APHGA Blog Post for July 11, 2011

The Great A. A. Pomeroy Book Update Project

As promised, here is what Judy, Pat and Lee have been working on the last few months:

Lee has been reviewing several Pomeroy primary sources at the Onondaga Historical Society, including diaries, ledgers, newspaper clippings, etc. Information found in these sources has led to further research at the Onondaga County Public Library, the Cortland Historical Society, and other sources in Homer and Otisco, New York. Lee and Barb visited the Cortland Presbyterian Church to view the “Pomeroy Desk”, donated by Louise M. and Fred, the children of James C. and Olive Pomeroy, in honor of their parent. While there, Lee reviewed the records of 14 Pomeroys who were members of that church. Lee has been reviewing Cortland County, NY deeds available online and has transcribed the 1850 Membership records of the Otisco Congregational Church, containing 17 Pomeroys.

Lee did some additional searching at the OHA for Supervisors records relating to the Onondaga County Poorhouse, which Nancy has been researching.

Lee continues to lead our Publication project and has helped Barb Dix and Pat Whipple get articles published in local NY State papers. She is working on a short article on using newspapers in genealogical research. Lee has also been leading the team in their excursions to the Onondaga County Public Library to transcribe all Pomeroys in the NYS Census records located there and at the Onondaga County Clerk’s Office. Lee also started to assess the new 1792 Canada Lang Grant Petition records now available through Archives Canada.

Judy continues to work on data-entry from various sources, including entering Lee’s research on the Otisco Pomeroy branch. Judy has also been researching a Thaddeus Pomeroy who was mentioned from Schenectady, NY in a record of the Pensioners of the War of 1812. She is wondering whether he is a brother of Noah Pomeroy who lived in Albany and ran an inn. This Thaddeus Pomeroy is identified in some records as being born in Pompey in 1799. His record identifies that he was very young when he entered the Army as a drummer, and that he had deserted several times. One record states he was confined in Buffalo after desertion at the age of 14. One record states that he entered the service at the age of 8! Judy wonders whether he was the son of Ralph Moseley Pomeroy – Thomas Abel Pomeroy born about 1799.

The Mary Ann Coe Project

Pat entered information newly found relating to Judge David Higgins, Eliphalet Ball, Col. John Ball and Calvin Stowe, Jr. She also continued her extensive research into Carlos C. Coe, an early balloonist and circus owner. Pat has also been making some headway in figuring out the ancestry of Matilda Brown (wife of Francis W. Pomeroy). A Eunice Brown, with children Caleb, John and Mary, resided in Norwalk, Huron Co., OH according to the 1850 US Census. Is this Eunice related in any way to Matilda? Research identified John Brown as husband of Eunice (Schoolcraft). The family lived in Oswego, Oswego Co., NY where sons Caleb and John were born, and then moved to Norwalk, OH where daughter Mary Ann was born. Pat also added additional tax records found pertaining to Lemuel Pomeroy, David Powers, Benjamin Junkins and Edward Pettit. She also expanded on data entry of letters remaining in the Post Office in Norwalk and New Haven, OH during the time that Mary Ann lived there.

Pat has also been adding to our Early Pompey Residents database with information from several sources including the book “Re-Union of the Sons and Daughters of the Old Town of Pompey”. It is our hope that we will be able to match some of these early residents of Pompey to early residents of Norwalk, OH and find additional connections to explain why Mary Ann moved to Norwalk.

Pat researched Franklin Pomeroy, whose father-in-law, Israel Woodford was from Pomeroy, NY. The Woodford families in Pompey were descended from Woodfords of Northampton, MA. Lucian Woodford married Cornelia Birdseye, granddaughter of Victory Birdseye, Spencer Pomeroy’s lawyer when he claimed insolvency.

Judy has been reviewing early Salina, Onondaga County, NY records now on Ancestry.com and entering that information into our databases. She is also reviewing copies of the Jerome Ledger at the OHA for information about early Pompey, NY settlers.