Friday, March 19, 2010

APHGA Bi-Weekly Report 3/19/2010

The Great A. A. Pomeroy Book Update Project

We’ve been getting a lot of e-mails from Pomeroy descendants or people who know Pomeroys, it’s been really exciting. I can’t help but think that the show “Who Do You Think You Are” may have something to do with the increased interest in genealogy!

APHGA Members Jeannie Y and Diane L have been helping Nancy read through several volumes of Hancock County, Maine deeds, which have been digitally scanned, but the early books are not indexed, so it’s a matter of looking page to page to identify Pomeroys, Lunts and Coffins. What we’re trying to do is find some record that connects William Pomeroy, b. 9 Jul 1789 in Trenton, Hancock Co., who married Nancy Grant, to a William Pomeroy (b. between 1750 and 1774) who is living in Orphan Island, Hancock County, with a small family according to the 1790 US Federal Census. Other possible children of William Pomeroy are Hannah Pomeroy who married John Gatcomb, Samuel Pomeroy b. abt 1789 who married Lydia Gatcomb, and John Pomeroy, b. abt 1790 who married Rachel Grant, sister of Nancy Grant. Jeannie gets a gold star for having read the largest number of deed books!

We heard from a West Virginia Eltweed Pomeroy descendant just this week and she’s been sending lots of great information. We’re curious to learn why Daniel Pomeroy (Hiram, Daniel, John, John, Noah, Joseph, Eltweed), b. May 1848, in NY (probably Pendleton, Niagara Co.), left New York state, after serving as a Private in Company I, of the 2nd Mounted Rifles Regiment of NY and settled in Missouri for a time (where he married Harriet “Hattie”) only to move again to Lincoln, Tyler County West Virginia by 11 Jun 1900 (according to the US Federal Census). Is anyone else researching this line? If so, we’d love to hear from you!

Another researcher contacted us about Jeremiah Pomeroy, b. abt 1777 in ME and found in 1820 in Starks, Somerset County, ME. Also in Starks according to the 1820 US Federal Census were John Pomeroy, of 45 years and upwards, Richard Pomeroy, of 45 yrs of age and upwards, and Benjamin Pomeroy, aged between 26 and 45. It seems likely that these heads of household are related, and we have certain information about each separately, but would like to connect them. In an interesting coincidence (Hank Jones would laugh if he read this), we were contacted about a Pomeroy family living in Economy, Indiana in the 1930s. It would appear, from our research that this family connects to the Richard Pomeroy found in Starks in 1820. There is also a connection to the Daggett family, Elizabeth Daggett married Richard Pomeroy and her nephew married a Lydia Pomeroy. A Lydia S, Daggett, 30, b. ME, was found living with the Albion Pomeroy family in Beloit, Rock County, Wisconsin according to the 1860 US Federal Census. Albion Pomeroy was the father of Clinton H. Pomeroy who settled in Economy, Indiana.

Judy and Ed have been entering Canadian Census records into our various Pomeroy databases. Judy as also been entering Pomeroy related Drouin records that Lee has translated and matched. When Betty is not entering vital records and related Parsons found in the Parsons Family Genealogy written by Gerald Parsons, she has been continuing to organize vital records that need to be entered, based on a priority system that we recently came up with. She has gone through the majority of files and is also matching the records in those files. She, Ed and Judy will be entering those records based on their priority.

Barb continues to review the Eltweed database and identify descendants with missing information. This is being stored in a spreadsheet so that we can sort by time period, place, or name to help us identify where further research is needed. She also continues to research Pomeroys found in America’s Historic Newspapers online. She, Betty, Caryn and Rick also continue to review, transcribe and match Pomeroys found in the 1865 NY State Census.

Lee is completing her match of Pomeroys in the 1911 Canadian Census, she has also started to organize our Publication project, identifying possible articles and publications of interest.

Caryn continues to research Edwin Guilford Pomeroy’s friends, family and acquaintances found in his two address books, and Nancy has been entering that information; and other early Tiffin settler information into our databases. Nancy met with Richard Palmer to hand over research done on Edwin and the McKeen Motor Car Company for an article that Richard will be writing.

The Pomeroy Collection

Nancy processed a number of journals, magazines and newsletters from various genealogical and historical societies, which have been donated by Bill Pomeroy. Nancy just received a copy of a reprint of the book “Local Color, Stories of Westhampton’s First 225 Years” edited by Jacqui Hickey LaFrance, James E. Bridgman and Sarah K. Mulvehill, originally published in 2003 and out of print for 7 years. Contact the Westhampton Historical Society (Westhampton, Massachusetts) for a copy before they sell out!

The Pomeroy Anvil Trail

Nancy is working with members of the Pembroke Historical Society in Maine to install a Pomeroy Anvil Monument dedicated to Thomas W. Pomroy this coming summer. The dedication is scheduled for the morning of the 4th of July and will immediately follow the parade, which ends at the American Legion Hall.

The Mary Ann Coe Project

Judy and Pat continue to research early Huron County, Ohio to identify where the early settlers of this county came from. As suspected, many came from Hampshire County, Massachusetts via Onondaga County, New York. It must have been extremely frustrating to keep running into old neighbors, especially when one took such measures to leave them behind! Judy continues to transcribe and enter research found in the Firelands Pioneers into our database, while Pat has been entering 1820 US Federal Census records for the county and researching those settlers to see if there were any familial or geographical ties to Mary Ann (Coe) Pomeroy Junkins Powers.

Rick continues to abstract the Bela Coe probate records (over 300 pages!). He has transcribed the will, and the inventory and has also created a spreadsheet of names found in the probate file with pertinent information and page numbers.

We have added 1399 new people, 182 new sources and 4498 new citations to our genealogy databases over the past two weeks.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

APHGA Report for Month of February 2010

The Great A. A. Pomeroy Book Update Project

Over these past few weeks Nancy and Caryn continued to research Edwin Guilford Pomeroy (Francis Austin, Francis W., Spencer, Pliny, Daniel, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed), and his connection with the McKeen Motor Car Company. We have branched out and are looking at co-workers and friends in order to find as much information about Edwin as we possibly can. Caryn found a wonderful website hosted by the Greater Omaha Genealogical Society that has indexes of vital records. Additional information can be obtained through the Society for nominal costs. We encourage you to visit their website at http://omahamarriages.wordpress.com/.

We’ve also been looking at what we’ve accomplished this past year, and have set goals for this year. We’ve broken the goals up into several projects which will be led or co-led by our researchers.

Lee will be heading up the Publication Project. Our goal is to publish articles in local newspapers and genealogical and historical society newsletters and journals relating to the research we’ve been doing. Our goal is to increase the awareness of the APHGA and to spotlight some of our researchers’ writing skills.

Betty and Ed will be reviewing research we’ve already gathered that has not previously matched any of the many families in our various Pomeroy databases. They will be doing additional research to connect these as of yet unconnected people.

Barb is taking a closer look at our Eltweed database to identify where we are missing information on Pomeroys and where we need to fill in additional information along collateral lines. She’s created a spreadsheet to keep track of this information and Betty and Ed should find this helpful as they are going through unmatched records.

Rick is heading up the Lineage Society project. He will be learning the ins and outs of successful lineage society applications, while applying for Bill’s membership to these societies. As Rick gains knowledge in this area he will be able to help guide other APHGA members as they navigate these often tricky waters.

Caryn will be taking over the data-entry of the George Pomeroy genealogy into its’ own database.

Lee continued to review and transcribe Pomeroys in the NYS Vital Records index at the Onondaga County Public Library. She also copied various Pomeroy, Ball, and Coe records found in the vertical files at the library. She also reviewed and copied Pomeroys in Border Crossings through Canada/Maine, and re-examined the Drouin Vital & Church Records, 1621-1967 for additional matches.

Rick, Barb, Caryn and Betty continued reviewing the 1865 NY State Census available through FamilySearch.org. Betty and Ed continue to add matched US and Canadian vital records, military records and border crossings to our various databases. Ed has been entering a large Pomeroy family who settled in Cobourg, Province of Ontario, Canada. Barb continued to review Pomeroys in America’s Historic Newspapers.

Rick copied several Erie County, NY probate records including James W. Higgins, Thomas A. Pomeroy, Oliver Pomeroy and Ralph M. Pomeroy. Nancy has been researching a Pomeroy family from Maryland and has linked them to Chuck Pomeroy’s Front Royal, Virginia family.

Have you been watching “Faces of America” hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on PBS? If so, don’t miss “Who Do You Think You Are” airing this Friday night at 8pm on NBC. We’re interested to see whether the NBC show is using autosomal DNA testing as “Faces of America” is. FamilyTreeDNA will be launching their own autosomal DNA testing in March. For a great explanation of the different types of DNA tests available and what they mean, check out the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation’s website at http://www.smgf.org/education/animations/intro.jspx .


The Pomeroy Collection

Nancy transcribed the address books of Etta May (Stansberry) Pomeroy. Etta May was married to Edwin Guilford Pomeroy (Francis Austin, Francis W., Spencer, Pliny, Daniel, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed). Etta May was the daughter of James Harvey Stansberry and his first wife Rebecca Jane Burtlow. Etta’s siblings were Albert, Charles, William Taylor, Alphia Armintta, and Martha Ellen. Etta May also had half siblings Sarah M, James Arthur, Rebecca, Samuel Earl and Glen Stansberry, through her father’s marriage to Isaphena Wall. A letter in the Etta May Stansberry collection also indicates that Etta May may have had another half sibling, Edith (Stansberry) Harter. We are researching to identify who Edith’s mother was. One of the last notations in a small address book written in Etta May’s handwriting has shed some light on the final resting place of Etta May’s sister Alphia Armintta. We have traced Armintta to the Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Queens, NY. Nancy has ordered a death certificate to verify that the Armintta Clark buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery is indeed Etta May’s sister. Nancy was able to get the death certificate number thanks to the efforts of Italian Genealogical Group. This organization has posted NY City and surrounding area vital records indexes on their website, free of charge. You can visit them at http://www.italiangen.org. Our hats off to these researchers!

The Pomeroy Anvil Trail

Nancy has been communicating with Arthur Carter of the Pembroke Historical Society in Pembroke, ME regarding the installation of a Pomeroy Anvil Monument dedicated to Thomas W. Pom(e)roy, the Clairvoyant Herbalist. Arthur, a member of the New Brunswick Genealogical Society, has offered to bring our Pomeroy research up at the next meeting. We’re trying to confirm that Thomas’ father David and Uncle Benjamin were the children of Richard Pomeroy and were baptized at St. Stephen. If so, does this family descend from Richard Pomeroy of the Isles of Shoals?

The Mary Ann Coe Project

Pat and Judy will be co-leads on the Mary Ann Coe Project. They will be assessing the Huron County, Ohio research that remains to be transcribed and entered into our databases. We have been combing the Firelands Pioneer back issues to better familiarize ourselves with the early settlers in the communities where Mary Ann, her Coe uncles and husbands lived. We’re working to identify where these early settlers came from to see if there are relationships we have been previously unaware of. We’re hoping that these relationships give us further insight into Mary Ann’s life and also identify new areas for additional research.

Rick has finished copying the Bela De Cost Coe probate file and has started to transcribe the will, and inventory and has started to create an every name index.


We have added 1150 new people, 258 new sources and 5512 new citations to our genealogy databases over the past month.