Uncle Peg’s Chronicles
October 29, 2026
What
Does a Fourth Cousin Relationship Look Like?
“These
were their settlements. And they kept good family records.”
Don’t
forget to look for the title which is embedded in the chronicle.
FAMILY ALBUM
The year - 2008. The location – Caledonia
Mountain, Albert County, New Brunswick. The person – Brett Nolte. What is he
standing beside?
And I Quote:
I loved, loved, loved
this issue, especially the pics of your dad and U. Ralph and the Pierce-Auto.
The guest book entries
and info was most interesting, making me wish that I had kept a guest book.
I like to hear all the
old names, not that I'm a big fan particularly of names like Herbert and
Ira. I do think that they would be popular names in their day. ~ Ruth
This is not in relation to the chronicle, but an
answer to my question to Susan and Kirk: “Are you home yet?”
Hi Peg, we made it home
safely! It was such a wonderful trip and we saw so much. When we left Moncton
we went to Nova Scotia and spent two weeks there. I saw on Facebook that you
were there too! We stumbled upon the Scarecrow Festival at Mahone Bay too. It
was so cute! and one of our highlights. Of course, we loved Cabot Trail and
Halifax. We camped along the way and met so many awesome people. We ate so much
lobster (from lobster sushi to lobster poutine lol). After NS we took the ferry
to PEI. We just spent a few days there, covering Cavendish Red beach and ice
cream at Holman's in Summerside. Then we followed fall leaf peeping and went to
Quebec and saw Montmorency Falls plus we ate pastrami sandwiches at Schwartz's
Deli in Montreal. Phew, how did we do? Did we see much of Canada? Anyway, we
loved it. Thank you so much for taking me to the genealogy meeting. It was
fascinating. Let me know if you pursue the Loyalist Group. I'm interested
too or maybe you can put it in the newsletter, if you do.
Again, it was a pleasure to
see you, take care, Susan and Kirk
1926
to 1928
1924 to 1928 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.
2026
to 2028
As I
chatted over dinner with Kirk and Susan (Hyde) Jackson (of the Louisa Holmes
Ballantyne line), in September, she asked me a question that caught me off
guard: “are there any musicians in our Holmes family? There are none in mine.”
Oh my,
where to begin? If there are no musicians in your line, Susan, be assured, your
ancestors, direct and collateral, were certainly gifted. They are next in line
for me to update, and already I have found a new addition to their story. They
were teachers, lawyers, office workers . . . and I’ll have to revisit them to
find out just everything there is to know about them. It will be a while, as I
have to prepare for my presentation, but I hope to find more.
There are
musicians in our family – past and present. I trust there always will be.
Sometime, I should make a list. Susan, you asked an excellent question.
Brian
Holmes (William N Holmes line, son of Fen) recently wrote music for a carol,
revising from soprano to four parts
(SATB) at my request. He sets old poems to music for Christmas greetings. Last
year’s poem was “Carol We High, Carol We Low,” which was published in a 1916
compilation of carols by Charles Lewis Hutchins, called “Carols Old and Carols
New.”
On Wednesday the 21st, I went to the church and
printed (with his permission) forty-five copies. They are now in our folders.
On Saturday the 24th, our choir members went to our annual Christmas
retreat to sight-read all of our upcoming Christmas music. In December, my
choir will sing an anonymous old carol set to Brian’s music. Yes, I am excited.
1. Carol we high, carol we low,
Sweetly carol we soft and slow;
Carol we loud with the angel throng,
Carol we joyfully all night long.
2. Carol of fields, where in the night
Wakeful shepherds beheld a light;
Heard with amaze how in Bethlehem
Jesus, the Saviour, was born for them.
3. Carol how they joyfully ran,
There to behold their God made Man;
Leaving their flocks in the fields to be
Kept by the angels, right fearlessly.
4. Carol of how all on the hay
He whom the angels told of, lay;
Tenderly cherished by Mary's love,
Rev'rently worshipped by hosts above.
A wee bit
of Brian’s story: https://missionchamber.org/brian-holmes/
DNA NEWS
Every so often, I check my DNA conundrums
to see if there is an update. I regularly check the origin of Janet Minella
Nolte’s grandfather. This week, I checked on Janet’s DNA, and I added a couple
of new family lines to her probable Ellis ancestors. The amount of DNA that
Janet shares with a lady named Gwendolyn is 2% shared DNA: 107 cM across four
segments – the longest being 35 cM. I haven’t seen Gwendolyn’s name before, and
she only has five people in her tree. I believe they are a fourth cousin match.
(Please correct me if you think I am wrong.)
I don’t consider myself overly
knowledgeable about DNA, but I know some of the basics. I wanted to know where
Janet fit in her list of matches. Her strongest maternal match is with Scott
Underhill, of the Charles R Holmes line. She is between Marika Patterson and
Marie Dockter. I know for a fact that these Scott and these two ladies are in
the Holmes line; Marika is in the Charles R Holmes line, and Marie, in the
William N Holmes line. There is no disputing the fact that Janet has Holmes
DNA. Comparing these individuals:
Holmes line - Scott:
6% shared DNA: 421 cM across 19 segments
Holmes line - Marika:
2% shared DNA: 112 cM across 7 segments
Ellis line -
Gwendolyn: 2% shared DNA: 107 cM across 4 segments
Holmes line - Marie:
2% shared DNA: 105 cM across 7 segments
By doing some
traditional research, I determined that Janet and Gwendolyn are fourth cousins.
They share great-great-great grandparents, William N Ellis (by traditional
research) and Nancy aka Ann Campbell (by traditional and DNA research).
I explored two other
matches and added them to her tree, but this is the closest Ellis match I have
found. The list of her Ellis DNA connections is growing.
I revisited the
William Ellis who I believe is the father of Lillian Holmes Underhill, but I
found nothing new. Is William even correct? I still wonder. I wish I knew why
young William disappeared. All I can say is that Janet’s grandfather is likely
Mister Ellis, but I believe that Janet’s paternal great-grandparents are
William T Ellis, born 1847 in East Bideford, Prince Edward Island, and Amanda A
Blakney, born 1854 in New Brunswick. I don’t find much DNA evidence for the
Blakney side, but I do find traditional evidence.
Here is a FamilySearch
link to explain centimorgans, if it interests you:
https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/centimorgan-chart-understanding-dna
What
does a fourth cousin relationship look like? I have chosen four individuals
from our Holmes family tree, solely for comparison purposes, so you can see a
third great grandparent/fourth cousin relationship.
Charles
(Stoney) Worster – Bertha Holmes Worster – Charles H Holmes – William N Holmes
– Daniel Holmes – Samuel Holmes Jr.
Eleanor
Holmes Wilson – Julian Holmes – Cecil T Holmes – Peter K Holmes – Daniel Holmes
– Samuel Holmes Jr.
Peg
Moore Vasseur – Margaret Holmes Moore – Floyd Holmes – Charles R Holmes –
Daniel Holmes – Samuel Holmes Jr.
Janet
Minella Note – Lillian Holmes Underhill Minella – Ella Holmes Underhill –
Charles R Holmes – Daniel Holmes – Samuel Holmes Jr.
Comparing
Janet and her DNA match, Gwendolyn, at 107 cM over four segments, with the
longest segment being 35 cM:
Janet
Minella Nolte – Lillian Holmes Underhill Minella – Mister Ellis (possibly
William) – William T Ellis – James Ellis – Nancy AKA Ann Campbell Ellis.
Gwendlyn
née Johnstone – Harriet Mountain Johnstone – M Janetta Horne Mountain – Sarah
Jane MacLean Horne – Sarah Ellis MacLean – Nancy AKA Ann Campbell Ellis.
William
N Ellis and Nancy aka Ann Campbell married and had several children, including
James and Sarah. James Ellis and Sarah Ellis MacLean are siblings. William T
Ellis and Sarah Jane MacLean Horne are first cousins. Mister Ellis and Janetta
Horne Mountain are second cousins. Lillian Holmes Underhill Minella and Harriet
Mountain Johnstone are third cousins.
Janet and Gwendolyn are fourth cousins.
General
rule - take all AI answers with a grain of salt. In this case, it gives sources
in brackets, which is good. I guessed at Gwen’s age, based on the marriage of
her parents; Janet was born in 1933. I asked AI: “Is 2% shared DNA of
107 cM across 4 segments with the longest segment being 35 cM, with one born
1940 and one born 1933 and a common surname Ellis and at Ancestry a good
match,” and got this response:
AI
Overview
Yes,
this is an excellent, highly actionable DNA match. At AncestryDNA,
sharing 107 cM across 4 segments with a longest segment of 35 cM
represents a solid biological relationship. Because the two individuals were
born so close in time (1933 and 1940), they belong to the exact same
generation, which significantly simplifies narrowing down the family
tree.
Explore
Your DNA +1
The
combination of the genetic data, the generational alignment, and the shared
surname Ellis gives you a massive head start in confirming exactly how
you are related.
🧬 Why the
Genetic Data is Strong
- The
Longest Segment (35 cM): This is the most crucial detail. A longest
segment of 35 cM is large enough to safely rule out "sticky
segments" (distant, random population matching). It proves a recent,
definitive common ancestor.
- The Segment Count (4 segments): Sharing 107 cM across just 4 segments means the pieces of DNA are
large and intact, which is highly characteristic of closer, more recent
cousin relationships rather than distant multi-generational ones.
Living DNA
📅
Generational Alignment (1933 vs. 1940)
Because
both individuals were born within 7 years of each other, you do not have to
worry about "once removed" or "twice removed" generational
gaps. You are looking for a same-generation cousin relationship.
Based on
statistical data from the Shared cM Project on DNA Painter, here
are the most likely relationships for 107 cM where the individuals are in the
same generation:
DNA
Painter
|
Relationship |
Probability |
What it Means |
|
Second
Cousin (2C) |
Highest
Probability (~35-40%) |
You
share the same Great-Grandparents (an Ellis couple). |
|
Half
Second Cousin |
Moderate
Probability |
You
share only one Great-Grandparent (an Ellis individual who remarried). |
|
Third
Cousin (3C) |
Lower
Probability |
You
share the same 2nd Great-Grandparents. (Note: 107 cM is a bit high for
a standard 3C, making 2C more likely). |
🔍 How to
Use the "Ellis" Surname to Solve This
Finding
a shared surname on a match of this strength is the ultimate clue. Since you
both share the Ellis name, follow these targeted steps on Ancestry to
find the exact connection:
Explore
Your DNA
- Check the Match's Tree for Ellis: Look at their public or unlinked
tree. Specifically look for an Ellis ancestor born roughly between 1860
and 1890—this would be the right timeframe for a Great-Grandparent to
children born in the 1930s/1940s.
- Examine "Shared Matches": Click on the match and view your Shared Matches. If you see other
known cousins from your Ellis branch, it confirms this match belongs
exclusively to that lineage.
- Trace the
Descendants: Look at your own Ellis great-grandparents. List all of their
children (your grandparents' siblings). One of those grand-uncles or
grand-aunts is highly likely to be the direct ancestor of your 1933/1940
match.
FAMILY HISTORY LESSON
Robert Ballantyne’s Probat
Robert R
Ballantyne, husband of Louisa Holmes, died suddenly and intestate. He was fifty
years of age. When this happens, and the decedent has a sizeable estate, the
court must appoint an administrator of the estate for the probate. They
appointed his eldest son, Daniel W Ballantyne.
Daniel
Ballantyne – Robert R and Sarah Louise (Holmes) Ballantyne – Daniel and
Charlotte (Hoyt) Holmes.
Note
that Grace’s name is written several times as “Grace E. H. Ballantyne.” I don’t
recall ever seeing an “E” as a middle name. Alice is written “Allie,” and
Winafred as “Wina.”
We the subscribers represent
that Robert R Ballantyne a resident of Lincoln in said County at the time of
his decease, died on the 27th day of January A.D. 1892, intestate,
possessed of estate exceeding the Sum of one hundred dollars, which ought to be
Administered according to law, and prays that administration thereof be granted
to Daniel W. Ballantyne, a Son of said deceased, Said Daniel W. Ballantyne is
twenty one years of age and suitably qualified for Said trust We
also state that our relationship to Said deceased is as is written to A right
of our respective names, and that we are the only relatives who are of Age, and
that there are five minor children of said deceased, living
Sarah
L. Ballantyne widow Grace
E. H. Ballantyne daughter Wina
L. Ballantyne daughter
Lincoln,
Me. Feb 5 – 92
Citation:
FamilySearch Full Text. Penobscot. Probate Records 1816-1915, Probate Estate
Case Files 1816-1915. Images 358 – 377. Accessed October 22, 2026. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-896B-YDRS?view=fullText&keywords=Daniel+W.+Ballantyne%2CMAINE&searchForm=advanced&lang=en
Uncle
Peg wishes you a happy, ancestor haunted Hallowe’en.
This ends
week forty - three of our centennial virtual celebration of 1926 – 2026.
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