Russell King Homer's History

Letter From Cousin Betsy H. S, Bragg

To Russel K. Homer Utah Territory

My Dear Cousin:

Benjamin Homer, the ancestor of our family, settled in Boston about the year 1730, where he worked as a merchant tailor. He died on October 24, 1776, in the 76th year of his age. His honored wife, Elizabeth, died January 24, 1777, in the 78th year of her age.

Their children were:

• John Homer
• Thomas Homer
• William Homer
• Benjamin Homer
• Bethia Homer
• Mary Homer
• Robert Homer
• Stephen Homer

Additional family records note the following:

Mary Homer, widow of William Sears, died in August 1794, aged 69.
Captain John Homer died in May 1800, in the 75th year of his age.
Captain Thomas Homer died November 17, 1820, aged 75.
Captain William Homer died at sea on March 9, 1764, in the 35th year of his age.
Captain Benjamin Homer died at Farmington, Connecticut, in 1776, aged 45.
Bethia Homer, widow of Joshua Wetherby and later Benjamin Cobb, died in November 1807, aged 84.

The children of Captain Thomas Homer, my honored grandfather, were:

• Mary Homer — born September 25, 1767; died September 18, 1849, at Barnstable, Massachusetts, aged 81.
• Thomas Homer Jr. — born December 14, 1770; died in Cortland County, New York, in 1849.
• Edmund Homer — born April 15, 1773; died at Yarmouth, Massachusetts, August 9, 1803.
• Desire Homer — born September 3, 1775; died at Barre, Massachusetts, in 1849.
• Benjamin Cobb Homer — born June 24, 1777; died in Pennsylvania about 1852.
• Bethia Homer — born December 4, 1780; died at Rutland, Massachusetts.
• Joshua Homer — born June 11, 1782; died at Rutland, Massachusetts, November 30, 1784.
• William Homer — born May 31, 1784; died at Princeton, Massachusetts.

Mary, my mother, married Sylvanus Stewart in November 1784. Their children were:

• Pheneas Stewart — born at Barnstable, Massachusetts, January 14, 1790. He was lost at sea March 17, 1825. He had previously married Miss Katherine Byvanh of New York and, at the time of his death, was master of the original London packet ships.
• Sylvanus Stewart Jr. — born at Barnstable April 11, 1793; lost at sea June 26, 1811, at the age of 19 years.
• Betsy Homer Stewart — your humble cousin, born April 14, 1796, at Sandwich, Massachusetts; married Captain Allan G. Bragg on June 21, 1842.
• Mary Homer Stewart Bragg — our daughter, born at Barnstable January 23, 1803; died June 14, 1833.

It is almost impossible to trace all the descendants of the Homer family, as they are scattered throughout the whole country. Very few remain in this vicinity. Your humble cousin is the only one living of the family of your Aunt Mary Homer Stewart.

Your loving cousin,
Betsy Homer Stewart Bragg

Note: these dates are obviously in error.