December 4, 2025
“Lake of the Woods View”
“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.
FAMILY ALBUM
And I Quote:
“You
never cease to amaze. What a great piece of research.” ~ Karl
“I
read through this chronicle. I always keep them as they are genealogical
reference material
for
my future self; I know they’ll be incredibly valuable.” ~ Ami
“I
appreciate that you clarified that Manitoba became Ontario, as I was wondering
about
them moving that horribly far west to the current Manitoba.” – Jeanni
I must clarify. Keewatin became part of
the existing Manitoba. Rat Portage was in the Keewatin area prior to that. It
is so close to the Manitoba & Ontario border that there was a little battle
fought over it, and Ontario won. So, they did initially move to what is now
Manitoba – yes, that horribly far away.
Keep in mind that Fanny and Louisa
moved to Iowa. Louisa moved back to Maine. After Hattie’s death, her husband,
Abner, took all but two of their children and moved to Massachusetts. James
moved to Maine, as did William, who removed to California. Carrie moved to
Massachusetts and often summered in Maine. Peter also moved to Maine. Yes,
horribly far away, in that era of transportation. Daniel and Charlotte never
knew most of their grandchildren, for they died before many of them were born,
and many were so far away. Some of our grandchildren also live far away. Mine
do. Although it’s not as convenient, we can travel much quicker and more
comfortably. We can communicate instantly. We can watch videos and hear them
talk and laugh. It’s not as good as cuddling and jumping on the tramoline (sic
on purpose), but at least it’s somewhat of an improvement.
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
Old photos. Aren’t they wonderful? The
header photo is in a scruffy old album, which I have surely seen before but at
the time, I didn’t recognize the house. Even though I haven’t found a person in
this photo, I recognize the same house in a photo that may look familiar to
you. A neighbour lady who knew the house, Marion Collette, said it probably had
additions made to it over the years. The initial house was built by Daniel Holmes
in the 1830s, and remained in the family until it was demolished for the new
Trans-Canada highway. Cousin Jean Fogg Brock did an incredible piece of work
without a great photo to go by, and when I compare the photo and the painting,
she sure had it pegged. I’ve written about this before, as most of you know. To
me, this photo gives the house on the Old Post Road a character of its own, a
warmth, as if I could step right into the photo and feel at home.
Abner and Hattie (Holmes) Jones took
ownership of the house, but after Hattie died, Abner remarried to a distant
cousin, Eliza Wilson. They eventually moved to the US and his son, Ormond Jones
inherited the house, and lived there with his wife, Jennie (Snider) Jones, and
three children, Fred, Allen, and Helen.
Ormond married Jennie Snider (niece of
Uncle Billy), who, in 1920, was 46. Do you suppose Jennie is in front of the
two men who are Ormond and Jennie’s sons? To me, she looks older than
Ormond, on the end, but maybe not.
Here is my new assumption of the
identity of the people in this photo, including approximate age of each person
in 1920: Ormond Jones 50; Eliza (Wilson) Jones 54; Allen Jones 24; possibly Jennie
(Snider) Jones 46; Fred Jones 26; ?; Helen Jones 18; ?. The other two ladies
could be cousins; I don’t know. Ormond’s brother, Cuthbert, lived nearby, and
he had a family.
Children of Daniel and Charlotte Holmes
in birth order, and their place of death (their familiar names): Fanny, Iowa;
Maggie, New Brunswick; Louisa, Idaho (probably visiting family); Hattie, New
Brunswick; James, Maine; George, New Brunswick (age three, twin of James);
William, California; Carrie Massachusetts; Peter, Maine; Charles, New
Brunswick; Bessie, New Brunswick; Fenwick, Florida.
Here is another picture on the same
page in my old album, and I would say it is the farmhouse, given the posts and
the trees, but if it is, the big tree must be obscuring the windows. Could
it be, do you think? Note that the previous pictures have black window
frames, and this doesn’t. It doesn’t even appear to be painted; I recall that
the shingles at the farm never held the paint or whitewash. That is not a tear
in the middle of the photo. What do you think it is? (That should be the
easiest question to answer.)
This is a closeup photo of the
Holmes/Jones house with Fred, Al, and Helen in the background, and neighbour
children (last name Henry) in front. The lady on the end in back might be
Jennie, but I don’t know. Marion Collette, who shared the photo with me,
identified the men as Fred, Al, and the woman on the back right, Helen. This
helped me to recognize faces in the former picture.
to our patriarch, Roger Holmes, on
November 27. May this be a wonderful next 365 days for you. I snatched this
photo from Bonnie, taken in August.
News from Holmes
Congratulations to Tanner Holmes and
Shawn Swindles on the birth of their first son, Myles Dawn Swindles, on
September 2, 2025. Myles’ proud grandparents are Mark Holmes and Michelle
Fahie.
Myles
Swindles – Tanner W Holmes and Shawn Swindles – Mark Holmes and Michelle Fahie –
Robert Holmes and Lesley Knight – Bryce Holmes and Pauline Murree - Floyd Holmes
and Minnie Colpitts – Charles R Holmes and Phoebe J McMonagle – Daniel Holmes
and Charlotte Hoyt – Samuel Jr Holmes and Phoebe Holstead – Samuel Sr Holmes
and Elizabeth Fountain.
FAMILY HISTORY LESSON
This lesson is about insolvency, and I
have a link to share with you. It is just a little bit of a whole lot of
information I am going through. I am not a lawyer, and I can’t claim to
understand it totally. This is the first insolvency of two for Fenwick that I
know of; the next one would be in 1896 and 1897. Here are some things that are
important for me to know. The date of the document; more so than the
date of registration. The parties: these records often discuss the party
rather than the person. Sometimes they are plural; sometimes, separate. For
example, Fenwick and Maud might be the first (or second, or so forth) part; or,
they might be two different parts. The place: in the land records of Rat
Portage (rather than Kenora) – it is generally the lot number in the block
number. The people involved. The type of document: in this
case, an insolvency, rather than a purchase or sale of land. The type of
deed: in this case, a Quit Claim deed. The type of money: in this
case, Lawful money of Canada (as opposed to Lawful money of a specific
province).
This Indenture made in
duplicate the fifteenth day of August in the Year of Our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and Eighty nine.
Between William
Henry Carpenter of the Village of Rat Portage in the District of Rainy River
and Province of Ontario Sheriff, Assignee of the Estate of Howard Fenwick
Holmes of the said Village of Rat Portage in the District of Rainy River and
Province aforesaid, Hard Ware Merchant under and by Virtue of assignment for
the benefit of Creditors date the twenty first day of June A.D., and the said
Howard Fenwick Holmes for any interest he may have in the premises of the first
part, and
James Robertson of the
City of Montreal in the Province of Quebec, Merchant, of the second part.
Whereas at an
adjourned meeting of the Creditors of the said Howard Fenwick Holmes held on
the tenth day of August A.D. 1889 it was unanimously resolved and the Assignee
of the Estate of the said Howard Fenwick Holmes was instructed to execute a
Quit Claim Deed of the Lands and premises herein after mentioned to the said
party of the second part
And whereas in
pursuance of said instructions this Quit Claim Deed is executed.
Now this Indenture
witnesseth that the said parties of the first part for and in consideration of
One dollar_Dollar of lawful money of Canada to them in hand paid by the said
party of the second part at or before the sealing and delivery of these
presents (the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged) Have granted released and
quitted claim and by these presents Do Grant release and Quit Claim unto the
said party of the second part his heirs and assigns for ever All the Estate
right title interest claim and demand whatsoever both of law and in equity or
otherwise howsoever and whether in possession or expectancy of them the said
parties of the first part of in to or out of All and singular that certain
parcel or tract of land and premises situate lying and being in the Village of
Rat Portage in the District of Rainy River and Province of Ontario and being
Composed of the South half of Lot Number Ninety in Block three in the said
Village of Rat Portage aforesaid as laid down upon a Map or plan of the said
Village of Rat Portage duly certified by J. W. Harris Provincial Land Surveyor
and registered the twenty seventh day of December A.D. 1884. Together with the
buildings erected thereon.
To have and to hold
the aforesaid land and premises with all and singular the appurtenances thereto
belonging or appertaining unto and to the use of the said party of the second
part his heirs and assigns for ever.
Subject nevertheless
to the reservations, limitations promises and conditions express in the
original Grant thereof from the Crown.
In Witness whereof the
said parties to these Presents have hereunto set their hands and seals the day
and year first above written
Signed
sealed and Delivered
In
the presence of W.
H. Carpenter
John Kerr Brydon Sheriff
R. R. dist
Assignee
of the Estate of Howard
Fenwick
Holmes law insolvent
H.
F. Holmes
Received on the
day of the date of this Indenture from the party of the second part the sum of
one dollar the consideration within mentioned.
John Kerr Brydon W.
H. Carpenter
Witness Sheriff
District
of Rainy River To Wit
I
John Kerr Bryton of the Village pf Rat Portage in the District of Rainy River
and Province of Ontario, Conveyanced make oath and say.
- That
I was personally present and did see the Within Instrument and Duplicate
thereof duly signed sealed and executed by William Henry Carpenter and
Howard Fenwick Holmes two of the parties thereto.
- That
the said Instrument and duplicate was executed at the Village of
Rat Portage in the District of Rainy River aforesaid. - That
I personally know the said parties.
- That
I am a subscribing witness to the said Instrument and duplicate.
Sworn before me
at the Village of Rat Portage in the District of Rainy River this 15th
day of August in the year of our Lord 1889.
G. Mitchell
A
Commissioner for taking affidavits in the H. C. of J
Land
Records of Rat Portage/Kenora. Book with 937 pages. Images 475, 476. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS54-R74J-B?view=fullText&keywords=Howard%20Fenwick%20Holmes%2CHoward%2CHolmes%2COntario%2CCanada%2Cblock%2Cland%2CLand%2C1&lang=en&groupId=
Why are dates of
Indentures important? You need to follow timelines to get the full picture. Sometimes,
the document was registered the same or following day; sometimes, weeks,
months, or years later. The mortgage to Fenwick and Maud, dated the 21st
of January, 1886, for 2000 dollars Lawful Money of Canada, was for two
properties; one was the south half lot 90 in Block 3 as described in the above
indenture of August 15, 1889; the second was for the north-west corner of lot
16 in Block 1.
I don’t know for sure
yet, but I assume the NW corner of Lot 16 of Block 1 was the location of their
home. Of course, they wanted to protect their home (or this piece of property),
so what did they do? On the 27th of March, 1889, they sold it to a
Mr. Pettigrew for 500 dollars Lawful Money of Canada. On the 5th of
April, Mr. Pettigrew sold it back to Maud only. On the 6th of April,
1889, Fenwick and Maud borrowed the same amount of money from Mr. Pettigrew. Mr.
Pettigrew took a risk.
The saga continues. I
am still going through the second book with my fine-tooth comb, and I will be
looking for the discharge of the mortgage for Lot 16 on Block 1 with Mr.
Pettigrew, and the eventual sale of it, which I assume for now was before they
came back to New Brunswick in 1905.
If your head is
spinning, think what mine is doing. If you read this far, thank you.
And in case you are
interested, Fenwick and Maud repurchased the south half of Lot 90 in 1890. (For
me: 666 of 1949, #1642.)
https://archive.org/details/ALawDictionary1910/page/637/mode/2up
This ends
week forty-nine of our centennial virtual celebration of 1925 – 2025.
