By Nancy Maliwesky
Retired Director, APHGA
 |
| Map of Huron County, OH 1859. Library of Congress. |
Editor's Note:
Readers of our blog
may recall the November 2011 post about Nancy Maliwesky’s research into the
elusive story of Mary Ann Coe Pomeroy. You can read (or reread) it here. Nancy completed the draft of a publication prior to her retirement,
although there remain unanswered questions about parts of Mary Ann’s life
story. Hoping our readers may be able to help fill in some of these gaps, we’re
presenting Running Barefoot as a weekly series. We welcome your comments and
suggestions! Please feel free to share this blog with others who may be
interested.
– Susan Hughes, Director, APHGA
Mary Ann and Benjamin Junkins
Benjamin Junkins, believed to be a
son of Benjamin Junkins, was born about 1795, possibly in Pennsylvania. He had at least 3 brothers, Adam, born abt
1790 in PA, and Joseph and Matthew W. Junkins.
A cabinetmaker by trade, Benjamin settled in Norwalk, OH by 15 September
1823, when he purchased the front half of lot 26, from Daniel and Nancy Tilden
of Norwalk, for $75. Witnesses were M.
W. Junkins and Samuel Preston[i]. Prior to settling in Norwalk, Benjamin had
lived in Cadiz, Harrison County, Ohio, where he had purchased land on lot 142
with his brother Adam from Adam Snider for $600, on 9 Nov 1822[ii]. On 14 May 1823, Benjamin and Adam appear to
swap land, Adam buying Benjamin’s share of lot 142 “in the Arnold Addition” for
$170[iii], and
Benjamin purchasing 50 acres in the northwest quarter of section 11, township
10, range 4, from his brother Adam and his wife Actia for $200[iv]. His brother Adam was also a cabinetmaker.
On 5 Apr 1824, Benjamin appeared in
the poll book in Norwalk, as an elector[v]. That same year he made a chest of drawers for
Esther (Taylor) Preston, the wife of Samuel Preston[vi], which,
according to Henry Timman, was sold at public auction in Norwalk in September
1976. In 1825 Benjamin sold the 50 acres
in the northwest quarter of section 11, township 10, range 4, to his brother
Adam for $200, apparently deciding to stay in Norwalk[vii].
In 1826, Benjamin was taxed $4.15
on real estate he owned on the north half of lot 26 in Norwalk, which, with
buildings, was valued at $300. Taxes
included state and canal tax, county tax, road tax, and school tax. He was also
taxed 54¢, for a horse,
considered personal property[viii]. Benjamin appears in the 1827 Census of Ohio
in Norwalk[ix] and was
taxed $3.75 on the north half of lot 26, still valued at $300.
A notice appeared in the Norwalk
Reporter on 21 Apr 1827, of letters remaining in the Post Office of Norwalk, as
of the 31st day of March of that year. This notice includes reference to a “Sally
Pomeroy”. We wonder if this was a letter
sent to Mary Ann (Coe) Pomeroy, as we know of no other female Pomeroys in
Norwalk at that time.
According to Henry R. Timman, a
member of the Firelands Historical Society and expert in early Norwalk, Ohio
history, Samuel Preston, a Justice of the Peace in Norwalk, and owner/editor of
the Norwalk newspaper The Norwalk
Reporter, lived directly across the street from Benjamin Junkins’ home and
shop, and just two houses away from the lot that Mary Ann had purchased from
Edward Petit and later his estate.
An account book owned by James
Williams of Norwalk, Ohio, held at the Firelands Historical Society, shows that
on 2 September 1827, Benjamin Junkins was paid $3.00 by Mr. Williams “on
account”[x]. That next month, on the 5th of
October, Benjamin placed an ad in the Norwalk Reporter offering his
cabinetmaker’s shop and lot for sale:
“A BARGAIN. I WILL SELL ON REASONABLE TERMS. The house, Cabinet-maker's shop and Lot, one square and a half West of the Court house on main street in the Village of Norwalk. It is a two story house well finished and painted in side and out, with an excellent [sic] Cellar, also a good well of water.
Any person wishing to purchase will please call and examine for themselves.
BENJAMIN JUNKINS
N.B. All those indebted to me will please call and adjust their accounts. B.J.
Norwalk Oct 5th 327 27n tf.”[xi]
Trouble in Town
According to the Encyclopedia of
Freemasonry, by Albert G. Mackey, M.D. a Masonic crime includes “The first
class of crimes which are laid down in the Constitutions, as rendering their
perpetrators liable to Masonic jurisdiction, are offences against the moral
law. “Every Mason,” say the old Charges of
1722, “is obliged by his tenure to obey the moral law.”... “Indeed, whatever is
a violation of fidelity to solemn engagements, a neglect of prescribed duties,
or a transgression of the cardinal principles of friendship, morality, and
brotherly love, is a Masonic crime.” The
same book defines Expulsion as: “of all Masonic penalties, the highest that can
be inflicted on a member of the Order, and hence it has been often called a
Masonic death. It deprives the expelled
of all the rights and privileges that he ever enjoyed, not only as a member of
the particular Lodge from which he has been ejected, but also of those which
were inherent in him as a member of the Fraternity at large. He is at once as completely divested of his
Masonic character as though he had never been admitted, so far as regards his
rights, while his duties and obligations remain as firm as ever, it being
impossible for any human power to cancel them.
He can no longer demand the aid of his brethren, nor require from them
the performance of any of the duties to which he was formerly entitled, nor
visit any Lodge, nor unite in any of the public or private ceremonies of the
Order. He is considered as being without
the pale, and it would be criminal in any brother, aware of his expulsion, to
hold communication with him on Masonic subjects.
“Immoral conduct, such as would subject a candidate for admission to rejection, should be the only offence visited with expulsion. As the punishment is general, affecting the relation of the one expelled with the whole Fraternity, it should not be lightly imposed for the violation of any Masonic act not general in its character. The commission of a grossly immoral act is a violation of the contract entered into between each Mason and his Order. If sanctioned by silence or impunity, it would bring discredit on the Institution, and tend to impair its usefulness. A Mason who is a bad man is to the Fraternity what a mortified limb is to the body, and should be treated with the same mode of cure, - he should be cut off, lest his example spread, and disease be propagated through the constitution.”
The Mt. Vernon Lodge No. 64, in
Norwalk, Ohio, was formed circa 1821, (an act to incorporate the Master and
Wardens of the Mount Vernon Lodge, No. 64 is added to a legislative act dated
30 Jan 1823) and became quite popular in the town. The Firelands Pioneer, 3rd Series,
Volume XI, 1993 lists the following members of the Lodge from 1821 to 1828:
Henry Adams, John F. Adams, Newell Adams, John Atwater, Noah Baker, Theodore
Baker, Timothy Baker, Samuel C. Bangs, Theodore Bangs, Roma Bassett, Moses S.
Beach, Perry G. Beckwith, Platt Benedict, H. Blackman, Rouse Bly, Eben Boalt,
John Boalt, David Bols, Leverett Bradley, S. Bradley, Rev. C.P. Bronson, Calvin
Brown, George T. Buckingham, Henry Buckingham, Cyrus Butler, John L. Butman,
David R. Clark, Jabez Clark, Lester Clark, Elihu Clary, Timothy Clock, Asher
Cole, Lester Cole, Abijah Comstock, Wyatt Cook, Alexander Dickson, Benjamin F.
Drake, Aruanah Eaton, Dr. Lyman Fay, Erastus Finney, Hallett Gallup, William
Gallup, William Gardiner, David Gibbs, Enos Gilbert, Amos B. Harris, John
Harvey, John Henry, Abel Herrick, Ephraim W. Herrick, H. Hopkins, John D.
Hoskins, Benjamin Hoyt, R. Jaques, Benjamin Jenkins [sic Junkins], Obadiah
Jenney, Hiram Johnson, Horace G. Johnson, Martin M. Kellogg, Moses Kimball,
John C. Kinney, Jephthah Lawrence, Ichabod Marshall, Roswell Marshall, Robert
McBeath, Rev. Allen Mead, Cyrus Miller, James Minshell, Harry G. Morse, Ephraim
Munger, Roswell Munson, Squire Newton, Alva Palmer, Tru Pattee, Dr. Joseph
Pierce, Reuben Pixley, Rev. Adam Poe (Alvin Coe?), Hanson Reed, Rev. John
Rigdon, Abijah Rinsdale, Lawrence Robinson, Lowell Robinson, Anson Root, Eben
Root, Rev. Shadrach Ruark, Dr. Moses C. Sanders, H.O. Shelden, F.W. Shipperd,
Eliphalet B. Simmons, Isaac Slocum, John Smith, Ezra Sprague, E. Stockwell,
Daniel Stratton, Mortimer Strong, Thaddeus B. Sturges, Rev. Lot B. Sullivan,
B.F. Taylor, Dr. Daniel Tilden, J. Tillson, Joshua Trowbridge, David Underhill,
Shuyler Van Rensselaer, David Webb, Harvey Webb, Charles Wheaton, Edward
Wheeler, John White, James Williams, J.H. Wolaver, Oliver Woodhouse, Andrew
Woods, Amos Woodward, W.C. Wright.
In addition to the above regular
members, the following were visitors during this time: Bildad Adams, P. Adams,
J. Ashley, Elijah Baker, George Baldwin, Henry Barney, Eben W. Barnum, Eli S.
Barnum, Levi Barnum, J. Beatty, Sylvester Blackman, A.D.W. Boadley, Isaac
Bowery, S. Brewster, D.P. Brown, John B. Brown, Samuel Brown, Richard Burt, Dr.
Samuel B. Carpenter, Halsey Clark, B. Cole, Eleutheros Cooke, Joseph C.
Curtiss, Benjamin Drake, Frederick Falley, Lyman Farwell, John Fish, Joshua
Fish, Nathan C. Fulsome, William Gamble, Charles Gardiner, Samuel R. Gibbs, C.C.
Gilbert, Joel Luther Graves, Solomon Gray, Robert Green, Rev. John Hall, J.
Hoadley, William Howard, S. Howe, M. Hoyt, Jonathan Hull, William Hunt, Samuel
Husted, Buckley Hutchins, C. Hutchins, Jabez Ivory, Brewster Jennings, Jonathan
Jennings, Dr. John B. Johnson, I. Lawrence, Ozias Long, J.P. McArdle, Rev.
James McIntyre, Jr., Wm. Miller, B. Mitchels, Rodolphus Morse, Samuel Allen
Otis, Ephraim Palmiter, Halsey Petton, Abijah Pixley, Ethan Powers, L.S.
Richard, Everett Richman, Leon D. Roath, Abner Root, A. Ruggles, Rev. Roger
Searle, S. Sharp, Benjamin Sheeley, Fred A. Sheffield, Martin G. Shelhouse,
Abiathar Shirley, Robert S. Southgate, Samuel Spencer, Needham N. Standart,
Natham [sic] M. Stewart, Abner Strong, James Strong, Jesse Taintor, Hiram Tanner,
J. Taylor, Timothy Taylor, Theodore Tillson, Judge George Tod, Benjamin Warren,
W.W. Watross, A. Webb, S. White, Nathan Whitney, Asa Wilson. Many of these members were neighbors and
business acquaintances of Benjamin and Mary Ann.
On 3 December
1827, Benjamin was expelled from the Mount Vernon Lodge, No. 64, and was also
expelled from all Masonic communications.
This expulsion notice was published in the Norwalk Register on 22 Dec.
1827.[xii] According to the
minutes of the Mount Vernon Lodge No 64, dated 1 Oct 1827, it was “voted that
Lodge disapprove of the conduct of Bro. Benjm. Junkins in living in a state of
open Adultery & that he be cited to appear at this Lodge Room at half 7.
O.Clock & shew cause if any he have, why he should not be dealt with for
the same agreable to the rules of the fraternity... Lodge called for
dispensation to Labor for dispatch of business citation in Bro. B. Junkins was
served – he did not appear. Voted That
Vro. B. Junkins cause be continued untill our next Reg. Com. and that Bro. G.P.
Bronson, Moses Kimball, & I. Marshall be a committee to Labor with Brother
Junkins & report at our next Reg. Com.”
Officers present at this meeting were Brothers Platt Benedict, Benjamin
Carman, Jabez Clark, Rouse Bly, Hiram Johnson, J.C. Kinney, Obadiah Jenny
(secretary), and Oliver Woodhouse. Rouse
Bly was the brother-in-law (and in 1830, second husband), of Sophia Barney,
who, in 1827, was married to Luther Coe, Mary Ann’s uncle. Members present at the meeting were Brothers
Roma Bassett, Horace Johnson, R.C. Pixley, E.W. Herrick, Charles C. Gardner,
Eber. Root, Lester Clark, Abijah Rundle, Enos Gilbert, Moses Kimball, Theodore
Baker, Leverett Bradley, Jonathan Hull, Asher Cole, Ephm. Munger, Rev. C.P.
Bronson, John D. Haskins and Daniel L. Clark.
Visitors to the meeting were Halsey Clark and Joseph C. Curtis. [xiii] R. C. Pixley (Reuben), born abt 1796, lived
with his parents in Pompey, NY, where his father, Reuben, had signed a petition
to establish the Pompey Academy on 15 Mar 1802, with, among others, Abel
Bigelow and Joseph Shattuck[xiv].
Reuben Pixley, Sr. built the first log house in Ridgefield Township, Huron
County, Ohio in 1811[xv]. In 1817 he and his son helped Platt Benedict
build his log house in Norwalk[xvi].
At the 3 Dec
1827 meeting of the Mount Vernon Lodge No. 64 in Norwalk, “The committee
appointed to Labor with Benjamin Junkins Reported that he gave them no
satisfaction, but abused them & set the institution at defiance – therefore
– voted unanimously that Benjm. Junkins be Expelled from this Lodge & that
his expulsion be published in the Norwalk Reporter, requesting printers
favorable to the fraternity to publish it throughout the United States.” Officers present at this meeting were
Brothers Theodore Baker, Leverett Bradley, Asher Cole, Henry Addams, J.C.
Curtiss, Obadiah Jenny, B. Carmon and O. Woodhouse. Members present were Brothers Enos Gilbert,
Newel Adamms (?), Abel Herrick, C.P. Bronson, Roma Basset, J.F. Adams, Anson
Root, Perry G. Beckwith, Ephm. Munger, Platt Benedict, H. Johnson, and E.W.
Herrick. Visiting Brethren were Brothers
James McIntyre, John Beatty and Samuel Brown.[xvii]
From the
above information, we can only surmise that Benjamin was living with Mary Ann,
but whether he was doing so on his property or hers, we do not know.
Benjamin
appeared on the Norwalk Poll Book, dated 5 Apr 1827. Judges for the County were Ebenezer Boalt and
Asher Cole, and clerks were John Tice and Abel Tracey. Matthew W. Junkins, Benjamin’s brother, also
appears on the Poll Book, and they are among the 67 voters for the town. Benjamin and Matthew also appear as male
residents of Norwalk (over twenty-one) in the Ohio Census of 1827.[xviii]
On 12 May
1828, Benjamin and his wife Mary Ann,
sold part of Benjamin’s property on the front half of lot 26 in Norwalk, to
John V. Sharp, also a cabinetmaker, for $175.
This was the property on which the cabinetmakers’ shop stood on, but did
not include Benjamin’s house. The deed
was witnessed by John G. Taylor and Samuel Preston (Justice of the Peace).[xix] John Sharp and his wife Sally, of Norwalk,
paid $25 in cash for the property, and took out a mortgage to Benjamin Junkins
for $150. The mortgage was canceled 27
Dec 1842.[xx]
On 4 June
1828, Benjamin settled his wife’s accounts with James Williams of Norwalk,
according to his account book[xxi].
While an intriguing mention of a
Benjamin Junkin in the Ohio Repository dated 18 July 1828, identified as having
a letter remaining in the Canton Post Office as of the 1st of July
1828, an extensive review of the Ohio Repository for the years 1827 through
1828 did not reveal any further mention of this Benjamin. Is this our Benjamin Junkins? Canton was 86 miles from Norwalk, OH.
In 1828, Benjamin was taxed $3.75
for real estate valued at $300 on the north half of lot 26 in Norwalk. Taxes included State and Canal Tax, County
and School Tax, Road Tax and Township Tax[xxii]. On 20 Mar 1829, Benjamin Junkins deeded to
John Miller of Norwalk, property on the north half of lot 26 in Norwalk, with
the dwelling house on Main St., for $425.
No mention is made in the deed to Benjamin Junkins’ wife, Mary Ann.[xxiii] That same day, John Miller of Norwalk,
mortgaged this same property to Benjamin Junkins for $425. The mortgage was cancelled 6 Feb 1843.[xxiv] At this point, it seems likely that Benjamin
would have been living on Mary Ann’s property.
On 25 October 1828, a notice from
the Norwalk Post Office was placed in the Norwalk Reporter, listing letters
remaining in the Post Office as of 1 October 1828, in which Mary Ann Junkins’
name appeared[xxv]. Again, on 4 July 1829, a notice from the
Norwalk Post Office was placed in the Norwalk Reporter, listing letters
remaining in the Post Office as of 1 Jul 1829, in which Mary Ann Junkens’ name
appeared.[xxvi] Both of these listings seem to indicate that
Mary Ann may have been out of town, for why else would these letters have been
left in the Post Office for over three months?
Meanwhile, on 6 July 1829, Spencer Pomeroy, of Manlius, NY, signed a
quit-claim deed to his son Francis W. Pomroy, stating, in effect, that he, nor
his heirs, etc. would not claim any right to property on lot 26 in Norwalk, OH,
in consideration for $1.00 paid to him by Francis W. Pomroy[xxvii]. This quit-claim was referring to the land that
Mary Ann (Coe) Pomeroy had purchased of Edward Pettit and his estate in 1825
and 1826, and is interesting for the fact that it was given by Spencer to
Francis, his son, not Mary Ann, his wife.
Did this mean that Mary Ann still did not have clear title to this
property, or would Francis now need to quit-claim the property to Mary Ann in
order for her to be able to sell it?
This quit-claim deed also places Francis in Norwalk in 1829. Further evidence of his residence can be
found in the poll book records for Norwalk in 1829, where Francis is
listed. According to records referring
to early research, Francis was working as an apprentice at the Huron Reflector,
a newspaper founded on 2 Feb 1830 and owned by Samuel Preston, who was also a
Justice of the Peace in Norwalk[xxviii].
The below is a list of heads of
households in Norwalk, OH according to the 1830 US Federal Census. It appears that this census was enumerated by
residence and based on what we know about sales of Benjamin Junkins property,
it would appear that these people were near neighbors to each other:
William Webber
John Miller
Frederick Forsythe
Picket Latimer
D.G. Raitt
Henry Hurlbert
Aurelius Mason
Benjamin Junkins
Jno. V. Sharpe
Leveret Bradley
Nelson Horton
Joseph C. Curtis
Wm. Benton
John Ford
Chloe Morse
Jno. Bryant
Robert Moreton
Miner Vredt
Thomas Adams
Thomas G Bronson
T.B. Sturges
John Wilerr
M.F. Ciser
Samuel Preston
Benjamin was listed as head of
household in the US Federal Census of 1830, living in Norwalk, OH. In the household was one male of 20 through
30, one male of 30 through 40, and one female of 40 through 50. The D.G. Raitt, Samuel Preston and Jonathan
V. Sharp households are listed on the same census page.[xxix] We assume that the female of forty and under
fifty was Mary Ann (Coe) Pomeroy, and the male of twenty and under thirty was
Francis W. Pomeroy, Mary Ann’s son.
Benjamin died 23 June 1830 in Norwalk, at the age of 35.[xxx]
The Death of Benjamin Junkins
On 4 September 1830, Mary Ann
Junkins was summoned to Huron County Court as a defendant in a claim brought
against her by Isaac M. Wilson, plaintiff, for an unpaid debt of $9.50 for
painting services. Isaac filed his lien
for $9.53, and Mary Ann did not appear, thus defaulting on the account, which
was brought to $9.67 including tax.
Francis W. Pomeroy on that date, acknowledged himself bail for his
mother in the sum of $20, which was liened to his “goods and chattels lands and
tenements in case the said Mary Ann fails to pay the sum for which Judgment is
rendered against her in said suit”. The
money owed was received of Samuel Preston for I.M. Wilson and Joseph H. Wilson
on 9 December 1830.[xxxi]
On 25 October, 1830, Mary Ann
Junkins, Daniel G. Raitt, Samuel Preston and John G. Taylor for the penal sum
of $800 bond, signed a contract which made Mary Ann Junkins and John G. Taylor
the administrators of the estate of Benjamin Junkins. Samuel Preston and Daniel G. Raitt acted as
sureties to the bond. They were given
two years to inventory all of Benjamin’s goods, chattels and credits, and
return the same, “together with a bill of the sale of the goods and chattels of
the said deceased and also a true accurate statement of all the debts due and
owing the estate to the clerk’s office” in Huron County, Ohio.
The inventory and appraisement of
Benjamin’s estate is as follows:
viz. 1 Camblet Cloak
|
$12.00
|
1 Hat
|
0.50
|
|
1 Frock Coat Broad Cloth
|
8.00
|
1 Trunk
|
1.00
|
|
1 pr. Pantaloons do
do
|
2.50
|
1 Watch
|
10.50
|
|
1 Vest do do
|
2.00
|
1 pr. Boots
|
1.00
|
|
4 Factory Shirts
|
0.50
|
1 [Ax]
|
1.00
|
|
1 pr. Linen Pantaloons
|
1.00
|
1 Looking Glass
|
0.12
|
|
3 pr. Old Pantaloons
|
0.38
|
1 Milch Cow
|
9.50
|
|
6 Old Cravats
|
0.25
|
1 Calf
|
2.50
|
|
3 Old Vests
|
0.38
|
1 Tea Kettle
|
0.87
|
|
1
“ Coat
|
0.75
|
1 Improved Dictionary
|
0.50
|
|
1 pr. Satinett Pantaloons
|
0.50
|
1 Pocket Book
|
0.25
|
|
1 Bandanna Handkerchief
|
0.06
|
1 Keg
|
0.50
|
|
3 pr. Soxks
|
0.75
|
1 Old Trunk
|
0.25
|
|
1 pr. Old English Razors
|
1.75
|
1 [
|
2.00
|
|
1 Latherbox & Strap
|
0.12
|
30.49
|
||
1 pr. Suspenders
|
0.06
|
31.00
|
||
31.00
|
$61.49
|
The appraisers were listed as
Leverett Bradley, F(rederick) Forsythe, and H(allet) Gallup.
A supplementary schedule of the
debts due to the estate is as follows:
“These demands belonged to said Estate and found their way into
the hands of Adam Junkins who refuses to render them to
the Admtr. towit:
One Note of $100 dated March 20, 1829 due two years after
date on John Miller ___________________________________ 100.00
One do of $125 same date on same person due three years
after date ___________________________________________ 125.00
One of $100 on John V. Sharp due July 1829. about half
paid before Junkins death ______________________________ 50.00
One note of $10 on Doct. Wm W. Nugent about ½ pd 5.00
One “ “ $6 on Seth Jennings 6.00
One “ “ 18 on John Miller part pd 18.00
One “ “ 4.88 on David Higgins 4.88
Also One Judgt on Van Renselears Docket against Asaph Cook, [junr]. 16.00
One Note against Jacob Wilson [junr] 6.50
One Judgt on Prestons Dockett of _____________________________ 6.64
Dated Norwalk March 15, 1831 – “(the 3 [last] items are in our own hands)” and signed by Mary A. Junkins and John G. Taylor, Administrators of the estate.
We asked Henry Timman to look for further court records concerning
Benjamin Junkins’ estate. He wrote on 25
October. 2009: “I found no further Court activity in the Benj. Junkins estate
for four
years after it was opened. The
Inventory and Appraisal was filed 13 Jan 1831 and the Schedule of Debts was
filed 16 March 1831, but neither was ever journalized in the Common Pleas
County Journals. This omission was not
common, but the dates were between formal sessions of the Court, and may simply
have been overlooked when the Court did sit again...
“Now, I have another theory which might address this question. In those days if a man died and had a probate
estate totaling less than the statutory amount allowed the widow for her year’s
support, the appraisers might simply turn over the assets to her and the estate
became dormant. It is not so noted in
the Junkins estate, but it may have happened this way.
“Also, I would guess that it was the job of the administrators to sue
Adam Junkins to recover the money he was withholding. If so, they didn’t do it in Huron
County. Do you suppose they did sue in
whichever county where Adam Junkins dwelt?”
Based on the above information, we believe that there was a rift or
disagreement between Mary Ann (Coe) Pomeroy Junkins and Adam Junkins, Benjamin
Junkins’ brother. Whether this
disagreement was caused by the fact that Mary Ann and Benjamin were likely not
married to each other, and because of this, Adam did not feel that Mary Ann was
entitled to Benjamin’s assets, we do not know.
It appears that Adam was holding the mortgages on Benjamin’s property,
among other notes. How would he have gotten
hold of these, unless Benjamin had given them to him?
Of the other notes, we know that Dr. William W. Nugent was licensed a
practicing physician and surgeon by the 14th District Medical
Society (of Ohio) at a meeting held in Norwalk on 29 May 1827. Other physicians admitted membership that day
were John B. Craighead and Andrew McMillan.
The society consisted of the following officers: Allen G. Miller,
President; George G. Baker, Vice President; A.B. Harris, Secretary; Lyman Fay,
Treasurer; George C. Baker, William F. Kittredge, Moses C. Sanders, Daniel
Tilden and En. Dresback, Censors. At
that meeting Daniel Tilden was chosen as a delegate to the state medical
convention. Other physicians of Huron
County, OH were H.M. Clark, Joseph Pearce, Richard P. Christophers, Samuel
Stephens, Charles Smith, Samuel B. Carpenter, W. Merriman, Lemuel Powers and
A.H. Brown.[xxxii] William Nugent was listed as a white, male
inhabitant of Norwalk, above the age of twenty-one in the Ohio Census of 1827[xxxiii]. In 1830 Dr. Nugent was charged a tax or
license as a physician in Huron County, OH[xxxiv].
Seth Jennings was listed in the poll book of Norwalk, OH as an elector
on 13 October 1818[xxxv]. His name also appears in the Ohio census of
1827, as a white male of twenty-one years of age, living in Norwalk[xxxvi]. He may have been the first landlord of the
Eagle Tavern, in Milan in 1826[xxxvii].
Judge David Higgins, Jr. was born 2 Aug 1789 in Lyme, New London County,
Connecticut, to parents Reverend David Higgins and Eunice Gilbert. He studied at Yale College, was a soldier of
the war of 1812 and practiced law in Norwalk, OH by 1828, at which time he was
appointed Circuit Judge[xxxviii]. He was elected Clerk of the Congregational
(Presbyterian) Church in Norwalk 11 Feb 1830[xxxix],
and appears as a head of household in Norwalk in the 1830 U.S. Federal Census[xl]. He was also the first cousin of James
Higgins, who was the husband of Spencer Pomeroy’s sister Nancy.
Mary Ann Junkins was taxed 9.8¢ on a cow valued at $8 in 1831 in
Norwalk, Ohio[xli]. On 3 October 1831, the Norwalk Reflector ran
a notice of letters remaining in the Post Office in Norwalk, as of 1
October. Francis Pomeroy is listed in
the notice[xlii]. We do not find record or him in Norwalk until
16 Dec 1833 when he paid a fine of $1.37.5 for being delinquent in the Ohio
Militia[xliii]. Had Francis left town?
The Death of Spencer Pomeroy
It does not seem that Spencer ever
recovered, financially, from his insolvency.
Not much is found regarding his life after the homegrown divorce that he
and Mary Ann signed in 1816. Spencer is
listed as head of household in the 1820 U.S. Federal Census in Manlius, NY[xliv]. In his household is one free white male of 26
through 45, one free white female of 26 through 45, and one free white female
of 45 and upwards. We assume that the
older female was Spencer’s mother Sarah, as we know that she was one of eight
original members of the Trinity Presbyterian Church of Manlius when it was
formed on 24 Oct 1815, along with William Gardner, Caleb Remington, Isaac Hall
and his wife, Horace Hunt, Rebecca Wood and Mrs. Mary Ann (Elderkin) Jackson[xlv]. We do not know who the free white female
between the ages of 26 through 45 is. It
seems unlikely that this is Mary Ann, as her sons are not enumerated in the
household with her. Was this the woman
with whom Spencer was in an adulterous affair with, as Mary Ann claimed in her
divorce petition of 1827? Or was it more
likely that as permitted reasons for divorce were few at that time, that every
person pleading the courts for a divorce claimed that their spouse had been
unfaithful?
That same year, on January 20,
Spencer won a law suit against Jacob Tiffany in the Justice Court of Onondaga
County, amounting to $11.87 including Constable fees. According to the record, the defendant Jacob
Tiffany, was “committed”[xlvi]. According to the book The Tiffanys of America,
Jacob was the son of Stephen Tiffany who came with his brother, Colonel Henry
Tiffany and settled in Pompey about 1795.
Stephen was a sheriff and involved in local politics. Jacob, born 21 Aug 1794 in Cambridge,
Washington County, New York, married Mercy Mowrey of Pompey in 1812, and the
couple had three children, Mowrey, born 1813; Evelyn, born 1816, and Lucien B.,
born 1820, prior to Jacob’s death in September, 1833[xlvii].
Stephen Tiffany had settled on lot
26 in Pompey, and his land bordered Ithamar Coe’s in 1809, when Ithamar sold
that land to his brothers, Chester and Seymour Coe[xlviii]. Stephen is listed as head of household in
Pompey, according to the 1810 U.S. Federal Census. In his household are two free white males
under 10, 1 free white male of 10 through 15, 1 free white male of 16 through
25, 2 free white males of 26 through 44, 3 free white females under 10, 1 free
white female of 10 through 15, 1 free white female of 16 through 25, 1 free
white female of 26 through 44. It
appears that the 1810 U.S. Federal Census of Pompey, NY was enumerated by
neighborhood, and the census page in which Stephen is listed tells us a lot
about who his neighbors were. The last
nine heads of household on page 8 of the census are as follows: Henry Tiffany,
Anson Shaddock, Stephen Tiffany, David Bigelow, Isaac Deming, Richard Hiscock,
Solomon Morey, Ithamar Coe and Seymour Coe[xlix].
The 1800 U.S. Federal Census of
Pompey, NY lists a Jacob Tiffany, head of household, enumerated above the
Richard Hisscock household. This family
consists of two free white males less than 10 years of age, one free white male
of 26 through 44, two free white females under 10 years of age, and one free
white female of 26 through 44[l]. Neither Stephen Tiffany nor Henry Tiffany was
enumerated in the Pompey census of 1800.
If the Jacob Tiffany who was sued by Spencer Pomeroy in 1820 was,
indeed, the son of Stephen Tiffany, born in 1794, he would not have been old
enough to be a head of household in 1800.
According to the book ”The Tiffanys of America”, only one brother of
Stephen lived to maturity, and that was Henry.
Was the “Jacob Tiffany” listed in the 1800 U.S. Census in Pompey, an
error? Was this really Stephen Tiffany?
According The Tiffanys of America,
Stephen Tiffany died “at Pompey, Onondaga County, N.Y., March 21, 1813”[li], and
the database “Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY
State, 1787-1835, seems to confirm this, as an entry was made under letters of
administration as follows: “page 13, adm. of the Estate of Stephen Tiffany of
Pompey, co, Onondaga, died intestate.
Granted to Henry Tiffany and Mercy Tiffany of Pompey, afs’d. as
Admrs. Seal 17 May 1813.”[lii]
Jacob is also mentioned in the
above database, as follows: “pages 183-186, will (pgs 184-186) Solomon Morey of
Town Pompey Co Onondaga, N.Y. – to my wife Jerusha use of one third my
tenements & household furniture during her lifetime – to my eldest dau.
Abigail present wife of William Powell $10 on 12 Jul 1827 – to my Second dau
Nancy present wife of Jacob Rocks $10 – to my dau. Mercy present wife of Jacob
Tiffany – to my Dau. Martha – to my youngest dau Elizabeth wh. 18 yrs age – to
my Son Solomon Morey half my farm on which I now live in sd Pompey wh. age of
21 yrs on 26 March 1825 – to my son Elijah Morey half my farm – appt Israel
Sloan Jur ex (no date) (seal) Solomon Morey (L.S.) wits Dennis T. Sweet Samuel
Sloan Levi Pease pved 29 Apr 1816. adm
(pgs 183-184) On Will of Solomon Morey of Town Pompey dec’d Granted to Jerusha
Morey of Town of Pompey, Co of Onondaga as Admin. Seal 30 April 1816.”[liii] This record identifies Solomon Morey as the
father of Mercy, wife of Jacob Tiffany, who was enumerated directly before
Ithamar Coe in the 1810 U.S. Federal Census of Pompey, NY. Alethea Connolly, in her review of the
Onondaga County Supervisors records at the Onondaga Historical Society in
Syracuse, noted that in 1811 Stephen Tiffany was identified as a Constable for
the town of Pompey.
Jacob Tiffany is identified as head
of household in the 1820 U.S. Federal Census of Pompey, NY, taken 7 Aug 1820. In his household were one free white male
under 10, one free white male of 16 through 25, 1 free white female under 10,
and one free white female of 16 through 25.
One person in the household was engaged in agriculture, which we assume
to be Jacob[liv]. On the same census page, listed directly
before Jacob Tiffany, were, in order: Henry Tiffany, Christopher Clive, Richard
Hiscock, Widow Jerusha Morey, Joseph Evarts, and Joseph Evarts, Jun.
Jacob Tiffany is again listed as
head of household in the 1830 U.S. Federal Census of Pompey, NY. Listed in the household were one free white
male of 5 through 9, one free white male of 15 through 19, one free white male
of 30 through 39, one free white female of 10 through 14, and one free female
of 30 through 39[lv]. No occupation on this census. Listed directly before Jacob Tiffany on the
census page, were, in order: Richard Hiscock, Daniel King, and Richard Hiscock
Jr. Listed directly below Jacob on the
same page, were, in order: Mercy Olin and Heline W. Tiffany. According to the book “The Tiffanys of
America”, after Stephen Tiffany died, his widow, Mercy (Hodges) Tiffany,
married a Mr. Olin[lvi]. Was the Mercy Olin, enumerated below Jacob
Tiffany in 1820, Jacob’s mother?
Unfortunately, our research into
the Tiffany family has not illuminated us any further regarding the reason that
Spencer Pomeroy pursued and won the suit against Jacob Tiffany in 1820. We also do not know what the term “committed”
meant in 1820. Was Jacob incarcerated?
Spencer’s mother, Sarah L. (Allen)
Pomeroy, died in Manlius, NY on 7 March 1823, and was buried in the Christ
Church Cemetery in Manlius. Her
granddaughter, Charlotte Sophia Wood (daughter of Ichabod Wood and Clarissa
Pomeroy), was buried beside her after she died on 26 Feb 1842. A white marble stone ornamented with a
weeping willow in an urn marked Sarah’s grave when Sarah’s fourth great
grandson, Bill Pomeroy, found her grave.
The stone was severely pocked and barely legible, and Bill decided to
have it replaced. Upon removing the
original stone, an inscription was found which had been under the surface of
the ground. The name “Utica” was carved in an oval, with carved leaves
radiating out of it, creating a band across the lower portion of the stone. A few others stones with this marking have
been found in the Sherburne Quarter Cemetery, on Pleasant Valley Rd., in
Sherburne, Chenango County, New York.
One stone in that cemetery with the “Utica” symbol is in memory of John
Hebbard, who died 17 Oct 1830, aged 70 years.
The other stone is that of Hannah W., wife of Horace B. Knapp, who died
21 Jun 1831, aged 24 years. Her stone
also has a carving of a weeping willow in an urn, like Sarah’s. Each of these stones in Sherburne contain
epitaphs as does Sarah’s, although we have been unable to clearly read the one
on Sarah’s stone. The third stone in the
Sherburne Quarter Cemetery that has the “Utica” symbol is that of Lucy, wife of
Gardner Babcock, who died 13 Jun 1832 at age 40. Her stone has a carving of an urn flanked on
both sides by weeping willows, but her stone does not have an epitaph.
It seems logical that these
gravestones came from Utica, Oneida County, New York, but Utica was some
distance from both of the cemeteries where the Utica symbol was found on
stones. Sherburne is 40 miles from
Manlius, via NY Rte 12 and 20, and over 36 miles from Utica, NY via NY Rte
12. Pompey is over 45 miles from Utica
via NY I-90. Research into early Utica
businesses has identified the Utica Marble Works, but to our knowledge, this
business was not formed until the 1840s, and given the dates of death on the
gravestones we’ve found with the Utica symbol, it would appear that these
stones were carved before the Utica Marble Works was in business. It is, of course, possible that the Utica Marble
Works was formed from an earlier business with a different name, and again, it
is possible that the gravestones were not manufactured in Utica, but had that
symbol for another reason.
No will or probate file for Sarah
Pomeroy has been found in the Surrogate’s Office of Onondaga County, New
York. It is possible that she did not
have a will, or, because she did not own any property, that the will was not
recorded, and that her estate, being valued under a certain amount of money,
was not probated and handled more informally by her family members. We wonder who may have purchased her
gravestone. Of her immediate family, her
son Spencer was assumed living in Manlius at the time of her death (although no
records have been found to prove this).
Her daughter Clarissa, with husband Ichabod Wood, and daughter Charlotte
Sophia, were apparently living in Manlius, as Clarissa had joined the Trinity
Presbyterian Church in Manlius on 13 Apr 1817, and was not dismissed until 24
May 1830, at which time she was dismissed to a church in Jamesville, NY.[lvii] Daughter Charlotte and her husband Titus Rust
had both died before Sarah, and their children were likely living in
Westhampton, MA by that time. Daughter
Nancy and her husband James Higgins and their children appear to have left
Pompey in the fall of 1817, as James paid the balance on tuition at the Pompey
Academy in October 1817[lviii], and
no other record has been found for them.
An obituary was found in the Buffalo newspapers in August 1826, for a
wife of James H. Higgins, aged 50, but we do not know whether this was Nancy,
although her age is about right[lix]. Of Sarah’s other living children, son Gaius
(1760 – 1824), was living in Northampton, MA in 1820[lx], where
he died in 24 November 1824[lxi]. Sarah’s daughter Mary Pomeroy, born 3 April
1764 in Northampton, MA[lxii],
married Elihu Wright 13 Dec 1781 in Northampton[lxiii]. Elihu Wright was born 10 Sep 1759 in New
Marlboro, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, son of Dr. Elihu Wright and Rachel
Searle[lxiv]. Elihu was a first cousin of Amasa Wright, who
was an administrator of Luther Wright’s estate upon his death, intestate in
Pompey, NY in 1808. An Elihu Wright is
identified as a land-owner in Van Buren, Onondaga County, New York in 1825,
having settled on lot 1[lxv]. We believe this to be the same Elihu Wright
who was listed as head of household in Van Buren in the 1830 U.S. Federal
Census. In his household were 2 free
white males under 5, 1 free white male of 15 through 19, one free white male of
40 through 49, and one free white female of 20 through 29, making this Elihu
Wright too young to be the husband of Mary Pomeroy[lxvi]. Elihu and Mary (Pomeroy) Wright’s daughter,
Polly, married 26 Dec 1803 Henry McGrath in Westfield, Hampden County,
Massachusetts[lxvii]. As most marriages of that time took place in
the home of the bride, it is likely that Mary and Elihu were living in
Westfield in 1803. This is the last
concrete evidence we have found relating to this family. Was Mary alive when her mother died in Pompey
in 1823? If she was, where was she living? All of Sarah’s other children had died before
Sarah.
Sarah had at least two siblings
that outlived her. They were Elijah
Allen who was born 1 December 1754 in Northampton, MA[lxviii],
who died 23 September 1830 in Northampton[lxix]; and
Eunice (Allen) Breck, born (or baptized) 5 November 1758 in Northampton, MA,
who married Samuel Breck Jr. 23 Oct 1777 and died 13 March 1826 in Northampton,
MA[lxx]. The only obituary we have found for Sarah was
published in the Pittsfield Sun on 10 April 1823. It is a simple obituary, common for the day,
which read: “Died, at Manlius, N.Y. on the 1st ult. widow Sarah
Pomroy, aged 84, relict of the late Mr. Pliny Pomroy”.[lxxi] We do not know whether the Manlius, or
Onondaga County, NY obituaries were regularly picked up and run in the
Pittsfield Sun, or whether this obituary was run in the paper because Sarah’s
late brother, the Reverend Thomas Allen, was a well-known citizen of
Pittsfield, and had descendants living there at the time of Sarah’s death. Could any of these nieces and nephews have
paid for Sarah’s gravestone?
Spencer’s brother, Gaius Pomeroy,
died 22 November 1824 in Northampton.
His obituary was also printed in the Pittsfield Sun on 25 November 1824,
as follows: “DIED, at Northampton, on the 22 inst. Mr. Gaius Pomeroy, aged 64.”[lxxii] His wife, Elizabeth “Betsey” (Root) Pomeroy
had died in September of that year, and her obituary was also published in the
Pittsfield Sun as follows: “DIED, at Northampton, on the 29th ult,
Mrs. Elizabeth pomeroy, wife of Mr. Gaius Pomeroy, aged 62.”[lxxiii]
Between the years 1820 and 1830,
Spencer’s cousin Reverend Francis Pomeroy, was preaching in Western New
York. In 1820 he was the minister of the
First Presbyterian Church of Lyons[lxxiv], and
in 1821 purchased property on Village Lot 2, in Lyons, next door to the Church
which was on Village Lot 1[lxxv]. Reverend Pomeroy was dismissed from the
Church in Lyons on 1 Feb 1825[lxxvi] from
whence he went on to organize a Presbyterian Church in Rose, Wayne County, New
York with Rev. Benjamin Stockton, and was one of two ministerial commissioners
sent by the Presbytery at the organization of the Presbyterian Church in
Newark, Wayne County, New York.[lxxvii] He was pastor of the Presbyterian Church in
East Palmyra between 1825 and 1831[lxxviii],
and purchased property in Palmyra in 1826[lxxix] and
1828[lxxx].
Francis Pomeroy was listed as head
of household in the U.S. Federal Census of 1830, in Palmyra, NY. In his household was one free white male of 5
and under 10, one free white male of 50 and under 60, one free white female of
15 and under 20, one free white female of 50 and under 60, one female of 90 and
under 100[lxxxi]. Although Francis would have been 62 in 1830,
we believe that he is the free white male, aged between 50 and 60 years. Francis’ current wife, at the time, was Mary
Sayre, born 7 March 1778 in New Jersey, widow of Nathaniel Job Potter[lxxxii]. She married Francis in 1814[lxxxiii],
he being widowed probably twice prior to this marriage. Both Francis and Mary had children from their
previous marriages, Francis having adopted two of Mary’s younger daughters,
Susan Mary Potter and Elizabeth Ann Potter, as evidenced by their baptism in
the First Presbyterian Church of Lyons on 9 June 1816[lxxxiv]. Both of these daughters were married by
1830. We believe the young woman in the
Francis Pomeroy household in 1830 was Phebe Pomeroy, born about 1811 and
daughter of Francis and wife Phebe[lxxxv], who
had died about Jan 1813 in Brutus, Cayuga County, New York, as evidenced by her
obituary which ran in the Western Federalist on 3 Feb 1813: “POMROY, Mrs.
Phoebe, w. of Rev. Francis Pomroy, d. in Brutus last week... in epidemic”[lxxxvi],(possibly
yellow fever or typhoid). We believe
that the elderly woman in the household was Sarah (Littell) Sayre, Mary’s
widowed mother who would have been about 94 years of age at the time that the
census was taken[lxxxvii]. We do not know who the young man of 5 through
10 years of age was.
Spencer’s other “local” cousins,
Anna (Pomeroy) Clark, Thankful (Pomeroy) Day and Lovisa Pomeroy were all living
in Skaneateles between 1820 and 1830, their mother Ann (Ashley) Pomeroy, the
widow of Spencer’s uncle Timothy, had also moved to Skaneateles during this
time.
On 6 July 1829, Spencer Pomeroy
signed a quit-claim to his son Francis W. Pomeroy, regarding Mary Ann (Coe)
Pomeroy’s property on inlot 6, in Norwalk, OH as follows:
“Know all men by these presents that I Spencer Pomroy of Manlius in the County of Onondaga in the State of New York for and in consideration of the sum of one dollar to me paid by Francis W Pomroy of Norwalk in the County of Huron and State of Ohio the receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge have granted bargained sold remised and quit claimed and by these presents do grant bargain sell remise and quit claim unto the said Francis W Pomeroy and to his heirs and assigns forever all the right title interest and claim which I have in and unto a certain lot of land situate in the Village of Norwalk aforesaid in the County and State aforesaid and designated and known as Lot No. 6 in the Town Plat of said Norwalk containing sixty four rods together with all and singular the hereditaments and appurtenances thereunto belonging or in any wise appertaining and the reversions remainders rent issues and profits thereof and all the right estate title interest claim or demand whatsoever of me the said Spencer Pomroy either in law or equity of in and to the above bargained premises
To have and to hold the same to the said Francis W Pomroy and to his heirs and assigns forever. The aforesaid premises being the same which Mary Ann Pomroy purchased of Edward Pettit in the year 1825 and 1826 [as] by said Pettits deeds are Recor[ded] in Huron County aforesaid will fully appear.
In witness whereof I the said Spencer Pomroy have hereunto set my hand and seal this 6th day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty nine Signed
sealed acknowledged & delivered in presence of} Spencer Pomroy (seal)
State of New York Onondaga County ss
On this 6th day of July in the year 1829 personally appeared before me Spencer Pomroy to me known to be the person described in and who executed the within indenture and acknowledged that he executed the same for the uses and purposes therein mentioned. John Fleming Junr. Justice of the Peace
Received May the 2d and Recorded the 3d 1834 By Ichabod Marshall Recorder. “[lxxxviii]
We have often wondered whether Francis came back to
Pompey to get this quitclaim signed, or whether this transaction accomplished
through the mails. We have found no
evidence either way. We also wonder
whether it was Francis or Mary Ann that had this quitclaim entered in Huron
County Court on 2 May 1834 (nearly five years after it was written), and what
would the advantage have been of entering this record, given the fact that
Spencer Pomeroy was dead by this date.
The Town of Onondaga Historical Society has a wonderful,
and nearly complete, collection of the ledgers of the Onondaga County
Poorhouse. It was in these ledgers that
we learned of the sad demise of Spencer Pomeroy. Spencer entered the Poorhouse for the first
time on 2 January 1830, being the only entrant for that day. The record charges his stay to the town of
Manlius. He resided at the Poorhouse
until discharged on 23 April 1831. The
town of Manlius was charged for sixteen weeks board, and 3 yards “sattinet”, 1
yard of shirting and thread on 18 April 1830, and shoes two days later.
Spencer would spend a total of four winters in the Poorhouse. He was received on 19 Jan 1831 and discharged
14 Apr 1831. The town of Pompey was
charged for twelve weeks and one day’s board and for 3 ½ yards “sattinett”,
lining and buttons on 5 April 1831, which may have been used to sew him a
coat. He was received on 17 January 1832
and discharged 7 Apr 1832. The town of
Pompey was again charged for his room and board of eleven weeks and three days,
and for one yard of factory “gingum” on 6 Apr, which he received a day before
his discharge. Catherine M. Sayler of Salina was also
received January 17th. She
was fifteen years old and was discharged 3 April 1832.
Spencer’s visit to the Poorhouse in the winter of 1833
was his last. He was received on 21 Jan
1833 and died less than four months later on May 2. The town of Pompey was charged for fourteen
weeks and three days board, transportation to the Poorhouse from Pompey on
January 21, and for a coffin, sheet, and shirt on the day of his death. Spencer was buried on the Poorhouse grounds,
most likely either the day of his death or the day after.
Ichabod Wood, his wife Clarissa (Spencer’s sister) and
their daughter Charlotte were received in the Poorhouse 12 October 1832. All
there were charged to the town of Manlius.
Ichabod was identified as 45 years of age, and “absconded” 13 November
1832. Clarissa, identified as 45 years
of age, was discharged with her daughter Charlotte (identified as 18 years of
age) on 7 May 1833, five days after Spencer died. Ichabod received ½ yard of “Sattinet” on 10
November 1832, Clarissa received 1 pair of shoes and 8 ½ yards plaid, ¾ yard
shirting and thread on November 10, 2 yards of shirting, 2 yards or calico and
thread on March 27, and 6 yards of shirting and 1 ½ yard of muslin on May 7. Charlotte received 1 pair of shoes on
December 19, 3 yards of shirting on February 16, and 2 ½ yards of “Gingum”, and
5 yards of calico on May 7, her and her mother’s date of discharge. [lxxxix] We like to think that Clarissa and her
daughter Charlotte were caring for Spencer and was with him when he died. It seems likely.
We know that Charlotte died on 26 February 1842, and was
buried next to her grandmother, Sarah (Allen) Pomeroy in the Christ Church
Cemetery in Manlius, NY. We also know
that Ichabod Wood died on 2 Mar 1847 in Manlius, and was also buried in the
Christ Church Cemetery, although not with his daughter, but in the public
section of the cemetery[xc]. We do not know, however, when or where
Clarissa (Pomeroy) Wood died; and we have very little information about this
family after their tenure at the Poorhouse.
We do know that Ichabod Wood was identified as a head of household in
the 1840 U.S. Census of Manlius, NY. In
his household were one free white male of 60 through 70, 1 free white female of
20 through 30, and one free white female of 50 through 60. One person was employed in manufacture and
trade[xci]. We do not know what profession or professions
Ichabod followed. The ages of the women
in the household indicate that they were Clarissa and Charlotte, as Clarissa
would have been about 55 and Charlotte would have been about 26. It would seem likely that Ichabod would have
served in the New York State Militia, especially during the War of 1812, but we
have yet to find proof of this. We know
that Ichabod Wood married Clarissa Pomeroy on 10 October 1808 in Pompey, NY[xcii],
but we do not know where or exactly when Ichabod was born, or who his parents
were.
Another Ichabod Wood can be found buried in the Christ
Church Cemetery in Manlius, NY. His date
of death was 4 October 1817 and his date of birth has been listed as about 1746
in Little Compton, Newbury County, Rhode Island[xciii]. This Ichabod Wood married Elizabeth Brownell
15 March 1769 in Little Compton, RI[xciv];
was a Lieutenant of the Second Company of Little Compton, during the war of the
Revolution[xcv], and
lived in Little Compton until at least 1800 where he was enumerated as head of
household in the 1800 U.S. Federal Census[xcvi]. He is listed as head of household in Scipio,
Cayuga County, New York according to the 1810 U.S. Federal Census, on this same
page as his son Jedediah. He was the
only member of this household[xcvii]. His wife, Elizabeth outlived him by almost
ten years, dying on 27 August 1827 in Manlius[xcviii],
so it seems strange that she is not enumerated in his household in 1810. She too is buried in the Christ Church
Cemetery in Manlius. It is likely that
Ichabod and wife Elizabeth came to Manlius because their son, Jedediah, had
purchased land there on 15 July 1814.
This property was 350 acres on lot 38, and the purchase price was an
astounding $12,250[xcix]. Jedediah became a member and trustee of the
Trinity Presbyterian Church of Manlius on 29 August 1815[c].
Another Wood family that was in Onondaga County early on
is the Daniel Wood family. Daniel was
born 27 May 1744, the son of Moses and Sarah (Phelps) Wood[ci]. Daniel was found on the tax rolls of Pompey
with real property valued at $100 and personal property valued at $42[cii]. He signed a petition to establish Pompey
Academy which was recorded 15 March 1802 with Reuben Pixley, Abel Bigelow and
Joseph Shattuck[ciii]. He was a lawyer who was an early partner of
Victory Birdseye in 1807[civ]. He purchased two acres of land on lot 65 in
Pompey on 11 May 1808 that bordered on land owned by Henry Seymour and Oren
Stone and Spencer Pomeroy[cv]. His father, Moses Wood, came to Pompey with
his wife in 1806[cvi]
where he died 18 April1818. He was
buried in the Pompey Hill Cemetery[cvii].
Next Week: Part 5 – Brush with Celebrity
[i]
Huron County OH Deed Records, Vol 4; P 90, FHC Film #396.146, Salt Lake City,
UT.
[ii]
Harrison County, OH Deed Records, Book C, P 173, Family History Library, Salt
Lake City, UT
[iii]
Harrison County, OH Deed Records, Book C, P 396, Family History Library, Salt
Lake City, UT
[iv]
Ibid.
[v]
W.W. Williams, History of The Fire Lands,
Comprising Huron and Erie Counties, Ohio (Cleveland: Leader Printing
Company, 1879) 118
[vi]
Henry Reiner Timman, Just Like Old Times,
Book II 1975-1977, (Norwalk, Firelands Historical Society, 1983) 86
[vii]
Harrison County, OH Deed Records, Book C, P 620, Family History Library, Salt
Lake City, UT
[viii]
Ohio, Huron County Tax Records, 1816-1838, Ohio Historical Society.
Columbus. FHL microfilm, Family History
Library, Salt Lake City, UT.
[ix]
History of The Fire Lands..., p 119
[x]
James Williams Daily Cash Book,
1820s-1830s, Firelands Historical Society, Norwalk, OH, accessed 11 May
2009 by Henry Timman.
[xi]
Advertisement, Norwalk Reporter, Norwalk,
OH, 27 Oct 1827, P 3
[xii]
Expulsion Notice, Norwalk Register,
Norwalk, OH, 22 Dec 1827, P 3
[xiii]
Archives of the Mount Vernon Lodge No. 64, Norwalk, OH
[xiv]
Publication Committee, Re-Union of the
Sons and Daughters of the Old Town of Pompey, Held at Pompey Hill, June 29,
1871 (Syracuse: Courier Printing Company, 1875) 160-161
[xv]
Ruth, “Scattered Sheaves – No. 4, By Ruth; Maj. Underhill”, The Fire Lands Pioneer, Old Series, Vo.
III, Part 3 (Sep 1860); 37-45
[xvi]
Ibid, 42
[xvii]
Archives of the Mount Vernon Lodge No. 64, Norwalk, OH
[xviii]
History of The Fire Lands, Comprising
Huron and Erie Counties, Ohio, 118, 119
[xix]
Huron County, OH Deed Records, Vol 5; P 360, FHC Film # 396147, Salt Lake City,
UT
[xx]
Huron County, OH Deed Records, Vol 5; P 358, FHC Film # 396147, Salt Lake City,
UT
[xxi]
James Williams Daily Cash Book, 1820s-1830s, Firelands Historical Society,
(Norwalk, OH), accessed 11 May 2009, Henry Timman
[xxii]
Ohio, Huron County Tax Records, 1816-1838.
Ohio Historical Library, Columbus.
FHL microfilm. Family History
Library, Salt Lake City, UT.
[xxiii]
Huron County, OH Deed Records, Vol 6; P 106, FHC Film # 396147, Salt Lake City,
UT
[xxiv]
Huron County, OH Deed Records, Vol 5; P 633, FHC Film # 396147, Salt Lake City,
UT
[xxv]
List of Letters Remaining at Post Office article, Norwalk Reporter, Norwalk, OH, 25 Oct 1828
[xxvi]
List of Letters Remaining at Post Office article, Norwalk Reporter, Norwalk, OH, 4 Jul 1829, P 3, Col. 2
[xxvii]
Huron County Deed Records, Vol 8: P 328, Clerk’s Office, City Hall, Norwalk,
OH.
[xxviii]
C.P. Wickham, “History of the Firelands,” Fire
Lands Pioneer, Vol II, No. 4 (Sep 1861); 7-14
[xxix]
Benjamin Junkins household, 1830 U.S. Census, Norwalk, Huron County, Ohio, P
328, line 8; National Archives microfilm publication M19_133.
[xxx]
Benjamin Junkins obituary, Norwalk Weekly
Reflector, Norwalk, OH, 27 Jun 1882, P 1, Col. 4
[xxxi]
Samuel Preston Dockets 2 through 8, The Firelands Historical Society, (Norwalk,
OH), accessed by Henry Timman 20 Mar 2008
[xxxii]
Medical notice, Norwalk Reporter and
Huron Advertiser, Norwalk, OH, 23 Jun 1827, P 3, Col. 3.
[xxxiii]
History of The Fire Lands, Comprising
Huron and Erie Counties, Ohio, (Cleveland: Leader Printing Company, 1879)
119
[xxxiv]
Ibid, 46
[xxxv]
History of The Fire Lands, Comprising
Huron and Erie Counties, Ohio, 118.
[xxxvi]
Ibid, 119.
[xxxvii]
Henry Reinier Timman, Just Like Old Times,
Book V, 1984-1986, (Norwalk: Laser Images, Inc. 1989) 23.
[xxxviii]
Mary Higgins Gibbs, “Sketch of the Life of Judge David Higgins,” The Firelands Pioneer, New Series, Vol
XVI (1 May 1907); 1416-1417.
[xxxix]
Rev. A. Newton, “Extracts from a Discourse,” The Fire Lands Pioneer, Vol 2, No 4 (Sept 1861); 45-48.
[xl]
David Higgins household, 1830 U.S. Census, Norwalk, Huron County, Ohio, p 327
(penned), line 11; National Archives microfilm publication.
[xli]
Huron County, Ohio, 1831-1832 Tax Records, Books 663-664. Huron County Auditor, Norwalk, FHL microfilm
416,808. Family History Library, Salt
Lake City, UT.
[xlii]
List of Letters Remaining in the Post Office article, Norwalk Reflector, Norwalk, OH, 3 Oct 1831.
[xliii]
Samuel Preston Dockets 2 through 8, The Firelands Historical Society, (Norwalk,
OH), accessed by Henry Timman 20 Mar 2008.
[xliv]
Spencer Pomeroy household, 1820 U.S. Census, Manlius, Onondaga County, New
York, p 185, National Archives microfilm publication M33_67
[xlv]
Mrs. Charles W. Coleman, Trinity
Presbyterian Church Manlius, NY Register of Membership 1815 – 1850, (Manlius:
Mrs. Charles W. Coleman, 1939)
[xlvi]
Giles and Chauncey Pratt Cornish papers, 1815-1894, Onondaga Historical
Association, Syracuse, N.Y., [NIC] NYOD872-610-0034, Accession # OHA 6709, Box
1, 3-B-3.
[xlvii]
Nelson Otis Tiffany, editor, The Tiffanys
of America, History and Genealogy, (Buffalo: Mathews Northrup Co., 1901) 20
[xlviii]
Onondaga County Deed Records, Book M: P 316, Onondaga County Clerk’s Office,
Syracuse, NY
[xlix]
Stephen Tiffany household, 1810 U.S. Census, Pompey, Onondaga County, New York,
P 8, National Archives microfilm publication roll 34
[l]
Jacob Tiffany household, 1800 U.S. Census, Pompey, Onondaga County, New York, P
111 (penned), P 136 (stamped), National Archives microfilm publication roll 24.
[li]
The Tiffanys of America, 19
[lii]
Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and
Guardianships in NY State, 1787-1835, (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org; New England
Historic Genealogical Society, 2006) Original manuscript of Eardeley Genealogy
Collection: New York State Abstracts of Wills, Brooklyn Historical Society.
[liii]
Ibid.
[liv]
Jacob Tiffany household, 1820 U.S. Census, Pompey, Onondaga County, New York, P
136; National Archives microfilm publication roll M33_67.
[lv]
Jacob Tiffany household, 1830 U.S. Census, Pompey, Onondaga County, New York, P
282; National Archives microfilm publication roll M19-100; Family History Film:
0017160.
[lvi]
The Tiffanys of America, History and
Genealogy, 20
[lvii]
Mrs. Charles W. Coleman, Trinity
Presbyterian Church, Manlius NY Register of 1815-1850, (Manlius: Manlius
Historical Society, 1939) 4
[lviii]
Accounts with Pompey Academy, 1824-1836, Pompey
Historical Society, Pompey, NY
[lix]
Janet Wethy Foley, Early Settlers of New
York State 1760-1942, CD 183, (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc.,
1934)
[lx]
Gaius Pomeroy household, 1820 U.S. Census, Northampton, Hampshire County,
Massachusetts, P 103; National Archives microfilm publication M33_50.
[lxi]
Gaius Pomeroy Obituary, Pittsfield Sun, Pittsfield, MA, 25 Nov 1824
[lxii]
James Russell Trumbull, History of
Northampton, Massachusetts: from its settlement in 1654, Vol II,
(Northampton: Press of Gazette Printing Co., 1902) 391
[lxiii]Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910,
digital images, from FamilySearch Internet [www.familysearch.org]
[lxiv]
Massachusetts Births and Christenings,
1639-1915, digital images, from FamilySearch Internet
[www.familysearch.org]
[lxv]
Dwight H. Bruce, Onondaga’s Centennial,
Gleanings of a Century, (Boston: Boston History Company, 1896) 731
[lxvi]
Elihu Wright household, 1830 U.S. Census, Van Buren, Onondaga County, New York,
P 120; National Archives microfilm publication roll M19-100; Family History
Film: 0017160
[lxvii]
Massachusetts Marriages 1695-1910,
[lxviii]
Church Books of the First Church of Christ of Northampton, 1661-1924
[Northampton, Massachusetts] Family History Library microfilm #186160, Family
History Library, Salt Lake City, UT
[lxix]
Inscriptions on the Grave Stones in the
Grave Yards of Northampton and of Other Towns in the Valley of the Connecticut,
as Springfield, Amherst, Hadley, Hatfield, Deerfield, &c. with Brief Annals
of Northampton, 41
[lxx]
Orrin Peer Allen, Descendants of Samuel
Allen of Windsor, CT 1640-1907, Reprint (Salem: Higginson Book Company,
2005) 24
[lxxi]
Sarah Pomroy obituary, Pittsfield Sun, Pittsfield,
MA, 10 Apr 1823, P 3
[lxxii]
Gaius Pomeroy obituary, Pittsfield Sun, Pittsfield,
MA, 25 Nov 1824
[lxxiii]
Mrs. Elizabeth Pomeroy obituary, Pittsfield
Sun, Pittsfield, MA, 9 Sep 1824
[lxxiv]
Receipts during the month of May, by the treasurer of the American Bible
Society article, The Albany Gazette, Albany,
NY, 12 Jun 1820
[lxxv]
Ontario County, New York Deed Records, Book 39, P 162, FHL microfilm #479881,
Salt Lake City, UT
[lxxvi]
Rev. James H. Hotchkin, A History of the
Purchase and Settlement of Western New York, and of the Rise, Progress, and
Present State of the Presbyterian Church in that Section, (New York: M.W.
Dodd, Brick Church Chapel, 1848), 373
[lxxvii]
Publishing Committee, First Presbyterian Church of Lyons, NY, One Hundred and Fifty Years of the
Presbyterian Church, Lyons, New York 1809-1959, (Lyons: First Prebyterian
Church, 1959)
[lxxviii]
A History of the Purchase and Settlement
of Western New York, and of the Rise, Progress, and Present State of the Presbyterian
Church in that Section, 375-376
[lxxix]
Wayne County, New York, Deed Records, Book 10, P 531-532, County Clerk’s
Office, Lyons, NY
[lxxx]
Wayne County, New York, Deed Records, Book 10, P 532-533, County Clerk’s
Office, Lyons, NY
[lxxxi]
Francis Pomeroy household, 1830 U.S. Census, Palmyra, Wayne County, New York, P
47, Line 10; National Archives microfilm publication roll 17
[lxxxii]
Theodore M. Banta, Sayre Family, Lineage
of Thomas Sayre a Founder of Southampton, (New York: The De Vinne Press,
1901) 250-252
[lxxxiii]
A History of the Purchase and Settlement
of Western New York, and the Rise, Progress, and Present State of the
Presbyterian Church in that Section, 373
[lxxxiv]
Harriet M. Wiles, Records of the First
Presbyterian Church of Lyons, (New York: typescript, 1936) 26
[lxxxv]
History and Genealogy of the Pomeroy
Family, Collateral Lines in Family Groups, 488
[lxxxvi]
Mable Crosby and Louise Coulson, compilers, Unpublished
Records A Collection of Newspaper Abstracts – Cayuga County, NY, (Scarsdale:
Owasco Chapter DAR, 1974), 157
[lxxxvii]
Sayre Family, Lineage of Thomas Sayre a
Founder of Southampton, 123-4
[lxxxviii]
Huron County, Ohio Deed Records, Book 8, P 328, Clerk’s Office, City Hall,
Norwalk, OH
[lxxxix]
Onondaga County Poorhouse Records, 1827-1836, PH Ledger 1 and 2, Town of
Onondaga Historical Society, Onondaga Hill, Syracuse, NY
[xc]
Manlius Church Yard Records, Manlius Historical Society, Manlius, NY
[xci]
Ichabod Wood household, 1840 U.S. Census, Manlius, Onondaga County, New York, P
159, Line 30; National Archives microfilm publication roll 317.
[xcii]
Journal of Rev. Hugh Wallis,
[xciii]
Rev W.M. Beauchamp, S.T.D., compiler, Revolutionary
Soldiers Resident or Dying in Onondaga County, N.Y. with Supplementary List of
Possible Veterans,(Syracuse: The McDonnell Co., 1913) 101
[xciv]
Benjamin Franklin Wilbour, compiler, Little
Compton Families, Vol II, (Little Compton; Little Compton Historical
Society, 1967) 787, 788
[xcv]
Revolutionary Soldiers Resident or Dying
in Onondaga County, N.Y. with Supplementary List of Possible Veterans
[xcvi]
Ichabod Wood household, 1800 U.S. Census, Little Compton, Newport County, Rhode
Island, P 172: National Archives microfilm publication roll 46
[xcvii]
Ichabod Wood household, 1810 U.S. Census, Scipio, Cayuga County, New York, P
1222; National Archives microfilm publication roll 31
[xcviii]
Revolutionary Soldiers Resident or Dying
in Onondaga County, N.Y. with Supplementary List of Possible Veterans
[xcix]
Onondaga County, New York Deed Records, Book O, P 484-486, Onondaga County
Clerk’s Office, Syracuse, NY
[c]
Trinity Presbyterian Society Records,
1815-1918, Onondaga Historical Association, Syracuse, NY
[ci]
George H. Williams, “Notes and Queries,” The
New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol XLVII [Jan 1893] 88
[cii]
Tax Assessment Rolls of Real and Personal
Property, 1799-1804, Film # B0950, Reel 12, New York State Archives,
Albany, NY
[ciii]Re-Union of the Sons and Daughters of the
Old Town of Pompey, Held at Pompey Hill, June 29, 1871, 160-161
[civ]
Victory Birdseye One of the Earliest Settlers of Famou[s] Pompey Hill article, Herald, Syracuse, NY, 1 Sep 1886
[cv]
Onondaga County, New York Deed Records, Book I, P 140, Onondaga County Clerk’s
Office, Syracuse, NY
[cvii]
“Cemetery Inscriptions from Pompey Hill, Onondaga County, N.Y.”
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