Samuel Holmes was born on 9 November 1845 at 36 Park Square, Leeds. He was the son of Elizabeth Holmes (nee Hackworth) and Benjamin Holmes. His father died when he was two and the family moved back to Elizabeth’s family at Soho House in Shildon. He spent time as a young child at Soho works with Timothy Hackworth. He emigrated to America in the 1880’s and built up a career as an engineer, he corresponds from his ‘Samuel Holmes Steamship Offices’, Broad Street, New York, where he had a business that appeared to charter and build steamships. He married Gertrude Holmes and died in America in 1920.

Holmes was a keen campaigner for the historical recognition of Timothy Hackworth and a supporter of John Wesley Hackworth. He was in regular correspondence with Robert Young when he was researching for Timothy Hackworth and the Locomotive. Correspondence shows that towards his death he disagreed with the way that the book was being written; he tended to be more radical in his claims and wanted the book to be more sensational in order to appeal the public. He compiled a ‘foreward’ to be included in the book, which was never included in the book. He died in 1920.