THE LABYRINTH OF CANADIAN POMEROYS PART II

by Alethea “Lee” Connolly 

While we continue sleuthing through old deeds, wills, journals, letters, and church records, we spend a good amount of time sifting through images on the computer screen for newly posted resources. But sometimes we find gold, just because fellow searchers come forward and share what they found. They provide the missing link that leads us giant steps forward. Much research today is about such generosity and collaboration.

THE QUEBEC PONTBRIAND/POMEROY CONNECTION IN ONONDAGA
AND OSWEGO COUNTY

Recently, these random acts of kindness came my way when I continued researching the French Canadian brothers, Louis and Germain Pontbriand, who, for some reason, changed their name to Pomeroy when they emigrated from Canada to the United States. (See our August Blog) We discovered Louis and Jeremiah had the same father, but different mothers. They were half brothers. Louis’ mother was Marie Louise Martin dit Pelland (first wife, deceased). Germain/Jeremiah was a son of Louise Preville (second wife of the elder Louis). This was a very large family, though not uncommon for the times in French Canadian families. Therefore, age differences between siblings sometimes ranged between fifteen to twenty years.

Since our August posting, I’ve received information from several descendants of these Pontbriand/Pomeroys. The 1850 federal census showed Jeremiah and family then living in Syracuse, and later in nearby Lysander, New York. One descendant of Jeremiah sent me a very clear photo of the grave stone of John and Harriett Pomeroy Pomeroy, his great grandparents, located in Oak View cemetery, Frankfort, Herkimer County, New York.1 The inscription on the gravestone shows their new POMEROY POMEROY surname identity.

Gravestone of John Pomeroy and wife Harriet Pomeroy Pomeroy

 His ancestors, are both of Pontbriand lineage, as Harriett was a daughter of Jeremiah, and John, the son of his Jeremiah’s elder brother Louis. Richard, who sent the photos, is a great grandson, of Gertrude, John and Harriett’s daughter.

Richard’s cousin, Diane, also sent us family information. She descends from Jasper, John and Harriett’s son. She told us about Harriett’s sudden death in December, 1917. It was reported a “strangulation, ” Diane explained Harriet had a condition of a goiter which restricted her throat. Tragically, one day, while doing food preparation, she choked when she ate some peas! Who would have known such a detail?

Another cousin, Jane, sent me a copy of the wedding photo of her great grandparents, Jasper Pomeroy and Maud Littlewood. Jasper and Maud married in 1906 in Frankfort, New York. Jane also sent copies of family obituaries, and Jay’s (Jasper’s) death certificate, which noted he was born in Brewerton, New York, where the family lived before moving to Herkimer County. Every tidbit of information illuminates the portrait of a family and leads to other investigations.

Wedding photo of Jasper Pomeroy and Maud Littlewood

In fact, it was a comment of Diane’s that prompted me to go back and look at the Onondaga County Poor house records. She mentioned Jeremiah had been sheltered at the poor house prior to his death. These records indicate that prior to his admission in May 1888 he had been a “salt boiler,” not an unusual occupation for Syracuse men in that time period. Some might say Syracuse, New York was the city built on salt, as this industry started early and lasted lucratively until into the early 1900s. That was a very tough occupation. In the days of corporate salt boiling “men worked in 90-degree heat and humidity, 12 hours a day, seven days a week, from April to November, boiling brine to isolate salt,” according to one journalist.2 They could produce three to four bushels in five hours. The poorhouse record confirmed Jeremiah’s birth in Canada; that he had five brothers and two sisters, and died while in the poorhouse, either in 1890 or 1891.3

POMEROY/PONTBRIANTS IN OSWEGO COUNTY

 While we knew Jeremiah and family moved between Onondaga, Oneida and Madison Counties in the 1860s, we just recently noticed he was in in Oswego County, likely not far from Louis, his elder brother, for several years. My colleague Barbara Dix, historian for the Town of Schroeppel, checked the 1855 NYS census and found PUMEROY family.4 The census taker used initials for given names, but we were still able to establish this was Jeremiah “Pomeroy”. If information on the record is accurate, especially the birth locations and ages of the children, then it seems Jeremiah and family had spent ten years in Onondaga County before coming in 1854 into Oswego County. Since all of his children were recorded as born in Oswego County, we estimate he was in this county perhaps by 1851. We now speculate that the Pontbriands arrival into this area of New York is about the year 1844.

We know that Jeremiah and family were in Verona, Oneida County in 1860, then for a few years in Bridgeport, Madison County, before coming back and settling in Onondaga County. It is here that his daughter Harriett married John Pomeroy, and where their three children Jasper, Gertrude and Wayne are born. They later moved east, to Herkimer County, and then west to Ohio, as our generous correspondents have shared. Other descendants of Jeremiah have been more difficult to trace. One daughter, Maria, married in 1883, when in her late thirties, to Brazil Pepper, and they settled in Granby. The 1900 census data indicates one child born to Maria, not then living in the household.5 It is not clear whether this child was born to Brazil and Maria.

 It is not surprising that some of Jeremiah descendants remained in the Granby area, while others went to Herkimer, and Ohio, as their uncle, Lewis Pomeroy, and their “cousins” remained there. When son Lewis Pomeroy died in 1908, his will identified him by both surnames of Pomeroy and Pontbriant.6 This discovery propelled much of our extended French-Canadian research resulting in grandchildren with the names of DAVIS and VIEW. Many of his children remained in the county. Daughters and granddaughters married into households with surnames such as MURRY, DAVIS, VIEW, WILLIAMS, ADAMS, LA BEEF and BURDEN. Perhaps now they will know that some of their ancestors were once Pontbriants from Quebec whose surname was changed to Pomeroy!

POMEROYS FROM STANSTEAD, QUEBEC THAT MIGRATED INTO NEW YORK

In the midst of digging through Quebec records for information about the Louis and Jeremiah family lines, I came across another puzzle. Several years ago I researched Judge Selah Pomeroy who, migrated from Vermont into Stanstead, Quebec in the early 1800s, where he raised his family. They were direct descendants of the Eltweed line. We knew Nancy Pomeroy, a daughter of Judge Selah’s son Hazen Pomeroy Sr., and his wife Lois Mansur, married Horace Wells in Syracuse, New York in 1847. 7 It was curious, but didn’t, at the time, prompt any intensive investigation.

Then one day, our county historical association archivist mentioned to our director that she had seen a Pomeroy name in an old diary she had been looking through. When I went to examine it, I learned the name was “Adele Pomeroy.”8 I recognized Adele as Nancy Pomeroy (Wells) sister. She was, according to this small journal, employed in 1847 as a teacher in a select school in Syracuse, which was just opened by Madame Anastasie Julia Raoul. Madame Raoul’s life had its own mysteries and secrets. By 1847, her fortune was depleted. With debts piling on her doorstep, she started a select school, and saved herself from the poorhouse.9 This meant that two sisters, Nancy and Adele Pomeroy, daughters of Hazen Pomeroy Sr., Judge Selah’s son, and wife Lois Mansur, were in Syracuse in 1847 and 1848. Had Adele read some advertisement for teachers, and taken advantage of this opportunity?

It was certainly an interesting coincidence that two families from Quebec who were, or became Pomeroys, ended up in Syracuse, between 1847 and 1850. Was there any connection of these Stanstead Pomeroys to the Louis and Jeremiah Pontbriand/Pomeroys? It was a longshot speculation, but puzzles and labyrinths are the peculiar territory of genealogists.

 I started to trace the Horace and Nancy Wells family unit. I found that in the 1850 U. S. census record they were in Broome County, and was surprised at their household members. Nancy and Horace were living in Chenango then, with sister, Louisa, and their 11 year old brother Selah.10 Further research showed that brother Charles was in the U. S. at least by 1854, when he married Mary Calkins.11 Perhaps he traveled with them, and then the siblings split up. It seemed like half of Hazen Pomeroy’s family bolted out of Stanstead for the United States!

 In tracing the descendants of the Stanstead Pomeroy sisters and their brother Charles, I found some stayed in the United States, and moved west, but some descendants returned to Canada, though not to Quebec. Nancy and Horace moved west to Illinois Her sisters, and brother Charles, married and a multitude of descendants have been traced – whose surnames are HARPER, SMITH, REED, LAFRANCE, FLETCHER and CURTIS.

Charles married Mary Calkins, but five years after their marriage (1859) he died in Michigan at age 35, leaving a wife and two children. I was able to trace descendants of his son, Charles W. Pomeroy, but not his daughter Mary. Another “act of random kindness” from Guy, a great-great-grandson of Charles W. Pomeroy, filled in some interesting family details, because his great grandmother, Nettie (Pomeroy) Curtis left family notes. Guy shared with us some of Nettie’s memories. She wrote that “when her (Nancy’s) brother Charles died, she took his little daughter Carrie to raise.” She also wrote that Horace, had a “furniture business in Troy” and “was a professional singer” of both church and opera music. Such recollections spice up a family history!

I still don’t know what motivated the three sisters (Nancy, Adele and Emily Louisa), and their brother Charles to move to the U.S., but I found no connection between the Quebec Pontbriands and the Stanstead “Eltweed” Pomeroys.

“THE STRANGE CASE OF PETER POMEROY”

Sometimes when you follow a loose string through a labyrinth, you end up somewhere in an unknown land, maybe with Dorothy in Kansas. But if you are fortunate, it may actually make sense.

In April 2012 a Pomeroy descendant contacted our director. She had traced her ancestry through a Peter Pomeroy in Illinois, but found Peter did not “link up” with our Eltweed Pomeroy family tree. She then asked a male relative to take a DNA test to help solve her “brick wall” She was surprised when instead of getting a Pomeroy match, the “markers” lined up with a PONTBRIANT line!

 Since we were doing research into the Louis and Jeremiah Pontbriand/Pomeroys families in New York State, it seemed promising to speculate Peter was somehow related to these families. It was a confusing trail, complicated by multiple marriages and half sibling relationships. There seemed to be no direct link to Louis and Jeremiah. Since sorting out these multiple marriages in the Quebec Drouin and Tanguay records was a challenging maze, I decided to push back to earlier generations and documents, and noticed that not only did our Louis Pontbriand in Onondaga and Oswego counties, marry three times, but so did his grandfather. I finally realized his grandfather, Jean Baptiste Briand dit Sansregret, was the key to unraveling my puzzle.

Louis Pontbriand, whose sons Louis and Germain (Jeremiah) migrated to New York with him (and his second wife Louisa), was the son of Jean Pierre Briand and Marguerite Lambert. 12 Jean Pierre, was the youngest surviving son of Jean Baptiste Briand dit Sansregret and third wife Marie Genevieve Cantara, born 1779. 13

However, Jean Baptiste Briand dit Sansregret was married three times. By his first wife, Francoise Jodouin, he had a son, Jean Baptiste Brilland born abt 1760.14. There was then about a twenty year difference in age between these half brothers. Descendants of Jean Baptiste Brilland emigrated into the town of Chazy, Clinton County, New York, while Louis Pontbriand and some of his family, including Lewis and Germain/Jeremiah, settled in Onondaga and Oswego counties.

Specifically, the elder half brother, John Baptiste Brilland, married Therese Perron, and their son Francois Eustache Pontbriand Sansregret married Felicite Vandal.15 A portion of this latter large family came to New York, and their surname became POMBRIO.16 One of their children was a Pierre, or Peter. Peter’s mother Felicite died in 1848, and his father remarried. In the 1850 census for Chazy, Clinton County, Peter is shown, as abt 11 years old, with his step-mother, and several siblings.17 I could not locate Peter in subsequent census records, nor in cemetery records, though other family members were located in the old St. Louis cemetery in Sciota. 18

A month ago, having already done some research in the Chazy, New York area, I came across a POMBRIO Family genealogical posting. Following this thread, I fortuitously found the genealogy work done by Susan L. Pombrio on the POMBRIO family ancestry. I received a copy of some of her research through the Northern New York American-Canadian Genealogical Society in Plattsburgh. “Pierre” is listed as the 12th child of Francois Eustache Pontbriand-Sansregret and Felicite Vandal. After his name she has noted “ b ca 1839 Sciota, NY went either west or south.”19 Oh happy day!

This was another piece in the Peter Pomeroy identity puzzle, one that supports our belief that the Peter Pomeroy in the U. S. 1860 Illinois census, is Peter/Pierre POMBRIO in the 1850 Clinton County census, a descendant, linked generations back to Jean Baptiste Briand dit Sansregret, and, therefore, linked to Louis and Germain.

 In the 1860 census of Plainfield, Illinois Peter’s place of birth is listed as Canada.20 It appears from the household that Peter is an apprentice in the John Virgil household. Virgil is a successful carriage maker, it seems, and Peter, age 21, is listed as a “wagon maker.” As he is unrelated to the family, as far as we know, it is not likely information was given to the census taker by Peter, but by John Virgil. It probably “sounded like” Peter was “French Canadian,” and certainly the head of household would have known some aspect of his origins. In subsequent census records, when Peter is head of household, Peter consistently states his place of birth as New York.

One descendant said family memoirs reported Peter never referred to his French Canadian heritage, but apparently told his adult sons he was a stowaway and came from France. Our research shows this unlikely, as do census records over the years where he himself claims his birth as New York State.

A great granddaughter of Peter Pomeroy, in writing to us, noted, according to Peter’s “Civil War Records that he was born in 1839 in New York.” The old Kansas GAR Post records in fact reported his birth locality as “Clinton City.” Well, that’s 50% correct.21 When Peter Pomeroy was 76 years old, he was listed in the 1915 Kansas State Census. He and wife Karen were living in Mulvane, Sedgwick County. He was cited as born abt 1839, in Clinton Co. NY. 22 

It seems at least, for the time being, I’m out of the labyrinth, even if all mysteries haven’t been solved. Still, part of the family story may be true. Peter may very well have run away from his Clinton County family sometime after 1850.

There is the possibility that he knew he had these half-cousins, Lewis and Jeremiah, in Oswego, and Verona, at this time. Perhaps he went as a young teenager to work with one of them, seeking an off-the-farm opportunity, especially since Jeremiah was listed as a boat captain. It would have been quite easy, from that point, to stowaway on a boat and find one’s way to Chicago. But then, that’s another puzzle.

Peter Pontbriand/Pombrio/Pomeroy died in 1916.23

 ENDNOTES

*The surname Pontbriand has been recorded and transcribed Pontbriant, Pontbrillant, in the Drouin Records of Quebec for the same person and family, but I have used the “d” spelling for consistency here. Some branches of these ancestors were recorded as Briand, and Briand dit Sansregret, as you will see, and the descendants of a branch in Clinton County retained the Americanized change to Pombrio as a surname.

1. We have used only first names of our information donors to protect their privacy. I’m using the spelling on Harriett’s gravestone, with two “ts” for Harriett’s given name throughout this text.

2. Sewell Chan, December 31, 2009, “On the Road: A Proudly Salty Reputation,” City Room, New York Times, online at: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/on-the-road-a-proudly-salty-reputation/

3. Onondaga County Poorhouse records, Town of Onondaga Historical Society, 9/27/2012, Record Books HO-2, and M/W. Volunteer look-up by M. L. Michalec. It appears Jeremiah returned to the poorhouse after a dismissal in 1889. A later entry shows he died there September 6, 1890 or 1891, the date being difficult to determine due to confusion in page numbering.

4. 1855 New York State Census, Town of Schroeppel, Second District, Family 241. Ancestry.com.

5. 1892, New York State Census, First Election District, p. 2, line 12-13. Ancestry.com; also 1900 U. S. Census, Oswego, New York, 5A, Ed 108, line19-20.

6. In the matter of the estate of Louis Pontbriant-also known as Louis Pomeroy…, Surrogate Court, County of Oswego, New York, 12 September, 1910.

7. Marriage Horace W. Well and Nancy M. Pomeroy, Onondaga Standard, April 12, 1848, p. 3. C. 3

8. See: The Anastasie Raoul Collection, Onondaga Historical Association, Syracuse, New York at http://www.cnyhistory.org/

9. Ibid.

10. 1850 U. S. Census Chenango, Broome County, New York State, P. 348, Dwelling 1796, Fam 1866.

11. Charles Pomeroy married Mary Calkins of Lowell, Massachusetts in 1854 according to B. F. Hubbard’s The History of Stanstead County Province of Quebec, with Sketches of more that Five Hundred Families, (Quebec: Heritage, 1874), p. 123-124. A thank you to Guy G. for some confirmations and interesting new information.

12. Baptism of Louis Pontbriand, July 14, 1807, son of Jean Pontbriand and Marguerite Lambert. Yamaska, Quebec. Ancestry.com Quebec, (Drouin Collection, 1621-1967) [database online]

13. Marriage of Jean Briand dit Sansregret, widow of Jeanne Voine (Venne-Voyne) to Maria Cantara, 1779, Feb 15, Yamaska, Quebec. Drouin. Source same.

14. The marriage of Jean Brilland to Therese Perron, September, 1794, cites his parents as deceased Jean Baptiste Brilland and Francoise Jodouin. Drouin. Source same.

15. (1) Marriage of Jean Brilland, son of deceased Jean Baptiste Brilland and Francoise Jodouin, to Therese Perron, Sept 29, 1794. Contrecoeur, St-Trinite´ Quebec. (2) Marriage of F. Eustache, older son of Jean Baptiste PontBrillant and Therese Perron to Felicite Vandal, Jan 11, 1820, Sorel, St. Pierre, Quebec. Ancestry.com Quebec. Drouin. Source same.

16. See POMBRIO Family Genealogy researched by Susan L. Pombrio. Before coming into this family genealogy, I had noted this surname while looking at burials in St. Louis Roman Catholic Cemetery (see ftn 18) and researching the Clinton County census records.

 17. 1850 U. S. Census, Chazy, Clinton County, New York , p. 242, line 34 Dwelling: 1659, Family: 1768, “Eustace POBRIA.” Peter is cited age 11. Ancestry. Com.

18. St. Louis Roman Catholic Cemetery, (Sciota, Town of Chazy, Clinton County, NY.) Surname of POMBRAH shows Augustus, and Phillisa (Eustache and Felicite Pombrio Pontbriant). POMBRIO also recorded. Northern New York Tombstone Transcription Project at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~frgen/clinton/chazy/st_louis.htm

19. Susan L. Pombrio, A Genealogy of the Pombrio Family in the United States, (#008), p. 45. provided by the Northern New York American-Canadian Genealogical Society Library, Plattsburgh, N.Y.

20. 1860 U.S. Census, Plainfield, Will County, Illinois, pg 164, line 1, part of John Virgil household, Family # 1223. Peter Pomeroy notes his birth location as New York in the 1885 and 1895 Kansas State Census records, and also in the 1870, 1900, 1910 U.S. census records. Ancestry.com

21. Kansas Grand Army of the Republic Post Reports, The James Shields Post 57 (1882-1937) Wellington County Sumner, Kansas records Peter Pomeroy mustered roll citing his birth location as “Clinton City.” Ancestry. Pomeroy served until the end of the war..

22. Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925, Reel K-1-K-271, Kansas State Historical Society, 1915 Census, p. 7, line 23, Family 10. Ancestry.com

23. Peter Pomeroy, died 1916. Kansas, Find A Grave Index, 1854-2012 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

New England Regional Genealogical Conference - Day Three

Well, the party's over, I guess. Now we get to go home and use all the new things we learned! Last night was an interesting mix of genealogists and young women who were competing in dance contests. The Sheraton was hopping! There was dancing in the halls, in the elevators and in the restaurants. (And probably dancing, dancing in the streets...)

The first session I took yesterday was entitled "Where Did They Go, Following the Paths of New Englanders Who Left New England", taught by Mary Ann Boyle, PhD. CG. I was expecting a lecture on migration patterns from New England to New York, Ohio, Michigan and beyond, but the lecture was actually about Mary Ann's experience as a private investigator and genealogist, finding people, (mostly alive). Mary sprinkled the lecture with tips on how to do the type of research she does, and gave us a few helpful websites to use. Mary's sense of humor was evident in the lecture, and because of this, the lecture was quite enjoyable, although not what I was hoping to learn.

The next two sessions, "Using Collateral Lines to Build Your Family Tree", by Janis P. Duffy, and "Where is Great Grandma Hiding? Finding the Forgotten Females", by Sandra MacLean Clunnes, CG., were both case studies. Both lecturers discussed how they broke through their specific brick walls, gave advice for searching whole families, neighborhoods and associates and to look out for errors perpetuated through early transcription mistakes. "Using Collateral Lines" focused on a family that settled in Massachusetts from Ireland, and included a lot of information about researching in Ireland, while "Where is Great Grandma Hiding?" focused on an earlier New England family.

I had more time today to speak with many of the vendors in the Exhibit Hall. Had an informative discussion with Bruce about RootsMagic and the differences between version 3 and 4. One of our concerns, in the middle of two large book projects, is migrating over customized facts. In using version 3 we found that we wanted descriptors on some of the pre-installed facts. Since they were considered primary facts, we couldn't change them, so we created new ones to suit our needs. Now I am concerned that there will be a lot of data cleanup if we move our database from version 3 to 4, as these customized facts don't exist in 4. Bruce said that RootsMagic can probably write some SQL code to migrate our facts. Has anyone been through this? If so, please e-mail me!

The last session I attended was entitled "How Autosomal DNA Testing is Changing Genealogy", by Blaine Bettinger, PhD. Blaine lives and works in my neck of the woods (Syracuse, NY), and I have had a chance to meet him and pick his brains about DNA in the past. He's a wealth of knowledge, and a great guy. I especially appreciate his ability to explain complex scientific theories and methods in language that non scientists can understand!

Blaine gave a brief overview of the types of DNA testing that have become available and targeted towards the genealogy crowd over the last ten or more years, and focused on the relatively new Autosomal DNA test. My boss, Bill Pomeroy, had taken the test recently and I've been having a tough time understanding the results and matches he's been getting. Blaine explained that when DNA is passed from parent to child, it contains a random sampling of the DNA of the parents. A sampling - NOT ALL THE DNA FROM THE PARENTS! The DNA passed on to the child stays relatively intact within the first 5 generations, but after that, it's anyone's guess which of the older generations' DNA will be passed on to the child. As Blaine explains it, "not all of your Great Great Grandparents DNA is handed down to you, and there is no way to tell who has fallen off your (genetic) tree." Thus you have a Genealogical Tree (the research you've done that identifies your forebears), and a Genetic Tree, which will contain some of the DNA from people in your Genealogical Tree, but not all of it.

Blaine and I also had a chance to have a brief discussion before the class, where I explained that some of the matches Bill is getting appear to be way farther back in his Genealogical Tree than 5 generations. Blaine noted that he had found this also, and that this could be based on the randomness of the DNA that gets passed down. Apparently some DNA is luckier than others, (or maybe just more persistant)?

So, is Autosomal testing a wise investment at this time? Sure, if you understand that it's not going to replace dilegent research into your Genealogical Tree. Can it help you find cousins, and break through brick walls? Sure, but a lot of that has to do with how many people take the test - more participants mean more potential results. So get out that cheek swabs!

New England Regional Genealogical Conference - Day Two

A bit of a late blog entry today, as we just got back from a wonderful dinner with some Pomeroy friends at Mykonos European Restaurant. We all enjoyed wonderful food and great company!

The first session I attended this morning was entitled "Genealogy and The Six Degrees of Separation", taught by Colleen Fitzpatrick, Phd, a Forensic Genealogist. Colleen explained about the theory of connectivity and how the internet has allowed for greater connection, which is lessening the 6 degrees to about 3.5 degrees.

Colleen gave some great tips for finding anyone. First off, if you have an old address, look for neighbors, ask local reference librarians, ask local ministers, rabbis, and look for similar people - same ethic backgrounds and professions.

One particularly good tip, when making a cold call, is to be prepared - and when speaking with a stranger identify your self as a genealogist and give information that you've learned about the family, so that the person on the other end of the line won't think you're a telemarketer!

Colleen identified several common mistakes made by researchers. These are: being too focused on the problem so you forget the bigger picture, missing obvious clues and not understanding the geography and history of the place in which your ancestor (or the person you're trying to find) lived.

Colleen has writing several wonderful books. We own "Forensic Genealogy" and I just picked up "DNA Genealogy" today at the vendor hall. I can't wait to read it!

The second session I attended was entitled Travel, Highways, Ferries, Bridges and Taverns", taught by Richard C. Roberts. This class focused on the collections at the Connecticut State Library.

Record Group OO1 consists of Early General Records, public records of the Colony and later State, including the Particular Court 1635-1665, the Court of Assistants 1665-1711 and the papers of the General Assembly from 1640-1820, which contain information about the Colonial Wars, Indians, the Revolutionary War, and records pertaining to Travel, Highways, Ferries and Bridges which are in two series. The first series contains 1152 documents arranged chronologically spanning the years 1700-1788. The second series contains 1801 documents in arranged topically and spanning the years 1737-1820.

Indexes of the Connecticut Archives are available on their website at http://www.cslib.org/indexing/ . Back to the travel part - in 1638 the first formal road in Connecticut was built between Windsor and Hartford. In 1643 each town was made responsible for making and mending "ways" within its bounds. In 1679 "ways" between towns were designated County Roads or Biways.

In January 1641 the General Court authorized a ferry at Windsor, which had already been in use and operated by John Bissell. And, did you know that in 1822 Connecticut started a project called the Farmington Canal? This canal was never finished, but there are some fabulous maps from the project that include names of property owners. So, head out to the Connecticut State Library website and start to poke around. Your ancestors just may be hidden in the many records the library contains!

We broke to visit the Exhibit Hall where I picked up a few books, including one entitled "The Isles of Shoals in the Age of Sail, A Brief History" by Russell M. Lawson, Phd. I'm excited to learn more about the place where Richard Pomeroy settled. We then met Diane L, an APHGA member and friend who came down to the conference from New Hampshire with her mom, Lucille. We had a nice lunch and wonderful conversation. It was so nice to meet Diane after e-mailing and having phone conversations with her for years!

The third session I attended was entitled "Erie Canal Genealogy" and was taught by John Philip Colletta. John gave a general outline of the history of the Erie Canal and explained in detailed the many types of jobs that were created by and for the canal system. The Erie Canal was the largest public works project funded by a state. The Canal Bill was passed in 1817 and construction started July 4, 1817, and was completed by 1825. The canal was widened between 1847 and 1862 to allow for boats with deeper hulls and to allow two-way traffic. John also explained how the canal was used both for travel/immigration and to move freight.

The records of the Canal Board, established in 1826 have been microfilmed and are available for viewing at the New York State Archives in Albany. These records contain many petitions and appeals from local landowners and workers. The New York State Museum, also in Albany, and connected to the Archives, also ahs payroll records of Canal employees.

The fourth session I attended was entitled "Diaries and Journals, Finding and Using These Valuable Resources" taught by Laura G. Prescott. Laura discussed the value of diaries an offered many tips for finding them, and included several websites such as www.dohistory.org with contains the diary of Martha Ballard, an early Maine midwife; www.NewEnglandAncestors.org/libraries/manuscripts which is part of the New England Historic Genealogial Association website; the Library of Congress website at www.memory.loc.gov/ammem; the Maine Diary Directory at www.rootsweb.com/~meandrhs/mediary.html ; www.loc.gov/coll/nucmc - the National Union Catalog of Manuscrupt Collections; and Cyndi's list at www.cyndislist.com/diaries.htm.

The last session I attended was entitled "Discovering Your Ancestor's Life, Political Affiliations and Their Records", by D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS. Joshua gave a consise history of political parties and movements in the US including where and why they were formed, key locations and platforms. By finding out what political parties were available in the places your ancestors lived, you can start looking for records that may contain information about these ancestors. Joshua suggested two books that detail political parties. The first was the "History of U.S. Political Parties" by Arthur Schlesinger (in 5 volumes) and the second was "National Party Conventions" published by the Congressional Quarterly in 1983. Joshua also explained that local newspapers often had political affiliations, so if you know which party your ancestor belonged to, you would be most likely to find him in the paper of the same affiliation. Some addional records to check are Convention Records (was there a political convention in the place where your ancestor lived?), which can include voting records, souvenir books and memorabilia from the convention. Check State and local Archives and Historical Societies private collections and University/College archives and Special Collections for these records.

That's it for tonight - I'm looking forward to tomorrow!

APHA Weekly Report, August 11, 2010

The Great A. A. Pomeroy Book Update Project

We have a new researcher working on the project! Christine H. is a volunteer at the Camillus Historical Society and a Find-A-Grave volunteer. She is currently helping us with our backload of filing and file organizing, but she will soon be taking over the data-entry of the George Pomeroy book and will be entering research done on that family to that database. George came from Ireland and settled in Pennsylvania about 1730.

Nancy has been working with a Benjamin L, who is descended from Bettie Lou Pomeroy, born 4 Jul 1880 in TN, who died 1 Jul 1910 and is buried in the Gambill Cemetery in Nashville. Bettie married Robert Lee Gambill on 18 Dec 1896 in Davidson Co., TN. We are currently following a hunch that Bettie is an undocumented daughter of John and Sallie C. (Little) Pomeroy. John was born about 1820 in Williamson Co., TN to William and Sarah Pomeroy. William was born about 1785 in NC and died after 9 Oct 1850 in Williamson Co., TN. Sarah (last name unknown) was born about 1785 in NC. William and Sarah had the following children that we know of: Nancy, born about 1800 in Macon, Bibb Co, GA; Abraham, born about 1802 in TN; Willis, born about 1804 in Williamson Co., TN; Thomas, born about 1806 in Macon, Bibb Co., GA; Millie, born about 1809 in Macon; Elizabeth, born about 1810 in Macon; James, born about 1813 in Macon; Mary, born about 1816 in Williamson Co., TN; William Henry born about 1816 in Williamson Co.; John, born about 1820 in Williamson Co.; Temperance C., born about 1821 in Williamson Co.; and Catharine, born about 1830 in Williamson Co. If anyone is researching this family, please contact us!

Betty has been working on the Grove Pomeroy family and his son Timothy R. Pomeroy. Timothy was born Dec 1849 in Steuben Co., NY and is found in Woodhull, Steuben Co., when the 1865 New York State Census was enumerated. Grove, born abt 1821 in New York descends from Phineas, Phineas, Phinehas, Medad, Joseph, Medad, Eltweed. This information has enabled Betty to further fill in this line, and she has added 6 children born of Timothy and his wife Arvilla B. Sherwood. These children include: Harry T., born Jun 1875 in NY; Grace M., born Jun 1877 in NY; Lee, born Aug 1881 in NY; Fred Wallace, born 16 Dec 1888 in Hornell, Steuben Co.; George G., born 15 Dec 1890 in Hornell; and Iva M, born Feb 1897 in NY.

Lee coordinated and led a field trip to the Onondaga County Public Library where she and our researchers reviewed the 1855 NY State Census records on microfilm and (where available) indexed in books. She also examined Maine collateral line family histories and various files and obituaries for Ashley, Pixley and Benedict family names. Lee also used www.fultonhistory.com to identify further information on the Theodore Ashley family.

Barb continues to add to her growing database of Northampton, MA church records, including births, baptisms, marriages, membership, death and removals. She has entered over 2,000 records to date. Barb also continues her review of Pomeroys in the America’s Historic Newspaper database.

Ed has been gathering and entering Pomeroy records in the Pomeroy Ridge, New Brunswick vicinity. He entered additional data on Martin Pomeroy and Lydia Rowell who were married in 1840 in Old Town, Maine, and had a son Luther S. Pomeroy, born 1846. Ed also added matched 1881 Canadian Census records that Lee had transcribed and organized. Ed also researched John Henry Calvin Pomeroy who was born in Linneus, Aroostook Co., ME in 1886 and married Berta Louise Wilson on 28 Aug 1915 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Judy has been helping us with miscellaneous data-entry including Arizona Marriages; Mobile County, AL Marriages, KY Marriages and Rochester, NY directories. She has also been working on TN vital records.

The Pomeroy Collection

Exciting news about the Pomeroy Collection: Tammy C. has returned and has taken on a huge project to digitally photograph and scan every item in the collection. Tammy will be adding metadata to the digital images so that we will be able to easily locate the objects using the Copernic search engine. If you’re not familiar with Copernic, it is software that is able to “read” files, documents and spreadsheets, e-mail, pdfs, internet history and metadata. We are using the corporate edition, which we purchased from Copernic, but they also have a home version which is free. Once your files are indexed, you can quickly search your hard-drive, and networked drives for names, places, any word you can think of. Because of our vast collection of digital records it’s imperative that we have a fast, user-friendly search engine.

Nancy is looking into solutions to cataloging our library using a web-based database. As an affiliate member of the Central (NY) Library Resource Council we need to upload our library onto WorldCat, using the MARC code format. Nancy is currently looking at http://biblios.net/ as a possible solution, (and learning more about MARC code than she ever really wanted to!)

The Pomeroy Anvil Trail

Nancy just purchased a 4 pin to 4 pin firewire cable from her favorite cable supplier, CXtec, so she will now be able to download the video her husband Jerry shot at the Pembroke, ME Pomeroy Anvil Dedication. My, those folks at CXtec are friendly, and helpful!

The Mary Ann Coe Project

Judy visited the Winterthur Museum research center in her new home state of Delaware, to look at an early Pompey account book. The book belonged to Stuttson Benson and is housed in the Joseph Downs Collection. The book covers the years 1807 through 1848. From what has been learned about Stuttson, he was apparently a farmer and weaver. The book contains 90 pages and includes an index page (probably done at some later date). Names include Benedict Amos, Richard Gage, Seth T. Benson, Robert Nagus, Daniel Lewis, Lewis R. [H]ood, Joseph Row, William Donaghey, Job Debenport, Levi Barber, Anson Wood, Peter Benson, John Upford, Andros, Nathan Rose, Bently Gideon, Stuart Mathew, Stimpson Morg, Benson Benjamin (Benjamin Benson?), Unver [sp?] Wood, Goodel Isoner, William Donegy, Stephen Benedict, Robert Negus (probably the same man as Robert Nagus), Samuel Preston, Nathaniel Green, Seth P. Benson (probably the same man as Seth T. Benson), Sheleman, James Pettit, Alexander Hall, John Ely or Sly, Richard Taylor, Moses Stimson, Henry Hall, Antony Snyder, John Watonburgh, Elisha Ely or Sly.

Of particular interest in these account books are the names James Pettit and Samuel Preston. Men with these names were living in Norwalk, OH when Mary Ann moved there, and she had business ties with both. Are the James Pettit and Samuel Preston who are listed in Stuttson Benson’s account book the same men who were living in Norwalk, Ohio? Nancy is going to review the other names against the 1801-1802 Pompey account book at the Pompey Historical Society to see if any of the names in the Stuttson Benson book are listed in the earlier Pompey account book.

Judy has also identified several other account books held at the Winterthur Museum which may be of interest to us, including two Northampton, MA account books and a mechanic’s ledger from 1832-1860 that belonged to Lebbeus B. Guile from Dryden NY. Lebbeus Ball Guile was the son of Andrew and Charlotte (Curtis) Guile and was baptized in Pompey 1 Sep 1816. His mother, Charlotte Curtis, was the widow of Lebbeus Ball, Jr. Lebbeus Ball, Jr. was the brother of Sarah Ball who married Ithamar Coe. Ithamar and Sarah (Ball) Coe were the parents of Mary Ann Coe. An interesting account book from Ohio is also in the collection. This book, dating between 1847 and 1848, apparently belonged to Smith Peck, who lived in Sandgate, VT, but the daybook contains records on account of a Sandusky, OH hatter. Could Mary Ann, her son Francis or her husband David Powers have bought a hat from this person?

Nancy has been researching and entering information about Theodore Ashley, born about 1800 in Westfield, MA to parents Stephen and Sarah (Pomeroy) Ashley. Theodore was the grandson of Pliny and Sarah (Allen) Pomeroy, and nephew of Spencer Pomeroy. Theodore’s mother died when Theodore was only two years old, leaving 6 small children, including one infant who died a month later. We speculate that Sarah’s death precipitated Pliny and Sarah (Allen) Pomeroy’s removal from Westhampton, MA to Westfield, MA. Theodore Ashley settled in Syracuse, NY by 1825. Although his grandmother, Sarah (Allen) Pomeroy, died in March of 1823, his Uncle Spencer Pomeroy and Aunt Clarissa (Pomeroy) Wood were living in Manlius at that time. Was Theodore in contact with Spencer and Clarissa? Can we find any correspondence between them?

Judy has also been adding the TrueWorthy and Selah Cook families into our database. TrueWorthy and Selah were brothers and early Pompey residents. TrueWorthy was one of the original members of the Pompey Congregational (later Presbyterian) Church and attended when Reverend Hugh Wallis was pastor. To complicate matters, Homer Cook, born 14 Dec 1818 in Pompey, and died Feb 1893 in Lake Mills, Jefferson Co., WI, a grand-nephew of TrueWorthy and Selah Cook, was the husband of Mary Ann Cook, born about Sept 1812 who died Dec. 1902. Mary Ann was the daughter of (believe it or not), Enos Pomeroy Cook and his wife Mary “Polly” Sutton. Enos was born 18 Feb 1797 in Oneida Co., NY and died 3 Feb 1851 in Rochester, Monroe Co., NY. Enos was the son of Daniel Cook and Rebecca Pomeroy (Eliakim, Noah, Joseph, Medad, Eltweed).

Pat has been catching up on Mary Ann Coe related data entry.

We have added 450 new people, 101 new sources and 2284 new citations to our genealogy databases over this past week.

APHGA Report for Month of February 2010

The Great A. A. Pomeroy Book Update Project

Over these past few weeks Nancy and Caryn continued to research Edwin Guilford Pomeroy (Francis Austin, Francis W., Spencer, Pliny, Daniel, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed), and his connection with the McKeen Motor Car Company. We have branched out and are looking at co-workers and friends in order to find as much information about Edwin as we possibly can. Caryn found a wonderful website hosted by the Greater Omaha Genealogical Society that has indexes of vital records. Additional information can be obtained through the Society for nominal costs. We encourage you to visit their website at http://omahamarriages.wordpress.com/.

We’ve also been looking at what we’ve accomplished this past year, and have set goals for this year. We’ve broken the goals up into several projects which will be led or co-led by our researchers.

Lee will be heading up the Publication Project. Our goal is to publish articles in local newspapers and genealogical and historical society newsletters and journals relating to the research we’ve been doing. Our goal is to increase the awareness of the APHGA and to spotlight some of our researchers’ writing skills.

Betty and Ed will be reviewing research we’ve already gathered that has not previously matched any of the many families in our various Pomeroy databases. They will be doing additional research to connect these as of yet unconnected people.

Barb is taking a closer look at our Eltweed database to identify where we are missing information on Pomeroys and where we need to fill in additional information along collateral lines. She’s created a spreadsheet to keep track of this information and Betty and Ed should find this helpful as they are going through unmatched records.

Rick is heading up the Lineage Society project. He will be learning the ins and outs of successful lineage society applications, while applying for Bill’s membership to these societies. As Rick gains knowledge in this area he will be able to help guide other APHGA members as they navigate these often tricky waters.

Caryn will be taking over the data-entry of the George Pomeroy genealogy into its’ own database.

Lee continued to review and transcribe Pomeroys in the NYS Vital Records index at the Onondaga County Public Library. She also copied various Pomeroy, Ball, and Coe records found in the vertical files at the library. She also reviewed and copied Pomeroys in Border Crossings through Canada/Maine, and re-examined the Drouin Vital & Church Records, 1621-1967 for additional matches.

Rick, Barb, Caryn and Betty continued reviewing the 1865 NY State Census available through FamilySearch.org. Betty and Ed continue to add matched US and Canadian vital records, military records and border crossings to our various databases. Ed has been entering a large Pomeroy family who settled in Cobourg, Province of Ontario, Canada. Barb continued to review Pomeroys in America’s Historic Newspapers.

Rick copied several Erie County, NY probate records including James W. Higgins, Thomas A. Pomeroy, Oliver Pomeroy and Ralph M. Pomeroy. Nancy has been researching a Pomeroy family from Maryland and has linked them to Chuck Pomeroy’s Front Royal, Virginia family.

Have you been watching “Faces of America” hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on PBS? If so, don’t miss “Who Do You Think You Are” airing this Friday night at 8pm on NBC. We’re interested to see whether the NBC show is using autosomal DNA testing as “Faces of America” is. FamilyTreeDNA will be launching their own autosomal DNA testing in March. For a great explanation of the different types of DNA tests available and what they mean, check out the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation’s website at http://www.smgf.org/education/animations/intro.jspx .


The Pomeroy Collection

Nancy transcribed the address books of Etta May (Stansberry) Pomeroy. Etta May was married to Edwin Guilford Pomeroy (Francis Austin, Francis W., Spencer, Pliny, Daniel, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed). Etta May was the daughter of James Harvey Stansberry and his first wife Rebecca Jane Burtlow. Etta’s siblings were Albert, Charles, William Taylor, Alphia Armintta, and Martha Ellen. Etta May also had half siblings Sarah M, James Arthur, Rebecca, Samuel Earl and Glen Stansberry, through her father’s marriage to Isaphena Wall. A letter in the Etta May Stansberry collection also indicates that Etta May may have had another half sibling, Edith (Stansberry) Harter. We are researching to identify who Edith’s mother was. One of the last notations in a small address book written in Etta May’s handwriting has shed some light on the final resting place of Etta May’s sister Alphia Armintta. We have traced Armintta to the Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Queens, NY. Nancy has ordered a death certificate to verify that the Armintta Clark buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery is indeed Etta May’s sister. Nancy was able to get the death certificate number thanks to the efforts of Italian Genealogical Group. This organization has posted NY City and surrounding area vital records indexes on their website, free of charge. You can visit them at http://www.italiangen.org. Our hats off to these researchers!

The Pomeroy Anvil Trail

Nancy has been communicating with Arthur Carter of the Pembroke Historical Society in Pembroke, ME regarding the installation of a Pomeroy Anvil Monument dedicated to Thomas W. Pom(e)roy, the Clairvoyant Herbalist. Arthur, a member of the New Brunswick Genealogical Society, has offered to bring our Pomeroy research up at the next meeting. We’re trying to confirm that Thomas’ father David and Uncle Benjamin were the children of Richard Pomeroy and were baptized at St. Stephen. If so, does this family descend from Richard Pomeroy of the Isles of Shoals?

The Mary Ann Coe Project

Pat and Judy will be co-leads on the Mary Ann Coe Project. They will be assessing the Huron County, Ohio research that remains to be transcribed and entered into our databases. We have been combing the Firelands Pioneer back issues to better familiarize ourselves with the early settlers in the communities where Mary Ann, her Coe uncles and husbands lived. We’re working to identify where these early settlers came from to see if there are relationships we have been previously unaware of. We’re hoping that these relationships give us further insight into Mary Ann’s life and also identify new areas for additional research.

Rick has finished copying the Bela De Cost Coe probate file and has started to transcribe the will, and inventory and has started to create an every name index.


We have added 1150 new people, 258 new sources and 5512 new citations to our genealogy databases over the past month.

APHGA Weekly Report 2/2/2010

The Great A. A. Pomeroy Book Update Project

Barb continued her review of Pomeroys or variant spellings in America’s Historic Newspapers. She is up to the Civil War era and has been totally immersed in “Brick” Pomeroy’s newspapers.

Barb, Rick and Betty continue to review and transcribe Pomeroys and Coes in the 1865 NY State Census.

Caryn and Nancy continue to research Edwin Guilford Pomeroy (Francis A., Francis W., Spencer, Pliny, Daniel, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed) and his work with the McKeen Motor Car Company. Nancy transcribed Edwin’s daybook for the year 1915 in which he noted the work that he did for McKeen, including places he traveled and business contacts. This information has helped us to further pinpoint which McKeen Motor Cars Edwin actually worked on (either building or repairing). Nancy contacted several railroad historical societies and the Army Air Force Historical Association (the Army Air Services purchased a McKeen Motor Car in 1917, also we have a pass that was issued to Edwin from the Aeronautical Experimental Station at Langley Field in Hampton, VA for a period ending 20 Jul 1918). Nancy also learned that the McKeen Motor Car Company also manufactured a gasoline powered windlass for the United States Army Balloon School (date unknown). Caryn located Edwin at the Oak Ridge Sanitarium/Hotel in Green Spring, OH in 1899. She found an obituary for Julia (Horalek) Tressler, Etta May’s co-worker and friend when she was a nurse living in Omaha, NE. Julia’s obituary identifies her as a graduate of the Bethany Hospital School of Nursing. This hospital is no longer in operation in Omaha, and Caryn is researching to see if records for the school may exist at another repository. Caryn also located an obituary for Julia’s brother Edward that lists their parents and siblings. Caryn found census records for Harry Tressler (Julia’s husband and Edwin’s friend) living with his parents in Liberty OH, and living as a boarder in Bucyrus, OH in the 1900 US Federal Census. Caryn is now searching for Harry’s obituary. Nancy transcribed a listing of addresses of friends and relatives of Edwin Pomeroy which was undated, and entered research into our Pomeroy database.

Betty continues to enter matched Canadian vital records research which Lee has found into the Unlinked Pomeroy database. She has also been filing entered WWI Draft Registration records and entering matched Social Security Death Index records. These records often lead to additional research as Betty checks to make sure that all census records have been identified and entered for these individuals.

Lee worked with Ed to sort out Canadian Pomeroys, Pomerleaus and Pommerois in Quebec. She also re-examined several of the Drouin Records for the Acadia/New Brunswick areas and Border Crossing records to see if any additional matches could be found in our databases, several connections were made to our Unlinked Pomeroy database. Ed continued to review Maine city directories and enter matched records. This week he concentrated on Portland, Livermore, East Livermore and Livermore Falls.

The Pomeroy Collection

Nancy organized and filed items that were donated by Paula Miller, the Director of the William G. Pomeroy foundation.

The Pomeroy Anvil Trail

Rick located and requested a copy of the deed for the Religious Society of Sodus (the forerunner of the Lyons Presbyterian Church) from the Ontario County Records and Archives.

Nancy updated the Lyons, NY Pomeroy Anvil webpage at http://americanpomeroys.org/Lyons.html .

The Mary Ann Coe Project

Pat continued to add 1820 Huron County, OH heads of household to our database, this week she concentrated on Ridgefield, Lyme, and Vermillion. By doing this, Pat has found connections between early residents of Huron County and Onondaga County. A Robert Barber was listed as a head of household in Huron County in 1820 census. Was this the father of Sarah Barber (b. 1812 in Onondaga Co., NY) who married Judge William Grove Pomeroy (Grove, Grove, Phinehas, Medad, Joseph, Medad, Eltweed)? If anyone is researching this family, please contact Nancy!

Pat found another possible connection to the Pomeroy family and early settlers of Huron County, OH. One of the heads of household for Huron County in 1820 was a Benjamin Munn. Is this the brother of Dorothy Munn who married Ralph Mosely Pomeroy (Daniel Jr, Daniel, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed)?

Pat also researched the most interesting Edward Bela Coe, son of Chauncey H. Coe and heir to his uncle Bela DeCost Coe’s estate. When his uncle died in Nov. 1852, Edward could not be found and the family advertised in an 1856 whaling newspaper, offering a $200 reward for information about him. An 1871 newspaper stated he had been arrested in Skaneateles for forgeries in the amount of 416,000 to $18,000.

Rick continued his research into the availability of purchasing microfilmed copies of Ohio court, real property and probate records. He reviewed the Stark County website to identify records of interest including cemetery records. These cemetery records are the transactions for plots in various county cemeteries. Rick also spent time at the Family History Center reviewing and making copies of probate records for Erie County, NY, including the file of James W. Higgins, Henry, Oliver, Ralph M, Robert and Thomas A Pomeroy and Bela DeCost and Edward B. Coe.

We have added 264 people, 57 sources and 1,257 citations to our genealogy databases over the past week.

APHGA Weekly Report 1/25/2010

The Great A. A. Pomeroy Book Update Project

Nancy and Caryn researched Edwin Guilford Pomeroy (Francis Austin, Francis W., Spencer, Pliny, Daniel, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed) and his wife Etta May (Stansberry) Pomeroy and their tenure in Omaha, Nebraska, where Edwin was working for the McKeen Motor Car Company (a division of the Union Pacific Railroad). Caryn and Nancy have been pouring over Edwin and Etta May’s extensive correspondence to find clues to where Edwin was working and which McKeen Motor Cars he was servicing. Based on an inventory of McKeen Cars built between 1905 and 1917 in the book “Interurbans Without Wires”, written by Edmund Keilty (1979, Burbank, CA); a listing of “Some Motor Car Services Now Established” found in the 1912 McKeen Motor Car Company Catalog and Edwin’s letters to Etta May when he was on the road servicing cars, Nancy has been able to identify 4 cars that she can prove Edwin worked on, and 18 other cars that it is possible that Edwin worked on. Nancy is entering facts abstracted from Edwin and Etta May’s correspondence into our Eltweed Pomeroy genealogy database.

Caryn found an article in the 9 Jan 1908 edition of the Elyria Republican (Elyria, OH) that notes that E.G. Pomeroy was in Elyria visiting friends. We have a postcard in the collection that was sent to Edwin congratulating him on the birth of his first child in December 1913 by an R.B. Rhinehart, postmarked Elyria, OH. Caryn is researching R.B. Rhinehart to see if we can connect him with the Pomeroy or Bowe family. Caryn also found a 1909 Machinists’ Monthly Journal online that listed Harry Tressler (Edwin’s friend and co-worker) as a member of the Machinist Committee for the McKeen Motor Car Company.

Caryn spent part of her week filing a large stack of research. Rick, Barb, Caryn and Betty reviewed and transcribed Pomeroys in the 1865 New York Census. Betty continued to enter matched Social Security Death Index records into the various Pomeroy databases and continues to enter matched Canadian records into the Eltweed Pomeroy database.

Barb continued her review of America’s Historical Newspapers. She found an article that described Marcus Mills (Brick) Pomeroy’s wedding trip to Salt Lake and the Pacific Coast with his second wife, Mrs. Louisa M. Thomas. She also found an article about a Reverend Samuel Pomeroy of Pittsfield. Another interesting article discussed Senator Samuel Clarke Pomeroy’s endowment of a Pomeroy Chair for Women at Howard University. He contributed $10,000 to the endowment and asked that women contribute $5,000.

Ed continued to review, abstract and data-enter Pomeroys found in directories in Maine. He spent this week concentrating on Portland directories. This directory research has been very helpful in identifying family members based on shared residence. Ed found information about William Pomeroy, born 17 Mar 1884 in ME who married a Mary T (last name unknown), born about 1888 in Northern Ireland. The couple had at least three children: Dora M. Pomeroy, born about 1915 in ME; Alva L. Pomeroy, born about 1917 in ME, died 11 Mar 1967 in ME; and Robert William Pomeroy, born about 1918 in ME. William lived with his parents in East Livermore, Androscoggin Co., ME in 1900. He was found in Portland on New York St., in 1916, then on Pillsbury St., in South Portland in 1917 and 1918. Between 1919 and 1912 he was a caretaker for Charles Dunn Jr in Scarboro, Cumberland Co., ME and on 14 Jan 1920 he was a manager of a sheep farm, living with his wife and children on Black Point Rd., in Scarboro, ME. From 1922 to 1925 William was living with his wife Mary on Allen St. in Portland, ME and employed as a driver. The 1925/1926 Portland Directory identifies William as a caretaker, living in Portland. The 1927 Portland Directory lists William as removed to Berlin, NH. William and Mary are found in the 1930 US Federal Census living in Livermore, Androscoggin Co., ME. William was the son of Augustus Pomeroy, born about 1846 in Canada, and Eugenia Marie (or Mary) Dustie, born about 1846 in Canada. William’s siblings include: Mary E. Pomeroy, born about 1871 in ME who married a Mr. Gagnon before 1910; Lena E. Pomeroy, born about 1875 in ME who married Fred K or H Severy on 5 Jul 1897 in East Livermore, ME; Charles Pomeroy, born about 1877 in ME; Eddie Pomeroy, born about Dec 1879 in ME; Rose D. Pomeroy, born about Jun 1881 in ME who married Charles A. LeBreque about 1902 in ME; Paul E. Pomeroy, born about May 1886 in ME; Minnie E. Pomeroy, born about 1888 in ME who married James Fredrick “Fred” Dunn on 8 Jun 1914 in Livermore Falls, ME; Aurelia Pomeroy born about Jan 1890 in ME; Eva L. Pomeroy born about 1894 in ME; and Ola Pomeroy, born before 1906 (probably in ME). If anyone is researching this family, please contact Nancy. We would love to identify who Augustus Pomeroy’s parents were!

Lee continued to organize and review Canadian Pomeroy research she has been conducting. This week she worked on the John Pomeroy and Georgina White family, whose children included Clayton, Gertrude and Herbert from Cramahe Township, Province of Ontario. This is the John Blake Pomeroy (George, James, Silas, Abner, Caleb, Samuel, Caleb, Eltweed) family. John was born about 1872 in Cramahe and married Georgina G. White (born about 1878 in Forest, Province of Ontario), on 25 Dec 1896 in Northumberland County, Province of Ontario. Our information regarding the children of John Blake and Georgina is as follows: Clifford Wilford Pomeroy, born 21 Jul 1898 in Northumberland County; William Herbert Pomeroy, born 15 Jun 1900 in Northumberland County; Essie Gertrude Pomeroy, born 28 May 1902 in Northumberland or Durham County; and Clara Marjorie Pomeroy, born 14 Sep 1908 in Castleton. Was Clifford known as Clayton? Is anyone else researching this family? If so, please contact Nancy!

Nancy, who is a member of the Central New York Genealogical Society, has been asked to participate on the committee to celebrate the 50 year anniversary of the CNYGS in 2011. The committee is planning a genealogy conference for October 2011 in the Syracuse area. The Central New York region was in the middle of several major western migration routes during the 19th century, and is a great place to do genealogical research. Several top rate Historical Societies and Archives are available to researchers from Albany to Buffalo. We’re excited to participate in the planning of the conference and will update our blog readers as more information becomes available. Mark your calendars for October 2011!

The Pomeroy Collection

Nancy organized and filed items that were donated by Paula Miller, the Director of the William G. Pomeroy foundation.

The Mary Ann Coe Project

Rick reviewed Bowling Green State University’s historical records holdings at their Center for Archives Collection. It is possible to purchase certain microfilmed Ohio court, probate, tax and real property records.

Pat and Judy continued to review articles about Huron County in “The Firelands Pioneer” and are entering information about early settlers into our Eltweed Pomeroy database. Pat identified an early settler of Norwich, Huron Co., OH, named Augustus Cook[e] who was born in Onondaga County and settled in Norwich in 1818. He married Martha Fletcher, born in Otsego Co., NY in 1819 in Norwich. Pat also identified Nathan Strong who married Harriet Underhill, the daughter of Major David Underhill of Ridgefield, Huron Co., OH. Nathan Strong’s father, Major Joseph Strong, came to Lyme/Groton from Manlius, Onondaga County, NY in 1811. Did Mary Ann know the Strong family?

We have added 308 people, 222 sources and 2,134 citations to our genealogy databases over the past two weeks.

APHGA Report for Months of December 2009 and January 2010

The Great A. A. Pomeroy Book Update Project

Barb, Rick, Pat, Betty, Ed, Pat and Caryn searched and transcribed Pomeroys and variant spellings in the 1865 US Federal Census which is available on the Family History Center’s pilot website at http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#r=0;p=allCollections . These records are not indexed yet, but if you’re looking for family in New York, they’re a great resource.

Nancy learned about the online availability of West Virginia Vital Records from Dick Eastman’s blog, and gathered all Pomeroy, Pomroy, Pumroy and Pumray records. Many of these records connect with Chuck P’s VA Pomeroy family, Don P’s WV Pomeroy/Pomroy family, and the Daniel Pomeroy family (Hiram, Daniel, John, John, Noah, Joseph, Eltweed). Daniel was born about May 1848, probably in Niagara County, NY. He married Harriet (last name unknown) Nov. 1869 in MO. The couple had at least four children: William T. Pomeroy, b. abt 1871 in Clinton Co., MO; Cora Pomeroy, b. abt Mar 1875 in NY; Daniel Edward Pomeroy, b. abt 1878 in Erie Co., NY; and Jennie Hellen Pomeroy, b. abt Mar 1880 in NY. Both William T and Daniel Edward Pomeroy married in WV. William married Anna Henderson 11 Jun 1894 in Mannington, Marion County, WV and Daniel Edward married Bertie Emma Lawson 21 Jan 1903 in Weston, Lewis County, WV. Daniel and Bertie were the parents of Robert Edward Pomeroy, b. abt 1903 in Lewis County, WV who married Marianna Simon 25 Oct 1936 in Clarksburg, Lewis County, WV. To view these records yourself, go to: http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/ .

Judy continued to enter Canadian Census records into our various Pomeroy genealogy databases. Betty has also been entering research found by Lee regarding a family descended from Eltweed who settled in Canada. She continued to enter matched Social Security Death Index records for New York State. Betty also entered a newspaper clipping found by Barb that detailed the Cutting-Pomeroy wedding of October 1869, published in The Pittsfield Sun on 14 Oct 1869. Colonel Walter Cutting, born 9 Apr 1841 in NY married Maria Center Pomeroy (Robert, Lemuel, Lemuel, Seth, Ebenezer, Medad). The couple had at least four children: Juliana, born 18 Aug 1870 in Dalton, Berkshire County, MA; Mary Cutting, born 28 Sep 1873 in Pittsfield, Berkshire County, MA; Walter Livingston Cutting 2nd, born 17 Aug 1875 in MA; and Madeline Cutting, born 28 Dec 1877 in MA. Betty was able to follow this family through US Federal Census records.

Betty researched Florence Bird Pomeroy (William McKenzie, Daniel, John Patrick, Daniel, Daniel, Noah, Joseph, Medad, Eltweed). Florence was born about 1888 in the Province of Ontario, and married Robert W. Johnston, born about Mar 1853, in MO, on 25 Nov 1913 in Maidstone, Essex County, Province of Ontario. The couple had at least one child: Grace Johnson, born about 1916 in South Dakota.

Lee organized and drafted an outline of primary USA to Canada emigrant Eltweed Pomeroy descendants. She also started to match Western Land Grant Records for Canadian Pomeroys in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia and reviewed Pomeroys found in the Ontario (Canada) Genealogy Database. Lee also saved and transcribed research on additional descendants of Wilkinson Pomeroy (George A, Silas, Abner, Caleb, Samuel, Caleb, Eltweed). Wilkinson was born 11 Sep 1825 in Cramahe Township, Northumberland County, Province of Ontario. He married Lucretia Richards about 1855 in Cramahe Township (she was born about 1835 in Cramahe). The couple had at least four children: George Vernon Pomeroy, born about 1859 in Cramahe, Eliza O Pomeroy; born about 1861 in the Province of Ontario; Oliver Church Pomeroy, born 7 Dec 1861 in Haldimand, Northumberland County, Province of Ontario; and John R. Pomeroy, born about 1864 in the Province of Ontario. George Vernon Pomeroy married Margaret Elizabeth Battisby 26 Sep 1894 in Northumberland, Northumberland County, Province of Ontario, and they had at least one child, Lancelot Vance Pomeroy, born 10 Sep 1895 in Cramahe. Lancelot married Ruby Albertina Leach 1 Oct 1919 in Cobourg, Northumberland County, Province of Ontario. Ruby was born about 1900 in Oakville, Province of Ontario, to parents John L and Bella (Cross) Leach. Lee also researched Oliver Pomeroy, brother of Wilkinson Pomeroy, born about 1827 in Cramahe, who married Hannah and had at least four children, all born in Upper Canada: Andrew Pomeroy, born about 1853; William Pomeroy, born about 1855; Jane A. Pomeroy, born about 1857; and Victoria Pomeroy, born about 1859. Lee also completed her review and transcription of Canadian Pomeroy death records available through Ancestry.com. Lee has been passing on her matched research of Eltweed descendants to Betty for data entry.

Ed entered matched 1865 NY State Census records into the Unlinked Pomeroy database and continued his review and data entry of Pomeroys and variant spellings found in city directories in Maine. Ed has also started to review and enter Massachusetts vital records for Maine Pomeroy families who moved to Massachusetts. Ed has also been entering matched Canadian Census records into the Unlinked Pomeroy database. Ed matched US Federal Census records of descendants of John Pomeroy (Benjamin, Benjamin, Richard, Richard who settled on the Isles of Shoals) and Mehitable Tufts. Many of John and Mehitable’s children are identified as having been born in St. Stephen’s Parish, Charlotte County, Province of New Brunswick, Canada. Nancy has a hunch that this family is somehow related to Thomas W. Pomroy, the Clairvoyant Herbalist of Pembroke, ME. Records indicate that Thomas’ father David may have been baptized in St. Stephen’s Parish, and a possible brother of David, Benjamin Pomeroy, appears also to have been baptized in St. Stephen’s Parish, a son of Richard Pomeroy. We would love to be able to connect these two families, please contact Nancy if you have done any research on this line!

Barb continued her review of America’s Historical Newspapers, and is fast becoming an expert on Marcus Mills “Brick” Pomeroy and the Honorable Samuel Clarke Pomeroy. She found an interesting article about a John N. Pomeroy who had at one time suffered from alcoholism and been a patient of the New York Inebriate Asylum, and who later lectured on the effects of alcoholism. This brings up the curious question regarding two John Norton Pomeroys that we have been researching. One, born 12 Apr 1828 in Rochester, Monroe County, NY, was the son of Enos Pomeroy (Enos, Stephen, Ebenezer, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed) and Sarah Strong Norton. This John Norton Pomeroy married Anna Rebecca Carter 21 Nov 1855, in Savannah, Chatham County, NY and died 25 Feb 1885, in San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA. The couple had at least four children: Howard Norton Pomeroy; Carter Pitkin Pomeroy; Harriet Howard Pomeroy; and John Norton Pomeroy Jr, who would become a Professor of Law and author. Our other John Norton Pomeroy was born 27 Sep 1792 in Vermont, son of Doctor John Pomeroy (Francis, Francis) and Mary Porter. This John Norton Pomeroy married Lucia Loomis 25 Mar 1819 in Burlington, Chittenden County, VT and the couple had at least one child, Mary H. Pomeroy, born
about 1835 in VT. Albert A. Pomeroy gives a short description of the life of Doctor John Pomeroy in his book “The History and Genealogy of the Pomeroy Family” but is unable to connect this family as descendants of Eltweed. If anyone has been researching this family, we’d love to hear from you!

Nancy did some preliminary research on the family of Lebbeus (or Libbeus) Stannard and Eunice Pomeroy (Medad, Medad, Joseph, Medad, Eltweed) which needs to be entered into our Eltweed database. Jessica F, a descendant, has been tracing this line.

Caryn has been helping with filing and matching Pomeroy vital records, and will be helping Nancy do research on Edwin Guilford Pomeroy (Francis A., Francis W., Spencer, Pliny, Daniel, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed) and the McKeen Motor Car Company (see The Pomeroy Collection).

The Pomeroy Anvil Trail

Rick contacted Ontario County, NY Records and Archives to see if they had a copy of the incorporation papers for the First Presbyterian Church in Lyons, and inquired and located the old tax assessment books for Lyons. Rick transcribed the 1849 contract to build the First Presbyterian Church of Lyons. Slips (pews) were sold upon completion to absolve subscribers and defray the cost of the building. The church was built on the existing Presbyterian Church Burying Grounds. Rick put together a proposed itinerary for a visit to Lyons, NY to further research Reverend Francis Pomeroy, his land connections with the building of the Erie Canal, and property adjoining the current First Presbyterian Church, his cousin Robert Ashley and a new Pomeroy found while checking census records, Pomeroy Alford. If you know who Pomeroy Alford is, please contact Nancy!

Nancy has been entering research done on the Ashley/Pomeroy/Williams/Williston families found during her research of Lyons, NY.

The Pomeroy Collection

Nancy accessioned and itemized various genealogy and history journals, magazines and newsletters donated by Bill Pomeroy. Nancy also spent time working on the Edwin Guilford Pomeroy, Etta May (Stansberry) Pomeroy and Bertha (Bowe) Pomeroy collection of photographs, letters and postcards. Edwin was the son of Francis Austin Pomeroy (Francis W., Spencer, Pliny, Daniel, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed) and Bertha (Bowe) Pomeroy. Edwin was born 12 Aug 1886 in Sandusky, OH, and lived as a child in Columbus and Tiffin, OH. From what we can piece together from photographs and correspondence, E.G. worked as a machinist in Elyria, OH when he was 19 years old. He also apparently worked for a time in Pocatello, IA, when he was 21, before moving to Omaha, NE to work for the McKeen Motor Car Company. The earliest record we currently have of E.G. in Omaha is a letter he wrote to his then fiancé and later wife, Etta May Stansberry. This letter was dated 21 Feb 1909, but based on the contents of the letter the couple had obviously known each other prior to this date. Nancy made a connection with the grandson of E.G.’s and Etta May’s best friends in Omaha, Harry and Julia (Horalek) Tressler. Julia was a nurse as was Etta May, and according to an article written by grandson Mike Tressler in the Toledo Blade, on 21 Jun 1990, Harry and his best friend (who turned out to be E.G.) came from Ohio to Omaha to work at the McKeen Motor Car shop. Harry and E.G. took rooms in a rooming house next door to where Julia and Etta May boarded, in fact, according to Mike Tressler, Harry and E.G. took their meals at the boarding house where Julia and Etta May boarded! We are working with Richard Palmer, a free-lance writer, to put together a piece on E.G. and his career at McKeen Motor Car Company.

The Mary Ann Coe Project

Judy and Pat continued to review articles about Huron County, OH in The Firelands Pioneer; and Huron County, OH tax records and census records. They are entering names of early Huron County residents into our genealogy database. Of particular interest was a find by Pat, regarding Major Frederick Falley. Born in Westfield, MA in 1765, he would later help Elisha Whittlesey and Platt Benedict select Norwalk, OH as the Huron County seat. His father, Captain Richard Falley, was the first government gun manufacturer during the Revolutionary War and was the great grandfather of President Grover Cleveland. The Falley family was related to the Allen family of Westfield.

Also of interest, found by Judy, was Caleb Palmer who married Alvin Coe’s wife’s sister, Harriet Smith. Johnny Appleseed lived for a time with Caleb and his family in New Haven, OH. Judy also found a connection to the Coe family and Reverend John Seward. His mother was Ann Coe, daughter of Ephraim Coe. Alvin Coe studied under Reverend John Seward and Reverend Harvey Coe, a cousin of Alvin, in Ohio.

Rick has contacted Ohio county clerks’ offices regarding the purchase availability of court and deed records on microfilm. So far it appears that the best resource for this material is through Bowling Green State University.

We have added 1315 people, 136 sources and 5,782 citations to our genealogy databases over the past month.

APHGA Bi-Weekly Report 12/15/2009

The Great A. A. Pomeroy Book Update Project

Nancy welcomed new APHGA member David P, whose Pomeroy line descends from Peter and Keren-Huppuch (Pilcher) Pomeroy. Peter was born about Jan 1838 in either Canada or England. He and Keren married 27 Jan 1864 in Plainfield, Will County, Illinois and Peter died 26 Sep 1916 in Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas. Peter and Keren had 5 children we know of, namely Ida May Pomeroy, b. 19 Dec 1865 in Lockport, Will County, Illinois; Charles A. Pomeroy, b. 1 Mar 1867 in Lockport, Robert Lester Pomeroy, b. 8 Jan 1869 in Lockport, d. 25 Dec 1953 in Independence, Montgomery County, Kansas; Fred G Pomeroy, b. 23 Aug 1874 in Wellington; and Lula B. Pomeroy, b. 8 May 1878 in Wellington. (Vital statistics courtesy of John Fishbeck’s Ancestral file on Ancestry.com.) We would like to try to identify who Peter’s parents were. If anyone is researching this family, please contact us!

David O. contacted Nancy regarding Dr. Thomas W. Pom(e)roy of Pembroke, Maine. His wife was a descendant of the Eye family. I have connected David with Gail Menzel of the Pembroke Historical Society, which has a nice collection of photographs, genealogies and news clippings of Pembroke inhabitants.

Haylee P. contacted Nancy. She’s a descendant of Francis Martin Pomeroy. Nancy sent her an ancestral report and asked for her to check what we have and let us know if there are any errors or omissions.

Judy has been entering 1871 Canadian Census records into our various databases.

Lee started to inventory the Pomeroy Family Papers at the Onondaga Historical Society and copied several items of interest. Le also continued to review information sent to us by the Cobourg Historical Society in Canada to see if she could link some of our Unlinked Pomeroys to Eltweed.

Betty entered matched WWII draft cards into the various Pomeroy databases. She continued to research Maine Governor Lewis O. Barrows and his family. Lewis married Pauline M. Pomeroy (Arthur Mosman, Francis, Elisha, Simeon, Titus, John, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed) on 26 Apr 1917. The couple had at least three children, Robert W., Edward P., and Wallace H. Barrows. Betty also entered matched Michigan SSDI records and found missing census records for some of these Pomeroy families. Betty also entered matched Canadian marriages and worked on the family of Emery Pomeroy (James, Silas, Abner, Caleb, Samuel, Caleb, Eltweed). Emery had two wives named Margaret; it appears that the first wife, Margaret Helen (Bolt or Helenbolt) Pomeroy, died when she gave birth to twins in 1871. Betty then started to enter Maine SSDI records.

Barb completed transcribing the items of early Northampton and Pomeroy Family genealogies from an early e-Bay purchase. She reviewed Trumbull’s History of Northampton, Vol II, to familiarize herself with Northampton, MA. She then continued her review of America’s Historic Newspapers. She continued to find a lot of material concerning the Honorable Samuel Clarke Pomeroy’s problems concerning a bribery attempt. Another interesting article was found in the Pittsfield Sun concerning Edward Pomeroy (Lemuel, Lemuel, Seth, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed) and his first wife Abby (Alger) Pomeroy. Although divorced in Illinois, the divorce was not recognized in New York State. Twenty years had passed and each had re-married, and they were being accused in 1868 of fraudulently obtaining a divorce. It was argued that the courts of NY had no power to dissolve a marriage and no jurisdiction to set aside judgment of a court of record in another state. Barb is anxiously awaiting the outcome!
Barb found an article dated Nov. 1868 that stated “The most popular piece of music in the South at the present time is called “Our Brutus.” The words are those of Brick Pomeroy eulogizing Boot for the Murder of Lincoln, and the title page bears a finely lithographed picture of the arch-assassin. – Democracy true to itself!” – The article goes on to state that “Brick Pomeroy is a grandson of General Horatio Gates”.

A January 1869 article warned: “Again we advise persons seeking employment to keep out of New York. The city is overrun with men and women who are idle, who spend days and nights in a vain attempt to find labor. Thousands of men in the winter, on account of the season, can not follow their usual out-door vocations and are out of employment.”

A January 1869 headline in Brick Pomeroy’s newspaper entitled “Pomeroys Democrat” proclaimed: “The Exhumation of an Antediluvian Human Skeleton” and goes on to tell about an overlarge skeleton found in a quarry in Grand Rapids, MN.

Ed continued his search of Pomeroys in Maine Newspapers and has moved on to Maine Directories. Ed has been piecing together Unlinked Pomeroy families in Maine using the directories to identify who was living in the same household as evidence of some kind of relationship. So far he has checked directories in Auburn, Augusta and Calais and is currently working on Bangor directories.

Rick has been creating 1865 New York State Census forms for our group to use. The Family Search website now has portions of the 1865 NYS Census images online. These are not indexed yet, so we will be going page-by-page looking for Pomeroys. The 1865 NYS Census is one of the most comprehensive census records available to family researchers. It includes Manufacturers and Agriculture schedules, mortality information, military information and marriage information.

Alena continued to research the John F. and Nora (Whitford) Pomeroy family of Fulton, New York. She has checked local papers and contacted area cemeteries in an effort to determine whether this family is descended from Eltweed or not. So far we can only trace this family back to Lewis Pomeroy b. abt 1802 in Canada, who married Louisa (last name unknown) before 1829. Louisa was born about 1811 in Canada. The couple had at least five children, including Lewis C. Pomeroy, b. Oct 1830 in Canada; Louisa Pomeroy, b. abt 1838 in Canada; Joseph Pomeroy b. abt 1848 in Canada; Zenas or Zoa Pomeroy, born about Jan 1850 in New York, and John Pomeroy born about Feb 1853 in New York. Lewis was enumerated with his family in Syracuse, Onondaga County according to the 1850 US Federal Census. According to the 1860, 1870 and 1880 US Federal Census he was living in Granby, Oswego County, New York. If anyone is researching this family, please contact us!

The Pomeroy Anvil Trail

Nancy continued to research Reverend Francis Pomeroy (Timothy, Daniel, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed) and other missionary pastors in New York State during the time that Francis was there, including Rev. Seth Williston, Rev. Levi Parsons, Rev. David Higgins and Rev. Hugh Wallis. To her surprise, she found that Rev. Seth Williston and Rev. Levi Parsons were distant cousins of Francis, and that Rev. David Higgins was related through marriage! All these pastors were members of the Middle Association, so they definitely knew each other, and it’s probable that they knew they were related.

Nancy updated the APHGA website with information about the Pomeroy Anvil Monument in Lyons, New York and wrote a speech that was delivered at the dedication of the monument at the First Presbyterian Church in Lyons on Sunday, December 13th, 2009. Rev. Lee Prong put together a wonderful program and Nancy had the opportunity to meet and speak with many of the parishioners of the church. Nancy will update the APHGA public website with pictures of the monument. Mark DeCracker, of Lyons, videoed the event and will be posting it to YouTube, so stay tuned!

On Saturday, December 12, 2009, Barb and Nancy went to the First Presbyterian Church in Lyons, NY for the installation of the Pomeroy Anvil Monument dedicated to Reverend Francis Pomeroy. It was a sunny day but bitterly cold! We were thankful that the Church was open so we could slip in and warm up. Nancy took a lot of pictures which will soon be posted on our public website. It’s incredible how cold weather can shorten the life of a lithium battery!

Rick transcribed images of the First Presbyterian Church of Lyons minute books. Mention was made in 1840 to the Methodist Church; this may help us in dating when lot #1 was broken up into the Presbyterian lot and the Methodist lot. Mention of session meetings being held at Reverend Francis Pomeroy’s house occur more than once, but no mention is made of the location of Francis’ house.

The Pomeroy Collection

No new items accessioned.

The Mary Ann Coe Project

Nancy continued to work on a spreadsheet of landowners in Pompey, NY from 1790-1819. This information is in list form on the web, thanks to the gracious transcription by Kathy Crowell, but putting it into a spreadsheet will allow us to sort on grantor, grantee, date filed or lot number. Nancy also spent several hours entering research into our Eltweed database, relating to the Mary Ann Coe project. One interesting connection that Nancy found while researching Reverend Francis Pomeroy, was the unexpected relationship between Francis and Reverend Seth Williston, through the Parsons line (Francis’s mother was Ann Ashley, daughter of Ebenezer and Thankful (Parsons) Ashley). Spencer Pomeroy was also related to Seth Williston through the Parsons line. Spencer’s mother Sarah L. Allen (Pomeroy) was the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth “Betty” (Parsons) Allen. Sarah married Pliny Pomeroy, the half brother of Timothy Pomeroy, Reverend Francis Pomeroy’s father. Sarah L. (Allen) Pomeroy and Anne (Ashley) Pomeroy, wife of Timothy Pomeroy, were first cousins. Nancy started to enter the Williston family into our database, along with updating the Parsons and Ashley families. We are still looking to connect Godfrey Joseph Williston to this family. He and his wife Lydia (Smith) Williston were living in Pompey at the time that Sarah Pomeroy, her children Spencer, Nancy, Clarissa and Charlotte and Mary Ann Coe were. Significantly, Lydia (Smith) Williston joined the Manlius Trinity Church the same day that Sarah (Allen) Pomeroy did. We have always wondered whether they knew each other.

Nancy, Rick, Barb, Pat and Bill attended the Mary Ann Coe meeting. We discussed the difficulty keeping track of all the players in the Mary Ann Coe saga, and decided to enter all people who have any connection to Mary Ann, or were in the same place at the same time as she was into our genealogy database, that way we can keep track of them better.

Pat noted that she found a baptismal record for Edwin Pomeroy, younger son of Mary Ann and Spencer Pomeroy in the Presbyterian Church of Norwalk, Ohio records. He was not received by letter, and the baptism makes us wonder whether he had been previously baptized. Rick discussed Norwalk, OH taxes, for inlot 6 paid by the estate of Edward Pettit through 1834. Since we know the taxpayers for the property that bordered Mary Ann’s property, Rick suggested we get copies of those deeds to see if they mention Mary Ann living on the adjoining property. Bill suggested that we see if we can purchase microfilm of the Grantor/Grantee Index for Huron County, and any other indices that may have been microfilmed such as the Court of Common Pleas, Miscellaneous Records, Mortgages and Probate. Rick will contact the Huron County Clerk’s Office to see if they have this film and if they have copies available for sale.

Judy continues to review articles found in the Firelands Pioneer for early residents of Huron County, Ohio. She is entering information found in those articles into our Eltweed database. Judy found an additional relationship between Reverend John Seward, the son of John and Ann (Coe) Seward, and Alvin Coe. Apparently Rev. Seward and Rev. Harvey Coe prepared Alvin Coe to preach in Aurora, Portage County, Ohio. Both Rev. Seward and Rev. Harvey Coe were Alvin Coe’s first cousins once removed, while Rev. Seward and Rev. Harvey Coe were second cousins. Judy also researched Caleb Palmer, who married Alvin Coes’ wife’s sister, Harriet Smith. According to an article in the Firelands Pioneer “Woodcock” the old Johnny Appleseed was living with Caleb Palmer and his family about 1812 in New Haven, OH. Harriet Smith and Sarah (Sally) Smith, wife of Alvin Coe, were the daughters of General Martin and Sarah (Kellogg) Smith. General Martin and Sarah (Kellogg) also had a son, Erastus Smith who married Fannie Spencer.

Pat went to the Family History Center to finish reviewing four films, which included the records of the First Congregational and Presbyterian Society of Peru, Huron Co., OH; the First Presbyterian Church of Milan, Erie Co., OH; the First Presbyterian Church of Norwalk, Huron Co., OH; and the Stark Co., OH Bible, Church and Family records including early records of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of Norwalk. She printed baptismal and marriage records from the First Presbyterian Church in Norwalk, and found a record of baptism for Edwin Pomeroy, son of Spencer and Mary Ann (Coe) Pomeroy. Edwin was baptized as an adult by Rev. John Beach on 4 Sep 1831. Pat continued to enter records from early Huron County, OH census records and additional research done on Julius S Coe, Horace Morse, David Underhill, Amanda Patton Underhill, Simeon Coe, Amos Coe and Rouse Bly. She entered the 95 names and facts of members of the Mt. Vernon Lodge #64 of Norwalk, Huron Co., OH between 1821 and 1828. Reuben Pixley, one of the members of the Mt. Vernon Lodge, had purchased parts of lots 78 and 79 in Pompey, Onondaga Co., NY in 1795 and 1796. By 1812 he was living in Ridgefield, Huron Co., OH. A Rebecca Pixley married Stephen Shattuck, one of the sons of Joseph Shattuck and a close neighbor to Ithamar Coe and family (of which Mary Ann was a daughter), and an Ester Pixley married Ichabod Lathrop of Pompey. Pat is researching these Pixleys to see whether they were related.

Rick contacted the Huron County Clerk’s Office to see if we could purchase microfilmed grantor/grantee indexes, probate, mortgage, Common Pleas, and Miscellaneous Records indices. Rick also transcribed the deed between John V. Sharp and Benjamin Junkins and the Powers/Moore deed. Rick reviewed the 1835-1838 Tax Assessment records for Huron County, OH available on microfilm through the Family History Center. Mary Ann Powers finally showed up paying taxes on inlot 6 in Norwalk in 1835. The 1836 and 1837 tax records for Norwalk were not on this roll. He also reviewed and made copies of the 1859 Huron County, OH land ownership maps.

Caryn continued to transcribe the records of the Presbyterian Church of Pompey.

We have added 706 people, 140 sources and 2976 citations to our genealogy databases over the past two weeks.

© 2009 American Pomeroy Historic Genealogical Association