APHGA Weekly Report 10/5/2009

The Great A. A. Pomeroy Book Update Project

Barb finished matching Pomeroys and variant spellings in the New Orleans LA Birth Records Index 1790 – 1899 on Ancestry.com. She also matched Pomeroys and variant spellings in the New Orleans, LA Death Index, 1804-1949, the Nevada Divorce Index 1968-2005, the Nebraska Marriages 1856-1898 records on Ancestry.com against our various databases.

Betty entered matched ME Death Index records and SSDI records and related census records into our several Pomeroy databases, and filed those records.

Barb continued her review of the New York State Library Online Newspaper Index. She found several interesting articles including a charge of forgery against George Q(uartus) Pomeroy (George, Quartus, Seth, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed), and a name change “Frederick Curtis Squires [of Franklin County] may take the name as Samuel Pomeroy Montague”, from the Legislative Acts of 1843. There is a Moses Montague listed in “The History and Genealogy of the Pomeroy Family”, by Albert A. Pomeroy (1912, Salem) who married Mary (Polly) Pomeroy (Benjamin, Josiah, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed) 2 Oct 1820. This was Moses’ second marriage, and according to A.A. Pomeroy, Mary’s first, although she was 33 years old. Both Moses and Mary lived and died in Sunderland, Franklin Co., MA. Was Frederick Curtis Squires a child of Mary’s from a first marriage, or perhaps he was a grandchild? Or was Frederick unrelated and adopted by the Montagues?

Rick searched the University of Virginia website’s digital collection of George Washington papers for Pomeroys. He found and extracted copies pertaining to Seth Pomeroy and Ralph Pomeroy and a mention of a “Mr. Pomeroy’s Inn” in Cambridge (MA or NY?) as being used for Court Marshalls. Rick also found a reference to land being set aside for Canadian and Nova Scotia refugee which he passed on to Lee.

Alena continued to enter the book “History and Genealogy of the Pomeroy Family and Collateral Lines England-Ireland-America comprising the Ancestors and Descendants of George Pomeroy of Pennsylvania”, by William McL. and J. Nevin Pomeroy (Cuneo Eastern Press, 1958) into the George Pomeroy database.

Lee and Ed continued to research Canadian/Maine Pomeroys. Lee was able to identify a ‘dangling’ Pomeroy (Abner and family) as a son of George A. Pomeroy, son of Silas and a descendant of Eltweed. Ed continued to trace a Maine Pomeroy family that moved to Illinois and Wisconsin, in specific Rufus and Francis (Frank) Pomeroy. They were both granite cutters in Amberg, WI and raised families there. Each married twice. Frank’s wife was from Canada and his two eldest children were born in Canada. The children of these two men moved out west to become miners in Colorado and Arizona. One of the sons moved on into Oregon. Ed has been entering the research he has done into the Unlinked Pomeroy database. Rufus and Francis, among others, were the sons of Francis Grant and Jerushia B. (Lunt) Pomeroy. Francis was the son of William and Nancy (Grant) Pomeroy. William was an early settler of Long Island Plantation. For more on this family see the book “Hauling by Hand” by Dean Lawrence Lunt (Islandport Press, Inc., 1999, Frenchboro, ME).

Judy and Nancy continued to data-enter miscellaneous records into the various Pomeroy databases. Nancy concentrated on the George A. Pomeroy family (Silas, Abner, Caleb, Samuel, Caleb, Eltweed), and in particular, Abner, oldest son of George. We had not previously known whether Abner was a descendant of Eltweed, but Lee’s research of these families in Northumberland County, Ontario, Canada, helped us prove that he was a son of George. We have not taken the Abner family out of the Unlinked Pomeroy database and moved him to the Eltweed database!

Judy continued to check the Periodical Source Index (PERSI) for Pomeroys and Coes, in preparation for her planned visit to the Fort Wayne Library.

Nancy spent a significant amount of time last week creating the APHGA blog site and adding two posts. Hopefully, once Nancy gets used to the new format for the weekly report this will take less time! Nancy also communicated with new APHGA members including Don Plefka, an Eltweed descendant through the marriage of Samuel Clap(p) and Mary Pomeroy (Joshua, Joshua, Eltweed). Don’s story is quite remarkable, check out his website at http://www.plefka.net/Family00.htm .

The Pomeroy Anvil Trail

Work continued on the Pomeroy Anvil Monument for Lyons, NY, which will be dedicated to Rev. Francis Pomeroy (Timothy, Daniel, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed). Bill and Nancy spent time fine tuning an agreement with the First Presbyterian Church and Nancy worked with Jim Gibbons and the Karl Lutz Monument Company, Inc. on details such as placement of the monument, construction of the foundation and setting of the monument. The First Presbyterian Church of Lyons, NY is celebrating their 200th anniversary this coming weekend, October 10th and 11th, 2009. Saturday plans include a celebration and worship in the sanctuary along with a brunch in the Fellowship Hall, past members will be honored. Events on Saturday should run between 10:00 am through 2:30pm. An additional dinner reunion was in the planning stages when Nancy visited the Church, so if you’re interested in this, please contact the Church at 315-946-4723. Nancy plans to attend the Saturday celebration. Sunday plans include worship at 10am followed by a lunch at 12:30.

Rick continued his search of the survey of Evert Van Wickle (mentioned in Francis Pomeroy’s deed). He checked Ontario County Records and Archives and the Allegany County historians, with no luck. The record may be held in the Pulteney Collection in Bath, N.Y. He contacted the town of Angelica as Van Wickle also laid out this town, but no survey maps were found. He has left messages with the NYS Archives, the Steuben County Library and the Corning, N.Y. library.

The Pomeroy Collection

New to the collection this week are two journals, “The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol 163, July 2009”, published by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, and the “National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 97, No. J, June 2009”, published by the National Genealogical Society. Also interesting is the addition of a Pomroy & Hall clay beer bottle, ca 1850s purchased by Bill off of e-Bay. The bottle was made for (or by) Simeon Pomeroy (Simeon, Simeon, Samuel, Caleb, Eltweed) of Springfield, MA. He was in business with Ransley Hall. The 1850 US Federal Census of Springfield, MA lists Simeon as a “brewer”. The clay bottle appears to be salt glazed, has no markings except “Pomroy & Hall” stamped on what may be the front of the bottle. The lip of the bottle is chipped and cracked.

The Mary Ann Coe Project

Bill’s third great-grandmother, Mary Ann Coe (1790-1852) married perhaps three times, left her first husband Spencer Pomeroy (Pliny, Daniel, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed), and settled as an independent woman in the frontier town of Norwalk, OH. A fortunate presidential connection has resulted in the preservation of hundreds of family letters, giving some insight but leading to more questions about this strong willed woman who refused to slip quietly into forgotten history.

Rick reviewed the grantor-grantee indexes for Lewis County, NY that had been ordered through the Family History Center for Pomeroy land transactions. These transactions include 2 for Pliny Pomeroy (1786-1857), (Pliny, Pliny, Daniel, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed), one dated January 2, 1820 for property purchased from Caleb Lyon and one dated March 13, 1829, for property purchased from William Parkes. Pliny’s widow Lavina (1787-1882) purchased property from son Charles A. Pomeroy on August 13, 1866. Other Pomeroys listed include Caleb, Titus, George, Samuel, Ralph M., and Daniel C. The Grantor index shows Pliny selling property to Charles A. Mann on March 28, 1829. Charles Addison Mann was a brother of Levina (Mann) Pomeroy, wife of Pliny Pomeroy. Other Pomeroys listed include Titus, Caleb, Simeon, Samuel, Ralph, Levina and Charles A, and Jane, Margaret B, Almira J., George A., and John B., heirs of George Pomeroy to Henry and Joseph A. Bridgeman, on February 2, 1857. George Pomeroy (1793-1849) was the brother of Pliny Pomeroy. He married Jane Brouwer (abt 1802-1867) and the couple had 6 children that we know of: Margaret Brouwer (abt 1823-1883), Almira Jane (abt 1824-1922), George A. Pomeroy (abt 1826–1861), Mary E. Pomeroy (abt 1831–1852), John B. Pomeroy, (1834-between 1910 and 1920), and Ann M. Pomeroy (abt 1836-1851). What’s interesting about this find is that we did not know that George and his family lived in Lewis County, NY. We have found burial records for George, Jane and all their children except for John B., in the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, NY. Apparently John B. was the only child to marry, and we have found him and his family in census records in Rockland County, NY.

Judy researched Allegan Co., MI marriage records on the Family Search website (http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch) for Pomeroys. She copied and entered them into our genealogy databases. Most of the marriages were Pliny, Pliny, Pliny’s grandchildren. She also transcribed Pomeroys and Coes in the 1878 Gazette Directory of Kalamazoo County, MI.
Rick checked Huron County, OH grantor index on microfilm under “Sherriff” – 5 pages found, but no lot numbers or property size listed, and dates were cut off when the book was filmed, so it was impossible to identify whether inlot 6 in Norwalk, OH was sold at a Sheriff’s sale, based on these records.

Rick reviewed Monroe Co., NY newspapers available at http://www.fultonhistory.com/ for letters remaining at the Post Office and any Genesee County, NY, news. He extracted several Pomeroys and a Simeon M. Coe. He also printed articles that refer to the “Poor Law” proposed in 1819 regarding the elimination of incarceration as punishment for this condition. (Spencer Pomeroy’s insolvency papers give a vague reference to that fact that he may have been incarcerated, but we have not found any jail records to prove this.)

Lee reviewed the Jerome Ledgers at the Onondaga Historical Society. These ledgers range from the 1830s to 1840s with a few earlier entries, and contain entries from LeRoy, Genesee Co., NY where the family had an inn. Henry Coe shows up as a regular. She also viewed the assortment of small survey maps included under the towns of Skaneateles, Elbridge, Marcellus and Brutus for Pomeroys and Coes of interest. No immediate connection was made, but she noted that some surveys were for roads and mills, and that if landowners had land “in the way” of, or contiguous to that surveyed property that a name might show up on these surveys. For example, on a road survey through Skaneateles a listing of properties along that road were named; one being E.B. Coe Co. Some surveys had very little on them except dimensions.

Pat continued to enter Pomeroy and Coe connections in the Deyo (Deyoe) Family book into the Eltweed database. She researched and entered additional information about Denton Deyo’s Civil War service from the Rutherford B. Hayes Center Civil War Soldiers Database. Denton Deyo enlisted in the 7th Independent Company of Ohio Volunteer Sharpshooters during the Civil War. This company was known as “General Sherman’s bodyguard” and remained near his person until the close of the war. Pat found and entered additional biographical info and his obituary which she found online. She also researched Denton Deyo’s siblings.

Denton Henry Deyo (1827-1911) was the son of Hiram and Rachel W. (Coe) Deyo. He married 1st, Martha Elizabeth Pomeroy (1831-1898) and 2nd, Sarah Lockwood. Martha Elizabeth Pomeroy was the daughter of Truman E and Martha Whiting (Reed) Pomeroy. Truman’s pedigree is Daniel Sterling, Eleazer D., Daniel, Noah, Joseph, Eltweed. Truman’s mother Lucy (Dimock) Pomeroy moved with her children to Manlius, NY by 1817. She had obtained a divorce from Daniel Sterling Pomeroy in Somers, Tolland Co., CT. She was a seamstress who raised her children in Manlius and attended the Trinity Presbyterian Church with Sarah (Allen) Pomeroy, mother of Spencer Pomeroy who married Mary Ann Coe. Denton Deyo’s mother Rachel Coe was the 4th cousin once removed from Mary Ann Coe.

Pat also entered a book excerpt that refers to Elizabeth Pawling marrying Rev. Oscar J. Squires, son of Josiah Squires and Maria Pomeroy.

Nancy received the mother’s application for Harper Austin’s Civil War pension from the National Archives last week. She ordered the option to receive the file as a pdf on CD, which made it easier to read and store. We had ordered this pension because Harper Austin was a neighbor or the Francis W. Pomeroy family in Sandusky, OH. Francis was the son of Spencer and Mary Ann (Coe) Pomeroy. When Francis’ son Edwin C. Pomeroy died of wounds received at the battle of Kennesaw Mountain, GA., his mother, Matilda (Brown) Pomeroy, applied for his pension. Harper Austin’s mother and brother both gave affidavits to support Matilda’s claim of dependence on Edwin’s financial support of the family and Francis’ odd behavior. Primary source documents held by Matthew Burr, a researcher of Co. B., of the 101st Infantry Regiment, Ohio include letters written by Jay Butler that mention Edwin and Harper as members of the “Sandusky boys”. Harper was the son of a doctor and worked in the army hospital and cared for Edwin when his arm was amputated, and he later died of infection. Nancy ordered Harper Austin’s mother’s application for his pension on the faint hope that perhaps Matilda (Brown) Pomeroy or her children may have given affidavits in support of Ann (Harper) Austin’s claim. Unfortunately, no affidavits from the Pomeroy family were given in this claim.

We have added 402 people, 83 sources and 1933 citations to our genealogy databases over the past week.

© 2009 American Pomeroy Historic Genealogical Association