Pomeroy Anvil

The First Presbyterian Church of Lyons was organized on October 23, 1809 by 12 men and 10 women, and Reverend Francis Pomeroy became its first installed pastor on June 29, 1814, serving until February 1, 1825. Francis Pomeroy was baptized on June 7, 1767 in Northampton, Massachusetts, later worked there as a clothier and indigo dyer, came to New York by way of Simsbury, Connecticut, was licensed to preach on June 20, 1805 by the Middle Association, and was ordained and installed at the Congregational Church of Brutus on May 7, 1806. Though lacking formal education, he was successful as a frontier pastor, helping form six churches and preaching in three counties in New York State. His work included serving as pastor of the 1st Congressional Society, Brutus, from 1806 to 1813, founding the 1st Congressional Church in Aurea Center in 1807, founding the Presbyterian Church in Huron in 1811, preaching in Junius and Lyons in 1811 and in Sodus in 1814, becoming first installed pastor of the 1st Presbyterian Church in Lyons from 1814 to 1825, founding the 1st Presbyterian Church in Clyde with Reverend Roe in 1814, organizing the Presbyterian Church in Palmyra in 1817, serving as chaplain of the 71st New York Infantry Regiment in 1819, organizing the Presbyterian Church in Rose with Reverend Stockton in 1825, helping organize the Presbyterian Church in Newark in 1825, and serving as pastor of the Presbyterian Church in East Palmyra from 1825 to 1831. He resided on the next lot south and died on December 18, 1836, and was buried in the Presbyterian Burial Ground on this site. The Pomeroy family traced its American line to Pomeroy Eltweed, who emigrated from England about 1630; his son Deacon Medad Pomeroy founded the Northampton branch of the family and in 1660 accepted tools, an anvil, and land in exchange for opening a blacksmith shop in Northampton. That anvil passed through generations of Pomeroy blacksmiths and gunsmiths and became a family symbol. Many of Medad Pomeroy’s descendants traveled west and were early settlers of New York State. The line given here continues through Honorable Major Ebenezer Pomeroy, Lieutenant Daniel Pomeroy, Colonel Timothy Pomeroy, and Reverend Francis Pomeroy.

Lyons, New York · United States