Uncle Peg’s Chronicles
August 24, 2023
“His Bag of Magic Tricks “
This photo made
me smile this week. I’ll be there – anyone care to join me? This is news to me.
When they created the sign for the Holmes Burnham Sawmill Trail, they involved
me in the process, but that was because the family fundraised and contributed
towards the cost. The sawmill of Daniel Holmes sat near the Holmes Brook, so
named for our Daniel. If you live in the area, you might like to come to the
ribbon cutting ceremony and join me in the bouncy castle. Just kidding about
the castle for me, but why not make an outing of it and bring the grandkids
along to learn some of our history.
~
New this week are Derek Sylvestre and Mary
Davis. They were both at the 2016 reunion.
Derek Sylvestre is the son of Roger and Betty (MacKillop) Sylvestre,
and he is in the Charles R Holmes line. I had no idea he was coming to the
reunion – he just showed up with his bag of magic tricks and charmed young and
old alike. His parents were all set to come to the reunion when Betty stuck her
foot under the foot of the horse and ended up in surgery and a cast, just days
before. But, Derek lived in the area and the rest is Holmes family history.
Derek met his wife, Joanna, soon after the reunion, so we didn’t get to meet
Jo. They have two toddlers, a boy and a girl, and they all have lots of family
fun together. Facebook may be a nuisance at times, but I sure do appreciate it
for watching cousin stuff.
I was so tickled to meet Mary (Holmes) Davis,
and I enjoy seeing her trips on her daughter Amy’s Facebook. They love to
travel and try new adventures and food. Mary lost her husband, Richard, back in
2015. Richard had a musical gift which he passed on to Amy, and I’m sure her
music memories live on. She’s an encouragement to me as I write these weekly
chronicles. Mary is the daughter of Richard and Dorothy (Lynk) Holmes, and she
is in the William N Holmes line.
~
I am grateful to John McElmon this week. John is in
the McElmon Family History group, and invited Jane and I to join the group.
It’s open, so anyone can join. He’s passionate about DNA research. We’ve had
some discussion threads in the group.
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.
- 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 a popup library display, and a for sale table
for books we longer need. Two short speakers, five to ten minutes each 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 did most of those things, and a bit more. I
have given our October welcome back party a theme: “Ye SEB Booke
Faire.” SEB stands for Southeastern Branch (of the New Brunswick Genealogical
Society.) I’m going to make a bristol board sign with those words. We’ll have a
book donation table (people can bring their no longer needed books to sell).
And we will have a popup library – we will bring books to display, but people
can browse and/or chat with old friends and new. We haven’t met in person since
the pandemic began. There will be a draw for a Chapters gift card. I am making
two doilies – a ghostly one and a spider web one complete with button spiders –
also names to be drawn. There will be two short speakers at the start. There might
be a wee, quick craft to make. And,
there will be cookies, cupcakes, squares and/or sweet breads along with tea and
coffee.
~
I worked on my Lotham article, but it is a BIG
MESS. Here is a sneak peek – do not attempt to revise it yet. It’s plain as day
in my head but my hand-eye coordination has not kicked in. Burchwood’s
paragraph is almost complete; I am working on Stephen Post(e), one of the 27
characters mentioned in Lotham’s will.
“Thomas Burchwood and Stephen
Poste appraised and witnessed the inventory of William Lotham, so
they probably lived in the same vicinity as the decedent. Check the
probate book, especially for Poste.
Thomas Burchwood
spelled Birchwood on the Founder’s Monument in Hartford, was an original
proprietor of Hartford. He was baptized Bycharde in England. He journeyed from
England to Roxbury, Massachusetts, where he was made freeman in 1637; to
Hartford by 1640; to the Saybrook Colony, Connecticut, by 1651, where he served
as deputy to the General Court. He still owned land in Hartford. He then
appeared in the records of Edgarton and Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts; and
was in Norwich, Connecticut by 1682, where he
died c. 1684. Burchwood
appraised and witnessed Lotham’s inventory in 1645. From the few details I
found, he could have lived in Hartford in 1645. Stephen
Poste was baptized in England, and lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1634.
A carpenter by trade, he was a proprietor of Hartford, where he served as
constable in 1642. He removed to the Saybrook Colony by 1649, and was a
proprietor of that town. He died there in 1659. See two
paragraphs back. On 20 March 1649/50 the Connecticut Court chose Stephen Post and Thomas
Tracy to complete the “Forte and dwelling house to bee erected for the use of
the Country”. See endnote xx. He is mentioned in a court record with Thomas
Traisy of Seabrook.
https://www.cga.ct.gov/hco/books/Memorial_History_of_Hartford_County_Vol_1_1886.pdf
Image 275.
Find a grave number for Stephen Post
37340298.”
Thursday morning right before going to
press . . . it now looks a bit better.
~
Here is my list of the children of
Samuel Holmes and Elizabeth Fountain. I do not guarantee that it is 100%
correct. Many of their dates are circa, but that doesn’t show in the ancestry
summary, only when you go into their profiles.
I also included the children of Peter
McElmon and Margaret Fillmore. It is from another person’s family tree as I’ve
only studied the two that apply to our family, so I make no guarantees
whatsoever as to its correctness.
In our group, we have descendants from
Zorobable Holmes and Samuel Holmes Jr, and Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ McElmon.
A bit more here about the McElmon Family
History Group, as in: who in the world was McElmon? Peter McElmon settled in the
midst of Loyalistists in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia. He was born at sea on
the voyage to Canada from Ireland. He had several children – including two who
married into the Holmes family. They were his daughters, Marie Antoinette and
Elizabeth called Betsy. They married sons of Samuel Holmes Sr and Elizabeth
Fountain. He was acquainted with Samuel Holmes and Samuel Holstead.
Marie Antoinette McElmon married Daniel
Holmes, uncle to our Daniel. Perhaps our Daniel was named for his uncle. I
haven’t done too much work on them.
And, of course you remember that
Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ McElmon married Samuel Holmes Jr.
~
Looking forward to brunch/lunch on
September 7 with our distant cousin . . . Who is she? That’s your first clue –
she! The second clue is that we have never met. She is in our Holmes group. Anticipate.
I am on the hunt for mango chutney. Googled and I think Wheaton’s has it. Now,
what does mango chutney have to do with our visit?
~
Crispy pancakes!
Question for you – how many of you have
eaten Mum’s buckwheat pancakes?
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