Uncle Peg’s Chronicles
August 18, 2022
"Entranced With a Dismal Swamp"
Number of pages in Outline Descendant
Report: 114 (up from 77 last chronicle)
(I didn't add that many people but I did some experimenting and it took a big jump. I'm not sure why.)
It’s time to get technical. I have thought this out, mainly on my
pillow, for many months. I have made lists on paper with my pen. This might be
boring to some of you, but it’s very important to me, and I want to record what
I want to include in our family tree. It is time to organize the genealogy so
it is consistent. Time to make lists and check them dozens of times. Time to
stay on track. Time to put together a book in Family Tree Maker. I’ve used
Family Tree Maker for its charts for years, and shared portions of some of
those charts with you, and in so doing, I think I’ve mainly confused you. I
never opened the book option until today: Saturday, the 13th.
Eventually, it will be the option I use to create the descendant chart
from Francis Holmes to the newest baby, but for now, it will include the first
five generations from Francis and his four children: Stephen, Ann, John, and
Richard. It currently has 39 pages. This is the information for the chapter I
call “Fairfield.” I have to review what I want in the notes for Stephen and Ann,
and I have to review the descendants of John (our ancestor) as well as my
notes. They must be consistent, and I have made a list of what to include and
what to put in notes.
It will include, if I know it:
· Years of Birth,
Baptism, Christening, Marriage, Divorce and Death. Baptism and christening are
important, especially if I don’t have a date of birth.
·
Name of
spouse(s) and his or her parents’ names.
·
Cause of
death, Occupation(s), and Religion(s).
Notes will include, probably in this order:
·
Find A Grave
Memorial ID #, if I know it, will definitely be first.
·
My
observations in regard to Find A Grave, if any. This would include errors.
·
Optional notes
in regards to vital statistics if I feel they are pertinent, ie, the only
source or the reason I included this person without much of a source.
·
Obituary
and/or death notice.
·
Link to a
last will and testament and probate, or, perhaps, the actual document. If it is
included in CCC, it will only be the link.
·
Masonic
information, as it is not a default option. Many men in our direct lines were
masons.
I have included four generations for Stephen and Ann. Richard had no
children of his own, but raised his wife’s niece after the death of her mother,
and a neighbour’s child who was likely an indentured servant, after the death
of his father. I have capitalized all names of our direct ancestors.
I still have to review John. I’m not happy about the lack of sources for
his descendants and our ancestors, Isaac and Samuel Sr, but I think I will assume
that the information is correct, giving my reasons in the notes’ sections. I
can always change it if I find new information. I also have to think what to do
about the niece and servant of Richard – I do consider adopted children as part
of our family (not always legal, especially in the colonial era, but if they
were raised in their home to adulthood, they should be considered adopted or
guardianships, I should think). Explanations can be given in notes.
For this descendant report, descendants get a
number, but only if they have children. Their spouses/partners do not. A descendant who does not have children has a small Roman numeral.
Here is a sample of the Descendant Chart. This is basically what it will look like, although each person's notes and facts will of course be different. It is only page one; all three pages are included in the email. Let me know if you want the email. Rebeckah Holmes - Stephen Holmes - Francis Holmes.
~
My question: do I include Jonas as a
son of John and Rachel (Waterbury) Holmes? It is time to decide. Fen mentioned
that Jonas is often called a son of John and Rachel but there were no
supporting documents. I went to the index of the Stamford Town Records and
scoured it for mention of Jonas. Nothing. In the list of births, I found four
children (out of 11 or 12), so the fact that Jonas is not mentioned is really
irrelevant. In the 1710 census of Bedford, compiled and written about by Robert
R Davenport, 9 children are mentioned.
Here are the children I have in my list: John (died in infancy,
mentioned in records of birth), Mary (mentioned in records), Stephen (mentioned
in records), Richard, Sarah, Rachel (mentioned in records), John, Jonathan,
Rose, David, Joseph, and Jonas?.
In the 1710 census of Bedford are the following children: John Jr, Mary
Miller, Sarah Miller, Rachel Westcott, Richard, Jonathan, Rose, David, and
Joseph. (Stephen is not there as he went to Greenwich, CT, rather than Bedford,
NY.)
https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/6966499/1710-census-bedford-westchester-county-new-york
So, why do I even consider including Jonas as a son of John and Rachel?
I don’t, really, and I do believe I will remove him from the list. But, in the
application for membership of Russell DeWitt Morrison, age 50 in 1939, in The
Connecticut Society of the National Society, Sons of the American Revolution, I
read this:
"Note: The application of William H. A. Holmes, 9 Gaston Terrace, Yonkers, N.Y.
For membership in the Sons of the American Revolution, Yonkers Chapter was granted about 1902. This William H. A. Holmes, my cousin, is now living at the above address. His and my grandfather was Russell Humphrey Holmes, see opposite page.
Note: the first lineal ancestor of whom I have any record was born in England in Beverly. He, his wife, and four children came to America and lived at Stamford, Conn. before Dec 3, 1648. His will was dated Sept. 6, 1671. See Huntington: 'History of Stamford.' This was Francis Holmes.
His son, John Holmes, was born in England 1635. His five children were all born at Stamford, Conn."
I did not find out if Russell
Morrison’s application was accepted.
I really would like to know: where did people find this information about Francis. What is its origin? I have found no one from the past who sources it; they just state it.
Now that I have recorded my find, I will go to Jonas in my program and hit the delete button beside his name. I'm afraid I cannot say fir certain, like Morrison and Holmes, that Jonas was a son of John.
~
As I gain experience, I find little things to make it look better, like how to get rid of big spaces in the genealogy that don't need to be there.
Space, and insert the quote. Do not use & as it interprets it as "&" use the word and to eliminate that phrase.
Make sure my cursor ends at the period after the period, in order to eliminate the big space.
Here's a sample from a note:
STR. Image 236; page 158.
"Jonathan Jagger had 3 children born ye 14th of Desembr 1704, and all dyed ye same day, 2 sons on dat.
NEHGR - names the boys and gives dates, but not the girl."
STR is Stamford Town Records; NEHGR is New England History and Genealogical Register.
~
Rabbit trail of the week: The Dismall Swamp of Stamford, and a study of dismal swamps in general. I leave you with a couple of links to refer to. I thought, when I read that John Dean (John Dean - Samuel Dean and Ann Holmes - Francis Holmes) purchased the dismall swamp, what would he want that for? My eyes are opened and I am entranced with a dismal swamp. My daughter, Julie, is a conservationist at heart, although she is now working with residents with memory issues at a nursing home close to her house - a new learning curve.
https://dismalswampwelcomecenter.com/why-dismal/
This Dismal Swamp is not in Stamford. It's in NC. But what a wonderful place this would be to visit if conservation and fun interests you.
And this link about bird research in Stamford in 1907: It's in a men's canoeing magazine and looks to be replete with articles of nature that all genders who appreciate the subject should enjoy.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/4070242?seq=6#metadata_info_tab_contents
Rather apropos that I visited a bog on Monday. Maybe this is something like a dismal swamp; it is lovely. The flowers are picture plants.
As to the reason why John Dean purchased the dismal swamp, I don't know. Any 17th century swamp lovers in our group? I have a hunch that rather than appreciating it for it's beauty, he probably took his fowling piece down from over the hearth and headed out with his pooch for his meals.
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