APHGA Blog Post for April 1, 2011

The Great A. A. Pomeroy Book Update Project

First off, Bill and I are really excited about attending the upcoming New England Regional Genealogical Consortium’s Conference, which will be in Springfield, MA, Wednesday April 6 – Saturday, April 10, 2011. If you’re planning on attending, please let us know! Even if you can’t do the whole conference, the exhibit hall is open to the public starting Thursday at 6pm. We’ll be peppering the conference with “got pomeroys?” and “got anvils?” stickers. We’ll also have contact information on the query boards, and you can always reach me at roots@cxtec.com or on Facebook.

One of the courses I’m taking that is so timely, is “How Autosomal DNA Testing is Changing Genealogy”, taught by Blaine T. Bettinger, Ph.D. Blaine lives in the Syracuse area, and I’ve had the opportunity to meet with him and pick his brain – it will be great to see him again, especially as Bill’s FamilyFinder (Autosomal) results have come in, and I’m knee deep in organizing all this information.

I have also been corresponding with a gravestone scholar who is working on an article regarding crosses on early New England Puritan gravestones. Two stones in particular were of interest to him – those of Seth Pomeroy and Jonathan Allen at the Bridge Street Cemetery. Interestingly, both Seth and Jonathan are ancestors of Bill Pomeroy. I’ve been providing background information on both of these individuals and have requested copies of the wills and probate files of Seth Pomeroy, Jonathan Allen and Nathaniel Phelps (considered to be the stone carver of these memorials.) As we dig deeper into the families of Northampton, MA, we are finding how inter-related they all were.

Judy has been diligently entering a pile of matched records, and doing additional research to answer questions that arise in the data entry. Some of the lines she’s been tracing are the Ancil Eleazer Pomeroy (Daniel, Eleazer, Daniel, Noah, Samuel, Caleb, Eltweed) family; Fred L. Pomeroy (Horace G., Lyman Horace, Timothy Lyman, Timothy, Timothy, Ebenezer, Eldad, Caleb, Eltweed); the Carl P. Rose (Parker W. Rose, Daniel Pomeroy Rose, Jr., Daniel Pomeroy, Rose, Elizabeth Polan Pomeroy, Daniel, Noah, Joseph, Eltweed) family; the Grace Lisk (Pomeroy) Fearon (William Conover, Christopher F., Rosel) family of New Jersey (currently in our “Unlinked Pomeroy” database); and the John F. Pomeroy (Charles Carlyle, Albert L., Lewic C, Lewis) family of Fulton, Oswego and Hannibal, New York. We lose track of this family with Lewis Pomeroy, born abt 1802 in Canada, who married Louisa (last name unknown) by 1829. The family is found in Syracuse, NY in the 1850 US Federal Census; then moves to Oswego County, living in Lysander and then Granby.

Barb continues to review and transcribe the Church of Christ, Northampton, MA records. Betty is entering those records that match people in our database. Barb is also working on an article about a diary belonging to Cora Patrick who married Harry Dwight Pomeroy (Theodore Clapp, Stephen, Ebenezer, Ebenezer, Eldad, Caleb, Eltweed). Harry was born in Cortland, Cortland County, New York in 1866, moved with his parents to Syracuse by 1880, was educated at Cornell University as a mechanical engineer, married Cora in 1890 and lived in Syracuse and Schroeppel, New York. She is also continuing her review of Pomeroys in Americas Historic Newspapers.

Betty continues to review, match and enter Pomeroy related research, and has of late been concentrating on filling in collateral lines. Nancy has handed over several Pomeroy research projects from APHGA members and Betty is working to identify these families and add the research we’ve done to our Pomeroy databases. One of the real mysteries she’s been working on is Sterling Fagan, aka Sterling Pomeroy, born 2 Aug 1882 in Ohio, Bureau County, Illinois, who married Frances Myrtle Spratt, 1904 in Fergus County, Montana. Sterling was found living with his grandmother, Henrietta S. (Jackson) Pomeroy in the 1910 and 1920 US Federal Census in Chicago, Illinois, with the surname Pomeroy, but his death record, recorded in Illinois identifies his father as Robert H. Fagan and mother Agnes Pomeroy. Were the surnames of his parents switched by mistake, or was his name changed? Agnes Pomeroy’s line is as follows: Sterling, Hiram Sterling, Hiram, John, Noah, Joseph, Eltweed. The name “Sterling” seems to be popular in this line. We’ve also been chasing a Sterling Pomeroy Searle born abt 1807 in Berkshire, Franklin County, Vermont, who married Ellen Dalton in 1842 in Lake Geneva, Wallworth County, Wisconsin. Is anyone else researching these families?

Barb found an interesting article about early Sandwich Islands missionaries Reverend William Richards and his wife Clarissa Lyman. Two of their children, Harriet Keopuolani Richards and Levi Lyman Richards were adopted by Samuel and Emily (Graves) Williston of Easthampton, and educated in Massachusetts. Clarissa Lyman was an Eltweed descendant (daughter of Lucretia Kingsley, daughter of Abigail Pomeroy, Daniel, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed). Also interesting is the fact that Emily (Graves) Williston was also a descendant of Eltweed (daughter of Lydia Pomeroy, Benjamin, Josiah, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed). Emily (Graves) Williston and Clarissa (Lyman) Richards were third cousins.

Christine continues to enter Pomeroys from the George Pomeroy book into a separate database so that we can sort out the earlier Pomeroy research we’ve done. Once completed, she will start entering the matched research on that line. Christine also researched Nathaniel Phelps and early gravestone art in New England, and has been continuing to match currently unmatched Pomeroy research. Christine will also start work on Bill’s many lineage society applications.

Ed continues to research to match previously unmatched census and vital records, and also to add family groups to our Unlinked Pomeroy database. He’s been spending a lot of time in the Southern US, hunting down Pomeroys in Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, West Virginia and Tennessee, and when it gets too muggy down there, he hops up to Michigan and Ohio. One family he’s been tracing is that of Milo A. Pomeroy, b. 1872 in Anoka, Anoka County, Minnesota who married Louise Brown in 1909 in Saint Paul. Milo’s parents were John Tyler and Sarah C. “Sadie” (Hayden) Pomeroy. This family traces its lineage back to Richard Pomeroy of the Isles of Shoals. Ed and Christine worked on the Benair Pomeroy family. Benair, born 1924 in Schenectady, Schenectady County, New York, married Irene Bixby in 1973. He was the son of Andrew William and Fannie G. (Kastrlberg) Pomeroy. Andrew was born 1884 in Schenectady and was the son of Benair J. and Catherine (Komp) Pomeroy. Benair J. was born in 1860 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He and Catherine had at least 7 children: Henry John “Harry”, born 1881; Philip Edward, born 1882; Andrew William, born 1884; Agnes, born 1886; Edward George, born 1887; William B., born 1891; and Joseph B., born 1893. Benair J. Pomeroy had a sister Annie, born abt 1862 in PA, who married a Mr. Hewitt. Does anyone know this family?

Another family Ed’s been working on is that of Harry C. Pomeroy, born 1866 in Ohio. He married Nora M. Oberlies in 1891 in Hamilton County, Indiana. He was the son of Samuel and Eva (Cadwalter) Pomeroy. Samuel was born abt. 1841 in Ohio and Eva was born abt. 1848, also in Ohio. Harry and his family lived in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana. He and wife Nora had at least five children: Glenn W., born 1892; Sarah E., born 1894; Blanch, born 1897; Gertrude E., born 1905; and Martina Mae, born 1909. We’d love to learn more about this family.

Ed also researched the John Larrabee Pomeroy family. John was born in 1883 in Kentucky, married first Lillian B. Brennan by 1908, and second, Lecile Jones in 1930. John was a physician working and living in Los Angeles, CA, where he was additionally the Public Health Officer for Los Angeles County. He was the son of Danforth Witherby and Mattie Buchanan (Norris) Pomeroy. Danforth was born abt. 1832 in Painseville, Lake County, Ohio, and Mattie was born in 1851 in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri. Danforth was the son of Charles and Phila (Witherby) Pomeroy, of whom we know very little. Phila was born abt. 1805 in Vermont and was found living with her children, Danforth and Philinda P. Pomeroy in Oxford, Butler County, Ohio in the 1850 US Federal Census. Who was Charles Pomeroy, and does he connect to the Eltweed line?

Lee continues her research into the Reverend Lemuel Strong Pomeroy family, with an eye to publishing her research. Lemuel’s parents were Captain Stephen Pomeroy (Ebenezer, Ebenezer, Eldad, Caleb, Eltweed) and Hannah “Polly” Clapp. Stephen was born in Southampton, Massachusetts in 1775 and had moved with his wife to Otisco, Onondaga County, New York, by 1806 where their ten children were born. This fascinating family contained a Reverend, a Physician and a Merchant, whose lives were integral to the communities they lived in. Lee has also been heading up research done by the department at the Onondaga County Public Library, the Onondaga Historical Society, the Onondaga County Clerk’s Office and several research facilities in Cortland, NY.

The Pomeroy Collection

Tammy continues to work on the boxes of genealogical data that belongs to Bill’s mother and the Santmyers/Crawford side of the family.

Nancy has started to re-assess the set-up of the storage space for the collection.

The Mary Ann Coe Project

I completed my review, transcription and analysis of the first two ledgers of the Onondaga County, New York, Poorhouse Ledgers and have sent the information on to the archaeologist working at the Poorhouse site and the Town of Onondaga Historian. I’ll be writing an article (hopefully for publication), regarding my finds, so stay tuned!

I’ve also been getting down to the brass tacks of the Mary Ann Coe book – writing and identifying areas for further research, then doing the research. This is such a valuable experience; and I would suggest it to everyone tracing their family history. We use a genealogy database (RootsMagic) to organize our research and are very conscientious about recording and citing our sources, but I’ve found that you don’t get “the big picture” by just looking at your genealogy database. It’s not until you start writing that you start asking questions and seeing patterns. Even if you’re not planning on publishing, I highly recommend writing out your family history, even in outline. You’ll be amazed at the places it can take you!

Pat continues her research of Carlos C. Coe, an early balloonist and relative of Mary Ann Coe, with an eye to publish an article about this fascinating man. She has also been following some great deductive reasoning in order to identify the parents of Matilda Brown, the wife of Francis W. Pomeroy, son of Spencer Pomeroy and Mary Ann Coe. We’ve been stumped about this one for years, as she has such a common name. She is also chasing the Pixley family that was in Pompey, NY who settled early in Huron County, OH. She continues to add names into our Early Pompey Residents database to see if we can figure out who else from Pompey and Manlius settled in Norwalk and Huron County, Ohio, as did Mary Ann.