission in Ballinasloe in 1849,
he accepted various curacies in Galway before taking on the curacy of Stillorgan in 1869.
Robert Holmes Orr Married Mary Guinness
born 25 Jan 1826 12 Jul 1854 born circa 1825
died 4 Jul 1895 Monkstown died 7 May 1879
1 Catherine Orr born 22 Sep 1855 at Ballygar, Ballinasloe.
2 Annie Orr.
3 Andrew Aylmer Orr born 25 Jul 1858 at Lancaster, Ballinasloe, eldest son, married
Matilda Amelia (Tillie) Ihler daughter of George James Ihler at Belfast on 16 Sep 1886.
Andrew was a house surgeon at St Bartholomew’s and died 27 Apr 1899 at 204
Earlsfort Road London.
4 Alice Mary Orr born 19 Jan 1860 married Rev Henry Thomas Arthur Thompson, a
missionary at the Cathedral Pietermaritzburg, Natal on 18 Jun 1883.
5 Ellen Lucy Orr born 4 Dec 1861at Ballygar, Ballinsloe, does not appear to have
married. She was living with her aunt in London in 1911.
6 Arthur James Orr born 30 Jul 1863 at Ballygar married Christina Murray and was a
land agent living at Coolgarriffe on Merrion Strand. Their only child Gwlady’s married
Michael McCabe in June 1923. Arthur died 22 Aug 1920.
7 Stillborn son born at Ballygar 17 Jul 1865.
8 John Robert Homes Orr born 23 Jan 1868, Ahascragh, Co Galway became a doctor, he
married Sarah Maud Steward in Coleraine on 10 Aug 1891 and had one child Mary
Stewart Homes Orr born 19 Nov 1901.
Robert's wife Mary died in 1879 and he then married Jane Ashe in 1880 at Kinlough church
in Ballyshannon. Robert died in 1895 and Jane died on the 16 Jan 1917. All three are buried in
the Orr family grave at Aghadowey churchyard in County Derry.
© June Bow & Karen Poff April 2016
Robert Holmes Orr was the son of General Andrew Orr and Mary Holmes. He was
educated at the Royal school of Enniskillen and entered Trinity in 1843. He married Mary
Guinness the daughter of the Rev Arthur Guinness and Catherine Laughton Paul. It was a
double wedding at Monkstown church as Mary's sister Catherine’s married Archibald
Robertson. Robert became the principal of the Irish Church Mission in Ballinasloe in 1849,
he accepted various curacies in Galway before taking on the curacy of Stillorgan in 1869.
Robert Holmes Orr Married Mary Guinness
born 25 Jan 1826 12 Jul 1854 born circa 1825
died 4 Jul 1895 Monkstown died 7 May 1879
1 Catherine Orr born 22 Sep 1855 at Ballygar, Ballinasloe.
2 Annie Orr.
3 Andrew Aylmer Orr born 25 Jul 1858 at Lancaster, Ballinasloe, eldest son, married
Matilda Amelia (Tillie) Ihler daughter of George James Ihler at Belfast on 16 Sep 1886.
Andrew was a house surgeon at St Bartholomew’s and died 27 Apr 1899 at 204
Earlsfort Road London.
4 Alice Mary Orr born 19 Jan 1860 married Rev Henry Thomas Arthur Thompson, a
missionary at the Cathedral Pietermaritzburg, Natal on 18 Jun 1883.
5 Ellen Lucy Orr born 4 Dec 1861at Ballygar, Ballinsloe, does not appear to have
married. She was living with her aunt in London in 1911.
6 Arthur James Orr born 30 Jul 1863 at Ballygar married Christina Murray and was a
land agent living at Coolgarriffe on Merrion Strand. Their only child Gwlady’s married
Michael McCabe in June 1923. Arthur died 22 Aug 1920.
7 Stillborn son born at Ballygar 17 Jul 1865.
8 John Robert Homes Orr born 23 Jan 1868, Ahascragh, Co Galway became a doctor, he
married Sarah Maud Steward in Coleraine on 10 Aug 1891 and had one child Mary
Stewart Homes Orr born 19 Nov 1901.
Robert's wife Mary died in 1879 and he then married Jane Ashe in 1880 at Kinlough church
in Ballyshannon. Robert died in 1895 and Jane died on the 16 Jan 1917. All three are buried in
the Orr family grave at Aghadowey churchyard in County Derry.
© June Bow & Karen Poff April 2016