October 26, 2023
“I
Have Met So Many Special, Unique People Along This Journey”
This photo made
me smile this week. On the left is Brian Holmes, with two friends, making
beautiful music. Love the colours. Snatched from Jolynda’s Facebook.
GRATITUDE
I am grateful to George, who is not a cousin. He came to
our genealogy society meeting for the first time ever, and in gratitude to me
for speaking, gave me a copy of his book, “Faith and Foundations: The Germanic
Pioneers of Waterloo County and Bruce County Ontario, 1828 – 1867.” Janet
Wilson Ballantyne died in Bruce County, Marvin. George did not know the
Ballantyne name, however. It’s next in
my reading queue. Here are a few excerpts from his email reply to me.
“Hi Peg, I can assure you the feeling is
mutual which is exactly why I decided to attend the meeting yesterday . . . We
will be living in Moncton for the winter this year. Do you live in Moncton?
Thanks to you I am now up to date with
FTM 24.2.2 after a Zoom meeting this morning. I do not have any Ballantynes on
record but I do have a James Perly Holmes related to Kraemer family - "husband
of 1st cousin 2X removed of great granddaughter of George J. Kraemer" FTM
- (Bruce County). Could that be it?
Thanks again. You did a fine job
yesterday in an unexpected role so relax. I can say so because I have been
parachuted there myself many times. George.”
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS (WAS) . . .
Derek and Joanna Sylvestre were in
Texas, home, I think, for Joanna, as she mentioned some great family time after
four years. Their two littles went with them as well. They are in the Charles R
Holmes line.
Kristin Holmes continues her roots tour and has moved
on to Indiana – pretty sure these are her mother’s roots. She is driving around
in this camper van. The log cabin is from the early 1800s and she was able to
go inside.
KATHERINE’S POETRY
(Continued from the chronicle of September 28.) The
author, Katherine Eggleston Junkerman Holmes, was the wife of Fenwicke Lindsay
Holmes, son of William Nelson Holmes, grandson of Daniel Holmes. I don’t know
much about her. She was born in Mississippi in 1874, and married Fenwicke in
1919, becoming a mother to his adopted son, Louis. I don’t know her date of
death. The link will take you to a brief biography. William N Holmes line. You
can read the short book at https://archive.org/details/fragranceoflove00junk
DRAWN FROM A HAT
Featured this week are
Douglas Holmes and Ami Slater.
I know Doug.
After several recent gatherings, I know him better. He is my first cousin,
third son of Uncle Jim and Aunt Phyl, and brother of Karl, Mike, and Brenda. He
tickles my funny bone. And, he assists me with my technological issues. Today I
don’t have any; tomorrow I might. Doug and his lovely wife, Cheryl, live in
Manitoba. They have two grown daughters, Signy and Tegan. Signy and her husband
have two children; one of whom is a little boy about my Winston’s age. Charles
R Holmes line.
I also know Ami
from several family gatherings. What a fun lady she is, and a busy lady as
well. She’s the daughter of Stoney and Jeanni Worster, the wife of Andy Slater,
and the mother of Logan, Nathan, and Margaret. She works with the deaf, and
volunteers with her church and scouts. Up until this year she homeschooled
Nathan and Meg. I know she is interested in our family history and will
probably delve into it when life settles down and she retires – a while yet.
William N Holmes line.
MY GENEALOGY GOALS
- 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, ten minutes each tops. Leftover time will be for reacquainting and meeting new people, and looking at books.- Find
fourtwo speakers for January to May of 2024, for the genealogy society. - In
the evening, after chores are done, edit the Maggie Holmes and Billy
Snider family (second child of Daniel and Charlotte) the same way I did
the Louisa, William and Carrie lines. No rush on that.
I focused on the October workshop meeting,
which went well.
News From Holmes
We welcome two new baby girls into the
world, second cousins Evie and Ellie. Funny, how things happen in families. My
first cousin, the aforementioned Doug, had a grandson, Alistair, born about a
month before my grandson, Winston, in 2021. My first cousin, Mary Jane, had a
granddaughter born about a month before my granddaughter in 2023. Will they
ever get to meet, or even to learn of each other? A question maybe only a
genealogist would ask.
Eleanor Janis Minnie Ray, my second ray of sunshine,
arrived on October 22 to Marcus Ray and Julie Vasseur in Guelph, Ontario. Ellie
is also in the Charles R Holmes line. Bill and I are the proud grandparents.
Ellie has a two-and-a-half-year-old big brother, Winston, to help his Mama and
Daddy, and show his sister the ropes. Follow the maternal line to see where she
got the “Minnie.”
Ellie – Marc Ray and Julie Vasseur –
William (Bill) Vasseur and Margaret (Peg) Moore – Donald Moore and Margaret
Holmes – Floyd Holmes and Minnie Colpitts – Charles R Holmes and Phoebe
McMonagle – Daniel Holmes and Charlotte Hoyt.
LOOKING
AHEAD
As my
looking ahead still consists of pondering, I thought I’d look behind this week.
When did I start this journey of finding Holmes cousins, and how did I do it? I
began by writing quarterly newsletters. The first one I sent was in February
2008, and it was three pages long. I have the list of names of the people I
originally sent it to. Addresses were easily attained back then, in a time
before privacy was something to be overly mindful of. Some of those 71 people
responded. Some didn’t. Some are gone now. As time went by, I contacted more
people. I spent a fortune in postage and ink, but gradually eliminated those
who never responded and now I do everything by email.
How do I
find our kinfolk now? I did use Facebook messenger, but now in our suspicious
days people don’t generally respond if they don’t know the sender.
Occasionally, someone will recommend a cousin they are in touch with.
Generally, I find people at Ancestry. Even there, some people do not respond.
So, the growth of our Facebook group and email contacts is slow.
My
initial contacts were first and a few second cousins, and now our group
contains descendants from way back to Samuel Holmes and Elizabeth Fountain, and
a few others not in our family but who have a special interest in research of
Holmes and other related collateral lines. I have met so many special, unique
people along this journey. To name them, of course, would be to leave someone
out, and I’d hate to do that. You probably know who you are. If you are my
first cousin, you were and are special to me. Our gathering last summer for
Aunt Phyl’s memorial service was one of the highlights of my life. A bit extra
– special are those with whom I interact with on a regular basis. We are the
keepers of the family history, and sometimes we chat about it. Every family
needs keepers, otherwise, the communication soon dies out. I see what has
happened since the 1920s reunions – our great-grandparents knew each other well
but a hundred years later, I and many of you have or had no idea of names and
relationships beyond immediate family members. It takes time and effort to
bring people together again. I’m so thankful for social media for that reason.
Each
December, I contact everyone on my list. I invite people to write a blurb for
the newsletter. I write a weekly chronicle, as you know. Oh, sometimes I miss
it, or take a vacation for a few weeks, but usually I get ‘er done. What do I
include? It changes, by the by.
A photo
that I see during the week that makes me smile.
A list
of my genealogy/history goals for the week. Love it when I can cross off a
line!
A
gratitude mention of someone who does something for me during the past week –
generally, an emailed response in relation to the chronicle.
A family
member feature.
Any
family news that comes my way – generally births, graduations, marriages,
deaths. Occasionally a family reunion that I hear about.
A family
history blurb – generally quite deep.
Anything
else that comes along that I think might tickle your fancy.
A lot
has happened in the world of genealogy in the past fifteen years since I began
trying to herd our “cousins” together so that we will remember and honour our heritage.
It has been a labour of love. If I didn’t enjoy it, I couldn’t do it. What is
most gratifying to me is hearing back from you.
OUR LOYALIST HERITAGE
Part Two of two,
continued from the chronicle of October 12.
Quote from Marvin Davis in regards to part one, in an
email dated October 14. I would never have picked up on this.
“Thank you for the latest chronicles. I
was struck by the similarity of the inscription on the plaque, “secure British
institutions for themselves and their posterity,” to the preamble of the U.S.
Constitution “secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.”
Similar goals. Maybe that’s why our two countries, U.S. and Canada have been
able to put the temporary madness and depredations of the war behind us and
become allies and friends. I like to understand the viewpoints of ‘the other
side,’ and until we started corresponding had no idea the Loyalist heritage of
New Brunswick. Thank you again.”
Another Fredericton Plaque: read the full story at https://uelac.ca/monuments/fredericton-plaque/
This (Spring 1983) edition refers to “Two burying grounds in Fredericton were used by Loyalists who settled in old St. Anne’s 200 years ago. The smallest, between Waterloo Row and the banks of the Saint John River, has several illegible and broken stones. They mark the graves of some of the Loyalists who did not survive their first fall and winter (1783-1784) in New Brunswick. The York-Sunbury Historical Society erected a large modern stone monument (with cross) in 1934 to the memory of the unidentified deceased. Although title to the property is uncertain, the City of Fredericton endeavours to keep the tiny enclosure trim and tidy: a sign is posted at the riverside entrance.”
Inscription
on Plaque:
THAT
YE MAY TELL TO THE
GENERATIONS FOLLOWING
***
TO COMMEMORATE THE LOYALTY,
FAITH, COURAGE, SACRIFICES
AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF EARLY
SETTLERS WHO ESTABLISHED THIS
CITY OF FREDERICTON, A GRATE-
FUL POSTERITY HAS ERECTED
THIS MONUMENT.
THE UNVEILING TOOK PLACE
OCTOBER 8TH, 1933, THE
ONE HUNDREDTH AND FIFTIETH
ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARRIVAL
IN THIS LOCALITY OF A COMPANY
OF UNITED EMPIRE LOYALISTS,
SOME OF WHOM ARE BURIED IN
THE NEARBY CEMETERY, HAVING
DIED FROM THE EFFECTS OF COLD
AND PRIVATION SUFFERED DURING
THEIR FIRST WINTER HERE.
OUR FAMILY HISTORY LESSON
Continued from last week’s chronicle –
William Oliver Snider’s Ancestry
I don’t know too much yet about William’s
great-grandparents, but they were the immigrant ancestors from Switzerland or
Germany.
William Oliver Snider (c. 1827 – 1916) – son of Elias
Snider Jr (1782 – 1856) and Deborah Ketchum – son of Elias Snider Sr ( 1754 –
1811) – son of Johann Jacob Schneider and Mary Magdalena Lang (baptized c.
1732). Johann was the son of Christian Schneider and Mary was the daughter of
Elias Lang – and that is where the name Elias came from.
Johann ‘Jacob’ Schneider and Mary Magdalena Lang had
the following sons and daughters. The dates should all be considered circa for
now. I have taken them from a source that recommends that they be verified and
Find a Grave, which differs for some. All were born in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. All came to New Brunswick except Christian, who stayed in
Pennsylvania. Martin later went to Ontario.
Martin 1753 – 1828
Elias Sr 1754 – 1811
Christian 1756 – 1827
Baultus 1757 - 1809
Peter 1758 – 1830
Barbara 1762 –
Mary 1764 - 1855
Jacob 1773 - 1854
Martin, Elias, Christian, Baltus and Peter all fought
in the Revolutionary War, and all survived. War sometimes breaks up families,
and in the Schneider/Snider family, Christion took the side of the independants;
the rest were loyal to the king.
William, who I fondly refer to as Uncle Billy as I
never heard him called anything else, married Margaret Eliza Holmes, our Aunt
Maggie. Margaret was the second child of Daniel and Charlotte Holmes.
I knew that they were related to each other, so I
delved into that. How closely were they related? Not quite so close as our
mutual ancestors, Captain Isaac Ketchum and Mary Elizabeth Ketchum.
Now I know we can sort of legitimately call them Uncle
Billy and Aunt Maggie – even though they aren’t our uncle and aunt. Maggie is
my great-great aunt; Billy is my third cousin five times removed. I think. So,
if you are the great-grandchild of Daniel and Charlotte (Hoyt) Holmes, like I
am, you would be the same.
This is a second record Elias and Peter Snider’s
petition. It is similar, but contains
some different information. I do love the script. Ask for an email if you want to see it.
https://www.ancestry.ca/imageviewer/collections/3712/images/40939_307353-00517?pId=8255o
245 (New
Claim)
To
the Commissioners appointed by Act of Parliament for enquiring into the Losses
and Services of the American Loyalists.
The
Memorial of Elias & Peter Snider late of Pennsylvania but now of New
Brunswick.
Humbly Shews,
That they with two of
their brothers were in the year 1777 taken prisoner by the Americans when
endeavouring to seek Protection within the British Lines, That they were tried,
condemned, and sentenced to be hanged, but were afterwards pardoned on Condition,
that they would engage in the American Service, which they did and afterwards
escaped at different times and joined the British Army. That your Memorialists
were possessed of Property in Stock Hay and other articles to the amount of One
Hundred Pounds Pennsylvania Currency and that the same was taken from them and
sold. That your Memorialists suffered every species of Cruelty in consequence
of their Loyalty expended all the money they possessed in supporting themselves
during their repeated Imprisonments and that their Father was obliged to sell
his Farm to fee Counsel to defend them before the Judges.
246
123
That your Memorialists
faithfully served the King in Colonel Allen’s Battalion and continued in the
Service until the Regiment was disbanded.
They therefore most
humbly solicit that the Honourable Commissioners will permit them to exhibit
their Claim and produce Proofs of their Loyalty, Suffering, Services and Losses
when the Commissioners shall arrive in New Brunswick and grant them such relief
as they may think them entitled unto and as in Duty Bound shall ever pray.
his
(Signed)
Elias X Snider
mark
his
Peter
X Snider
Mark
St.
John 14th February 1787
Evidence on
the Claim of Elias Snider and Peter Snider late of Pennsylvania.
Claimant Peter
Snider Sworn,
Says he came from New York in
colonel Allan’s Regiment in 1783, upon their arrival here they were discharged
as he thinks in October, he immediately went up to St. Ann’s where he lived for
above a year and a half.
He was born in Pennsylvania and
lived there with his Father before the war, In Summer 1777 he agreed to enlist
with Captain Hutchinson of Skinner’s Brigade and joined in Company with others
to attempt getting into the British Lines on Staten Island.
This party was intercepted in the
night in their passage thro’ the Jerseys and were taken, he was kept in Goal
for Six Months and condemned to be hanged, but was pardoned by the Governor on
Condition that they Listed in the Continental Army for the War and paid the
Goal fees. One John Mea and James Hiff were executed as the Leaders of the
Party.
248
124
He Served in the Rebel Army for
three Months, and after being 30 days hid he escaped into Philadelphia.
He then enlisted in the New Jersey
Brigade and has served in that Corps the whole War, he had three Brothers in
the same Brigade.
Says that his Father was possessed
of 175 acres of Land in Northampton County Philadelphia which he was obliged to
sell to assist his Sons in paying the Fees when in Goal.
He left a Mare at home for which he
had paid £30
Pennsylvania Currency before the Troubles.
His brother in Law took her from
his Father’s House. Says that his Claim was for his Sufferings I Goal and
Expenses.
Elias Snider
Sworn.
Agrees with the account given by
his Brother Peter as to the Cause of not having formerly Claimed.
Says that in 1777 he enlisted with
James Moody and attempted to get into the British Lines. Soon after says that
160 set out for Pennsylvania and joined them in New Jersey, but they were
intercepted near [Bawn] Brook and 60 of them taken.
He was tried for his Life and
confined 18 Months. He was released o Condition of joining the Rebel Army, but
being in bad health from his Confinement he was allowed to go home on Furlough,
he remained in the Woods for 12 Months and then was able to escape into the
Army on Staten Island.
Colonel Isaac
Allen 14th Feb[rua]ry 1785 Certifies that Elias and Peter Snider
upon their way thro’ the Jersies to join the Jersey Brigade were taken and
condemned to Death. That afterwards they made their Escape within the British
Lines and served the Remainder of the War in the Brigade and are now settled in
that Province.
When he was taken he lost a
Rifle cash £6 Currency.
Before 1777 he was married and
had some Stock on a Rented Farm.
He left Stock on this Farm, a Mare,
a Horse, two Cows one Ox. His wife sold these to keep him alive when a
Prisoner.
She likewise sold three Tons Hay
for the same purpose.
Claimants are now settled on the
Kennebeckasious.
~
I awoke this morning to the news of another terrible
mass shooting in the US, to our neighbours in Maine. My heart breaks.
