APHGA's Weekly Report 10/20/2009

The Great A. A. Pomeroy Book Update Project

Lee, Barb, Bill and Nancy attended the Central New York Genealogical Society’s Fall Conference on Saturday. Guest speaker Meldon J. Wolfgang III gave three presentations: “Sleuthing in the Stacks: Using Uncommon Resources to Uncover Genealogical Clues”, “Researching Birds of a Feather, How Cluster and Group Studies Can Help Put New Leaves On Your Family Tree”, and “Beyond the Basics, Techniques for Newspaper Research”. At $20 for visitors, and free to members, the CNYGS put on a great conference. To learn more about the CNYGS visit their website at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nycnygs/index.htm . If you ever get an opportunity to attend a lecture by Meldon Wolfgang, do it! To learn more about Meldon, visit his website at http://jonathansheppardbooks.com/lecturelist.htm .

A quick check of our website statistics showed increased interest in our blog. We have had 100 unique visitors to the blog since its creation last month! 69% of our viewers were referred from other sites, including the APHGA MyFamily.com site, The APHGA’s public site at: www.americanpomeroys.org , Facebook and Cyndi’s list. The APHGA public site is maintaining an average of 28 unique visitors per day, with referrals coming from our blog, the Pomeroy Family Association, Jill Hurst’s blog, Wayne County Life, Rootsweb and Genealogy.com forums and Don Pleska’s site.

Nancy reviewed the US Patents database on Ancestry.com for Pomeroys, and found 616 potential matches! We’ll have to spend some time collecting this data. Nancy moved a large family that was in our Unlinked Pomeroy database into our George Pomeroy database. Nancy also completed the APHGA’s first direct mailing. We targeted Pomeroys who were Ham radio operators. Bill is also a Ham radio operator (WA2LEY) and we wrote a nice letter introducing Bill and the APGHA. We also enclosed our new tri-fold brochure. We’re hoping for a good response and will let you know what happens. Our next step will be to try a larger mailing.

Nancy heard from several new Pomeroy descendants and researchers, including Jill G., a descendant of Mary E. Pomeroy who married Charles H. Goodier. Mary E. Pomeroy (Joseph, John Spencer, John, Nathaniel, Joseph, Medad, Eltweed) was born abt 1848 in VT, and married Charles Goodier by 1868. The family lived in Burlingame, Osage Co., KS in 1880 and in Irondale, Arapahoe Co., CO in 1900, according to the U.S. Federal Census. It appears that Charles died before 1910 as Mary was listed as a widow in the U.S. Federal Census. She was living with her son Clarence T. Goodier and his family in Oakley, Logan Co., KS. If anyone is related to this family, please let me know so I can let Jill know.

Nancy also received an e-mail from Kathryn S., a descendant of Caleb Pomeroy, b. abt 1777 in MA, who married Phebe Strong ca 1805. Phebe was born abt 1782 in MA. Caleb was an early resident of Lewis County, NY according to the 1810, 1820 and 1830 US Federal Census, identified as living in the town of Denmark in 1820 and 1830. According to the 1840 and 1850 US Federal Census, Caleb and family were living in Antwerp, Jefferson Co., NY. Phebe died 25 Jan 1852 and was buried in the Bacon Cemetery in Antwerp. The transcription of Town of Antwerp Cemetery inscriptions on the USGenWeb Jefferson County site states that she was the wife of Caleb and was 71years old at the time of her death. We have not been able to find a date of death or final resting place for Caleb Pomeroy.

Additional records for Caleb Pomeroy were found in the Ancestry.com database “War of 1812 Service Records”. A Caleb Pomeroy was a member of the 101 Regiment (Cartter’s), New York Militia. His rank at induction was Sergeant; his rank at discharge was Ensign. We also found on the Jefferson County, NY GenWeb site the “Muster Roll of Capt. John McNitt’s Company of Militia of the State of New York, Under Command of Lt. Col. Zebean Carter from Oct 11, 1814 to Nov. 19, 1814, Troops in the War of 1812”, transcribed by Florence Secor. Under Capt. William Root’s Co., Oct. 11, 1814 to Nov. 19, 1814 was found “Caleb Pomeroy Ensign”. The Ancestry.com database “U.S. Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1798-1940” listed “Caleb Pomeroy, muster date 1803, rank Private”. The image of the original record lists the “Return of the Detachment of Marines delivered by Lieut Geddes to Lt. Porter”. A quick search of Lieutenants Geddes and Porter on Google didn’t clarify matters – we will have to look into this at greater length because there is no indication of where these troops served. The book “Military Minutes of the Council of Appointment of the State of New York, 1783-1821”, compiled and edited by Hugh Hastings and Henry Harmon Noble, (Albany, State of New York, 1901) on page 1596 listed “Caleb Pomeroy, vice Broadway, do;” as an Ensign in the 101st Regiment, Lewis County in 1815. I believe the “vice Broadway” means that he replaced an Ensign Broadway. Daniel Cobb was listed as the Lieutenant Colonel, “vice Carter, resigned”. On page 1828 Caleb Pomeroy was listed as Captain of the 101st Regiment, Lewis County in 1817.

So far we have not been able to find two Caleb Pomeroys of the right age in Vermont and New York at the same time, which makes it probable that the Caleb Pomeroy b abt 1777 in MA who married Phebe Strong and lived in Lewis and Jefferson Counties in NY is the same as Caleb Pomeroy (Caleb, Caleb, Samuel, Caleb, Eltweed) b. abt 1776 who married Mary Stratton of Vermont, whose child Caleb Stratton Pomeroy was b. 7 Jul 1797, in probably Vershire, Orange Co., VT. Did Mary (Stratton) Pomeroy die young and did Caleb remarry? The only odd thing is that if Caleb who married Phebe Strong is the Caleb who married Mary Stratton, why would he name two sons Caleb S. Pomeroy? The older Caleb S(tratton) Pomeroy was alive when the younger Caleb S(trong) Pomeroy was born. There is, though, a strong tradition of naming sons Caleb in this family!

Another interesting piece of information we found on this family comes from a GEDCOM posted on Ancestry.com, entitled “Zehm Genealogy”. This GEDCOM associates Charles Smith Pomeroy as a second son of Caleb Pomeroy and Mary Stratton. According to Bill [Zehm?], Charles was born 21 Aug 1815 and was adopted by Joshua Pomeroy (Gideon, Joshua, Samuel, Caleb, Eltweed) and his first wife Rachel Strong. If Caleb Pomeroy who married Mary Stratton was the same Caleb Pomeroy who married Phebe Strong, I don’t think Charles Smith Pomeroy could be his child by Mary as he was likely married to Phebe Strong before 1810, based on the age of the children in his household according to the 1810 US Federal Census.

As if we need further evidence of serendipity in genealogical research (thanks Hank Jones!), when we checked the deed indexes for Lewis County in our research of the Pliny Pomeroy family, we found deeds for Caleb Pomeroy. Rick organized the deeds we wish to order from Lewis County and wrote a letter to the County Clerk’s office requesting an estimate of the cost for copies. Perhaps these deeds will provide more information about Caleb. We’ll keep you posted!

Nancy and Judy spent time entering Pomeroy research into our various databases. Nancy concentrated on Caleb Pomeroy research. Judy has been catching up on a lot of odds and ends research and Canadian Census records.

Judy and Lee worked together researching George Washington Pomeroy (George A., Silas, Abner, Caleb, Samuel, Caleb) who was born abt 1837 in Upper Canada and moved to Muskegon, Muskegon Co., MI by 20 Sep 1871 when he married Mary Ann Giles. Judy has ordered George’s naturalization record from the Archives of Michigan in order to get a better idea when he left Canada.

Betty continued to enter Social Security Death Index records into our Pomeroy databases. She created folders for entered records. Betty also entered records relating to Ransom Pomeroy, a brother of George Washington Pomeroy (above) who Lee had been researching. Betty is currently entering Pomeroys found in the Ancestry.com database “Ontario, Canada Marriages, 1857-1924”.

Ed’s Maine Pomeroy research and data-entry has shifted to reviewing Maine newspaper records online. Some of the more interesting articles he has found include a Pomeroy Ham radio buff who died in 1939, and article on a Pomeroy who drowned and another who was shot on a hunting trip (we later learned he survived the injury, phew!)

Barb split her time this week between matching Pomeroys in the Ancestry.com database “New England Marriages Prior to 1700”, and “Connecticut Death Indices 1949-2001”, and reviewing Pomeroys found on America’s Historical Newspapers, available to NYS Historians through the NYS Library website. Some interesting articles include one from the Connecticut Journal dated 19 Nov 1773 “Last Thursday the Company of Military Adventurers met in this Place agreeable to Adjournment, when the unanimously voted that they would pursue the most vigorous Measures to carry on the Settlement of the Lands in West Florida, reserved for them by the Government [England] as soon as possible. Ralph Pomeroy was mentioned as being named Clerk of said Company. We believe the Ralph Pomeroy mentioned was the son of Benjamin and Abigail (Wheelock) Pomeroy (Benjamin, Joseph, Medad, Eltweed). Ralph would later go on to be a Lieutenant fighting with Connecticut in the Revolution and the Deputy Quartermaster General in Hartford, CT in May 1781.

Another article mentions a “Mr. Pomeroy” (that sound was the collective groan of our research team!) From The Statesman, dated 30 Dec 1812, headlined “Zanesville”: “A Mr. Dorastus Snow, one of the inhabitants who fled from Lower Sandusky after Hull’s surrender and now residing in Clinton, informs us that a party of nine men, including himself, had returned to the settlement, on the 15th November were engaged in digging potatoes, while one man stood centry [sic]. A party of 17 Indians approached undiscovered, and fired on them, killed a Mr. Pomeroy, and wounded a Mr. Shannon. The whites then retreated, and the Indians came forward and scalped Mr. Pomeroy. While scalping him, the whites stole up under cover of a marsh, fired on them and killed three Indians, at the same time yelling out for the others to head them. The Indians fled precipitately and left six rifles, which were taken together with three scalps. Mr. Shannon is expected to recover.” Does anyone have a clue as to who this unfortunate Mr. Pomeroy was?

And lastly, from the New York Daily Times, dated 1 Mar 1852, was a long article concerning the showering and yoking of prisoners. One quote is from Charles W. Pomeroy (Watrous, Charles, Noah, Noah, Joseph, Eltweed), agent of the Auburn, NY prison: “The abuse of the shower-bath, in improper hands, is more injurious than the abuse of the cat. The bat is more likely to injure the health of a convict than the cat. I have no doubt but that the minds of convicts have been impaired, and in some cases ruined by the bath. I have no objections to a proper use of the bath.” (He would have made a good politician!) For more about NY State prison reform visit the NYS Corrections History Org.’s website at http://www.correctionhistory.org .

Lee finished researching Ransom/David R. Pomeroy, brother of George Washington Pomeroy (above). Ransom/David R. was born in Canada May 1840. He was in Turtle, Rock Co., WI by 2 Jul 1860 where he appeared in the Joseph Post household according to the 1860 US Federal Census. He enlisted as a quartermaster Sergeant in the 12th Regt. Illinois Cavalry, Co. A on 12 Jul 1861 and mustered out or deserted 29 Jul 1862. This is interesting as one record, Ancestry.com’s database of “American Civil War Soldiers” lists him as deserted, while their database “US Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles” lists him as mustered out. Ransom/David R. goes on to become a dentist in Plano, Kendal Co., IL where he lived with wife Loretta V, prior to moving to Little Rock, Kendall Co., IL. He died, we assume, prior to 11 Jan 1920 on which date his wife identified herself as a widow in the 1920 US Federal Census. Is anyone else researching this family? We’d love to know the truth about Ransom’s service.

Lee prepared marriage record data from the Canada database of Cramahe/Northumberland Pomeroys and matched Pomeroys found in this database. She is re-checking her previous Cramahe/Northumberland research to see if she can find additional Pomeroy family connections.

The Pomeroy Anvil Trail

Nancy and Rick spent some time looking at the Van Wickle Survey map of early Lyons, NY which shows the proximity of Village Lot 2 to Village Lot 1. Nancy communicated with the Lyons First Presbyterian Church and to our monument contractor regarding the installation of a Pomeroy Anvil Monument at the Church.

Rick continued to transcribe Lyons County, NY deeds and mortgages that Nancy found at the County Clerk’s Office. These deeds trace the land transactions of Village Lot 2 which was formerly owned by Rev. Francis Pomeroy (Timothy, Daniel, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed) and sold after his death. The property was subdivided and sold frequently. We are trying to use these deeds to identify where Rev. Francis Pomeroy’s house would have stood.

The Pomeroy Collection

No new accessions this week. Nancy spent a small amount of time organizing digital photographs of the model of the First Presbyterian Church of Lyons, N.Y.

The Mary Ann Coe Project

Nancy continued to abstract the letters that we had photographed and transcribed from the Millard Fillmore collection at the Penfield Library, SUNY Oswego. When completed, Nancy’s database will contain the names, dates and brief information of people mentioned in these letters.

Judy received the Edward Pettit Probate record from Huron County, OH. She transcribed these records and noticed that the file did not appear to be complete, as there was no inventory or final accounting. Judy checked with the County Clerk’s Office and was able to order additional records relating to Edward Pettit’s estate found in the Court of Common Pleas Journals. Edward Pettit sold property on inlot 6 in Norwalk, OH to Mary Ann (Coe) Pomeroy on 6 July 1825. Edward Pettit died 21 Apr 1826 in Norwalk, OH. Mary Ann purchased the rest of the property on inlot 6 from Edward Pettit’s heirs on 18 Jul 1826. According to Huron County, OH tax records, the Estate of Edward Pettit continued to pay taxes on this property through 1832 (we have ordered the tax records for 1833-1834). If Mary Ann purchased this property, why wasn’t she paying taxes? Was there an unfiled or personal mortgage which she was paying off prior to ownership? We were hoping to find this information in Edward Pettit’s probate records. One interesting note relating to this probate record was the appointment of a new administrator to the estate in 1908! The estate had not been settled because of an outstanding mortgage given by Leverett Bradley to Salmon Sharp (the then administrator of the estate) executed 27 Jul 1826 to secure payment of a loan of $157.50. The mortgage had never been cancelled, but Ben B. Wickham, the newly appointed administrator of this estate closed the books on this entry, believing that the loan had been paid and discharged. Ben Breckenridge Wickham was the son of Lt. Frederick C. and Susan C. (Adams) Wickham. Lt. Frederick C. Wickham was the son of Judge Frederick and Lucy Bancroft (Preston) Wickham. Lucy Bancroft (Preston) Wickham was the daughter of Samuel Preston. Samuel Preston and Daniel Raitt were the sureties who pledged $800 to enable Mary Ann (Coe) (Pomeroy) Junkins to be co-administrator of Benjamin Junkins’ estate on 25 Oct 1830. Mary Ann’s son Francis W. Pomeroy worked in 1830 for the Huron Reflector, the local Norwalk newspaper owned by Samuel Preston. Samuel Preston was the Justice of the Peace who married Mary Ann (Coe) (Pomeroy) Junkins to David Powers on 21 May 1833. Small world? Perhaps.

Judy continued to check PERSI for articles relating to our Mary Ann Coe research.

Pat completed revising the original transcription of the Benjamin Junkins Estate Papers and Letters of Administration and entered that information into our Eltweed database, including facts for John V. Sharp, Judge David Higgins, Hallet Gallup, Daniel G. Raitt and Samuel Preston. She also added a newspaper clipping of John G. Taylor’s marriage to Maryann Harvey/Hovey, a journal article from the Firelands Pioneer about Macksville, Huron Co., OH which mentions John G. Taylor, a patent for Carlos C. Coe, a newspaper article listing Martin O. Coe as Grand Juror and foreman in 1846 and an 1850 US Federal Census record for Horace A. Coe.

Pat researched Horace A. Coe, prominent dentist in Jefferson County, NY and brother of Prof. C.C. Coe, the balloonist. His bio confirms that the family moved “west” to Ohio about 1837, but returned to Oneida Co., NY after the death of their father, Lester Coe. Pat also entered an obituary for Mary Etta Carpenter Coe, wife of Horace A. Coe, two bios of George A. and Horace A. Coe, and five newspaper articles that referred to Carlos C. Coe.

We have added 17 people, 74 sources and 389 citations to our genealogy databases over the past week. This number seems extremely low, but is due to the fact that we have merged a large family that was in our Unlinked Pomeroy database into our George Pomeroy database.

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