Did He Die, or Did He Abandon His Family?

 

Uncle Peg’s Chronicles

November 3, 2022

“Did He Die, or Did He Abandon His Family?”

(Curious minds want to know.)

Number of pages in Outline Descendant Report: 126 (up from 126 last chronicle)

Number of pages in basic Descendant Report: 190 (up from 190 last chronicle)

 

Francis Holmes is # 1. I am now # 294. # 294, where I was last week, is now Raymond Gayle MacKillop.

Matthew Williams, Jane William’s grandson, is last at # 415, up from # 415, and his son is # ii.

#415 is now Elizabeth McCargo.

This should change weekly, if I’m doing my job.

 The stats did not change. I was doing my job, but I was doing collateral ancestral lines. Those individuals won’t show on the descendant chart for Francis Holmes.

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 I get a weekly email from American Ancestors with announcements of upcoming events, as well as a survey. The survey for over a week ago was “are you member of a particular family group website?” Of course, I said yes. As I read the results of the survey and the comments, I decided they probably meant an official group. A website that you pay to join. A website where you need to prove your pedigree.

 Nothing that fancy. We haven’t an executive, a budget, an exclusive right to join. We are just us – Holmes and friends. I don’t suppose my one misplaced vote will make too much difference. I’m so grateful for each one of you who travels this journey with me, whether you struggle along with my research journals or not.

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 I am deep, deep into the last wills, testaments, obstacles, inventories, and distributions of Richard and Sarah (Grant) Holmes. Richard Holmes is the son of our immigrant ancestor, our many times grand-uncle. I do not have a fitting conclusion, although I will come up with something. I read, in “Norwalk,” page 103, “In old times the husband controlled the wife’s property. The estate that Richard Holmes left Mehitable Warner fell finally to Joseph Olmsted, Jr. See Norwalk Land Records, Vol. VII, folio 256.” I cannot locate these records; it seems I would needs go to a Family History Centre, one of which used to be located in Moncton but is no longer. They removed most centres as many of their records are now digitized and available. Not this one.

That is not what Richard Holmes stipulated in his will, although he did leave much to Mehitabel, his wife’s niece whom he raised. And it is not what the Prerogative Court ordered, which was definitely not what Richard Holmes requested. So, although I am not satisfied with my conclusion, for the time being, it will have to do. It’s important to me, but not enough reason to travel to Salt Lake City. Perhaps the document will make it to the web in time, and the end of the story will change.

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I am also continuing on with the members of the Louisa, William and Carrie families. I began this week with Anna Columbia Heath Holmes, wife of William Nelson Holmes, pictured on the left. Besides it being a nice, clear photo of her, why do you think I like it? (Photo snatched from Find A Grave.)

Some of you may recall that Anna’s father set out on the train to seek his fortune in the California Gold Rush, c 1852. The family never heard from him again. Was he ambushed on the way, or is there more to his story? In Ancestry’s list of items to consider whether or not they pertain to James Sullivan Heath (the shaky leaves), they show two records: one of a James Heath and one of a Sullivan Heath. What I wonder is, do they pertain to our James Sullivan Heath, or someone else with those names? Did he die, or did he abandon his family and start a new life?

Sorry, I cannot insert snippits into my blog. If you want to see them, ask for an email.

 The record below was at Minnesota, US, Territorial and State Censuses, 1849 – 1905. It states that he was born about 1825 in Maine, and resides on 1 May, 1885, in Springvale, Isanti, Minnesota, USA.

 The other is US, Returns from Military Posts, 1806 – 1906. Sullivan Heath resided in August, 1863, in California. Mentions Military – Camp Morris, San Bernadino, California.

 Commissioned Officers accounted for by name.

#2 Sullivan Heath, 2^nd Lieut . . . Camp Morris . . . monthly return of Troops. Last Eleven days of August 1863.

 I know that Fen tried to find out the rest of James Sullivan Heath’s story, but these sources would not have been online in his day. I never saw it when I researched him earlier. The Maine State Archives of Sumner, Maine, documented his death as occurring in 1852. My wonder: did they do that so Mrs. Heath could marry, second, Windham Pinkham in 1863? Did they know?

 Those of you who research the William Holmes and Anna Heath line might be as curious as I am about this. It might be a good idea to search the newspapers of the day in Minnesota and California.

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 I certainly enjoyed my post Halloween scroll and seeing all your littles and not so littles dressed up – some cute, some scary. Here is my Winston the Pooh with his Daddy, wondering what to make of it all.

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 I received my article back from the editor of “Generations,” with one request: more citation endnotes, if you please. It’s always best to footnote or endnote as you go. Took me an hour and I hope they are right and plentiful enough. He said it was a “good article.” He’s a man of few words, rather serious, and the calming influence on the directors of the board. I take his two words as my pat on the back.

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It is November, writing month. I made no commitments, but I plan to finish up my current “Where There’s A Will” for Richard Holmes, which still looks like a semi-organized information dump. He’s #3. Who will #4 be? I don’t know yet, but I have a couple of ideas. “Blingy shoes and lightning” for one, and “Couple felled by malignant dysentery” for another. Or, perhaps someone else will pop into my hook, line, and sinker view.