USA > New York > Genealogical and family history of western New York; a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the building of a nation, Volume III > Part 65
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(III) Charles Edward, son of Daniel D. Snell, was born in Albany, New York, Au- gust 19, 1868. He attended the public schools of his native city, and learned the trade of printer in the office of the Mechanicsville Mer- cury. After three years of apprenticeship there he worked for a year at book printing in Glens Falls, New York. For three years he was secretary of the Young Men's Christian Asso- ciation at Mount Kisco. New York, and for two years editor and manager of the Upper Hudson Mail. Mechanicsville. In 1893 he en- tered the employ of the Remington Typewriter Company at Ilion, New York. After four years with this concern and five years as special agent of the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, with offices at Al- bany, he returned in 1902 to the Remington Typewriter Company for two years. In 1904 he came to Oxford. New York, as foreman of the Oxford Times, published by T. B. Gal- pin. Two years later he had an offer of edi- tor and manager of the East Syracuse News, but instead lie bought the Orford Press, which was immediately merged with the Oxford Times, under the ownership of the firm of Galpin & Snell. In 1909 the firm was dis- solved and the business incorporated under the name of the Times Publishing Company, of Oxford, of which Mr. Snell is president. He is also editor and manager of the newspaper. The Oxford Times is a strong and progressive newspaper, independent in politics, vigorous in
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editorial expression, and of wide influence and usefulness. Mr. Snell personally is a Re- publican. In religion he is a Methodist, and he holds the office of steward in the Oxford Methodist Episcopal Church.
He married, April 23, 1889, Louise Davis, of Ilion, New York, born in New Haven, Connecticut, February 8, 1866, daughter of George T. and Sophia ( Wright) Davis. Chil- dren: I. Gertrude Louise, born in White Plains, New York, April 23. 1890; student of Vassar College, class of 1912. 2. Mildred Irene, born in Ilion, New York, July 18, 1897.
This name is of Italian ori- PUMPELLY gin, and first appears in Italy as Pompili. To these spellings have been added Pompilie, Pompilly, Pumpely, Pumpilly, Pumppilly. From Italy, the family passed into France, where one of its members left the Romish church and be- came a Huguenot and his son removed to America and was the founder of the family in this country. The traditions of the Ameri- can branch say that the family came from Avignon. France, and it is a well-known fact that while Pope Clement V. was in that city, one of the cardinals who had come from Spo- letto had brought with him many retainers, among whom it is said was one of the name of Pompili, an officer of the Pope's court, whose descendant fled to Canada, as above noted. The first known of the name was one who defended the gates of Spoletto when Duke Barbarossa laid siege to that city and gained distinction in that defense. It seems that the first one who went to Canada was named Jean and that his son, bearing the same name, had a son John, who came from Canada to Massachusetts in the early part of 1700. His descendants have been con- spicuous in the settlement and development of Central New York and are still widely known in that state for their culture and re- finement and patronage of the arts and all that goes to build up the best that there is in the country.
(I) Nothing is known of Jean, other than his name, which he spelled Pompilie.
(II) John Pompily, son of the above, set- tled in Plymouth, Massachusetts, over two hundred years ago. It is said that he ran away with and married a Miss Monroe, a young girl with some fortune and much
beauty, who after his death married a clergy- man named Glover.
(III) John (2) Pumpely (as he wrote the name), only son of John (I) Pompily, was born in 1727, one month after the death of his father, and was brought up in the house- hold of his step-father, Mr. Glover. Septem- ber 15, 1755, he ran away and enlisted as a drummer in Captain John Loring's company of the British service. He served throughout the French and Indian war as a member of Captain Rogers' Rangers and was promoted to sergeant for distinguished bravery while bearer of dispatches for the relief of Fort William Henry, carrying the dispatches safely through a country infested with hostile In- dians. The last few miles of this dangerous course were made in a rapid run while he was pursued by three Indian warriors. There is a tradition that he stood near General Wolf when the latter was mortally wounded at Quebec and was himself wounded at the same time. He served as a revolutionary soldier and was commissary to General Israel Put- nam at the time of Burgoyne's surrender. It is said that Putnam fell into a lake during a skirmish and was rescued by Sergeant Pum- pely. He resided some years at Pembroke, Massachusetts, hence hie removed to Salisbury, Connecticut. In May, 1802, he removed with his family, which then included five children, to the state of New York. They crossed the Hudson river at Catskill and then traversed the wild country, where they found only rarely any clearing, to the present town of Owego, Tioga county. The settlement at that time was composed of a few unpainted frame houses, with an occasional one of logs, scat- tered along the then crooked highway, which is the present front street. What is now the village of Owego was then covered with heavy timber. They continued on northward to what was known as Beers' Settlement, in the town of Danby, Tompkins county. (The only house then, where Ithaca now stands, was a
log hut, hardly suitable for a pig-pen.) There Mr. Pumpely died. July 11, 1819, at the age of ninety-two years. After his death his widow removed to Owego, where she died December 31, 1832. Upon the interment of her body, that of her husband was brought to Owego and they were buried side by side in the Presbyterian burying ground on Temple street.
He married (first), in 1759, at Halifax,
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Nova Scotia, Eppen Hillebrantz Meijer (called in this country, Appy Meyers), a young woman of Dutch descent, who died aged sixty-three years. He married ( second) Hannah Bushnel, born 1756-57, died Decem- ber 31, 1832, aged seventy-six years, daughter of Captain Samuel Bushnel, of Salisbury, Con- necticut. formerly of Saybrook. Children of first wife: Appy, John, Ruel, Bernard and Captain Samuel. Children of second wife: James, Jerusha, Charles Maria, Mary, Will- iam. Harriet and Harmon.
(IV) James Pumpelly (as he wrote the name), son of John (2) Pumpely, eldest child of his second wife, Hannah (Bushnel) Pumpely, was born December 20, 1775, at Salisbury, Connecticut, and died at Owego, October 4. 1845, in his seventieth year. He was one of the most progressive men that ever lived in Owego. When the family removed to Tompkins county, he was twenty-eight years old and rode the entire distance on horseback. Like his father, he was a sur- vevor, and he found ready occupation in the wilderness where they then settled. The fam- ily was not in prosperous circumstances and when James Pumpelly secured a contract for surveying, he had but five shillings in his pocket and this he divided with a less fortu- nate companion as soon as he began work upon his contract. He began his work with a surveying party as an ax-man, and later became agent for the owners of large tracts of land in the southern tier, and with the aid of his brothers, William and Harmon Pum- pelly, he surveyed an immense territory. As agent for lands on both sides of the Owego creek throughout its entire length, he estab- lished a land office in Owego and purchased large tracts on his own account, which he sold out from time to time at a generous profit. In association with Joshua Ferris, he surveyed several sections known as the Wat- kins and Flint Purchase, which comprised about three hundred and sixty-three thousand acres, including the present towns of Candor and Spencer. In a comparatively short time Mr. Pumpelly became the largest owner of real estate in his section of New York. In 1829 he built the large brick house which is still standing at the northwest corner of Front and Academy streets. At the time this was the largest and most expensive house in that part of the country, being much like the celebrated Patroon Van Rensaleer mansion
in Albany, and it was predicted that the in- vestment of so much money in a house would cause the financial ruin of its owner. Here he continued to reside until his death. By reason of his activity and large means, Mr. Pumpelly was at the head of nearly every pub- lic enterprise. He was the president of the old Bank of Owego, treasurer of the Owego & Ithaca Turnpike Company, president of the Owego Turnpike Company, of the old Ithaca & Owego Railroad Company, of the Susque- hanna Steam Navigation Company, which in 1835 built the first steamboat on the Susque- hanna for commercial purposes. From the construction of its building in 1827 until his death, Mr. Pumpelly was president of the Owego Academy. He was the first president of the village of Owego upon its incorpora- tion in 1827 and filled the office five consecu- tive years by reelection. In 1810 he repre- sented his county (then Broome) in the state assembly. He was a self-made man and his enterprise and public spirit, when the village of Owego was in its formative period, con- tributed very largely to its rapid advancement. He was one of the vice-presidents of the con- vention held at Owego, December 20-21, 1831, to advocate the construction of what is now the Erie railroad, and was active in securing the charter and construction of the road. He offered a donation of twenty-five acres of land for railroad use, but this was not accepted be- cause of a change in location of the line.
He married, April 7. 1805, at Owego, Mary ( Pixley) Tinkham, widow of Dr. Sam- uel Tinkham and daughter of Colonel David and Lydia (Patterson ) Pixley, a wealthy pio- neer of Owego. She was born May II, 1777, at Stockbridge, Massachusetts, died June 4, 1848, at Owego. Children: I. George James (mentioned below). 2. Lydia Abby, wife of Dr. Ezekiel Lovejoy, died at Owego. 3. Frederick Henry, resided at Owego. 4. Mary Eliza, married (first) Robert Charles John- son, (second) William H. Platt, and died at Metuchen, New Jersey.
(V) George James, eldest child of James and Mary (Pixley) (Tinkham) Pumpelly, was born December II. 1805. at Owego, where he died May 9, 1873. He graduated from Yale College and was educated as a lawyer, but so much of his time was taken up by the care of his father's estate that he did not at- tempt to practice his profession. He was a warm advocate of railroads and other public
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improvements, and was a true successor of his father in furthering the interests of the community. He was a man of charming per- sonality and scholarly attainments, generously hospitable, and a promoter of music and art, as well as a faithful patron of the agricultural interests of his county and state, and had many devoted friends. He was the first to introduce Southdown sheep and Jersey and Alderney cattle in Tioga county. To his hos- pitable home came such men as General Wads- worth, of Genesee. Horatio Seymour, Millard Fillmore. Hon. Theodore Frelinghuysen, who had married Mr. Pumpelly's wife's sister, Horace Greeley, Goldwin Smith, and many other prominent men of his time. He was a fellow trustee with Horace Greeley of the People's College at Havana. New York, and a trustee of the Inebriate Asylum at Bing- hamton. He married, April 24, 1832, Susan Isabella Pumpelly, his cousin, born April 24. 1809, at Owego, daughter of Charles and Frances (Avery) Pumpelly. She died July 30, 1864, at Owego. Children: James K., Charles F., Josiah Collins, George B., and Mary. The daughter became the wife of Wordsworth Thomson, who attained some celebrity as a painter, devoting his art chiefly to revolutionary and colonial subjects.
(VI) Josiah Collins, third son of George James and Susan I. ( Pumpelly ) Pumpelly. was born August 16, 1839, in Owego, and now resides in the city of New York, where he is conspicuous in historical and literary circles. Through his descent through many notable ยท ancestors, he is allied with conspicuous fami- lies of Europe and America, and in his life and character does not belie the virtue of good blood. In common with Edward VII. of Eng- land, his ancestors include such famous men as John of Gaunt, Edward III., Warwick, the King Maker : the great Christian warrior, Al- fred the Great: and Sir Richard Pole. whose son, Reginald, was a cardinal of the Romish church. Through the Plantagenet line, he is remotely related to many of the founders of the kingdoms and principalities of Europe. Through his paternal line, he traces to Pietro Orseolo, who founded the Cathedral of Saint Mark. and was a doge of Venice, and Pietro Orseolo II .. also doge of Venice, who over- came the pirates of the Adriatic and origi- nated the famous ceremony of the "Betrothal of the Sea." On another line, his descent runs from Rurik, from whom Russia takes
its name, including in this line several em- perors at Constantinople.
Amid happy surroundings in Owego, Mr. Pumpelly grew up in a cultured atmosphere and was early prepared for college. At the age of twenty-one years, he was graduated from Rutgers College in 1860, and received the degrees of A. B. and A. M. from that in- stitution. Entering Columbia University Law School, he was graduated in 1863 with the degree of LL.B., and was immediately admit- ted to the bar of the state of New York. Af- ter practicing a few years in his native town. he spent some years in travel, visiting all the interesting regions of the old world. Return- ing to his native country, he resided for a time at Poughkeepsie, New York, and later at Morristown. New Jersey. In 1890 he re- moved to New York City and has since been active in social betterment and philanthropic work and has contributed much by addresses and letters to the press toward the education of the people along these lines. He aided in founding the Huguenot Society of America, the l'atriotic League, the National Society- Sons of the American Revolution and its New Jersey branch, the New Jersey State Charities and Prison Reform Association, the New York Peace Society and "Society for the Ad- vancement of India." At the celebration of the Ter-Centenary of the Signing of the Edict of Nantes in 1898, he read a paper entitled, "The Huguenot Settlers in New Jersey." He has delivered many addresses on historical topics, many of which have been published, including the following : "Washington" ; "Fort Stanwix and the Battle of Oriskany"; "The Birthplace of Washington and Grave of his Illustrious Mother": "Our French Al- lies in the Revolution": "The Battle of Red Bank. New Jersey": "Joseph Warren"; "Bat- tle of Springfield, New Jersey": "Battle of Princeton, New Jersey": Battle of Mon- mouth, New Jersey": "Mahlon Dickerson, of New Jersey-Industrial Pioneer and Old Time Patriot" : "The Trenton Battle Monument and What it Commemorates": "Reminiscences, Social and Humorous of Colonial and Revo- lutionary Days in New York": "Character and Life of John Paul Jones": "What the Cause of Human Freedom Owes to the Hu- guenot": "The Huguenot Builders of New Jersey": "Incidents in the Early History of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and of the Pixley, Pumpelly and Avery Families"; "Cu-
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rious and Amusing Old Time Epitaphs and Epigrams"; "Phillip Freneau, the Huguenot Soldier and Poet of the American Revolu- tion": "Historic Claremont and the Story of the Pollock Monument near Grant's Tomb"; "The Jumel (Roger Morris) Mansion; Its History and Traditions"; "Two Hundred Years of New York City History": "Wash- ington at Morristown, New Jersey, Winter of 1779-80.'
Mr. Pumpelly has given much time and lit- erary effort to the discussion in the public press of philanthropic and social economic questions. He is an ardent supporter of Re- publican principles in matters of governmental policy ; is a member of the Episcopal church ; a member of the Alumni Association of Co- lumbia College Law School; and of the Rut- gers College Alumni Association. He is a member of the executive boards of the Church Association for the Advancement of the Interests of Labor and the State Chari- ties Aid and Prison Reform Association of New Jersey. He was a member of the ad- visory board of the Manhattan Trade School for Girls, until it was taken into the public school system; of the West End Association ; New York Peace Society and the Empire State Society Sons of the American Revolu- tion, of which society he is historian. He was for some years necrologist of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society ; was one of the founders of the Cedar Park Club, Incorporated ; and is a veteran member of the Union League Club. In character and per- sonality. Mr. Pumpelly partakes largely of qualities inherited from his ancestors : is most democratic in his habits ; of genial and friendly nature and attracts to himself and retains many strong friends. His activities are along those lines calculated to uplift humanity and benefit the world at large.
He married. (first), October 19. 1876, in Frankfort. Germany, Margaret Downing (La- nier ) Winslow, widow of James Winslow, who died in 1890. He married (second), May 20. 1896, in New York City, Mary Amelia Harmer, who like her husband is of Hugue- not descent, and of the best of patriotic stock, as General Josiah Harmer was one of Wash- ington's most trusted generals.
(VI) George Brinkerhoff, fourth son of George J. and Susan I. ( Pumpelly ) Pumpelly. was born July 27, 1842. in Owego, where he grew up, receiving his principal education in
the Owego Academy. In 1866 he graduated in chemistry from the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale College, and soon after went to California, where he was placed in charge of the Silver Peak Mining Company, in which his father was interested. He had pre- viously served as a soldier of the civil war, having enlisted in 1864 in Company H., Ber- dan's Sharpshooters, and served eight months. In 1874 he returned from California, and lo- cated in Swartwood, Chemung county, New York, where he engaged in the lumber busi- ness until 1886. In the latter year he re- moved to Candor, Tioga county, New York, where he has since made his home, and con- tinued in the lumber business until 1900; since then has been living retired. For the past twelve years they have conducted a boarding house. While residing in Swartwood he served as postmaster four years. He is a ves- tryman of the Episcopal Church at Candor. He married, April 15, 1874, Adelaide Wood- ford, born February II, 1852, in West Can- dor, daughter of John R. and Armenia (Fort- ner) Woodford. Children : I. William Col- lins, born June 16, 1877 ; graduated from the College of Pharmacy, New York, 1899, and from College of Physicians and Surgeons of Baltimore, Maryland, in 1905. He served as surgeon on Admiral Schley's ship in the Span- ish American war, and was located two years in the State Sanitarium at Milledgeville, Geor- gia. For one year he was a member of the faculty of Mercer University, Macon, Georgia. and has been engaged in the practice of medi- cine at that place since 1907. He married, . October 14, 1905, Ann Singleton, of Fort Val- ley, Georgia, and has children: Mary Ade- laide, born November 3, 1906, and William Brinkerhoff, December 22, 1910. 2. George James, December 20, 1880, resides in Candor. He married Eva Willard, of that place, and has a son, James Willard, born December 3, 1907. 3. Frederick Gurdon, January 27, 1882 ; resides in Winnipeg, Canada, and is agent for the Smith Premier Typewriter Company. He married Margaret Willett, of Moncton, Can- ada, and has a son, John Willard, born June 12, 1906.
Benjamin Crane was in Wethers-
CRAIN field, Connecticut, as early as 1655, possibly earlier than that date. In March, 1655, according to the rec- ords at Hartford, he was defendant in a civil
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suit with John Sadler, and in June, 1656, he was again defendant in a suit with Richard Montague. He was born about 1630, and died May 31, 1691. He was made freeman at Wethersfield, May 12, 1658. He received a grant of two and a half acres of land from the town, February 24, 1656, and he bought land in West Field of John Dixon or Dickon- son, September 14, 1664. On this land which he bought he built his home and tanneries. and by the vote of the town in 1704, his house was one of the six which was fortified. In 1660 he received a grant of three acres of land on Beaver Brook, now called Tandoss Brook, and in 1670 he drew land in the allot- ment. In 1664 he served as juror. On De- cember 8, 1671, he bought land of Daniel Rose. He bought more land south of Job Whitcomb's land on February 22, 1680, March 25, 1680, and July 13, 1680 he received land on the Connecticut river. In May, 1682, he was among those who petitioned the general court for the right to start a plantation in the "Wabaynassit country," now Windham county. He had a tannery about a mile be- low the village on the Middletown road, on the spot known as "Old Crane's Tannery Place." His son John succeeded to his busi- ness. His will was dated August 22, 1689, and the inventory of his estate was dated February 13, 1692. He married, April 23, 1655, Mary, who died July 8, 1717, daughter of William and Sarah (Charles) Backus. Children : Ben- jamin, born March 1, 1656. drowned June 20, 1693: Jonathan, December 1. 1658; Joseph, April 1. 1661 : John, mentioned below : Elijah, 1665: Abraham, 1668; Jacob, 1670; Israel. November 1, 1671 ; Mary, 1673.
(II) John Crane, son of Benjamin Crane, was born April 30, 1663, died October 21, 1694, aged thirty-one years. In 1691-92 he went to Windham with his brother Jonathan, and built a house there, but later returned to Wethersfield, where he inherited his father's tannery. By trade he was a blacksmith. In 1694 he drew land in Wethersfield. He mar- ried, October 27, 1692, Abigail, daughter of Nathaniel Butler. She married (second), Feb- ruary 23. 1697, Samuel Walker, and in May, 1697. she and her husband were given power to sell enough of the estate of her former husband to pay off debts. She had Abigail, Elizabeth. Sarah, by her second marriage. On November 2. 1694, she was appointed ad- ministratrix of John Crane's estate, and the
inventory was dated April 8, 1695. On April 4, 1715, his son Josiah, being of age, received his share of the estate, and his guardian, Isaac Ryley, was discharged. Child: Josiah, born March 22, 1694.
(III) John (2) Crane, probably son of John (1) Crane, doubtless grandson of Ben- jamin Crane, was born in 1689 or 1690. There is doubt as to his father, but it is not unlikely that he was son by a first marriage. Hle was among the early settlers of Coventry, Connecticut. In October, 1743, John Crane, of Mansfield, and William Williams, asked, with others, that the assembly fix a site for the Second Society Meeting House. He mar- ried, October 29, 1712, Abigail, born in Wind- ham, June 23, 1694, died September 1, 1765, in Mansfield, daughter of Peter and Mary Cross, of Mansfield. He died in Mansfield, March 1, 1765. His will was dated May 31, 1764, proved March 16, 1765, and in it he mentioned his wife, children, and grandchil- dren. His wife's will was dated July 6, 1765, and proved September 25, 1765. They were buried in the Gurley burial ground in North Mansfield. Children: John, born September 8, 1713, died September 20, 1713; Abigail, October 20, 1714; John, October 25. 1716; Ebenezer, mentioned below ; Mary, May 22, 1722 ; Samuel, April 23, 1724; Hezekiah, Oc- tober 10, 1725 ; Deborah, August 1, 1727, prob- ably died young ; Daniel, January 29, 1728-29, died January 4, 1739: Ruth, December 22, 1730.
(IV) Ebenezer Crane, son of John (2) Crane, was born July 4, 1720. He lived in Mansfield, and in 1765 in Lebanon. In 1762 and 1770 he was again of Mansfield. In April. 1765, he declined to serve with his brother Hezekiah as executor of his father's will. No record of his descendants can be found at Mansfield, so it is probable that the family moved away from there. He married, June 21, 1744, Sarah, daughter of Jonathan Curtis. He doubtless married twice, for his grandson, Edmund Franklin Craine, gives his wife's name as Mary Neff, of Welsh paren- tage. Children. born at Mansfield: Abigail, October I. 1745: Ebenezer, July 26, 1747 : Elizabeth, October 14. 1749: Deborah, August II, 1751 : Rebeckah, September 7, 1753, died October 7, 1753; Rebeckah, September 1I, 1755 : Jonathan, August 20. 1757 : Amariah, October 16, 1759; Roger, mentioned below ; Sarah, September 4, 1770.
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( V) Roger Craine. (as he spelled the name), son of Ebenezer Crane, was born at Mansfield, May 4. 1762. He served in the revolution for six years. He enlisted for three years for Medway. in Captain Fuller's company, Colonel William Shepard's regi- ment. He was at West Point in February, 1782, and served along the Hudson river. His granddaughter says that he served with Wash- ington at Valley Forge during the winter. and that he was one of the forty men under Col- onel Barton who surprised and captured Gen- eral Prescott in his own quarters at night. and who was exchanged with General Lee. On May 30. 1781. he receipted for the bounty paid him by the town committee. He lived in Groton, New York, for many years, and was a farmer. He died in Painesville, Ohio, June 3. 1841, and his wife died in Groton, Janu- ary 21, 1854. He married, in Ashford, Con- necticut. May 20, 1784. Sarah Whiting, born there, October 26, 1764. Children : Abigail, born in 1786: Samuel, July 28, 1788; Cyrus, mentioned below : Ahira, September 12, 1794; Eleazer Whiting, May 22, 1796: Tower Whit- ing. June 4, 1799: Horace; Alvin, July 23, 1803: Alexis.
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