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

Mary Ann Coe Project Meeting 10/6/2009

The Curious Case of Benjamin Junkins

This week we reviewed Benjamin Junkins’ estate papers. Benjamin Junkins (abt 1795-1830) was a cabinet maker who settled in Norwalk, Huron Co., OH sometime between 14 May 1823 (when he sold property in Cadiz, Harrison Co., OH to his brother, Adam) and 15 Sep 1823 (when he purchased the front half of lot 26 in Norwalk, OH from Daniel and Nancy Tilden).

Mary Ann (Coe) Pomeroy was in Norwalk by August 1823 when she petitioned the Huron County Court for a divorce from Spencer Pomeroy as noted in the fall term of the court. On 16 Aug 1824 that petition was discontinued. On 6 Jul 1825 Mary Ann was deeded property on inlot 6 in Norwalk from Edward Pettit in consideration of $120. The exact terms of this agreement and a future deed to additional property on inlot 6 by the heirs of Edward Pettit for $75 on 28 Jul 1826 are not clear to us. Although two deeds were recorded, our research indicates that the Estate of Edward Pettit was still paying taxes on inlot 6 through 1832. We have ordered a copy of Edward Pettit’s administration papers in hopes that they will clarify the terms of the purchase of this property.

Mary Ann again petitioned the Huron County Court for a divorce from Spencer Pomeroy on 1 Mar 1826. This time her petition was dismissed by the court on 9 Aug 1827 for lack of jurisdiction (perhaps because Spencer Pomeroy lived in New York).

On 27 Oct 1827 Benjamin Junkins put a notice in the Norwalk Reporter announcing the sale of his two-story house, cabinet maker’s shop and lot on Main St, west of the Courthouse. He also asked that anyone indebted to him “please call and adjust their accounts.” On 3 Dec 1827 Benjamin Junkins was expelled from the Mount Vernon Masonic Lodge Number 64 in Norwalk.

On 12 May 1828 Benjamin Junkins and wife Mary Ann deeded part of the front half of lot 26 (including Benjamin’s shop) to John V. Sharp for $175. John V. Sharp deeded that land to Benjamin for $150, as collateral on a mortgage given by Benjamin on that property dated 12 May 1828. That mortgage was endorsed as paid and recorded in the Huron County Deed book by W. Todd, Recorder 27 Dec 1842.

On 20 Mar 1829 Benjamin Junkins and wife Mary Ann deeded part of the front half of lot 26 (excluding the shop owned by John V. Sharp) to John Miller for $425. John Miller deeded that land to Benjamin for $425 as collateral on a mortgage given by Benjamin on that property dated 20 Mar 1829. That mortgage was endorsed as paid and recorded in the Huron County Deed book by W. Todd, Recorder on 6 Feb 1843.

Benjamin Junkins was enumerated as head of household in the US Federal Census of Norwalk, OH. In the household were 1 male of twenty and under 30, 1 male of thirty and under forty (believed to be Benjamin), and one female of forty and under fifty (believed to be Mary Ann). Benjamin Junkins died 23 Jun 1830 in Norwalk, aged 35, according to the Huron Weekly Reflector, dated 29 Jun 1830, “after a short, but severe illness”.

On 26 Oct 1830 Mary Ann Junkins and John G. Taylor were appointed administrators of Benjamin Junkins estate according to the Common Pleas Court Journal, Vol 3, Huron Co., OH. Daniel G. Raitt and Samuel Preston acted as sureties for the sum of $800 required by the court to appoint the above administrators. Hallet Gallup, Leverett Bradley and Frederick Forsythe were appointed appraisers of the personal property of Benjamin’s estate.

The below is transcribed from the estate papers of Benjamin Junkins, Common Pleas Court Journal Vol 3, 1824-1831.

“Inventory & appraisement of property belonging to the Estate of Ben-
jamin Junkins, Dec’d, late of Norwalk, Huron County Ohio, made
this 11th day of December, A. D. 1830.

viz. 1 Camblet Cloak $12.00
1 Frock Coat Broad Cloth 8.00
1 pr. Pantaloons do do 2.50
1 Vest do do 2.00
4 Factory Shirts .50
1 pr. Linen Pantaloons 1.00
3 pr. Old Pantaloons .38
6 Old Cravats .25
3 Old Vests .38
1 “ Coat .75
1 pr. Satinett Pantaloons .50
1 Bandanna Handkerchief .06
3 pr. Socks .75
1 pr. Old English Razors 1.75
1 Latherbox & Strap .12
1 pr. Suspenders .06
1 Hat .50
1 Trunk 1.00
1 Watch 10.50
1 pr. Boots 1.00
1 [box] 1.00
1 Looking Glass .12
1 Milch Cow 9.50
1 Calf 2.50
1 Tea Kettle .87
1 Improved Dictionary .50
1 Pocket Book .25
1 Keg .50
1 Old Trunk .25
1 [?] Bedsted 2.00
$61.49

Leverett Bradley
F. Forsythe
H. Gallup
Appraisers”

The above research begs the following questions:

1. Was Mary Ann (Coe) Pomeroy Junkins the legal wife of Benjamin Junkins? If so, when, and where, did they marry? It does not appear that Mary Ann was successful in her petitions for divorce from Spencer Pomeroy.
2. If Benjamin and Mary Ann sold Benjamin’s property on lot 26, were they living on Mary Ann’s property on inlot 6 prior to Benjamin’s death?
3. If Mary Ann was the legal wife of Benjamin Junkins wouldn’t her property (inlot 6 and the possible contents of her home) be inventoried in the appraisal of Benjamin’s property in his Estate filing?

We will be taking the following steps to try to answer the above questions:

1. Nancy will contact Henry Timman, a genealogical researcher in Norwalk, OH, with a list of research requests, including asking whether additional estate papers exist in later Common Pleas books that may show the dissemination of the estate.
2. Nancy will review the two volume “Statutes of Ohio and the Northwestern Territory”, edited by Salmon P. Chase (Cincinnati, Corey & Fairbank, 1833 and 1834) for laws regarding deeds, marriages, mortgages, courts of probate, taxes on land and wills for clarification on the questions posed above.
3. Rick will review 1833 tax records for Norwalk, OH when the microfilm comes in to our local Family History Center, and will contact the current owner of inlot 6 in Norwalk to see if his abstract contains further information regarding the early owners of this property. Rick will also contact the Ohio Court system to see if early divorces might have been filed beyond the county level.
4. Pat will make corrections to the original transcription of Benjamin Junkins’ estate papers.

© 2009 American Pomeroy Historic Genealogical Association

APHGA Weekly Report 10/5/2009

The Great A. A. Pomeroy Book Update Project

Barb finished matching Pomeroys and variant spellings in the New Orleans LA Birth Records Index 1790 – 1899 on Ancestry.com. She also matched Pomeroys and variant spellings in the New Orleans, LA Death Index, 1804-1949, the Nevada Divorce Index 1968-2005, the Nebraska Marriages 1856-1898 records on Ancestry.com against our various databases.

Betty entered matched ME Death Index records and SSDI records and related census records into our several Pomeroy databases, and filed those records.

Barb continued her review of the New York State Library Online Newspaper Index. She found several interesting articles including a charge of forgery against George Q(uartus) Pomeroy (George, Quartus, Seth, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed), and a name change “Frederick Curtis Squires [of Franklin County] may take the name as Samuel Pomeroy Montague”, from the Legislative Acts of 1843. There is a Moses Montague listed in “The History and Genealogy of the Pomeroy Family”, by Albert A. Pomeroy (1912, Salem) who married Mary (Polly) Pomeroy (Benjamin, Josiah, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed) 2 Oct 1820. This was Moses’ second marriage, and according to A.A. Pomeroy, Mary’s first, although she was 33 years old. Both Moses and Mary lived and died in Sunderland, Franklin Co., MA. Was Frederick Curtis Squires a child of Mary’s from a first marriage, or perhaps he was a grandchild? Or was Frederick unrelated and adopted by the Montagues?

Rick searched the University of Virginia website’s digital collection of George Washington papers for Pomeroys. He found and extracted copies pertaining to Seth Pomeroy and Ralph Pomeroy and a mention of a “Mr. Pomeroy’s Inn” in Cambridge (MA or NY?) as being used for Court Marshalls. Rick also found a reference to land being set aside for Canadian and Nova Scotia refugee which he passed on to Lee.

Alena continued to enter the book “History and Genealogy of the Pomeroy Family and Collateral Lines England-Ireland-America comprising the Ancestors and Descendants of George Pomeroy of Pennsylvania”, by William McL. and J. Nevin Pomeroy (Cuneo Eastern Press, 1958) into the George Pomeroy database.

Lee and Ed continued to research Canadian/Maine Pomeroys. Lee was able to identify a ‘dangling’ Pomeroy (Abner and family) as a son of George A. Pomeroy, son of Silas and a descendant of Eltweed. Ed continued to trace a Maine Pomeroy family that moved to Illinois and Wisconsin, in specific Rufus and Francis (Frank) Pomeroy. They were both granite cutters in Amberg, WI and raised families there. Each married twice. Frank’s wife was from Canada and his two eldest children were born in Canada. The children of these two men moved out west to become miners in Colorado and Arizona. One of the sons moved on into Oregon. Ed has been entering the research he has done into the Unlinked Pomeroy database. Rufus and Francis, among others, were the sons of Francis Grant and Jerushia B. (Lunt) Pomeroy. Francis was the son of William and Nancy (Grant) Pomeroy. William was an early settler of Long Island Plantation. For more on this family see the book “Hauling by Hand” by Dean Lawrence Lunt (Islandport Press, Inc., 1999, Frenchboro, ME).

Judy and Nancy continued to data-enter miscellaneous records into the various Pomeroy databases. Nancy concentrated on the George A. Pomeroy family (Silas, Abner, Caleb, Samuel, Caleb, Eltweed), and in particular, Abner, oldest son of George. We had not previously known whether Abner was a descendant of Eltweed, but Lee’s research of these families in Northumberland County, Ontario, Canada, helped us prove that he was a son of George. We have not taken the Abner family out of the Unlinked Pomeroy database and moved him to the Eltweed database!

Judy continued to check the Periodical Source Index (PERSI) for Pomeroys and Coes, in preparation for her planned visit to the Fort Wayne Library.

Nancy spent a significant amount of time last week creating the APHGA blog site and adding two posts. Hopefully, once Nancy gets used to the new format for the weekly report this will take less time! Nancy also communicated with new APHGA members including Don Plefka, an Eltweed descendant through the marriage of Samuel Clap(p) and Mary Pomeroy (Joshua, Joshua, Eltweed). Don’s story is quite remarkable, check out his website at http://www.plefka.net/Family00.htm .

The Pomeroy Anvil Trail

Work continued on the Pomeroy Anvil Monument for Lyons, NY, which will be dedicated to Rev. Francis Pomeroy (Timothy, Daniel, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed). Bill and Nancy spent time fine tuning an agreement with the First Presbyterian Church and Nancy worked with Jim Gibbons and the Karl Lutz Monument Company, Inc. on details such as placement of the monument, construction of the foundation and setting of the monument. The First Presbyterian Church of Lyons, NY is celebrating their 200th anniversary this coming weekend, October 10th and 11th, 2009. Saturday plans include a celebration and worship in the sanctuary along with a brunch in the Fellowship Hall, past members will be honored. Events on Saturday should run between 10:00 am through 2:30pm. An additional dinner reunion was in the planning stages when Nancy visited the Church, so if you’re interested in this, please contact the Church at 315-946-4723. Nancy plans to attend the Saturday celebration. Sunday plans include worship at 10am followed by a lunch at 12:30.

Rick continued his search of the survey of Evert Van Wickle (mentioned in Francis Pomeroy’s deed). He checked Ontario County Records and Archives and the Allegany County historians, with no luck. The record may be held in the Pulteney Collection in Bath, N.Y. He contacted the town of Angelica as Van Wickle also laid out this town, but no survey maps were found. He has left messages with the NYS Archives, the Steuben County Library and the Corning, N.Y. library.

The Pomeroy Collection

New to the collection this week are two journals, “The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol 163, July 2009”, published by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, and the “National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 97, No. J, June 2009”, published by the National Genealogical Society. Also interesting is the addition of a Pomroy & Hall clay beer bottle, ca 1850s purchased by Bill off of e-Bay. The bottle was made for (or by) Simeon Pomeroy (Simeon, Simeon, Samuel, Caleb, Eltweed) of Springfield, MA. He was in business with Ransley Hall. The 1850 US Federal Census of Springfield, MA lists Simeon as a “brewer”. The clay bottle appears to be salt glazed, has no markings except “Pomroy & Hall” stamped on what may be the front of the bottle. The lip of the bottle is chipped and cracked.

The Mary Ann Coe Project

Bill’s third great-grandmother, Mary Ann Coe (1790-1852) married perhaps three times, left her first husband Spencer Pomeroy (Pliny, Daniel, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed), and settled as an independent woman in the frontier town of Norwalk, OH. A fortunate presidential connection has resulted in the preservation of hundreds of family letters, giving some insight but leading to more questions about this strong willed woman who refused to slip quietly into forgotten history.

Rick reviewed the grantor-grantee indexes for Lewis County, NY that had been ordered through the Family History Center for Pomeroy land transactions. These transactions include 2 for Pliny Pomeroy (1786-1857), (Pliny, Pliny, Daniel, Ebenezer, Medad, Eltweed), one dated January 2, 1820 for property purchased from Caleb Lyon and one dated March 13, 1829, for property purchased from William Parkes. Pliny’s widow Lavina (1787-1882) purchased property from son Charles A. Pomeroy on August 13, 1866. Other Pomeroys listed include Caleb, Titus, George, Samuel, Ralph M., and Daniel C. The Grantor index shows Pliny selling property to Charles A. Mann on March 28, 1829. Charles Addison Mann was a brother of Levina (Mann) Pomeroy, wife of Pliny Pomeroy. Other Pomeroys listed include Titus, Caleb, Simeon, Samuel, Ralph, Levina and Charles A, and Jane, Margaret B, Almira J., George A., and John B., heirs of George Pomeroy to Henry and Joseph A. Bridgeman, on February 2, 1857. George Pomeroy (1793-1849) was the brother of Pliny Pomeroy. He married Jane Brouwer (abt 1802-1867) and the couple had 6 children that we know of: Margaret Brouwer (abt 1823-1883), Almira Jane (abt 1824-1922), George A. Pomeroy (abt 1826–1861), Mary E. Pomeroy (abt 1831–1852), John B. Pomeroy, (1834-between 1910 and 1920), and Ann M. Pomeroy (abt 1836-1851). What’s interesting about this find is that we did not know that George and his family lived in Lewis County, NY. We have found burial records for George, Jane and all their children except for John B., in the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, NY. Apparently John B. was the only child to marry, and we have found him and his family in census records in Rockland County, NY.

Judy researched Allegan Co., MI marriage records on the Family Search website (http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch) for Pomeroys. She copied and entered them into our genealogy databases. Most of the marriages were Pliny, Pliny, Pliny’s grandchildren. She also transcribed Pomeroys and Coes in the 1878 Gazette Directory of Kalamazoo County, MI.
Rick checked Huron County, OH grantor index on microfilm under “Sherriff” – 5 pages found, but no lot numbers or property size listed, and dates were cut off when the book was filmed, so it was impossible to identify whether inlot 6 in Norwalk, OH was sold at a Sheriff’s sale, based on these records.

Rick reviewed Monroe Co., NY newspapers available at http://www.fultonhistory.com/ for letters remaining at the Post Office and any Genesee County, NY, news. He extracted several Pomeroys and a Simeon M. Coe. He also printed articles that refer to the “Poor Law” proposed in 1819 regarding the elimination of incarceration as punishment for this condition. (Spencer Pomeroy’s insolvency papers give a vague reference to that fact that he may have been incarcerated, but we have not found any jail records to prove this.)

Lee reviewed the Jerome Ledgers at the Onondaga Historical Society. These ledgers range from the 1830s to 1840s with a few earlier entries, and contain entries from LeRoy, Genesee Co., NY where the family had an inn. Henry Coe shows up as a regular. She also viewed the assortment of small survey maps included under the towns of Skaneateles, Elbridge, Marcellus and Brutus for Pomeroys and Coes of interest. No immediate connection was made, but she noted that some surveys were for roads and mills, and that if landowners had land “in the way” of, or contiguous to that surveyed property that a name might show up on these surveys. For example, on a road survey through Skaneateles a listing of properties along that road were named; one being E.B. Coe Co. Some surveys had very little on them except dimensions.

Pat continued to enter Pomeroy and Coe connections in the Deyo (Deyoe) Family book into the Eltweed database. She researched and entered additional information about Denton Deyo’s Civil War service from the Rutherford B. Hayes Center Civil War Soldiers Database. Denton Deyo enlisted in the 7th Independent Company of Ohio Volunteer Sharpshooters during the Civil War. This company was known as “General Sherman’s bodyguard” and remained near his person until the close of the war. Pat found and entered additional biographical info and his obituary which she found online. She also researched Denton Deyo’s siblings.

Denton Henry Deyo (1827-1911) was the son of Hiram and Rachel W. (Coe) Deyo. He married 1st, Martha Elizabeth Pomeroy (1831-1898) and 2nd, Sarah Lockwood. Martha Elizabeth Pomeroy was the daughter of Truman E and Martha Whiting (Reed) Pomeroy. Truman’s pedigree is Daniel Sterling, Eleazer D., Daniel, Noah, Joseph, Eltweed. Truman’s mother Lucy (Dimock) Pomeroy moved with her children to Manlius, NY by 1817. She had obtained a divorce from Daniel Sterling Pomeroy in Somers, Tolland Co., CT. She was a seamstress who raised her children in Manlius and attended the Trinity Presbyterian Church with Sarah (Allen) Pomeroy, mother of Spencer Pomeroy who married Mary Ann Coe. Denton Deyo’s mother Rachel Coe was the 4th cousin once removed from Mary Ann Coe.

Pat also entered a book excerpt that refers to Elizabeth Pawling marrying Rev. Oscar J. Squires, son of Josiah Squires and Maria Pomeroy.

Nancy received the mother’s application for Harper Austin’s Civil War pension from the National Archives last week. She ordered the option to receive the file as a pdf on CD, which made it easier to read and store. We had ordered this pension because Harper Austin was a neighbor or the Francis W. Pomeroy family in Sandusky, OH. Francis was the son of Spencer and Mary Ann (Coe) Pomeroy. When Francis’ son Edwin C. Pomeroy died of wounds received at the battle of Kennesaw Mountain, GA., his mother, Matilda (Brown) Pomeroy, applied for his pension. Harper Austin’s mother and brother both gave affidavits to support Matilda’s claim of dependence on Edwin’s financial support of the family and Francis’ odd behavior. Primary source documents held by Matthew Burr, a researcher of Co. B., of the 101st Infantry Regiment, Ohio include letters written by Jay Butler that mention Edwin and Harper as members of the “Sandusky boys”. Harper was the son of a doctor and worked in the army hospital and cared for Edwin when his arm was amputated, and he later died of infection. Nancy ordered Harper Austin’s mother’s application for his pension on the faint hope that perhaps Matilda (Brown) Pomeroy or her children may have given affidavits in support of Ann (Harper) Austin’s claim. Unfortunately, no affidavits from the Pomeroy family were given in this claim.

We have added 402 people, 83 sources and 1933 citations to our genealogy databases over the past week.

© 2009 American Pomeroy Historic Genealogical Association