Come to the End of the World

 

Uncle Peg’s Chronicles

April 25, 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.

 

“Come to the End of the World”

 

Sorry to skip a week. The fan went on my computer. They said it was due to dust. Me? Dust?

 

FAMILY ALBUM

This cemetery sign is part of the history lesson. I cannot use it for my article, so I’ll need to get to Hill Grove sooner than later to take my own photo. Good excuse to go down the road to “the end of the world.” Julie will understand, and wants to take Winston there.

 

 

 

GRATITUDE

 

Thanks to Ann Ward, both for your interest – I know every rabbit trail takes you away from your Dad’s story – and your suggestion. I revisited the 1860 census looking at families around the Freeman family – two pages before and two pages after. I also researched the Stillman family briefly. I believe the best clue is in the numbers on the census. Although the household number changed, the family number did not. My hypothesis is that Ellen Stillman and Frank ditto were actually Ellen Freeman and Frank L ditto. No sign of Mary.

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 Charles and Phoebe family genealogy.
• Index old newspapers for NBGS. On hold.
• Index Riverbank Visitors for NBGS. Put old newspapers on hold while I do this.

 

Well, I need to get busy on some gen society stuff, but this past week, I focused on the article and the descendant chart. I managed to figure out how to find old land records on FamilySearch. They are a challenge, but helpful for a deep dig.

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

https://geonb.snb.ca/GRP/index.html

At the link, in the box on the top right, type in this number: 02296649.                                                    As some of you know, I’ve been studying the Crown Map lately in conjunction with the land records. It’s a slow learning process for this old gal, but I persevere. This is my Facebook photo cover, and it is a small portion of Lot 6, which was granted to Alexander Cain, who sold it to Daniel Holmes. Look at the straight line that seems to occur naturally in the grass. I’ve never noticed that line in reality. You can also see the imprint of the barn. This portion of the map needs updating, but I hope they don’t hurry at it. The two houses are gone; only the little wee shed covering the pump remains. The two trees on the right are what is left of quite a large orchard. The granary and the pigpen were opposite the barn, and I think the fox pens were to the back right of the pig pen. The lot ends at the Graves Settlement Road, on the right, where, if you time it right and go just the right speed, you come to the end of the world. (All you can see is sky.)                                                                                                                                                                                              This location is the area that Daniel sold to his son-in-law, Elias Kinnear, who sold it to Daniel’s son and tenth child, Charles Robert Holmes. Between these two lots, I have spent a good portion of my life. I still love to visit, even though it’s more hay than anything else now. All we own is the portion within the green. This was also the location of the 1926 family reunion.                                                                                                       Those of you who know the location will recognize Charlie Blakeney’s farm next door. Used to belong to the Holmeses, once upon a time. Now, Reg Wynes owns it. Close to Charlie’s barn you can see the Salt Springs Brook snaking through.                                                                                                                                 

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS . . .

 

As I missed a week, some people are home now.

 

Top left to bottom right:

Jeff Yee in China

Mary and Amy Davis in Arizona

Karl Holmes and Pauline Sarrazin in Spain and Portugal

Rick and Michelle Morey in Mexico

 

I love seeing the world through your lenses.

 

Photos snatched without permission. Hope it’s okay.

 

FAMILY HISTORY LESSON

 

The Cemetery

 

This might help. I believe it is correct, but I won’t swear to it yet. Salisbury refers to either Salisbury parish or village. Daniel lived between Petitcodiac and Salisbury, closer to Riverglade. This, or part of it, might appear in my article, or it might not. We’ll see.

 

“The Farm” is a portion of Lot 6 where we owned property from Daniel’s acquisition to now. See 2024 – 2008 section.

Lot six was originally granted to Alexander Cain. Starts in the field, and ends at the Graves Settlement Cross Road. Elias and Bessie (Holmes) Kinnear owned that lot, and Elias sold it to Charles R Holmes.

Lot seven was originally granted to Hugh McMonagle. Starts at the Graves Settlement Cross Road and extends to the church. Charles R Holmes owned that lot and lived there for a time, but sold it to the Bleakney family.

Lot eight was originally granted to James Kay aka James A Kay. I think it starts at the church (on the road going toward town). James Hoyt Holmes owned that property and sold it to another Bleakney.

Abner and Hattie (Holmes) Jones lived on one of those lots, but I haven’t figured that out yet.

 

This is the link to the deed –

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DTK7-7Q7?i=379&cc=1392378&cat=1469012

 

In the margin: Page 377. 31,332. Danl Holmes to Rev^d D^d Blakney (sic)

Registered Jan 18^th,1873

N. Barkhouse

Co. Registrar

 

This Indenture made the twenty Eighth day of November in the Year of our Lord one thousand Eight hundred and Seventy two, Between Daniel Holmes of Salisbury County of Westmorland and province of new Brunswick of the first part and Rev^d David Bleakney of the second part. Witnesseth that for and in consideration of the sum of twenty Dollars lawful money of this province of New Brunswick to the said Daniel Holmes in hand paid by the said Rev. David Bleakney at or before the sealing and delivery of these presents the receipt hereof is hereby acknowledged have granted, bargained and sold and by these presents do grant bargain and sell unto the said Rev. David Bleakney his heirs and assigns, All that certain piece or parcel of land lying and Situate in Salisbury aforesaid on the Corn Hill and Known as a part of lot No 7 originally granted to Hugh McMonagle and described as follows, Viz, Commencing at a transplanted Willow tree standing on the dividing line line (sic) between the above named lot No 7 and lot No 8  Corn Hill thence running Westwordly at right angles ten rods thence running parallel with side line of said lots thirty rods Northwardly thence Eastwardly ten rods to aforesaid dividing line thence Southwardly along said line unto the place of beginning containing two acres be there more or less ____ To have and to hold the said described piece of land with the premises and privileges and appurtenances belonging to the same unto the said Rev. David Bleakney his heirs and assigns forever. In Witness whereof I the said Daniel Holmes have here unto set my hand and seal the day and year first above written.

 

Left Margin: Signed and sealed and Delivered in presence of

James H. Holmes Westmorland                                                  Daniel Holmes L. S.

 

Be it remembered that on the Sixteenth day of January in the Year of our Lord one thousand Eight hundred and Seventy three before me Hugh Davidson Esquire one of her Majestys Justices of the Peace in and for the said County of Westmorland personally came and appeared Daniel Holmes the grantor named in the within Indenture of Deed who acknowledge that he did sign and Execute the same for uses and purpose set forth therein.

                                                                                                                Hugh Davidson J. P.

 

This week’s lesson is as much a challenge to myself as it might be to you.                        

When I first noticed this deed record in the above link, I didn’t pay much attention to it, as it was for only two acres. And then I started doing some more work with that map and trying to figure out what LIDAR entails before the May meeting. I looked at the little red boxes that overlay the old land grant map. And there, in a corner on what is now Rte. 890, where the Holmes properties were and are, was the tiniest of boxes. I enlarged it and clicked on it. It is the church. So, I thought to myself, that was land that Daniel Holmes granted to Rev. David Bleakney, minister of the church, on which to put a church.                                

In studying the lots this week, I have a different hypothesis. It could be that Daniel sold land to the church, but I am not sure yet. The Hill Grove United Baptist Church shows on the bottom left corner of Lot 8 (James Kay to Daniel Holmes to James H Holmes). The 2-acre deed of land that Daniel sold to Rev. Bleakney was on the bottom right corner of Lot 7.                                                                               That tells me exactly where the border is between Lot 7 and Lot 8: between the graveyard and the church. At that time, they must have been two separate entities, with the graveyard initially belonging to the current minister, not the church. If you’ve never been to Hill Grove, that wouldn’t mean too much to you, but it’s familiar territory to me and my cousins. Also, if studying an unfamiliar place, it’s important to find maps.

But, for now, it is a hypothesis that I am quite sure of. I have to think about all the research areas I need want to go to. I think only the church is on the grid, as the box is within the lines of the Lot 8 grant. As churches and cemeteries do not pay taxes, I suppose the cemetery doesn’t really have to show, but what I see is farm land, probably owned by the Wynes family now, but no current owner’s names are mentioned. I want to do further study of:

·         Land and deed records, to determine if and when Rev. David Bleakney sold his land, or a portion of it, to the church. Also, does the church now own the cemetery? They do maintain it.

·         Find a Grave for Hillgrove/Hill Grove United Baptist Church and the dates of early burials in the cemetery.

·         Newspaper records for the church, if they are available. I know that there were once two Baptist Churches in little Hill Grove, and on one census, there are two Baptist ministers next to each other on the list. How do I know there were two churches? Family lore, and one mysterious phone call a few years back.

·         What land did Charles Holmes acquire later, even though Daniel was dead – not for the article but for our history. Because, it was Charles who acquired the other Baptist church building and brought it up to our farm, turning it into a woodshed.

Somehow, I need to work out these two little acres in my mind. Maybe, by next week, I will have the results of my research to share with you.

Collection: Baptist Image Collection

Description: 1 photograph : b&w ; 10.5 x 6 cm. - Image of Hillgrove (Westmorland County, N.B.) United Baptist Church. - Annotation on the back: Hillgrove, N.B. (Petitcodiac field)

Accession Number: D1900.039/175

Type: photograph

 

https://archives.acadiau.ca/taxonomy/term/8357

 

Looking at this photo, you see some fencing on the left. That would be the cemetery. There was no longer a transplanted willow tree. Close to the post in the center, Charles and Phoebe (McMonagle) Holmes are buried. William and Margaret (Holmes) Snider are buried to the left of the photo. Mum and I purchased a small marker with Arletta (Holmes) McKillop’s name and dates on it and placed it beside her parents, Charles and Phoebe Holmes. I know she is in the cemetery from her death record, but I don’t know exactly where she rests.

This ends week seventeen of our centennial virtual celebration.