APHGA Blog Post for October 29, 2010

Great A.A. Pomeroy Book Update Project

This is a quick and very overdue posting. We’ve been busy trying to match previously unmatched census and vital records and have come across a few interesting ‘dangling’ Pomeroys. Your help would be greatly appreciated in figuring out who these people are!

First off, we have a Charles Pomeroy, born abt 1813 in CT, living in Suffield, Hartford County, Connecticut according to the 1850 US Federal Census. He is identified as a cigar manufacturer. Also in the household are: Marietta Pomeroy, 32, female, b. CT (presumably his wife); Margart Pomeroy, 5, female, b. CT (presumably a daughter) and Emily Philen, 45, female, b. CT. Research has uncovered a marriage record in the Barbour Collection between Charles Pomeroy and Marietta Warner on May 6, 1840, by N.A. Reed. Charles and family are still in Suffield according to the 1860 US Federal Census, he is 47, born CT, and identified as a cigar manufacturer. Also in the household are: Mariette Pomeroy, 42, female, born CT; Mary Jane Pomeroy, 14, female, born CT, attending school; Gertrude L. Pomeroy, 8, female, born CT, attending school; and Charles L. Pomeroy, 6, male, born CT, attending school.

It would appear that Charles died or has left the family by the 1870 US Federal Census. “Margaret” Pomeroy, 52, female, born CT, is found in Suffield, Hartford Co., CT with Charles L Pomeroy, 16, male, cigar maker, born CT and Gertrude L. Pomeroy, 18, female, born CT.

What makes this family particularly interesting is their placement on the 1850 census page – the family is literally surrounded by other Pomeroy families. Directly below Charles’ family is the family of James A. Pomeroy, 45, male, farmer, born CT, who is living with Julia Davis, 16, female, born CT. Two families down is Jonathan R. Pomeroy, 47, male, farmer, born CT with family Jerusha, 50, female, born CT, Philo P. Pomeroy, 15, male, farmer, born CT, Esther Pomeroy, 13, female, born CT, Betsey Pomeroy, 12, female, born MA, Sybil E. Pomeroy, 10, female, born MA, and a female, last name Pomeroy, whose name I cannot read, 7, female, born MA. Two families down from Jonathan R. Pomeroy is Wm S. Pomeroy, 33, male, cigar manufacturer, born CT with Caroline S. Pomeroy, 32, female, born CT, James Pomeroy, 6, male, born CT, David H. Pomeroy, 4, male, born CT, Mary Spear, 60, female, born CT, Hannah Bowen, 16, female, born Ireland and John Hathaway, 12, male, born MA.

We know that William S. Pomeroy is William Spear Pomeroy (William, Isaac, Joseph, Joseph, Medad, Eltweed) and that Jonathan R. Pomeroy is Jonathan Remington Pomeroy (Epaphras, Eliakim, Noah, Joseph, Medad, Eltweed), but we don’t know who Charles or James A. Pomeroy are. My hunch is that Charles may be a brother of William Spear Pomeroy, as they are both cigar manufacturers, but so far I have been unable to prove this. It is also possible that James A. Pomeroy is a brother of William Spear Pomeroy. It seems unlikely that he is a brother of Jonathan Remington Pomeroy, as this family has been well documented. According to A.A. Pomeroy, William Spear Pomeroy was the only child of William Pomeroy and a wife whose maiden name was Spear. We don’t know when this couple married, or how long the wife lived, but William lived to be 73 years old, so it is likely that he had more than one child.

I’ve e-mailed the Suffield (CT) Historical Society. They have a collection of cigar manufacturing memorabilia, perhaps there’s a clue in the collection!

And, not to be outdone by the above Charles Pomeroy of CT, we have found another Charles Pomeroy, this being Charles W. Pomeroy, born Aug 1831 in MA, who married Eunice R. Judson in Danbury, CT on November 2, 1853. The couple lived in New York City (19th Ward) according to the 1860 and 1870 US Federal Census, and then lived in Danbury, CT where Charles worked as a hat maker in a hat factory according to the 1880 and 1900 US Federal Census. Charles died in 1907 in Danbury, CT.

Charles had at least 7 children that we have been able to identify: Frank I or J. Pomeroy, born Aug 1854, in CT, George Pomeroy, born about 1857 in NY, Flora Pomeroy, born abt Dec 1859 in NY, Charles K. Pomeroy, born about Aug 1861 in NY, Nellie M. Pomeroy, born abt Oct 1864 in NY, Clara A “Carrie” Pomeroy, born about 1867 in NY and Lester J. Pomeroy, born about Sept. 1868 in NY.

According to A.A. Pomeroy, a Charles Warren Pomeroy and Lester Judson Pomeroy were sons of Moses and Irene (Dickenson) Pomeroy (Simeon, Simeon, Samuel, Caleb, Eltweed). The Charles W. Pomeroy found in NY and CT above could not be the son of Moses, as Moses died on December 10, 1812 in Irondequoit, Monroe Co., NY. The similarity in the names, though, makes me think that perhaps the information in The History and Genealogy of the Pomeroy Family may be incorrect. There is scant information on the family of Moses and Irene (Dickinson) Pomeroy in the book, and there are no birthdates associated with any of the children. I am wondering whether Charles Warren Pomeroy is really the son of Simeon Pomeroy, son of Moses and Irene. Simeon is found in the 19th ward of NYC in the 1850, 1860 and 1870 US Federal Census records, putting him in close proximity with Charles W. Pomeroy. Is Charles Warren Pomeroy the son of Simeon Pomeroy, and Lester Judson Pomeroy the son of Charles?

And because all good things come in threes, I will now introduce you to Charley Pomeroy, born about July 1869 in Florida according to the 1900 US Federal Census. Charlie was living in Bellair, Hillsborough County when the census was taken on June 27, 1900, with wife Anna, born Oct 1863, in AL, Son Charles F., born Aug 1892 in FL, daughter Mary E, born June 1894 in FL, son William, born Aug 1894 in FL, daughter Nellie M, born June 1898 in FL stepdaughter Ella Arnett, born Oct 1881 in FL and stepson Benjamin G. Arnett, born Jan 1900 in FL (whom I believe to be a Pomeroy, not an Arnett). Charlie was working as a laborer. I can trace this family in the 1910 and 1920 US Federal Census, still living in Hillsborough County, but I had the darnedest time finding Charlie in the 1880 US Federal Census. I found a marriage record for C.H. Pomroy and Annie Arnett, dated March 16, 1892 in Tampa, Hillsborough County, FL in the Florida Marriages 1837-1974 database on familysearch.org which led me to an 1885 Florida State Census identifying C.H. Pomeroy, age 15, born in FL, both parents born GA, living in Sumter, FL living in the M.L. Dess household and identified as a son. M.L. Dess was identified as 63, born in GA, and a farmer. The wife of M.L. Dess is listed as K.C. Dess, she is 35 and born in GA. A son Frank C. Dess, 17, born FL is a farmer, and C.H. Pomeroy, 15, born FL is also a farmer. a son, A.J. Dess, 8, was also born in FL. It would appear that the marriage of M.L. and K.C. Dess is the second for both of them, based on the ages of Frank C. Dess and C.H. Pomeroy. I am assuming that C.H. Pomeroy was the son of K.C. Dess, from a previous marriage.

I found Moses Dees, 48, born GA in the 1880 US Federal Census. He was a farmer. In the household are Christian Dees, his wife, 29, born TN; Arrena Dees, 20, daughter, born FL, Lisetteann? Dees, 16, daughter, born FL; Hilliard F. Dees, 12, born FL; Charles H. Dees, 10, born FL, and Aaron J. Dees, 3, born FL. I found a marriage record for a Moses W. Deas to a Keziah C. Hunter on August 12, 1872 in Duval, FL on the Florida Marriages, 1837-1974 database on familysearch.org, but this confuses me further, as I was expecting to see Moses marry a Pomeroy! To make matters worse, I found a Moses Dias in the 1870 US Federal Census in FL with a wife named Keziah. Who is this Charlie Pomeroy?

Last but not least, I’ve told a few people in the APHGA that I recently wrote a song about one of my favorite Pomeroys, Brainard Munn. I’ll try to get it recorded soon and post it on YouTube, but until then, here are the lyrics

The Ballad of Brainard Munn, words and music by Nancy Maliwesky © 2010

Brainard never seemed to make friends easy
Might have been the hard life that he led
Born in Paradise in 1838
The son of missionaries out to save the world

The sickness shook his family, took one brother and his mom
Left his father alone with two young boys
When dad was strong enough, he took them back
To his late wife’s home in Skaneateles

When his dad remarried in 1843
They settled down in Clyde, New York
But the family lost two children and the father in six years
Barely 12, an orphan once again

Brainard joined the Cavalry in 1861,
Out of Washington, DC, where he had moved
Signed up for three months, then travelled around
‘til he found himself back home in Skaneateles.

Smart as a whip, with a heart so hardened
By loss and by doubt and by shame
His Great Aunt Lovisa left him money in her will
But she never referred to him by name.
He was the Hermit Poet of Skaneateles.

Brainard fell in with a Utopian crowd
But was really more enamored of the maid
When she didn’t feel the same, he retreated to the woods
Became part of the folklore of the town

His pen poured out his anger at his unrequited love
As Charles Marsh he wrote a novel thinly veiled
“Love on the Wing” was all the thing
An early “Peyton Place” in Skaneateles

He wrote “When she died and goes to rest
Be it in the mansions of the blessed
Be it in heaven, be it in hell
Be it on earth, where mortals dwell
Oh Heavenly Father, hear my prayer
And send me anywhere but there”

Smart as a whip, with a heart so hardened
By loss and by doubt and by shame
His Great Aunt Lovisa left him money in her will
But she never referred to him by name.
He was the Hermit Poet of Skaneateles.

Brainard moved to Syracuse, lived on Lowell Avenue
A carpenter who couldn’t keep a job
Arrested as a vagrant in 1899
Spent 60 days in jail when he couldn’t raise the bail

15 years in the Poorhouse ‘till he disappeared that day
A search ensued but no-one could find him
His hat and cane discovered by the banks of the reservoir
Where his body was recovered soon after

Now Brainard he had people in Elbridge and Marcellus
And a family plot in Lakeview Cemetery
The papers ran the story, but no-one claimed his body
So they sent it to the School of Medicine

He wrote “When she died and goes to rest
Be it in the mansions of the blessed
Be it in heaven, be it in hell
Be it on earth, where mortals dwell
Oh Heavenly Father, hear my prayer
And send me anywhere but there”

Smart as a whip, with a heart so hardened
By loss and by doubt and by shame
His Great Aunt Lovisa left him money in her will
But she never referred to him by name.
He was the Hermit Poet of Skaneateles.