APHGA Report for May through July 2010, part 2

The Great A. A. Pomeroy Book Update Project

Barb has been abstracting the Northampton, MA Church of Christ records, available on microfilm through the Family History Library. These records contain a wealth of information, including baptisms, births, marriages, deaths, removals, etc. Once completed, we are considering giving a copy to the Forbes Library in Northampton, and possibly posting the abstract on our website.

Judy’s been making a huge dent in the piles of data-entry we’ve collected. Nancy has been sending her mostly vital records, city directories, and newspaper clippings.

Ed has been tracking and entering a Templeton, MA, Pomeroy family, and collecting and entering Pomeroys found in the Maine Historical Register. The Templeton Pomeroys link back to a Jeremiah Pomeroy, born 10 Oct 1774 in ME, who married Elizabeth Parker. The couple had at least 12 children that we know of, all born in Starks, Somerset Co., ME: Betsey, born 21 Nov, 1801, Joshua P, born 2 Sep 1803, Benjamin, born 1 Aug 1805, Polly, born 26 May 1809, Nehemiah, born 2 Apr 1811, died 25 Mar 1857 in Eliza, Mercer Co., IL, Elizabeth, born 27 Feb 1813, Phebe H., born 17 Mar 1815, Eunes H, born 26 Feb 1817, Jeremiah, born 9 Feb 1819, Simeon Goodin, born 7 May 1822, died 29 Jan 1879 in Templeton, Rebecca Jane, born 9 Mar 1824, and Richard H., born 3 Oct 1826. We currently don’t know who Jeremiah’s father was, but based on naming conventions alone, it would appear likely that he descends from Richard Pomeroy who settled on the Isles of Shoals, now off the coast of NH, by 1670.

Betty and Ed had continued their review of unmatched census records, starting with 1850 and working forwards and backwards as matches are found. Betty has been chipping away at collateral lines, including the sad story of Julia Augusta Pomeroy (Warham, Enos, Caleb, Samuel, Caleb, Eltweed), born 5 Apr 1815 in Easthampton, Hampshire Co., MA who died 10 Feb 1883, in South Hadley Falls, Hampshire Co., MA. She married Edwin Smith 20 Nov 1839, who died 21 Jan 1849 in South Hadley Falls. The couple had two children we know of, both born in South Hadley Falls; Adelaide Eugenia Smith, born 12 May 1843, and Edwin Pomeroy Smith, born 5 Feb. 1845. According to the 1850 US Federal Census, Julia was a widow, and head of household, living with her children and Benjamin and Maria Aldridge in South Hadley. According to the 1860, 1870 and 1880 US Federal Census records, Julia was living at the Northampton Lunatic Hospital, for what reason we don’t know.

Betty was also able to match records and enter information about Edward L. Pomeroy (David, David, Simeon, Samuel, Caleb, Eltweed), born abt 1830 in MA who married first Aurelia (last name unkown), who had at least three children, all born in MA; Emma A., born abt 1857, Edward E., born abt 1859 and Catherine M “Katie”, born abt 1866. This family settled in Amherst, MA. Edward married second Lucia M. (last name unknown).

Lee has taken an inventory of the 1855 New York State Census microfilm and book holdings at the Onondaga County Public Library and has been organizing a field trip to transcribe Pomeroys in those records. Some index books do exist, which will be helpful, but most of the microfilm will need to be viewed from start to finish to see if any Pomeroys are on them. Lee has also been visiting the Onondaga County Clerk’s Office and reporting back on Pomeroys found in the various indices.

Lee is working with Betty to identify and enter Stanstead, Ontario Pomeroys into the Eltweed database. Lee identified descendants of Courtland “Bates” Pomeroy into Vermont and two generations beyond. Lee found a will that makes us question whether Bates is the correct middle name for Courtland.

Ed, Betty and Barb continue to review the 1865 New York State Census records available on the Family Search pilot site for Pomeroys.

Pat has been researching the fascinating life of Edward Payson Pomeroy (Charles Backus, Samuel, Joshua, Noah, Joseph, Eltweed), born 3 Jan 1835 in Somers, Tolland County, CT, who died 24 Oct 1906 in Pasadena, Harris County, TX. She has been able to identify four wives (one of which he married twice), and five children. He was in Kansas by July 1870 then moved to Springfield, MA between 1 Mar 1875 and 25 Apr 1877, was living in Amsterdam, Montgomery County, NY when the 1880 Census was taken, and was in Galveston, TX by about 1881.