Margret Holmes Bates (née, Martha Mary Victoria Ernsperger; 1844 – 1927) was an American author better known by her pen names, Mrs M E Holmes, Margret Holmes, Margret Holmes Bates, and Margaret Holmes Bates. Her first publication was entitled, Manitou, the plot of which centered around Rochester, Indiana and Indianapolis, Indiana. One of her most noted books, Hildegarde, was a poetry collection, dedicated to her son, Charles.