Page "Robert Holmes (Royal Navy officer)" Paragraph 2

Born in or about 1622 the son of Henry Holmes, esq.

of Mallow, County Cork, Ireland, nothing is known of Holmes ' early life, although his flawless command of written language and his elegant handwriting suggest a good education.

He is in all probability the grandchild of the Robert Holmes named provost of Mallow in 1612.

He first appears in 1643 on the Cavalier side of the Civil War, in Prince Maurice's regiment of horse as a cornet in the troop of Captain Richard Atkyns.

From this time stems a lifelong friendship with Maurice's brother, Prince Rupert, whom he accompanied onto the battlefields of the continent once the Royalists had been defeated.