Uncle Peg’s Chronicles
April 3, 2025
“The Shorelines of our Lives”
“These
were their settlements. And they kept good family records.”[i]
Don’t
forget to look for the title which is embedded in the chronicle.
I just started
a new Facebook group called "Holmespun." You should be able to type
that in to Facebook search and find it for a while. Be sure and add the
"l."
The purpose of
this group is to work together as genealogists on our Holmes family - sticking
pretty close to Samuel Holmes and Elizabeth Fountain Holmes Seaman, their
parents, and their children. We will work together to locate and share records
pertaining to these people.
If you, a
Holmes family genealogist, wish to join this small group, please let me know.
Prepare to work.
GRATITUDE
Thanks to Jeanni and Julia, who both
attended and enjoyed our presentation to the genealogy society about our great
grand (not sure how many times) Uncle John and his wife, Scholastic dit Collet
Melanson. Jeannie sent me a good critique, and Julia, a screenshot that she
took. Thanks also, to cousins Annmarie and Byron, Carolyn, Jane, Jennifer, Kim,
and Missy for joining our intense Holmes research group, as well as several
other Holmes researches we are starting to get to know. Still waiting for bios
from Jane, Jennifer, Kim and Missy!
An Interesting Obituary
This may become a regular feature as I am working on
the genealogies of Sam Jr’s siblings. It is not part of News From Holmes – just obituaries I find
that are out of the ordinary.
Lloyd G Chapman – H Gerald Chapman –
Florence R Beharrell – Ada A Boss – Robert Boss -Rufus Smith Boss – Deborah
(Debby) Holmes – Samuel Holmes Sr and Elizabeth Fountain.
“Lloyd Gerald Chapman - 80, Truro. It is with
heavy hearts that we must announce the sudden passing of our beloved father,
grandfather and brother, Lloyd Gerald Chapman, on Thursday, December 31, 2020.
Born and raised in Truro, he was a son of the late Hazen Gerald and Beatrice
Mae (Wellwood) Chapman.
Known to many of his friends simply as
"Chappy", he will always be remembered as a kind, caring, gentle
soul. Material possessions were of little importance to him, though what he did
have would just as swiftly be given in earnest to those he thought may need it
more; that’s just part of who he was.
With a great sense of humor, not many a chance went by
that he didn’t offer a riddle or a joke just to make you think or laugh. His
laugh was like a warm hug that made you feel good just to be near. He was very
social, easy to talk to, loved to tell stories and could speak with ease to
most anyone. He very well could have been the greatest story teller of all
time, and given the opportunity, would tell you one of multitudes of amazing
stories of his adventurous youth.
He talked often of train trips across the country, his
youth working with the draft horses, growing up with a large family, and
sometimes with a twinkle in his sparkly blue eyes and a hearty laugh he would
retell stories of helping his beloved grandfather, Joshua log for lumber in the
woods as a child many decades ago; his grandfather fondly dubbed him
"Little Did" because as he told it, when something was amiss and they
wondered who did it? Little Did. Most of all he loved his family, near and far,
and coming from a large family of twelve siblings, he was never without a story
(or three) about their adventures.
He was born with a talent for music and loved to play
his guitar and sing, anytime and anywhere, with some of his favorites that he
will be remembered playing for a time to come were: The Old Rugged Cross,
Jeannie’s Afraid of the Dark, Delta Dawn, Give My Love to Rose, Folsom Prison
Blues and many, many more. He was also amazing on the piano and through the
years he would play every chance he’d get, whether that be in church or on one
of the pianos outside downtown, he would stop and at the very least tinker out
a tune but usually he wouldn’t be able to resist and he’d be seated and he’d
'tickle the ivories' and give the bystanders a great show. He’d had no official
instructor and no lessons and was just a natural born talent.
He is survived by his daughters, Stacey (Jason)
MacKenzie and Crystal (Courtney Penny) Chapman, both of Truro; sons, George
(Suzanne) Payne and Gerald (Alanna) Payne, both of Winnipeg, Manitoba;
grandchildren, Shonalee Johnson, Connor MacKenzie, Jeremy Penny, Braxton Penny,
Chad Penny, McKenna Penny, Winston Penny, Desiree Payne, Ashley-Rae Payne, Zach
Payne, Samantha Mosionier, Shaun Mosionier; great grandchildren, Conner,
Keegan, Quinten, Kaydence, Ryan; brothers, George, Eldon, David; sisters,
Geraldine, Shirley, Doreen, Gail, Esther, Nova; many, many nieces, nephews,
great nieces and great nephews. He will also be missed by the mother of his
girls, his ex-wife and friend, Margaret Raynes, and his long-time companion,
Glenda Havenga Clow.
Along with his parents, he was predeceased by his
sisters, Leona, Donna; nephew, Ainsley; great nephew, Ryan.
Visitation and a celebration of life will be held at a
later date among friends and family when travel is permitted and groups may
gather.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Mattatall – Varner
Funeral Home, 55 Young Street, Truro.
His heart grew weak but his love for
his family remained strong.
He will be dearly missed and loved for all
our days.”
https://www.mattatallvarnerfh.com/obituaries/151177#:~:text=It%20is%20with%20heavy%20hearts,Beatrice%20Mae%20(Wellwood)%20Chapman
FAMILY ALBUM
These
are the fingers of Carolyn Brown, a Zorobabel descendant, at the Wallace and
Area Museum, in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, on the original map of the
settlements in Nova Scotia where Samuel Holmes Sr first settled with his
family. You don’t often get to touch these kinds of things, especially without
gloves.
1924 to
1928
Those
are the years that our Holmes ancestors spent renewing relationships that had
somehow fallen by the wayside but with organization, letter writing, and
challenging travel – by hook or by crook – they managed to come together again.
They reacquainted and rediscovered their family ties. And then, one by one,
they died, and many of those ties died with them.
2024 to 2028
Our ancestors fought in the American Revolution. Looking at our lines other than the Holmeses, we are all probably UE, SAR, and/or DAR descendants unless we came from other places and cultures. In that revolution, families, friends, and neighbours either united or fought. Our part of the Holmeses were, as you know, United Empier Loyalists, and those who survived and could, booked passage or were placed on boats headed for what would be Canada. Specifically, the Holmeses headed to Cumberland County in Nova Scotia. Other Loyalist families, like the Hoyts and Ketchums, headed to Kings County, New Brunswick. Some of us stayed; some returned to the USA, and some now live all over the world. That war is over. We cannot change history; we can learn from it .
Our
new Holmespun group is researching Samuel Holmes Sr, who came with the Loyalist
fleet and was granted a rocky lot in Remsheg, now called Wallace, in Cumberland
County, Nova Scotia, as well as his parents and children and their spouses. The
clean-up and settlements from both sides of that war must have been tremendous.
To the disappointment of current researchers, soldiers on both sides burned
several villages, including record offices. Hopefully,
your new Holmespun group will find new sources and revisit records to correct
what we can of previous researchers and those who just copy and paste. New
information does come to light from time to time, so not all errors were from
carelessness – genealogy and family history is ever evolving when old records
turn up. I will keep you up to date, but probably won’t share the nitty-gritty
with those who really aren’t interested in it.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS9Y-8SFL-H?view=fullText&keywords=Nathaniel%20Holmes%2CWestchester%2CYork&lang=en&groupId=TH-909-55721-67494-73
Byron
shared this bit of information.
“. .
. it was most likely the French and Indian Wars. According to the Muster Roll,
he enlisted in April of 1760. That would tie in with a March 1760 call to raise
men for the purpose of attacking Montreal, which until then was part of New
France . . .”
FAMILY HISTORY LESSON
TOOLS OF THE TRADE:
Breaking down
quarry stone, genealogical brick walls, and cultural barriers along Cumberland
and Westmorland waterways in the early 1800s. This is a collaborative
presentation by Denis Savard, Kim Campbell, and Peggy Vasseur, using Loyalist
Holmes and Acadian Melanson couples as our example.
CONCLUSION
(The introduction was in the previous chronicle.)
I will tell you
briefly about two more couples. They helped us in our personal quests, and/or
provided circumstantial evidence to give us a broader picture. This, we call
the FAN Method of genealogy.
Daniel
Holmes and Mary Holmes
Daniel was the son of
Zorobabel and Ann, and Mary was the daughter of John and Collet. We found records proving that Daniel and Mary
were first cousins. If I could find their marriage record, it might contain a
special dispensation to marry.
- Daniel’s will of
1837 gave his father’s name, Zorababel Holmes; his wife’s name, Mary; his
brother’s name, Joseph Holmes; and mention of two children, not named.
- A guardianship
request refers to Mary Bushway Bourgeois as the late widow of Daniel
Holmes of Leicester, at present the wife of Joseph Bushway Bourgeois of
Minudie. The request refers to the minors as William and Mary Elizabeth
Holmes, son and daughter of Daniel Holmes. We followed up on William and
his wife, Vivienne Melançon; that was an interesting study.
- Denis located the
burial record of Mary Holmes Bourgeois, who was buried at Scoudouc, New
Brunswick. He translated the record: “This day the 28th January 1872 was
interred in the cemetery of this parish Marie Homs, spouse of Joseph
Bourgeois, issued from the legitimate marriage of late John Homs &
Colett Melançon, died the day before yesterday at the age of 55.” In
Denis’ opinion, “it is very rare that we give filiation in a burial
record, outside the (late) spouse.”
There is little doubt
that Daniel Holmes, son of Zorobabel and Ann, married his first cousin, Mary
Holmes, daughter of John and Collet, and they had two young children named
William and Mary Elizabeth, when he died. The probate records place Daniel and
Mary in Leicester, closer to Zorobabel, and Joseph and Mary in Minudie, where
her parents lived. I’d be interested to see DNA results of their descendants.
James
(also known as Jacques) Holmes and Elizabeth Bennett
I began to wonder if
James Holmes was really the son of Zorobabel and Ann Holmes. Or, was he the son
of John and Collett Holmes?
A tool we must use is
common sense. All of us had some myths, misconceptions, and brick walls to
blast. Someone originally stated that James Holmes, also known as James Rufus
Holmes, was the son of Zorobabel. That has been copied by many Holmes researchers,
including me.
I now believe James,
who was bilingual, as he states he was French on the 1871 census and English on
others, was the son of John, not Zorobabel. The records are ambiguous, but I’m
fairly certain that they suffice to prove this fact.
James was a stone
cutter. The children’s names on the censuses remain consistent. In 1861, the
family lived in New Bandon, Gloucester, New Brunswick. Did this make sense? Not
at first, but Denis found a photo of a stone quarry in New Bandon at Archives CANB.
“They followed the demands of the time,” he said.
Using census records
from 1861 to 1891, James stated that he was Baptist, Catholic, and Methodist.
This was not helpful to us, but he must have had a reason. They lived in New
Bandon, River Hébert, and Sackville. They are buried in Rockport, New Brunswick.
What clinched it for
me was the baptism and death of their son, James, also known as Jacques.
Jacques’ baptism record was in Latin. He was born 11 March 1861, and baptized
20 March, 1871, in Lower Cove. He died a week after his baptism. His parents
were James Holmes and Elizabeth Bennett. His church record was in French, with
the same parents, and his death occurred in Minudie. He was buried in the
Catholic Church yard in Minudie.
Noteworthy, perhaps,
is that his grandfather, John Holmes (spelled J-e-a-n) in the burial record,
died five months later. The record is on the page following Jacques’ burial
record. He, too, was interred in Minudie.
~~~~~~
Quarriers worked with
the tides, quarrying at low tide and shipping at high tide. I suppose the
masons worked at any time of daylight, after the oxen or horses moved the rock
to suitable locations.
The tides of time
bring forth genealogical tools, one of which has been in existence forever, but
is somewhat new to us.
DNA
has gradually, from the mid 1800s to the present, made its way into different
kinds of research, including genealogy.
Old paper records
abound, but most are kept in archives, where few of us will ever see or touch
them. As they are digitized, human indexers or artificial intelligence
gradually brings them to shore.
These made a
difference in what we were able to accomplish. So far, the experimental lab
entries I found were deeds and probates that I had not located at FamilySearch.
A recent Roots Tech speaker noted that they have added and are adding many more
records and types of records.
The men used black
powder, stuffed into seams in the stone, to break the rock apart into usable
sized chunks. We used new-to-us resources to blast open myths and brick walls.
If you have a mystery, don’t just rely on your website for answers. There’s nothing
more exhilarating than a blast of data to turn your information into
understanding, evidence, and proof.
Using chisels, picks
and other small tools, the men worked with the stone. We also need to use tools
to examine fine details. Tools could be, but are not limited to:
Common sense - if what
you find doesn’t make sense, find the sense in it, tuck it away for later, or
carefully discard it.
The FAN method of
research – family, associates, and neighbours
The process of
elimination
~~~~~
Archives
- (in our case, the Université of Moncton). If you can, visit archives in your
area of interest.
Articles,
books, and theses
Artificial
Intelligence – in our case, the FamilySearch experimental labs
Cemetery,
censuses, church, and Drouin records
Deeds
DNA
results
Genealogy
dictionaries
Genealogy
websites
Geology
(in our case) – there was sandstone, shale, coal, etc., in our area of
interest. (Wikipedia)
Knowledge
of the languages and colloquialisms of the area – in our case, English, French,
and Latin. Or, Google Translate will give you the gist of the words.
Maps
Newspapers
Probates
In collaborating, we
found much information to digest and we worked fast. I did come to a conclusion
that remains open to new information. Based on DNA results, we are certain that
Kim descends from John, son of the Loyalists Samuel Holmes and Elizabeth Fountain,
and his Acadian wife, Scholastique, daughter of Charles Melançon and Anne
Léger. I am proud of the work that
Denis, Kim and I did together.
We wouldn’t have made
it if Denis hadn’t been willing and able to access the Université de Moncton
archives, the Catholic church records, and the subscription-based Acadienne
website. The myth of John Van Horne Holmes might have remained forever in the Acadian
records and family trees as part of our Holmes family. Denis updated and
corrected mistakes and myths in Acadian records, and published his results in Acadie
Nouvelle.
We had concluded that
John died young, but I found a record of him being alive and married to Collet,
in the deed of 1833.
Kim contacted the
Anglican diocese in Amherst and found and shared the oh-so-important marriage
document of Robert Patterson and Charlotte Holmes. Kim and I now share a family
tree. She recently provided me with information showing that we aren’t the only
people researching this family.
Our Ancestry trees and Wikitree,
where Denis placed his information, have grown substantially since December.
I am proud of my Uncle
John et ma tante Collet. I wonder how their families adjusted to their merger
of different cultures and their love story. Can we thank Amos Seaman?
Visit Joggins, if you
can. Walk the shore and hold the fossils in your hands. Step on the grindstones
of the past.
The tides ebb and
flow, bringing discoveries to our waters and genealogies. What we find on the
shorelines of our lives today may not have been there yesterday, and could
disappear tomorrow.
This ends
week fourteen of our centennial virtual celebration of 1925 - 2025.
