The End of That Man is Peace

 

Uncle Peg’s Chronicles

February 23, 2023

“The End of That Man is Peace”

 

Number of pages in Outline Descendant Report: 160 (up from 159 last chronicle)

Number of pages in the basic Descendant Report: 242 (up from 241 last chronicle)

 

Francis Holmes is # 1. I am now # 336. # 333, where I was last week, is now Anne Marie Holmes Gautreau.

Jonathan Marquez (Frances Anne Holmes Ballantyne line) is last at # 498.

# 495, where he was last week, is now Kenneth D Williams.

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

 

Something new in stats, just for fun:

 

I put the names of all descendants of Francis Holmes who are either in our Facebook group or on my mailing list for chronicles, in a bag. Spouses and friends are not included as they do not get numbered in the program’s default. Those who have no descendants are also not numbered, but I’ll include them with their parent’s number. I pull out three names, and include them for two weeks. Next week, I’ll draw three more. This is for fun, but if the three names I drew were not in my tree that I am using now, I insert them. Win-win exercise.

 

The three I drew last week are:

 

·         Phyllis Bearse Digennaro is still # 322. 

·         Andrea McGinnis Drollinger is now # 443.

·         Grace Holmes March is still # 269.  

 

New this week are: Marie Holmes Dockter, Melanie Holmes Bowes, and Cindy Lutes Steeves

 

Marie Holmes Dockter is # 288. Marie, of the William Holmes line, is a sister of Kristin, Glenn, and Patricia Holmes who you met at the reunion of 2016. Marie had hoped to come but couldn’t. She is the daughter of Jerome and Alma Vincent Holmes, and is married to Michael Dockter and has two grown children, Megan and Justin. Marie works with Kristin on her mother’s genealogy.

 

Melanie Holmes Bowes is # 458. She is in the Charles R Holmes line, and is the daughter of Bob and Lesley (Knight) Holmes. She is married to Jonathan Bowes, and has a teenage son, Liam, and a pre-teen, Emma. (How did they get there so fast?) I was privileged to attend their wedding in Nova Scotia with Mum and Julie. I remember they played Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” when they entered the reception hall, and pumped up the volume when Mel and Jon entered the room and poor Mum nearly jumped out of her chair. Funny the things we remember, eh. They are a lovely couple and I’m so glad I got to know them.

 

Cindy Lutes Steeves is # 344. Cindy, of the Charles R Holmes line, is one of my partners in shenanigans. She’s my first cousin, and we share lots of fond childhood memories. She is the daughter of Ralph and Nancy (Holmes) Lutes, is married to Greg Steeves, has two grown children, Sarah and Tim, and three grandchildren, Sebastien, Simon, and Maddox. As I said, shenanigans; we can be serious if it’s absolutely necessary.

 

FYI, this takes a lot of time, but it’s kind of fun. I do it on Tuesdays rather than Thursdays. Watch for your name.

 

~

 

My genealogy goals for this week were:

 

·         Finish the Carrie Holmes line for the Lincoln project.

·         Chronicle several times, and publish on Thursday morning.

·         Add a few more people to the tree so the stats move.

·         Start researching and writing about Jonathan Maltbie for the “Where There’s a Will” article.

·         Continue working on my April presentation for the genealogical society. It now has a title: “Hook, Lines, and Sinker.”

·         Revise Richard Holmes for Generations.

·         Print the 34 pages of the probate of Daniel Holmes.

 

I finished my Carrie line, and sent the rough draft off to Elizabeth. I need to send William off for her perusal, and then combine everybody into one document.

I chronicled but I was reviewing, so the stats didn’t move.

I am deep into the life of Richard Holmes again. Done rough draft, and man, is it rough.

I printed Daniel’s probate. It took lots of ink. I am itching to start transcribing it. I did transcribe the actual will, which you will find in this chronicle.

Lots of focus on Daniel Holmes for this chronicle, so here’s his photo as a reminder.

~

I emailed the provincial archives of New Brunswick, asking if they could send me the probate and will of Daniel Holmes. I want to use this will for my seventh in the series, “Where There’s a Will.” I mentioned that the copy I had was very faint. Roger, from the archives, sent me the probate and the will. I expected two, maybe three pages. I received 34. Mind you, some of them only have a few words on the page. Although Roger enhanced the pages, some are still quite faint and I might not be able to transcribe the whole thing.

As I need to complete my project for Elizabeth and the Lincoln Historical Society and finish my will series, I really can’t work on this very much, but it was very tantalizing so I have a few pages done. I am very itchy to get started. A partial copy of the will follows. If I didn’t know the names of his children, I couldn’t transcribe it.

If anyone wishes a copy of the will and probate, let me know. I will forward the email. Or, you can wait until I do my best to transcribe it and send both. It will go into A Colossal Collection of Cousins. Click on the photo to enlarge.

This is the last will of Daniel Holmes

of Salisbury in the County of Westmorland, Farmer.

It is my will that my funeral expenses

and the expenses of this will be all paid.

I give unto my son Charles R Holmes

the sum of fifty dollars.

I give unto my daughter Harriett

Olivia now married to Abner Jones my

organ and what household furniture

I may have at the time of my decease.

I give unto my daughter Frances

A. now married to James K Ballentine

and I also give unto my daughter Mar-

garet E. now married to William Snider

And I also give go my daughter Sarah

Louisa now married to Robert Ballen-

tine and I also give to my daughter

Harriett Olevia now married to Abner

Jones I also give to my daughter Caroline

M. now married to Alfred Steeves and

                                                                ^{and my sons}

I also give to my son James H. Holmes

William N. Holmes, Peter K. Holmes,

Howard Fenwick Holmes all the rest

of my property of every description to be

divided among my five daughters and

four sons last named share and

share alike.

 

I hereby appoint my son Charles

R. Holmes and my son in law Abner

Jones, to execute this my last will.

Dated this eighth day of February in the

dear of our Lord one thousand eight hundred

and eighty three.

 

Signed sealed and pronounced

and declared by Daniel Holmes

as his last will in presence of us

who in his presence and the presence

of each other have hereunto sub-

scribed our names as witnesses.

 

(Signature) David Horsman                                         (Signature) Daniel Holmes

(Signature) Jordan C Crandall

 

After I transcribed the will, I looked at Fen’s copy. He helped me, and I straightened him out on a few words. Fen did his genealogy before having the benefit of the internet. I had the advantage of having the copy enhanced. I can enlarge it on the computer. Also, I went right to the census records and determined the scrawl of the witnesses. Fen transcribed witness David Horsman as David Haraman. David Horsman lived close to Daniel Holmes in 1871, and Jordan C Crandall lived even closer. Crandall was #66, Holmes was #67, and Horsman was #71. In 1881, Crandall #287, and Holmes, #286, were still next to each other on the census, and Horsman may have moved as his number was # 326 – but not necessarily. So, that verified the signatures of the witnesses to the will.

 

~

I was doing a quick Facebook scroll and I saw a Bible verse that someone had posted and a few words stopped me in my tracks. Words from Scripture often appeared in old wills. The verse was Psalm 37:37.

 

I have posted this before, but that’s okay. This is Daniel’s obituary that was posted in the Christian Visitor, a newspaper published by the Baptist church or convention back in Daniel’s day.

 

Obituary of Daniel Holmes.

“Holmes - At the residence of Abner Jones, Esq., Petitcodiac, on the 23rd of March, Daniel Holmes, in the 69th year of his age. Our brother was long and deservedly known as a good citizen and a humble christian. And during his severe and protracted illness, manifested patience and resignation to the Lord's will. His end was peace. George Seely.”

     Printed in the Christian Visitor, Saint John, NB. July 25, 1883. Located at PANB.

 

Psalm 37:37

King James Version ^37 “Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.”

 

Whilst I was looking at the census records, I also looked for George Seely who, I would say, wrote the obituary. I found him in the 1861 census, not too far from Daniel Holmes. His occupation was clergyman; his religion was Baptist. But, he did not appear in the Salisbury parish in 1871 and 1881. I found him in St. Stephen, NB, in 1871, and Woodstock, NB, in 1881. I’m not sure how often the newspaper was printed, but Daniel’s obit appeared four months after his death. Daniel must have been well acquainted with Elder Seely (so called in my History of Salisbury book), but I figure it took some time for the news to get to Elder Seely and for him to get the news to the publishers. He included the last portion of that verse in Daniel’s obituary.

 

Just saying, I doubt our Old Dan was perfect. I looked at some newer versions, and most of them use the word “blameless.” Not saying he was blameless, either, but he must have been well-respected.

 

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Wishing you better weather than I am expecting this week. And, I hope you meet a goal or two. It feels good to tick them off the list.