The material in this section comes from a Book of Origins prepared by Arthur Lake Holmes. The book contains a certificate from the Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of Iowa, accepting Arthur into the Society; and the entry page into the book lists the three lines which Arthur claimed. The certificate is dated 1931.
The book is handwritten; the handwriting is small and clear. The book was in the keeping of Holmes Amsden Fay, and disappeared at his death. There was a rumor in one part of the family that it had been taken by someone who had no right to it, and there was some bitter feeling because of that. It was also believed that the book contained irreplaceable material about the Fays.
Both parts of this have now been shown to be inaccurate. The book was discovered relatively recently in the attic of Holmes' brother; it came into the possession of Holmes' nephew, who has made it available to others here. In addition, there is not one mention of a Fay in the book. The only connection to the Fays is through the marriage of Gladys Elizabeth Holmes, sister of Arthur Lake Holmes, to Horace Amsden Fay. Thus only the children of that marriage, Holmes Amsden Fay and David Darrah Fay, are directly affected by these lines. The information given here, however, is fascinating.
In addition, there is a good chance that there was a second book. A marriage notice in pencil was copied from a book done by Holmes. The dates and the contents simply do not agree with what we know of the history and contents of THIS book. Was Holmes "inspired" by the work of Arthur, his uncle, and decided to trace the Fays in the same way? If so, where is THAT book? Or is this notice actually in the material at the back of this book, and I have not yet spotted it?
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