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 performed civic duty in early Northampton, Massachusetts, but his first role there was as a town blacksmith. He was born in Windsor, Connecticut on August 19, 1638 to Eltweed Pomeroy and Margery Rocket, the fourth of their eight children. Medad’s father was a blacksmith who taught the skill to his son.
It was said that Medad arrived in Northampton in 1659 looking for work. There was already a blacksmith in town, and Medad took a job working for him. After a short time, he proved to have a better work ethic than his boss, so the town bought the tools from the other blacksmith and gave them to him. Medad set up his business in the center of town while living in a house on the same property. He was said to charge five shillings each for broad hoes, spades and axes that he made in his shop.
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.
Back in Windsor, Connecticut, Medad's mother died in 1671, so he brought his elderly, blind father to Northampton. Eltweed Pomeroy died at his son’s house in March of 1673.
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. In 1667, Medad was offered twenty acres of land along with a partner, John King, in return for building a sawmill on the property. Three years later, with work on the mill never begun, the grant was taken away. He joined two other men in 1674 to set up a saw mill at a location in present-day Easthampton, and this time the mill was constructed.
During King Phillip’s War in 1675, Northampton found itself vulnerable to Indian raids, and like many men in town, Medad served in the militia. He took part in what was known as the Turners Falls Massacre in May 1676. Medad also contributed supplies to the war effort, and a couple of years later, on April 3, 1678, he petitioned the governor and council that he had supplied “much provision” during the conflict, asking to be paid £36 for it. There’s no record if he ever received any money.
Medad died on December 30, 1716 in Northampton and was buried in the Bridge Street Cemetery. His third wife Hannah passed away before May 12, 1721, but it isn’t known where she was buried.
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 his descendants migrated: Pompey, New York; Sandusky, Ohio; Westhampton, Massachusetts; Syracuse, New York; Van Cortlandtville, New York; Lyons, New York; Pembroke, Maine; Southampton, Massachusetts; Auburn, New York; Troy, New York; Lake George, New York; Copake Falls, New York and Northampton, Massachusetts.
Medad Pomeroy monument at Bridge Street Cemetery in Northampton.
Famous descendants of Medad Pomeroy include Franklin Delano Roosevelt, J.P. Morgan, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Gloria Vanderbilt and Anderson Cooper.
Children by Experience Woodward:
1. John Pomeroy — B.24 Aug 1662, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. 23 Jan 1686, Northampton, Massachusetts; M. Mindwell Sheldon (1666-1735), 30 Apr 1684, Northampton, Massachusetts
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, Northampton, Massachusetts; 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 (1671-~1727), 29 Nov 1692, Suffield, Connecticut
6. Medad Pomeroy — B. 19 Jun 1674, Northampton, Massachusetts
7. Eliakim Pomeroy — B. 10 Aug 1675, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. 1675, Northampton, Massachusetts
8. Mindwell Pomeroy — B. Jul 1677, Northampton, Massachusetts; D. about 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
Famous Kin (website)
Find-A-Grave
WikiTree
