Uncle Peg’s Chronicles
March 7, 2024
“These
were their settlements. And they kept good family records.”[1]
Don’t
forget to look for the title which is embedded in the chronicle.
“Do You Suppose”
FAMILY ALBUM
I didn’t find much on Facebook so I thought I’d share this snippet with
you. I am almost as passionate about singing in my choir as I am in researching
and sharing genealogy. (I am better at genealogy, but I carry a tune and I’m
enthusiastic.) Do - ray - me . . . the second last person in the front row, on
the right. Last week we were sort of jazzy. It made me smile.
1924 – 2024 CENTENNIAL WEEK TEN
In researching
the life of Daniel and Charlotte, I need to review all of the information I
have been given by those who came before us. Some of it, as Fen made sure I
knew, was faulty. In my brief gratitude paragraph, you will see how easy it was
for me to make and possibly share an error. So, no blame on those people who
tried their best to find, remember, and share what they knew of our family
history. The onus is on us to verify what we discover and if possible, correct
it. I pulled out these books and manuscripts from my shelves this week:
Canada, New Brunswick, Deed Books and Canada, Nova Scotia Deed Books,
located at FamilySearch.
“Ernest Holmes: His Life and Times,” by Fenwicke L Holmes.
“Ice Out Past My House,” – The Diary of Azor Hoyt. Edited by Jack E.
Hoyt and Sandra Keirstead Thorne. Azor Hoyt was uncle to Charlotte Hoyt Holmes,
wife of Daniel.
“Memoirs,” by Cecil T. Holmes.
“The Daniel Holmes Family History Association,” compiled by the family
historian, who was Kingsley Ballantyne (as noted in a list of the directors of
said association. If I didn’t have this list, it would be anonymous.)
“The Descendants of Francis Holmes” by Jim and Karl Holmes.
“The Little Black Book,” anonymous but probably Kingsley Ballantyne. A
genealogical list of the existing members of the Holmes and R Ballantyne
families, probably in the 1930s.
GRATITUDE
Thanks again this week to Ralph Wagner. He pointed out a major error in
my story for my article. I stated that Samuel Holsted left provision for Daniel
and his minor children in his will. He did not, as he died intestate. The court
named administrators left provision for Daniel and the minor children. Thanks
also to Jane Williams for your interest and your chart.
Belated thanks also to Fen Holmes and Roger Holmes, in past years, for
sending me the DHFHA document; to Jeanni Worster for letting me copy “The
Little Black Book;” and to Jim and Karl Holmes for “The Descendants of Francis
Holmes.” Where would our family history be without all our collaboration?
MY GENEALOGY GOALS
- Chronicle
several times, and publish on Thursday morning.
- Keep
writing my next article for Generations, which is about the will of
Daniel Holmes.
- Spend
a bit of time on Moore family research: “Three Peas in a Moore Pod.”
- In
the evening, after chores are done, edit the William and Anna Holmes
family genealogy. No rush on that.
- Index
old newspapers for NBGS. On hold.
- Index
Riverbank Visitors for NBGS. Put old newspapers on hold while I do this.
I spent
most of this week’s research time on the life of Daniel Holmes prior to his
will writing.
1924 to
1928
Those are the
years that our great or great-great grandparents spent renewing relationships
that had somehow fallen by the wayside but with organization, letter writing,
and challenging travel – by hook or by crook – they managed to come together
again. They reacquainted and rediscovered their family ties. And then, one by
one, they died, and many of those ties died with them.
2024 to 2028
Most of you genealogists probably know
that a death record is not a primary or original document. If you don’t know,
the only information you can take as absolute from a death record or
certificate is what the doctor or medical person states – if they were present.
Let’s say a person died in the woods or drowned and the body was found later.
Any information concerning their date and place of death would be
circumstantial and probably unverifiable. We might know they were accidentally
shot by a hunter or fell overboard, but we wouldn’t know that for sure; only,
perhaps, that the cause of death was correct. The
rest of the information was given by the informant, and is based upon their
memory. I was asked to state where Mum’s mother, Minnie Colpitts Holmes, was
born. I said, “Elgin, I think.” The person taking the information immediately
wrote down “Elgin.” I went home and looked it up, and I’m still pretty sure it
was Elgin. I knew that her father, Floyd Holmes, was born in Hill Grove, but I
knew that from my memory. I’m absolutely sure of it, but I don’t have an actual
record of his birth. Birth records were not necessarily recorded at that time. That
is not to say you ignore the death record, only that you verify all information
given by the informant, and make sure the death information is by the medical
person who was present at the time of death. Otherwise, use the proverbial
grain of salt for the entire document. This may seem a
bit morbid to you who don’t “do” genealogy, but to us who do, it is just one of
many records to study.
A PORTION OF MY ARTICLE ABOUT DANIEL
HOLMES
None of my stories are complete yet.
This is a WIP that I just didn’t have time to finish before my chronicle
deadline, but you get the gist of it and also see a bit of the process. What is
in black is complete but unrevised. What is in red, needs work. Each story
takes a different twist.
STORY
The
wife of Dan’l Holmes went by the way of the earth on March the 27th
in the 58th year of her age. Her death occurred at her residence on
the Post Road near Riverglade. Charlotte, the daughter of James Hoyt and
Frances Ketchum, was born in Sussex Portage, New Brunswick. She lived in
Portage Vale until her marriage to Daniel Holmes in 1836. Left to mourn her
passing are ten children, their spouses, and eight grandchildren. One son,
George, twin of James, predeceased her at the young age of almost three. Another
son, William, disappeared at the age of fourteen and his whereabouts are still
unknown. Rev. Cuthbert Willis, rector of the Church of England in Salisbury,
will conduct the funeral service, and the hearse wagon will lead the cortege to
the Baptist burial ground in Petitcodiac.
There is a newspaper clipping about Portage Vale not being
called such . . .
FACTS
I have not found
a death notice or obituary for Charlotte Holmes, who died in 1872. If I had, it
would likely have been shorter than this – just the facts. Unless, of course,
it was full of gory details; then it might have made the front page. It pleased
me to write one myself, using somewhat archaic terms. It was first published in
“Uncle Peg’s Chronicles,” March 7, 2024. This is an almost weekly newsletter
that I write for my family, featuring stories, histories, and updates. It goes
out to approximately 150 cousins and friends of the family, and seems to have a
readership of about twenty people. I
believe this family lore to be correct. My mother told me that her grandfather
Charles never said that someone died or passed away. They always “went by the
way of the earth.” I have read this or similar statements occasionally, and
found the source in I Kings 2 of the Old Testament. In verses one and two, King
David, knowing he was dying, told his son, Solomon, “I go the way of all the
earth . . .” [i] Charlotte probably died at her residence, but
I do not have a source for that, nor do I know her cause of death. I also do
not know how they bore her body from her home to the cemetery, but I have read
of corteges. Her date of death is on her original tombstone, photographed by my
father, Donald M Moore. It has since been replaced by the family. Insert photo of both headstones. I
found Charlotte’s date of birth, October 1, 1813, in a genealogical compilation
that I call “Little Black Book,” which is anonymous but points to the
authorship of Kingsley Ballantyne, our family historian
Deed for receipt of land in Portage Vale: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6SXS-G37?i=269&wc=M698-R38%3A13841801%2C13841702%2C15016801&cc=1392378
OUR HOLMES FAMILY HISTORY LESSON
Go to the link at the end to see the record, or ask for an email.
This week, along with researching Daniel and Charlotte Holmes, I also
looked at Charles R Holmes and his wife, Phoebe McMonagle. In particular, I
looked at their death records. I am puzzled by two Elizabeths, one who is in
Charles’ death record, and one who isn’t in Phoebe’s record. I do not have the
answers yet.
I wrote a paragraph, above, about death records. Our lesson this week,
therefore, is about death records, and in the case of this couple, Charles
Robert Holmes and Phoebe Jane McMonagle, how they give more questions than
answers. You cannot rely on any one record or piece of information, you need to
compare, compare, compare. Charles was the tenth child of Daniel and Charlotte
Holmes, and he and his wife, Phoebe, are my great-grandparents. They lived
their entire lives in New Brunswick.
Beginning with the record for Charles, let’s look at it carefully. It’s
easier to read if you go to the link below the record. General information is
located in the top section. I’d say this information was given by the informant
– his son, Floyd O Holmes. Charles died in the community of Hill Grove, the
parish of Salisbury, the province of Westmorland, the province of New
Brunswick. He lived in Hill Grove for 72 years and in the province, 93 years.
At the time of his death, Charles lived in Hill Grove. Do you suppose, as Floyd
gave this information, that he knew that his father had actually lived in Hill
Grove for exactly 72 years? Perhaps he did; perhaps he had the deed to the
property. I don’t know. Doing the math, I figure 72 years is close to correct.
I looked at the 1871 and 1881 censuses for comparison. In 1871, he lived with
his parents on the Old Post Road. In 1881, he lived in Hill Grove.
As a genealogist, I take no exception to these statements.
On the right of the document, what did the medical person have to say?
The doctor, name illegible (although I could probably figure it out with
some googling), stated that Charles R Holmes died on October 19, 1945. He had
attended the deceased for the past two years. (Mum said that he never saw the
doctor; taking that with a grain of salt, I’d say he had few health problems.
He used to run away to the farm up the hill when he was upset. My Aunt Nan
usually went to retrieve him.) Given what we know, the cause of death,
senility, is likely correct. Mum told me that he sat down in his rocker in
front of the stove and died. His socks were singed. He had no operation and no
external violence to his body.
Date of death: October 19
Date of doctor’s signature: October 20
Date of registration and filing: October 31.
As a genealogist, what is my conclusion? From this and other records I
have studied and lists made by my grandmother, I believe he died on the 19th,
and that is what I recorded in my tree. If this was all I had to go by, I’d say
it’s somewhat circumstantial.
Sections 4 – 10 give general information about the deceased. He was
male, Canadian born, of English origin, widowed, born in River Glade on August
2, 1852. He was 93 years, 2 months, and 17 days in age. That is pretty
specific. Is all of this correct? Having no birth certificate, the closest I
can come to is his baptismal record, which is in the Anglican Church Records,
available to members of the New Brunswick Genealogical Society. This states
that he was born on August 2, 1852, and he was baptized on July 31, 1853. The
date of his baptism would be correct, as the person signing it was there at the
time; the date of birth would be circumstantial unless the parents were able to
produce absolute proof, which I doubt. However, I consider Charles’ date and place
of birth to be correct, or at least close. It matches up with census records
and family lists.
Sections 11 – 14 deal with his occupation. He was a farmer; he last
worked in 1920; years in this occupation, 51. We know he was a farmer, for
sure, and probably worked in his father’s mill by times. He last worked in 1920
– probably that is true. Only 51 years as a farmer? That does not seem
mathematically correct to me. In the 1871 census, when he was 18, he worked as
a farmer. The statement that he stopped working in 1920 prompted a memory. I
looked at Karl Holmes’ family history for the family lore, probably written by
Jim Holmes, Charles’ grandson: “Charles was very active when he was in his
seventies, for I can recall the day he ‘stopped working.’ A cow kicked him when
he was milking and he was explaining this when Father [Floyd] said ‘it is time
you quit anyway.’ It was said kindly, but Grandfather agreed dejectedly and
never went near the barn again.”
Sections 15 – 20 give the family relationships. His wife’s name was
Phoebe J McMonagle. His father’s name and birthplace was Daniel Holmes, born
Nova Scotia. His mother’s name and birthplace was Elizabeth Hoyt, born
New Brunswick. The informant was Mr. Floyd Holmes, of Hill Grove – son of
deceased.
I have only one argument, or puzzle might be a better word: his mother
was Elizabeth Hoyt? Every other source I have seen gives her name as Charlotte.
Floyd never met his grandparents, Holmes or Hoyt. They predeceased him.
He wouldn’t have had documents that I would know of, other than maybe a list,
or a memory of what Charles had told him; Charles, according to Mum, was a
storyteller. I rechecked the census records from 1851 to 1871 – Charlotte. The
marriage record – Daniel and Charlotte. Original headstone – Daniel and
Charlotte. Baptism records of her children – Charlotte.
But, Daniel and Charlotte had a daughter named Charlotte Elizabeth. She
is generally referred to as Bessie. Do you suppose Charlotte’s full name was
Charlotte Elizabeth (Hoyt) Holmes? Or did Floyd make a mistake. I just don’t
know, but I dearly wish I could insert “Charlotte Elizabeth” in my family tree.
https://archives.gnb.ca/Search/VISSE/141C5.aspx?culture=en-CA&guid=76ddc452-b23b-4437-a6c2-a71be66712c8
This ends
week ten of our centennial virtual celebration.
[i] Holy Bible. King James Version. I Kings 2:2.
[ii] Historian, The. Probably Kingsley Ballantyne. “The Daniel Holmes
Family Association.” Unpublished family history, dated in the 1920s.
[iii] Hoyt, Jack E, and Sandra Keirstead Thorne. “Ice Out Past My House
-” The Diary of Azor Hoyt: a King’s County Loyalist. Printed c.
1993. Ask Sandra
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