August 17, 2023
“A Labour of Love “
This
photo made me smile. The reason I haven’t been writing my chronicles for three
weeks or so is because of this little guy, Winston, who came for a visit in
late July and early August. Here, he’s playing with stickers. Didn’t do much
with the crayons, but had fun with paints. Brush and fingers, followed by a
bath in Grandma’s tub.
~
This has been
a summer of weather events, hasn’t it. They seem to be all over. Kristin
Holmes, of the William N Holmes line, lives in Maui, and I’ve been following
her posts. She and her home and business are okay; but she is sad, for she has
acquaintances and clients who are not okay. Kristin is the owner of Swan
Interiors Maui. You may like to check it out on Facebook.
~
New this week
are Jennifer Bell and Judy Phillips. One, I know well; and one I never
met. Jennifer and Judy are both in the Charles R Holmes line.
Jennifer
(Lutes) Bell is my first cousin and the youngest of my cousins. Funny, the things you
remember. Her teenaged sisters were at my house while their mother was at the hospital,
and the call came, “you have a sister.” Oh, the squealing and jumping for joy.
Jen missed out on some of our shenanigans at the farm, but, needless to say,
makes up for it now. She is a musician – you may remember she played the piano
for us at the 2016 reunion, and she toots her flute occasionally. She is the
daughter of Ralph and Nancy (Holmes) Lutes and is in the Charles R Holmes line.
She is married to Jon Bell and has two grown daughters, Allison and her
husband, Derek Sherman; and Madeline.
I’m not personally
acquainted with Judy (Bannister) Philip, but I know who she is, and we
have just become Facebook friends. Judy is the daughter of Russell and Nancy
(Watson) Bannister, and she and her late husband, Gregory Philip, have three
adult children, Elizabeth, Daniel, and Benjamin. I’m pretty sure she has some
grandchildren, as well.
~
My hearty
thanks to my daughter, Julie, who is also my computer guru, for
restoring my Family Tree Maker. Even my books are still there. I sort of know
what she did to fix it: she adjusted my antivirus to let me download it. What a
relief! Now, I see, they want to do another major revision to their website. Do
I bite the bullet?
So, I had to
do a little bit of stats, just to show my pleasure.
This applies
to all of us in the group who descend from Samuel Holmes Sr. You get the
endogamy from Captain Isaac Ketchum and his wife, Mary Elizabeth (Ketchum)
Ketchum, if you descend from Samuel Holmes Jr and his first wife, Phoebe
Holstead, but no endogamy if you descend from Samuel Holmes Jr and his second
wife, Elizabeth McElmon. Not to worry, it was all a couple of centuries ago. Of
course, I am not through adding people to the tree, so it will grow.
I compared the
number of pages if I was to print out the Outline Descendant Reports for
Francis Holmes and for Edward Ketchum, two of our many immigrant ancestors.
This is the report that is not fancy, only births, marriages, and deaths – no
bells and whistles attached. The reason for the large difference in the number
of pages is that we descend from two grandchildren of Francis Holmes, and three
grandchildren of Edward Ketchum. There is a lot of repetition, as we get thrown
into the mix two or three times. When I finally say “enough is enough,” there
will be lots of pages, as I don’t know how to eliminate the repetition.
Francis Holmes
– 166 pages.
Edward Ketchum
– 372 pages.
~
My genealogy goals for this week were:
- Chronicle
several times, and publish on Thursday morning.
- Keep
writing my next article for Generations, which is about the will of
William Lotham. Francis Holmes is mentioned in his inventory both as owing
money and being owed money.
- Continue
indexing old New Brunswick obituaries and death notices for the NBGS
website project.
- Spend
a bit of time on Moore family research.
Try to reinstall Family Tree Maker. (Waiting for Julie for that.)Scared because I need to do it again soon.- Think
about and make lists for a welcome back in person party for our genealogy
society branch in October. It will have a book theme – old
genealogy/history books on display, and a for sale table for books we
longer need. Two short speakers, five to ten minutes tops. Leftover time
will be for reacquainting and meeting new people, and looking at books.
- In
the evening, after chores are done, edit the Fanny Holmes Ballantyne
family (first daughter of Daniel and Charlotte) the same way I did the
Louisa, William and Carrie lines. No rush on that.
~
I had this list
in my article about the will of Edward Ketchum, but it did not contribute to my
purpose statement so I removed it. On the bottom line is the record of the
marriage of Edward Ketchum (my 7th and 8th
great-grandfather) and his first wife, Mary Hall. Many of you are of the same
number of generations. We do not descend from Mary Hall, though, but from his
second wife, Sarah Salmon. I
think it’s incredible to find these old documents.
England,
Cambridgeshire Bishop’s Transcripts, 1538 – 1983. Image 68.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L96D-939B?cc=1465708
~
Three people edited
and beta read my Ketchum article. I will attach the pdf copy to the email so
you can read it if you like. The importance of editors and readers to the
writer is beyond description. I haven’t the words. If they were closer, I’d
give them big squishy hugs. I thought I’d share with you what they told me
about my article.
From Paula:
“Peggy, I have gone through your article, and have
only a few comments . . . First of all, I want to say good job! People
who don't do this kind of research can't imagine the time, patience, and
passion that go into an article like you have written. It definitely goes
into the category of a labor of love. I hope your readers not only enjoy
it, but that some other researchers will benefit from the gift you are giving
them . . . That's it! It was a good read, and thanks for the little project.
“
From Jeanni:
“I made a . .
. review of your article and found it so very interesting. The amount of
work you did is amazing. How long did you work to get to Edward and how
long to find so many connections to him? It's quite confusing and I am so
impressed that you were able to untangle it to that extent. And to find those
details on an ancestor born in 1590, and died in 1655. Since someone in
the home appeared to be literate, I wonder why he waited so long to make a
will; he had sizeable items in his home, even if less than his peers
(neighbors?). How did he die and was it sudden? And why was the
inventory and acceptance carried out so quickly? I think others you've done
have taken quite a while if I'm remembering it right. If he had been in
an accident or such, it seems it would have been mentioned. Maybe it was
but is lost in the ‘lacuna.’ You did send me to my computer dictionary
quite a few times. I wondered if the terms were common ones for those who
research and write at your level. They certainly were new to me.
Love your
comment that you will never again have coffee near any precious papers!
Add ‘computers’ and ‘notes’ and I agree! Also, the pencils only rule in
archives. It surprised me when I was investigating going to the NH
Historical Society in Concord and saw that restriction. Makes complete
sense now. We don't think of pens leaking but a lot of other damage can
be done.
I wondered if
all those connections to Edward indicated some endogamy but then I saw that it
was a great-grandson and a great-great-granddaughter of another relative . . .
so I'm guessing it was a large enough community to not involve the complication
of endogamy as well . . .
. . .
And how wonderful that someone special had just recently cleaned up and righted
the stones in the Portage Vale Cemetery. How wonderful (and sad too) it
must have been for you to be able to see all of it having been cared for like
that.
Best wishes on
this section of your article for Generations. You must be a major contributor
to that journal . . . Quite impressive.”
From
Annmarie:
“Your Edward Ketchum article was very interesting and
well written. I couldn't get to it until today to really get a good look at it,
as we were on Cape Cod and I only had my phone. However, today I enjoyed
reading it fully and I am positive all your readers will too when it gets
published. I am sure the other ladies alerted you to any editing needs but I
didn't see any. Congratulations on a job well done.
By the way, the appraiser's name, Thomas Fairchild,
seemed familiar to me. I checked Byron's tree and sure enough found a Thomas
Fairchild 1610 England, 1670 Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut. Must be
him don't you think? He was a father-in-law to one of Byron's 8th great
grandaunts on his Kimball side of the family. So many connections!”
People see different things!
~
I’m well into my William Lotham
article, and for your reading pleasure, I’ll attach a portion of it. Still
needs revision, so you don’t need to use your red pen yet unless you want to.
What is in italics is creative writing. What is in red will be removed or fixed
in some way. The endnotes will be correct in the copy I send to the editor. The lines in go kerfluey during the transfer. For a better copy, request an email.
William Lotham
C. 1600 – 1645
“My boat, you need to go to my boat at the
Waterside. Do not forget.” As William Wells squeezed his hand and assured him
that they would tend to his boat, William Lotham relaxed. “It will not be long now. I feel it. My boat should take care of
my debts and leave enough for an inheritance.”
“A prticuler
of his goods, as followeth:
“Imprs: 3500 of Planke, 6000
Trunnels, 500 of iron, part att Frances Homes, part att Mr. Tappings, the rest
in a grapnel lying att the Waterside.”[1] That is
a lot of wood and treenails (slang for trunnels). I am not sure about the iron.
500 pounds wouldn’t be much; 500 tons would be.
William Lotham is
not my ancestor, and I cannot locate much information about him. As far as I
can see, he left no family. He bequeathed his estate to John Clarke and John
Ogden. Why, then, did I select William Lotham as a subject for my series of
articles about wills? I believe his probate provides a clue to the whereabouts
of my immigrant ancestor, Francis Holmes, prior to 1648. Applying the fan
method of genealogical research to Lotham’s scanty records, I hoped to locate
the residence of Frances Holmes in 1645.
I - Holmes
Much of what I
have found on the internet about Francis Holmes either does not make sense or
is not sourced. What is true is that there is no mention of my Holmes ancestor
in Stamford town records before 1648. Although there were records of several
men by that name in England, I am not satisfied that any of them applied to my
ancestor. It is well known from Connecticut court and probate records that he
lived and died in Stamford, Connecticut, but he did not appear in the original
lists of early settlers of that new town in the early 1640s. I have not found
him and his family on passenger lists or in the early cities and towns of New
England, although others indicate that he lived in Wethersfield (Geni, for
example)[1]
without sources. I cannot locate any part of a journey from when and where he
left England, landed in the colony, and arrived in Stamford, although Find a
Grave gives birth details that are putative.[1] The first town record mentioning Francis was
a court record in 1648. In
a nutshell, what do I know about Francis Holmes? Nothing is known about his
first wife and mother of his four children. He married, second, Ann (Unknown)
Stephens, widow of Thomas. He lived on the south side of East Street in
Stamford.[1]
He was a blacksmith. His will was written in September, 1671; probated in
March, 1676.[1]
And, he was assaulted during his night watchman duties.
II - Lotham
The Probate of William Lotham:
a transcribed document written in the third
person.[1]
https://www.cga.ct.gov/hco/books/The_Public_Records_of_the_Colony_of_Connecticut_1665.pdf
William Lotham was sick, and he must have
believed his death could be nigh. Trumbull transcribed his will: “. . . being now visited by the hand of the almighty Jehouah, wth
sicknes . . . declared his mynd and will to be, that in case a period be put to
his days before alteratiō hereof . . .”
“Wheras on the other side herof ther is
prticulers of the debts & creditts and goods of Williā Lothā, wch
apeares best vnder ech prticuler matter, and therunto as his memory
may be [ ] being now visited by the
hand of the almighty Jehouah, wth sicknes, haueing in prsence
of vs whose names are hereunder subscribed, declared his mynd and will to be,
that in case a period be put to his days before alteratiō hereof, then his just debts
being defrayed out of his prsonall estate, the remaynder hereof is
by him giuen & bequethed to John Clarke and John Ogden, whō he maks joynt
executors of this his last will and Testament, equally to be deuided betwixt
thē. Witnes my hand the day and yeare wthin written.[1]
What was Lotham’s
occupation? I believe he had several trades. He
delivered the prisoner, Robert Bedle, to Fisher’s Island for Mr. Robins.
Seargeant Bryan, on behalf of Mr. Leches, owed him money for transporting two
butts of sacke (barrels of wine). Mr. Mitchell owed him for carrying
unspecified goods. It appears that he provided a delivery service with his
boat. Goodman
Comstocke and Walter Baker owed him for tobacco; Seargeant Bryan, for soap; and
Francis Holmes, for iron. He could have been a trader. Based
on his inventory, Paul Kebabian calls him a shipbuilder. In addition to
learning a bit about Lotham, I also learned nautical terms from this inventory.
He had 3500 planks and 6000 wooden nails, as well as tar and pitch. In
his book, American Woodworking Tools, Kebabian wrote this paragraph
about the drawing knife and treenails, items that were in Lotham’s inventory. (Still under copyright, Dave.) “Although
the drawing knife may not have been illustrated prior to the late seventeenth
century, it appeared somewhat earlier among tools listed in the estates of
Plymouth and other colonial craftsmen. The will of William Lotham, a
shipbuilder and probably a resident of Saybrook, Connecticut, who died in 1645,
included a ‘draweing knife.’ (Significantly, Lotham, in addition to all sorts
of lumber, pitch, and other nautical construction materials, had on hand 6000
treenails. Like nail-making at the home forge and anvil, and sap-bucket-making
in the lean-to, treenail-making was probably an indoor, winter occupation.)”[1]
The author footnoted Lotham’s will as his source, which piqued my curiosity to
revisit the inventory. As I have found so few references to Lotham, and as I
had initially considered him to be a trader, this compiler of a book including
information about early tools brought to my attention the fact that he was a
shipbuilder. What was in Lotham’s inventory? There were two parts to the particular
of Lotham’s goods – what was not in his boat and what was on his boat; and a
third part, the inventory for the probate, as a summary for the distribution.
It appears to me that likely he was a bachelor who spent much time on his boat.
The personal
items at home or on land were: A
sow, kept at Mr. Sticlins; several items of clothing, including a new suit of
clothes; an iron pot; a gun; and a boat with oars, an anchor, a grapnel, a
mainsail and foresail. The
carpentry items at home or on land were: Planks,
trunnels (treenails); iron (some at Mr. Holmes, some at Mr. Tappings, and some
at the Waterside); tar and pitch; picks (Kebabian - possibly spikes); an auger;
and a drawing knife. The
personal items on the boat were: Dishes
for cooking and eating; a sack with biscuit in it and a sack used for a bed;
two Indian bags, an old kettle in which to make a fire; a little box and a chest;
a candlestick; an eel spear; a pocket compass; setting poles (Kebabian – for
poling his skiff in shallow waters), oars, and a skiff. The
carpentry and nautical items on the boat were: Chisels; caulking irons
(Kebabian – to drive oakum into the seams of the planking to make the ship
watertight); heads for clink work (Kebabian – small sledge hammers for
clinching, or turning back, the points of spikes); a scraper, a wimble, an iron
wedge, an axe, pincers, hammers, a gimlet, a file, a mallet, and a gouge.
(Augers, gimlets, and wimbles were for boring holes of varying sizes.) These
lists were dated March 20, 1645. On September
27, 1645, the appraisers, Thomas Burchwood and Stephen Poste, provided the
inventory. I would like to know what happened to the new suit of clothes, as
clothes were dear back then. Did they bury him in his new suit? Also not
mentioned was all the planks and iron. The personal items were a coat,
a cap, a doublet, britches, shoes and stockings, a hat, and other old clothes;
an iron pot. Related
to his nautical items were a boat of about eight tons, more or less; a grapnel
and an anchor; a mainsail, foresail, rigging, oars; a skiff; old tools and
nails and a chest. Kebabian noted the absence of an adz and saws, essential
items to a shipbuilder. He speculated that they may have been in the chest. These items, especially the
nautical things, intrigued me. For further reading about shipbuilding in the
colonial era, see Kebabian’s book, noted in the endnotes.[1]
Do these lists contribute to my
question about the relationship between Holmes and Lotham? Shipbuilding is not
something I am knowledgeable about, so I speculate. I see that Lotham stored
iron at Holmes’ location. Frances Holmes, blacksmith, perhaps newly arrived in
the Connecticut colony, may have been in his employ. Lotham may l have required
the services of a blacksmith.
To be continued .
. .
That’s my
introduction and parts one and two of my outline, which consists of three
parts: I Holmes, II Lotham, and III Others. I am currently working on others –
which is five men from the twenty-seven men mentioned in the will. And then,
the conclusion, and move on . . .
~
As I walk the road and the path at the
pond, I see crabapples and chokecherries; tansy and black eyed susans. As I
scroll Facebook, I see your American children and grandchildren in their first
day of school new clothes and holding little signs indicating what grade they
are going into. (Canadians will wait until after Labour Day weekend.) Summer
marches along to fall. I am grateful for our four seasons, but I wish they
would slow down a bit.
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