Uncle Peg’s Chronicles
January 23, 2025
“Holy Evangelists”
“These
were their settlements. And they kept good family records.”[i]
Don’t
forget to look for the title which is embedded in the chronicle.
GRATITUDE
"Romper, bomper, stomper boo. Tell me, tell me, tell
me, do. Magic Mirror, tell me today, did all my friends have fun at
play?" Thanks Ann, Brenda, Jane,
Jeanni, Julia, Karl, Kim, Marvin, and Mary.
FAMILY ALBUM
Harry
Holmes Jr with his maternal grandparents, Charles and Sarah Glocksen, on the
left,
and
his paternal grandparents, James and Augusta Holmes, on the right.
ASK A
GOOD QUESTION
Nothing
tickles my fancy more, after sending out a chronicle, than to receive a
question. Thanks to Marvin for asking me a good question. I remembered looking
it up before, but had to ask Google again. I went to the website of the town of
Maine and under FAQs, found the answer. “In
1818, the Town of Harlem was incorporated as the Town of China. Its
voters had chosen the name Bloomville. Maine was then a part of
Massachusetts and in those days Boston, the legislative seat, was a week’s
journey by horse and wagon. Harlem’s representative was not allowed to
use the name Bloomville as there was another town in the United States by that
name. With hometown sentiment 200 miles away and no telephone or
telegraph, it was entirely up to him to present a new name. As the hymn
‘China’ was a great favorite of his, he presented that name.”[ii] Photo snatched from
the website.
I found more information at Wikipedia and other sites. I
found the words and sheet music at Sacred Harp Breman.
https://sacredharpbremen.org/163b-china/
HOLY EVANGELISTS
I had an email from Ann Ward. Just goes to show what an extra pair of
eyes can do. Thanks, so much, Ann. I’ll never see “Italy” again. And, since it
reminds me of a Christmas carol but I couldn’t think of which one, I went
looking. It’s “A Song in the Air,” by Joseph G. Holland, 1872. Last verse,
“lovely evangel.” Double blessing – the answer to my question and one of my
favourite old carols. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzsgb7bF4Hs
As it definitely says “Avengolists or Avangolists,” that’s the way I
must transcribe it, but I’ll put a note with it.
“Peg. Just read your Chronicle from last week. Your translation of the
Probate stumped you with what you transcribed as ‘Italy.’ It’s ‘Holy,’ and your
‘Avengolists’ is likely ‘evangelists.’
When I asked AI what ‘Holy Evangelists’ means, it came up with this.
‘Holy Evangelists of Almighty God’ is a phrase used in some oaths.’ Apparently,
this is an oath frequently used in North Carolina, but over the years, it has
changed to ‘Holy Scriptures.’
Never know what you’ll find!”
AN ADDITION TO OUR RESEARCH TEAM
An excerpt from an email from Kim
MacDermid Campbell. Thanks, Kim.
“Hi Peg
I just read your Chronicles; a massive
undertaking for sure. Absolutely loved it. It was too cool to also
see some of the Holmes family in your pictures and to wonder how they might be
related to the elusive Charlotte Holmes.
I was truly
honored by your introduction and the inclusion in this wonderful community
of researchers and family historians. Thank you for all you did (and
continue to do) to prove the Holmes lineage and connections to it. I
appreciate your diligence in ensuring correct information.”
1924 to
1928
Those
are the years that our Holmes ancestors 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
MY UNCLE BILLY AND AUNT MAGGIE ARTICLE
FOR GENERATIONS
A tentative introduction that will need
much revision.
If you find a mistake, worry pas. It
will change.
Billy
Snider was born to Elias Snider and Deborah Ketchum about 1827 or so. Do not be
deceived by his gravestone, for he was christened in 1829, a year earlier than
the etched date of birth of 1830. His wife, Maggie, was born in 1838 to Daniel
Holmes and Charlotte Hoyt, and unlike ten of her siblings, I cannot find a
record of her baptism. Maggie’s grandmother, Frances Ketchum, was an older
sister to Billy’s mother, Deborah. Billy was about forty-seven, and Maggie,
thirty-six, at the time of their marriage in 1874. Billy and Maggie had no
children, but devoted much time to the care of four elderly aunts and uncles.
Those four Ketchum aunts and uncles brought Billy and his older brother Doug up
from quite a young age, after their mother died when Billy was about four.
Billy had seven siblings and five step-siblings; Maggie had eleven siblings. Billy’s siblinges need verification. Billy lived most
of his life in Portage Vale, Kings County, New Brunswick. Maggie lived in
Petitcodiac, Westmorland County, New Brunswick until her marriage. They both
died in Hill Grove, Westmorland County, New Brunswick, while visiting Maggie’s
brother for the winter months. That’s
enough of their birth to marriage to death details – on to the dash that was
their lives. I learned a bit about Uncle
Billy when I discovered an old violin in an old case in an upstairs closet in
the old house in Hillgrove where he and Maggie died. Perhaps they died in that
very room; I do not know. His life story grew over the years, especially when I
got into genealogy in 2005. My mother was a story-teller, and so was her
grandfather, and I don’t remember when I didn’t know he and Aunt Maggie
existed. I had a very strong feeling that they were dearly loved by her family.
When I started putting their information in my family tree, I was surprised to
know that she had never met them, just because she made them so real to me.
They died six years and eight months before she was born, in the same house and
maybe in the same kitchen; I do not know. That old house is gone now, a hundred
years after Billy and Maggie died, but I still see every room as clearly as if
I was peering through the old windows. My daughter has his old violin in a
modern case. It had a rough start to its life after Billy died, standing in its
old case right beside the flue. Wood needs some humidity but all it received
was dry wood smoke from the chimney behind the closet in the other room of the
upper chamber, causing it to crack a little. It has been maintained since I
began taking lessons, even when it isn’t being played. I am told that
instruments need to be played, as if they were animate objects. I regret not
playing it after I grew up, and now it belongs to my daughter who hasn’t the
time for it. But, Uncle Billy and Aunt Maggie, I haven’t forgotten you, and I
will love you until the day I die. I am grateful for my great-grandfather, who
told the stories to my mother, and to my mother, for telling them to me. Premise or purpose statement: I will tell the life
story of William Oliver Snider and Margaret Eliza Holmes (Uncle Billy and Aunt
Maggie) through the windows of the house that their mutual ancestor, Isaac
Ketchum, built.
HAPPY 96th
BIRTHDAY WISHES
To Elsa
Ballantyne, matriarch of our Holmes family.
Here she is
with her daughter, Cynthia.
Elsa and
Cynthia are in the Louisa Holmes line.
And then,
yesterday . . .
News From Holmes
John and I entered the world together with her (just
the 3 of us) and she left this earth with us by her side (just the 3 of us).
Though it happened in less than a week, everything went as she wanted it to go,
so smoothly and peacefully.
Though sorely missed, I imagine the reunion she is
having with so many family members & endless friends and now she is walking
and dancing as much as she can!
Thank you to each of you who ever met her for she
loved each of you individually and fully! ‘We are sad but not mad and we will
be ok’ for the gospel has taught us this is not the end it is the beginning of
peace and love.
Elsa was born in La Paz, Bolivia, in 1929. She married
Daniel R Ballantyne. Daniel died in Florida in 1996. He was in the Sarah Louisa
Ballantyne line. You can read more about her interesting life at her obituary
at
https://myers-mortuary.com/obituaries/elsa-ballantyne?
OUR LOYALIST –
ACADIAN CONNECTION
Some of you will be
able to read this, and some of you will not, and I don’t have enough expertise
to translate it. It’s published in “Acadie Nouvelle,” the newspaper of the
Acadien peoples of New Brunswick, in a column called “Racines Acadiennes,”
translated Acadien Roots. You can see my name in several places, and the
signature of our ancestor, Samuel Holmes Sr. (c. 1744 – 1796)
Document is entirely in French. If you'd like to see it, let me know.
Save the Date
Denis and I will be doing a joint presentation about breaking down our
brick wall. Kim will be in attendance and you can say a few words if you like.
You are welcome to join us in person or on Zoom at 2 PM New Brunswick time on
March 15. I will give you instructions to the zoom link.
This ends
week four of our centennial virtual celebration of 1925 - 2025.
