Eltwyd - Eltweed

Eltweed or Eltwid- Pomeroy 

Eltweed /Eltwitt Pomeroy, or as I prefer, Eltwyd whose origins remain an enigma.

WEYMOUTH in DORSET was originally called Melcombe Regis was where that  the C14th Black death arrived in a cargo of woollen cloth from Genoa and spread across England  causing  the deaths of 40% of the population in the years between 1346 & 1353. 
It returned in 1361 & this time causing the death of a further  20% of the population.
Social change was inevitable & the fuedal system which had governed England for centuries began to perish. 
The plague continued to return intermittently throughout the 14th and 15th centuries, in local less severe outbreaks.  For a long time the rats were blamed  but more recent research indicates it was more like to have been the lice that infected by the rats & which infested every dwelling & transferred people 
  The last outbreaks of the Bubonic or Pneumonic plague in England was the Great Plague of London in 1665–1666. 

Weymouth was the nearest large port  on that part of the coast & is some 20 miles from Beaminster.


Beaminster where the Mystery of Eltweed /Eltwitt Pomeroy, or Eltwyd begins
1585 July 4th baptism of  Eltwitt son of Richard POMERYE Beaminster

DNA indicate an origin close to the seat of the armorial family probably in Brixham
however no records have been found to confirm his connection.

His father Richard is the problem.
 Alma Moray LaFrance in particular &  I have researched extensively and yet we cannot establish where his father Richard
attaches to the family tree. The connection or lack thereof , may have three reasons :-

We quite simply have no records that can confirm his connection.

That said it does not mean they do not exist, just that we have not found them and so for serious Pomeroy genealogists,
Eltwyd Pomeroy's origins remain an irritating enigma.

(AJP - Sept 2013 latest update May 2024)

             

Colonists ships  link here

The Eltweed Question. By Alma LaFrance

Among the 50 or so genealogies submitted to the New England Historical and Genealogical Society for "review"  around 1903--over 100 years ago---all of which probably contained errors and omissions,  and varying degrees of gaffs, it was the A. A. Pomeroy History and Genealogy of the Pomeroy Family--a monumental book in size and scope- that a couple members of the NEHGS decided to "smash."   "Smash the Pomeroy Pedigree."

They didn't  just set out to "review" the book...they went all out to accuse  Mr. Pomeroy of deliberately engaging in fraud.  Then they undertook to publish their corrected and  "true pedigree," which in it's turn proved to be full of errors.

The sad part is that even though an extensive rebuttal was made with supporting documentation,  (and is available online) the NEHGS publication of  1914 remains "out there," and on the internet,, and  gets circulated and quoted forever and beyond,  and believed even by serious genealogists who assume certain secondary sources are unimpeachable. Although Eltweed's baptismal record in the Bishop's Transcripts in Exeter, of Beaminster,in Latin, made before the Great Fire destroyed the originals, has been translated and certified yet still its validity is disputed.

A. LaFrance   August 2013.

Eltwyd  Born 1585 son of Richard in Beaminster   which is inland from Bridport on the south coast of Dorset

Eleanor Pomeroy Richard supposed wife buried in 1612 in Symondsbury in Dorset  was thought to be the mother of Eltwid.  However  there is No mention in the original record that she was the mother of anyone.

AML: does NOT believe that the Elinor Pomeroy alias Wrickson buried 1612, wife of Richard Pomeroy alias Wryxon who was buried Feb 1612 Symondsbury,  was the mother of Eltwid.  (AML. Mar 22 2021)

Elinor, of Symondsbury is suggested to be mother of Eltwid, and wife of Richard of Beaminster , by A A POMEROY , in volume 3, 1923,  History and Genealogy of the POMEROY  Family.

  AML  does not think that is the case. AA Pomeroy’s genealogist ignored the alias Wrixon & AML spent a great deal of time following  Wrixon Pomeroy’s, building trees, even  to the point of paying for YDNA and autosomal DNA tests of descendants. They are Not the same family genetically. 

William Wrickson alias Pomerie married 1600 to Elizabeth Wade  Banns called 1 Feb 1600 Charminster ;  6 Feb 1600 in Symondsbury &  Allington - transcription only in FMP

Phillimore gives us William Wricksone alias Pomerie 1 feb 1600 marriage at Symonsbury- suggesting the banns were called in both their home parishes and they married.  as was the custom, in the brides home parish Allington a chapelry of Bridport, a mile from Symondsbury.



WHERE DID THE UNIQUE NAME ELTWYD COME FROM ?
AJP took a look
As a result of his piety, sagacity, and miraculous power,
 Saint Illtyd was held in high veneration throughout Wales.

 research  included
St Illtyd - St Illtud's in Llantwit Major, Known as the Westminster of Wales

The abbey and school founded by the saint were first attacked by the Vikings in the late 10th century, later functioned as a collegiate church and then as a community attached to Tewkesbury Abbey in Gloucestershire (England) until the Reformation.

Names like Nicholl, Deere and Straddling are found there - We know Nicholls appears in records of the Pomeroy family -

In the village is a grange or farm  connected to  Tewkesbury Abbey  This 14th century gatehouse afforded entry into a cluster of farm buildings belonging to the grange of Tewkesbury Abbey. The grange was an estate also known as West Llantwit or Abbots Llantwit.
After the dissolution of the monasteries it was sold to Edward Stradling and later descended to the Earl of Plymouth. On the south side the dovecot and remnants of the tithe barn are still visible.

Plymouth House This house has a reputation of forming part of the Celtic monastery. It became the manor house of West Llantwit or Abbotts Llantwit, the land given to Tewkesbury Abbey by the Normans. After the dissolution of the monasteries, it was bought by Edward Stradling as his town house. It passed to Lewis of the Vann then to the Earl of Plymouth later bought by Dr. J.W Nicholl Carne who renamed it.

 Lots of earlier connections that could have lingered  but like much of early genealogy this is part of the stitching of a tapestry  ...

https://sites.google.com/site/pomeroytwigs2/home/nicholas-pomeroy-of-tewkesbury

William Pomeroy of Membery , Queens Knight & close companion  & brother of Thomas Pomeroy Esq  sons of Robert of Upottery & Smallbridge in east Devon https://sites.google.com/site/pomeroytwig/home/william

Membury is three miles north west of Axminster  in East Devon  with Stockland   just North of the parish

Goldcliff Priory near Newport in Wales owned lands at Membury and most of the surrounding area.  


A. A. Pomeroy in the History and Genealogy of the Pomeroy Family, 1912, made the assumption that Eltwid Pomeroy's father, Richard Pomeroy, was "probably" the Richard Pomeroy born circa 1545 in Totnes, son of  Henry Pomeroy,(b c 1520),  son of Richard Pomeroy, (b. c 1482), the son of Thomas Pomeroy and Agnes Kelloway, based upon a very strong desire to find the “vital link” that supported family tradition. That “link,” was made with the support of his genealogist C. A. Hoppin, who was one of a group of genealogists of the period with a reputation of providing lots of records which seemed to point the way to a conclusion of ancestry, without the final proof. 

J. Gardner Bartlett,  another genealogist working at the same time as Hoppin,  "known for his excellent Simon Stone, Gregory Stone, Robert Coe, and Henry Adams genealogies--"and for exposing the false ancestry of Eltweed Pomeroy of Dorchester, Mass., and Windsor, Conn,"  gained this latter recognition when he published,  in  The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Jan 1, 1914, his "expose," which consisted of  records and material demonstrating that Richard Pomeroy, son of Henry and Agnes Huckmore Pomeroy, lived and died in Devon,  and then went on to provid a "correct" pedigree for the descendants of Thomas Pomeroy and Agnes Kelloway.  Bartlett used the same techniques as Hoppin and other genealogists of the era; they built on work that had been done earlier, threw in some "newly found" records from the archives, and offered up their own version of things.

There is more about the New England colony here Pomeroy Connections -

hosted by the PFA archivist  Alma LaFrance.

Whilst there is no doubt about the lineage of the descendants of Eltweed,

it is his ancestry that has been in question-

WHAT DOES THE DNA SAY?

From Pomerology  newsletter

Family Cluster 3: Eltweeds line potentially originated in Brixham, near Berry Pomeroy; A deep DNA result confirms that these families groups are connected

• Beaminster 1617

• Wilton 1710

• Whitechapel 1710

• Lewannick 1720 (linked to Lezant 1725, possibly to Linkinhorne 1577) which family #515 is connected to.

• Clevedon 1740

• Brixham 1784 (linked to Devonport 1841)

• Millstreet 1798 & Millstreet 1841 & IRELAND 1924 (linked to Kanturk 1872)

• Virgina USA 1792 - see Chucks Story

The Pomeroy Family History site has a map indicating the various group

These are colour-coded by DNA result;

each of the five bright colours represents a genetic family,

i.e. these trees have been found to have the same common Pomeroy ancestor.

The grey ones have unique DNA results within the project,

the white ones have yet to be tested.

The Eltwid Pomeroy tree is as follows

1585-1673: Beaminster, Dorset, England  (Eltwid, Elty, Eltwed")

BIRTH: Baptized Beaminster, Dorsetshire, 4 July 1585, son of "Richarde Pomerye"  [Bishops Copy of Beaminster Records  March 1673

MARRIAGE:

(1) at Beaminster 4 May 1617 Johana Keech; she was baptized at Beaminster 15 May 1586, daughter of "John Kiche," and was buried there 27 November 1620

(2) at  Crewkerne, Somersetshire, 7 May 1629 Margery Rocket (the groom identified as "of Bemister" She died  on 5 July 1655 at Windsor, Hartford County, Connecticut

(3) at Windsor, Hartford County, Connecticut. 30 November 1664 Lydia Parsons nee Browne, widow of Thomas Parsons .

CHILDREN:

With first wife  Johana Keech

i   DINAH, bp. Beaminster Dorset 6 August 1617  no further record.

ii   ELIZABETH, bp. Beaminster 28 November 1619; bur. there 13 July 1621

by second wife  Margery Rocket

iii   ELDAD, b. say 1631;  d.  20 May 1662

iv   MARY, b. say 1633; d. Windsor 19 December 1640 (Windsor, Hartford County, Connecticut.)

v   JOHN, b. say 1635; d. Windsor 1647

vi   MEDAD, bp. Windsor 19 August 1638 ;

                        m. (1) Northampton 21 November 1661 Experience Woodward [Pynchon VR 141]

                       m. (2) Northampton 14 September 1686 Abigail (Strong) Chauncy                           

                       m. (3)Northampton 24 January 1704/5 Hannah (Warriner) Noble.

vii   CALEB, bp. Windsor 6 March 1641[/2] [Grant 59];

                        m. Windsor 8 March 1664 Hepzibah Baker.

viii   MERCY, bp. Windsor 21 April 1644 [Grant 59]; d. Windsor 1657.

ix   JOSHUA, bp. Windsor 22 November 1646 [Grant 59];

                        m. (1)Northampton 22 August 1672 Elizabeth Lyman [Pynchon VR 142], daughter of Richard Lyman;

                        m. (2) Northampton 9 January 1678 Abigail .

x   JOSEPH, bp. Windsor 20 June 1652 [Grant 59];

                           m. Westfield 20 June 1677 Hannah Lyman ], daughter of Richard Lyman.

MEDAD  POMEROY son of  Eltwid   - his tombstone can still be found.Medad Pomeroy Born Aug. 16, 1638 in Windsor, Hartford County, Connecticut.

Died Dec. 30, 1716 Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts

son of Eltweed and Mary Rockett Pomeroy,  Medad became  a blacksmith and gunsmith. He arrived at Northampton in 1659 and was granted a chest of tools and some land. He was made Freeman 31 May 1661, and settled at Northampton, Hampshire, where  he served as town clerk, magistrate, selectman, deputy to the General Court and town treasurer.

and so down through many generations to this time.

additional  BMDs & wills around 1500 -1650

Probate & Wills 1500+/- 40 years

John Pomeroy 1592 Will Place Ryme Intrinsica Dorset Occupation Husbandman

Series title Probate records of the court of the Dean of Salisbury

Date 1592 / Series P5 /  Archive- Wiltshire and Swindon Archive

Archive reference  P5/6Reg/4B

Source https://history.wiltshire.gov.uk/heritage/wills_search.php

Record set Wiltshire Wills And Probate Index 1530-1881

***

Robert Pomeroy 1609 Will ,Place Knighton, Beer Hackett Dorset

Series title Probate records of the court of the Dean of Salisbury

Date 1609 / Series P5 / Archive - Wiltshire and Swindon Archive

Archive reference P5/8Reg/143D

Source https://history.wiltshire.gov.uk/heritage/wills_search.php

Record set Wiltshire Wills And Probate Index 1530-1881

***

Samuel Pomeroy 1632 Administration bond Place Beer Hackett Dorset

Series title Probate records of the court of the Dean of Salisbury

Date 1632 / Description Surname written Pomrey / Series P5

Archive Wiltshire and Swindon Archive

Archive reference P5/1632/47

Source https://history.wiltshire.gov.uk/heritage/wills_search.php

Record set Wiltshire Wills And Probate Index 1530-1881

marriages 1500 +/- 40

Joane Pomery Marriage date 18 May 1584 at Beer Hackett  Dorset to Richard Waters

Record set England Marriages 1538-1973

John Pummery marriage 27 Mar 1522 to Martha Spiller at Whitchurch Canonicorum, Dorset

Volume Dorset Marriage Registers, Vol 5 Phillimores Transcriptions

Alice Pomery marriage 15 Jan 1540  to William Order Abbey Church at Sherbourne Dorset