Uncle Peg’s Chronicles
November 20, 2025
“Trader and Attorney”
“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.
FAMILY ALBUM
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This
is the railroad depot in Rat Portage, when Fenwick and Maud lived there, c
1885. I have permission to use it for personal use but not for a book. Pretty
sure Fenwick is one of the men – well, maybe.
And I Quote:
“It’s a
Good Chronicle.”
Thanks,
Jeanni
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
A reminder: Howard ‘Fenwick’ Holmes was
the youngest son of Daniel and Charlotte (Hoyt) Holmes. He married Maud Marion
English, and shortly thereafter, they moved to Rat Portage of Keewatin, soon to
be Manitoba, which was changed to Ontario, and the name changed eventually to
Kenora, Ontario. All in the District of Rainy River. I call them Uncle Fenwick and Aunt Maud.
Once in a blue moon you meet someone
who has the time and interest to help. I met Janet L recently; virtually, not
personally. She volunteers at the Lake of the Woods Museum and Douglas Family
Art Centre in Kenora, Ontario. She hails from Albert County, New Brunswick –
which is across the bridge from where I live (big county, not sure of where).
We struck up a conversation on Facebook messages and continued on email. She
asked that, since our genealogy society group had been helpful to her, would I
like some help. I pondered that, as I didn’t want to overwhelm her, and came up
with a request. Could I get a copy of the early 1880s Hudson Company layout map
of Rat Portage. I wanted to get a sense of where Fenwick and Maud lived and
Fenwick worked. She referred my query on, and eventually, I received my copy of
a map and some details that I had no found on line. Further research of those
details, and I figured out how to read the four early tomes of the land records
of Rat Portage. They have several indexes in them. I am going through them one
by one. No need to tell you, it’s a slow
process.
Fenwick and Maud, together and
separately, purchased and sold so many properties that I am overwhelmed, and
some of you might be as well, so in my chapter, I am only going to focus on one
or two, and list links to the actual books in case I or someone else might like
to refer to them. The one I am going to refer to is the three lots on Third
Street, 68, 69, and 70 in Block 1, on the bottom left. I finally found the
record where he purchased them. They were the first ones to go when they
foreclosed on them. I don’t believe that was where his store was located; I
think that was on Main Street South. I have not found those records – maybe I
will, who knows. I know that he lived on Water Street, which is in Block 1 in
the bottom left, in 1894 and 1897. I don’t know yet when he purchased and sold
or lost his home lot. When he and Maud gave up the three lots 68 to 70, it
didn’t provide enough money to pay off all his debts, so he also had to sell
other lots. This search had made my head spin – but the volunteers at the
museum have helped me immensely.
I had asked for your assistance in
locating the Goad Fire Insurance Map of Rat Portage in 1897. I now have it.
Again, lots 68, 69, and 70 are in pink and blue. If you want copies, let me
know. I don’t think they are online.
If you want to see the maps, ask me for an email.
News from Holmes
I wish to extend our condolences to
Jane (Barber) Williams and her family, on the recent passing of her brother,
Jake, in Paintersville, Ohio. Those of us who work on the family history know
Jane quite well, even though we haven’t met yet in person.
Jane, her brother Jacob, and their
siblings were the children of Clair Barber and Verona Witheril. Verona
(Witheril) Barber was the daughter of Clair Witheril and Irma Bull. Clair
Witheril was the son of Henry E Witheril and Minerva D Johnson. Henry E Witheril
was the son of Henry G Witheril and Betsy Marinda Holmes. Betsy Marinda Holmes
was the daughter of Samuel Holmes Jr and Betsey McElmon. Samuel Holmes Jr was
the son of Samuel Holmes Sr and Elizabeth Fountain.
In chart form: Jacob Barber – Clair
Barber and Verona Witheril – Clair Witheril and Irma Bull – Henry E Witheril
and Minerva D Johnson – Henry G Witheril and Betsy Marinda Holmes – Samuel
Holmes Jr and Betsey McElmon – Samuel Holmes Sr and Elizabeth Fountain.
Samuel Holmes Sr and Elizabeth Fountain
were the first to leave America after the American Revolution, to come to Nova
Scotia, Canada. They brought some of their children with them, and some were
born here. I think Samuel Jr was born in Canada. Samuel Jr’s first wife, Phoebe
Holstead, died after giving birth to two children, one who died; the other was
Daniel Holmes, who moved to the Petitcodiac area of New Brunswick. That makes
Daniel and Betsy Marinda half siblings.
Jane’s siblings are John, Charles,
Shirley, Jane Joanne, James, Mary Lou, Arlene, Ann, Jake, Betsy Ann, Diane,
Lois, Donald, and Donna.
Obituary of Jacob G ‘Jake’ Barber
Born on January 28, 1947, in New
York, he was the son of Clair and Verona (Witherill) Barber.
Jake retired, after 20 years, from
the United States Navy; he served in Vietnam and was a Plank Owner on the USS
Yorktown CG-48. He worked for Lockeed Martin as an Electrical Engineer and
happily farmed for many years.
Jake loved hunting, fishing and
raising bird dogs, horses and cattle. He was happiest at home on his beloved
farm.
Jake is survived by his wife of 57
years, Vera R. Hull Barber.
Also left to cherish his memory are
children: Daniel (Allison) Barber of Brandon, MS, Brian (Amy) Barber of
Paintersville, Rebecca (Damion) Pirolli of Davidson, NC, and Stephen (Erika)
Barber of Dillsburg, PA.; grandchildren: Kathryn Anne (Tino), Ramsey (Brent),
Titus, Samuel, Hannah, Nathan (Anna Jo), Anna, Evie, Ellie, Sarah and Jake;
great-grandchildren: Jane Tate, Avonlea Anne, and Eliana; along with siblings:
Jim, Jane, Anne, Arlene, Don, Diane, and Donna; and a host of extended family
members.
At this time, there are no planned
services. Littleton Funeral Home has been entrusted with final arrangements.
https://www.littletonfuneralhome.com/obituaries/jacob-g-jake-barber
FAMILY HISTORY LESSON
How can I possibly describe to
you what I am doing? I am confused myself, but I have made myself a method –
which will, when finished, be like a spreadsheet – whether online or on paper –
I have yet to determine. I continue to learn about what occurs in land records
– previously in New Brunswick, and now in Ontario. I learn new terms, often
legal. I learn what needs to be included and understood. And some things, I’ll
just have to accept as I see them, for I can barely understand them. Not a
whole lot will appear in Fenwick’s chapter, but I feel it important to learn
this, for myself and also as a genealogist and media editor of the NBGS
Facebook site.
These are some of the things I
will include – the list keeps growing.
Image no.; page no.; Number of
Indenture or Instrument; Date of document; Date of Registration of Document;
Type of document, as in deed, mortgage, lien, quit claim, quiet claim (yes,
they are different), discharge of same; Mortgagor or mortgagee aka borrower or
lender; Buyer or seller; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th part
etc, and names of said parties; Interest rate on mortgages; . . .
I found Fenwick was a trader
and attorney for a mining company, in 1890.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS54-B93N-N?view=fullText&keywords=Holmes%2CAccountant%2COntario%2CCanada&lang=en&groupId=M9M4-H36
Trader, I could understand. Attorney, I could not. I thought of an attorney as
a lawyer, and indeed he is, but not always. I did a little AI research and
mentioned it in the NBGS Genealogy group. Ken McKinley, professional
genealogist, recommended I look at Black’s “A Dictionary of Law,” second
edition. I found what I was looking for, but what I want to do is save the
reference for future, so I starred it and put it here (page 102):
https://archive.org/details/ALawDictionary1910/page/n5/mode/2up
Further revision, and I found
Fenwick mentioned as an accountant on his border crossing form in 1913.
This ends
week forty-seven of our centennial virtual celebration of 1925 – 2025.
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