Biography
B. 19 Aug 1638 in Windsor, Connecticut
M. (1) 21 Nov 1661 in Northampton, Massachusetts
Wife: Experience Woodward
M. (2) 14 Sep 1686 in Northampton, Massachusetts
Wife: Abigail (Strong) Chauncey
M. (3) 24 Jan 1705 in Northampton, Massachusetts
Wife: Hannah (Warriner) Noble
D. 30 Dec 1716 in Northampton, Massachusetts
Medad Pomeroy was born in Windsor, Connecticut on August 19, 1638 to Eltweed Pomeroy and Margery Rocket. He was the fourth of their eight children.
Medad arrived in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1659 to find work as a blacksmith. One story said that Medad was known to be a skilled blacksmith, and the new settlement of Northampton, Massachusetts, needed one so they solicited him to move there. Another story said that there was already a blacksmith in town, and Medad took a job working for him. After a short time, Medad proved to have a better work ethic, so the town bought the tools from the other blacksmith to give to Medad. In any case, Medad became the town blacksmith, and was also a gunsmith as well. (It has been written by some researchers that Medad learned the blacksmith trade from his father, but this has now been discounted because there is nothing in records to show that Eltweed Pomeroy was ever a blacksmith.)
On November 21, 1661, Medad married Experience Woodward in Northampton. Between 1662 and 1686, they had 11 children. Experience died just 10 days after giving birth to their last child. Medad married a second wife Abigail Strong on September 14, 1686. She was the widow of Nathaniel Chauncey and had seven children from that marriage; Medad and Abigail had one more child together. Abigail died on April 15, 1704 and Medad married a third wife, Hannah Warriner (widow of Thomas Noble) on January 24, 1705.
Medad held many offices in Northampton. He was selectman, representative to the General Court, deacon of the church, town treasurer, town clerk, associate justice of the county of Hampshire and commissioner to the United Colonies. He also served in the militia during King Philip's War and took part in the Turner Falls Massacre. Medad died on December 30, 1716 in Northampton and was buried in the Bridge Street Cemetery.
The anvil Medad used as a blacksmith survived in the family for many generations and eventually found its way into the Northampton Historical Museum, where it is on display today. A descendant of Medad named Bill Pomeroy has taken the anvil a step further and is installing monuments that are replicas of Medad's anvil in places where Medad's family migrated: Pompey, New York; Sandusky, Ohio; Westhampton, Massachusetts; Syracuse, New York; Van Cortlandtville, New York; Lyons, New York; Pembroke, Maine; and Northampton, Massachusetts.
Famous descendants of Medad Pomeroy include Franklin Delano Roosevelt, J.P. Morgan, Bess Truman and Helen Hunt.
Children by Experience Woodward:
1. John Pomeroy ? B.24 Aug 1662; D. 1685; M. Mindwell Sheldon (1666-1735), 30 Apr 1684
2. Joseph Pomeroy ? B. 24 Dec 1664, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. Dec 1664, Northampton, Massachusetts
3. Mehitable Pomeroy ? B. 3 Jul 1666, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. 8 Nov 1755; M. John King (1657-1719), 4 Nov 1686, Northampton, Massachusetts
4. Ebenezer Pomeroy ? B. 30 May 1669, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. 27 Jan 1754, Northampton, Massachusetts; M. Sarah King (1671-1747), 26 Dec 1692, Northampton, Massachusetts
5. Joseph Pomeroy ? B. 26 Jun 1672, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. 16 Dec 1712, Suffield, Connecticut; M. Hannah Seymour, 29 Nov 1692
6. Medad Pomeroy ? B. 19 Jun 1674
7. Eliakim Pomeroy ? B. 10 Aug 1675, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. 1675, Northampton, Massachusetts
8. Mindwell Pomeroy ? B. Jul 1677, Northampton, Massachusetts; M. Joseph King (1673-1734), 3 Jun 1696
9. Thankful Pomeroy ? B. 31 May 1679, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. 18 Sep 1773, Northampton, Massachusetts; M. (1) Benjamin Lyman (1674-1723), 27 Oct 1698, Northampton, Massachusetts; (2) Nathaniel Lewis (1676-1752)
10. Mary Pomeroy ? B. 15 Feb 1683, Northampton, Massachusetts
11. John Pomeroy ? B. 30 May 1686, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. 8 Jun 1686, Northampton, Massachusetts
Children by Abigail Strong:
1. Samuel Pomeroy ? B. 16 Apr 1687, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. 30 Jun 1744, Queens County, New York; M. Lydia Taylor, 30 Jul 1707, Massachusetts; (2) Elizabeth Webb, about 1725
Sources:
History and genealogy of the Pomeroy family, Albert Alonzo Pomeroy, 1922
New England families, genealogical and memorial, Vol. 4, William Richard Cutter, 1913
Tributaries ? The Genealogies of the Brooks Families of New England [website]
History of Northampton, Massachusetts, James Trumbull and Seth Pomeroy, 1898
GeneaStar: Famous Family Tree and Genealogy [website]
Find-A-Grave
- Mother Of Fourteen Children ? Freedom Woodward
B. about 1642 in Dorchester, Massachusetts M. 18 Nov 1662 in Northampton, Massachusetts Husband: Jedediah Strong D. 10 May 1681 in Northampton, Massachusetts Many women in the Puritan colonies had large families and Freedom Woodward was an example...
- Father Or Step-father To 32 Children ? Jedediah Strong
B. 7 May 1637 in Hingham, Massachusetts M. (1) 18 Nov 1662 in Northampton, Massachusetts Wife: Freedom Woodward M. (2) 28 Dec 1681 in Northampton, Massachusetts Wife: Abigail (Bartlett) Stebbins M. (3) 5 Jan 1692 in Northampton, Massachusetts Wife: Mary...
- Captain In The Revolutionary War ? Oliver Lyman
B. 1 Apr 1739 in Northampton, Massachusetts M. about 1760 Wife: Eleanor Lyman D. 22 Jun 1799 in Charlotte, Vermont Oliver Lyman was born in Northampton, Massachusetts on April 1, 1739 to Gad Lyman and Thankful Pomeroy. He was the oldest of six children....
- Volumes Of Descendants ? John Strong
B. about 1610 in Chard, England M. (1) in England Wife: Margery Deane M. (2) about 1636 in Massachusetts Wife: Abigail Ford D. 14 Apr 1699 in Northampton, Massachusetts Emigrated: 1635 on the ship Hopewell There are several large volumes devoted to the...
- Killed By Accident At His Mill ? Henry Woodward
B. about 1601 in Much Woolton, England M. 4 Sep 1638 in Dorchester, Massachusetts Wife: Elizabeth Mather D. 7 Apr 1683 in Northampton, Massachusetts Emigrated: (probably) 23 May 1635 on the ship James Henry Woodward was born in about 1601 to Thomas and...
Biography
Remembered for his Anvil ? Medad Pomeroy
B. 19 Aug 1638 in Windsor, Connecticut
M. (1) 21 Nov 1661 in Northampton, Massachusetts
Wife: Experience Woodward
M. (2) 14 Sep 1686 in Northampton, Massachusetts
Wife: Abigail (Strong) Chauncey
M. (3) 24 Jan 1705 in Northampton, Massachusetts
Wife: Hannah (Warriner) Noble
D. 30 Dec 1716 in Northampton, Massachusetts
Medad Pomeroy was born in Windsor, Connecticut on August 19, 1638 to Eltweed Pomeroy and Margery Rocket. He was the fourth of their eight children.
Medad arrived in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1659 to find work as a blacksmith. One story said that Medad was known to be a skilled blacksmith, and the new settlement of Northampton, Massachusetts, needed one so they solicited him to move there. Another story said that there was already a blacksmith in town, and Medad took a job working for him. After a short time, Medad proved to have a better work ethic, so the town bought the tools from the other blacksmith to give to Medad. In any case, Medad became the town blacksmith, and was also a gunsmith as well. (It has been written by some researchers that Medad learned the blacksmith trade from his father, but this has now been discounted because there is nothing in records to show that Eltweed Pomeroy was ever a blacksmith.)
On November 21, 1661, Medad married Experience Woodward in Northampton. Between 1662 and 1686, they had 11 children. Experience died just 10 days after giving birth to their last child. Medad married a second wife Abigail Strong on September 14, 1686. She was the widow of Nathaniel Chauncey and had seven children from that marriage; Medad and Abigail had one more child together. Abigail died on April 15, 1704 and Medad married a third wife, Hannah Warriner (widow of Thomas Noble) on January 24, 1705.
Medad held many offices in Northampton. He was selectman, representative to the General Court, deacon of the church, town treasurer, town clerk, associate justice of the county of Hampshire and commissioner to the United Colonies. He also served in the militia during King Philip's War and took part in the Turner Falls Massacre. Medad died on December 30, 1716 in Northampton and was buried in the Bridge Street Cemetery.
The anvil Medad used as a blacksmith survived in the family for many generations and eventually found its way into the Northampton Historical Museum, where it is on display today. A descendant of Medad named Bill Pomeroy has taken the anvil a step further and is installing monuments that are replicas of Medad's anvil in places where Medad's family migrated: Pompey, New York; Sandusky, Ohio; Westhampton, Massachusetts; Syracuse, New York; Van Cortlandtville, New York; Lyons, New York; Pembroke, Maine; and Northampton, Massachusetts.
Famous descendants of Medad Pomeroy include Franklin Delano Roosevelt, J.P. Morgan, Bess Truman and Helen Hunt.
Children by Experience Woodward:
1. John Pomeroy ? B.24 Aug 1662; D. 1685; M. Mindwell Sheldon (1666-1735), 30 Apr 1684
2. Joseph Pomeroy ? B. 24 Dec 1664, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. Dec 1664, Northampton, Massachusetts
3. Mehitable Pomeroy ? B. 3 Jul 1666, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. 8 Nov 1755; M. John King (1657-1719), 4 Nov 1686, Northampton, Massachusetts
4. Ebenezer Pomeroy ? B. 30 May 1669, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. 27 Jan 1754, Northampton, Massachusetts; M. Sarah King (1671-1747), 26 Dec 1692, Northampton, Massachusetts
5. Joseph Pomeroy ? B. 26 Jun 1672, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. 16 Dec 1712, Suffield, Connecticut; M. Hannah Seymour, 29 Nov 1692
6. Medad Pomeroy ? B. 19 Jun 1674
7. Eliakim Pomeroy ? B. 10 Aug 1675, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. 1675, Northampton, Massachusetts
8. Mindwell Pomeroy ? B. Jul 1677, Northampton, Massachusetts; M. Joseph King (1673-1734), 3 Jun 1696
9. Thankful Pomeroy ? B. 31 May 1679, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. 18 Sep 1773, Northampton, Massachusetts; M. (1) Benjamin Lyman (1674-1723), 27 Oct 1698, Northampton, Massachusetts; (2) Nathaniel Lewis (1676-1752)
10. Mary Pomeroy ? B. 15 Feb 1683, Northampton, Massachusetts
11. John Pomeroy ? B. 30 May 1686, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. 8 Jun 1686, Northampton, Massachusetts
Children by Abigail Strong:
1. Samuel Pomeroy ? B. 16 Apr 1687, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. 30 Jun 1744, Queens County, New York; M. Lydia Taylor, 30 Jul 1707, Massachusetts; (2) Elizabeth Webb, about 1725
Sources:
History and genealogy of the Pomeroy family, Albert Alonzo Pomeroy, 1922
New England families, genealogical and memorial, Vol. 4, William Richard Cutter, 1913
Tributaries ? The Genealogies of the Brooks Families of New England [website]
History of Northampton, Massachusetts, James Trumbull and Seth Pomeroy, 1898
GeneaStar: Famous Family Tree and Genealogy [website]
Find-A-Grave
- Mother Of Fourteen Children ? Freedom Woodward
B. about 1642 in Dorchester, Massachusetts M. 18 Nov 1662 in Northampton, Massachusetts Husband: Jedediah Strong D. 10 May 1681 in Northampton, Massachusetts Many women in the Puritan colonies had large families and Freedom Woodward was an example...
- Father Or Step-father To 32 Children ? Jedediah Strong
B. 7 May 1637 in Hingham, Massachusetts M. (1) 18 Nov 1662 in Northampton, Massachusetts Wife: Freedom Woodward M. (2) 28 Dec 1681 in Northampton, Massachusetts Wife: Abigail (Bartlett) Stebbins M. (3) 5 Jan 1692 in Northampton, Massachusetts Wife: Mary...
- Captain In The Revolutionary War ? Oliver Lyman
B. 1 Apr 1739 in Northampton, Massachusetts M. about 1760 Wife: Eleanor Lyman D. 22 Jun 1799 in Charlotte, Vermont Oliver Lyman was born in Northampton, Massachusetts on April 1, 1739 to Gad Lyman and Thankful Pomeroy. He was the oldest of six children....
- Volumes Of Descendants ? John Strong
B. about 1610 in Chard, England M. (1) in England Wife: Margery Deane M. (2) about 1636 in Massachusetts Wife: Abigail Ford D. 14 Apr 1699 in Northampton, Massachusetts Emigrated: 1635 on the ship Hopewell There are several large volumes devoted to the...
- Killed By Accident At His Mill ? Henry Woodward
B. about 1601 in Much Woolton, England M. 4 Sep 1638 in Dorchester, Massachusetts Wife: Elizabeth Mather D. 7 Apr 1683 in Northampton, Massachusetts Emigrated: (probably) 23 May 1635 on the ship James Henry Woodward was born in about 1601 to Thomas and...