I’m about to tell a story that has many fingers. It’s a story about a man, Pomp (Pompey) Russell, who moved to Wilton at the age of 9; a man who connected in so many powerful ways with others that his existence at that time and in the places he lived seems to be the catalyst for the formation of several anti-slavery societies.
In addition, memories of his life are recorded in history in at least four New England communities — Wilton, N.H., Packersfield (Nelson), N.H., Farmington, Maine and Weld, Maine. It’s also a story about how this information finally came to light. Because this forgotten part of Wilton’s history is now known, a portion of Wilton’s 250th Celebration on May 9 will be dedicated to Pomp’s memory and Revolutionary War service. Due to space constraints, I must save many details for a later time or someone else may want to continue this story and fill in what I leave out.
What is known is that Pomp was born near Boston around 1761, but as a very young infant, was moved to Andover, Mass. Nine years later, his family, Thomas and Bethia Russell and their additional children, resettled in Wilton in an area now known as Russell Hill where he lived until he was around 21.
This is not a simple story. Bethia had recently lost a child and was so “bereft” that Thomas rode on horseback to Charlestown in search of an infant as a replacement for her to nurse. He purchased Pomp, a Black baby, for 5 pounds and returned with him to their home in Andover. Pomp was bought as a slave child whose role was to be both brother to his future 10 siblings as well as to serve the Russell family. This is clear in that he was baptized at the age of 3 and given the title of servant instead of son.
The Russell-Andover tie is also a part of this story since many Wilton families, whose names are part of town history, came as a group of “kith and kin” from Andover at about the same time as the Russells; families with the names of Abbot/Abbott, Blanchard, Holt, Gray, Lovejoy, Cram and others who fill Wilton historical accounts.
Before I go on, I must let you know how Pomp’s history came to light. That is a story in and of itself. It began after the death of George Floyd when a group of around 120 people gathered in East Montpelier, Vt., to try to find ways to understand and combat racism in the country and within themselves. Judith Granger was part of that group. Judy, a retired educator, recently moved to Concord, N.H., from Montpelier, Vt., but spent much of her life in Maine around the Farmington area. She is also an avid researcher and genealogist. Her Maine connection is how she learned about Pomp.
You should understand that the people in this newly formed book group were acquaintances who wanted to get to know each other. During a meeting, Judy shared her familiarity with the Weld and Farmington Maine area. One woman, Sally (Bass) Giddings Smith, with roots in Maine, then offered a story that had always concerned her; one she had overheard as a child growing up in the Wilton, Maine area. She had few details but had understood that her Russell family side had had a Black family member who may have had some connection to the Weld, Farmington, and Wilton, Maine area. She knew little else.
Sally’s story intrigued Judy’s researcher genes. Six years ago she took up the search to uncover what turned out to be the story of Pomp Russell. She began with only the Russell name, but knowing that people came north from Massachusetts to settle Maine and New Hampshire, she ultimately found the Andover roots of the Russell family and more over time. The results of her research are still being uncovered, but the essence is finally known, and Pomp’s name will be added to Wilton’s Revolutionary War Memorial at the May 9 ceremony. Both Judy and Sally will be in attendance.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. I need to fill in some of the missing details of a man whose life proves the power of human connections, so you, too, will understand why his story offers us so much more than just being a Revolutionary War soldier; a soldier whose “mark” Judy found on the roll of men from Wilton who enlisted in Doctor Moses Nichols’ regiment in 1777, in that decisive Battle of Bennington that turned the tide of war in favor of the colonies. Judy also found that Pomp Russell is still recognized for his service and community presence by people in Weld, Maine, where he is buried in his Russell family plot on Center Hill, in the Webster-Masterman Cemetery, under a New Hampshire Revolutionary War stone. However, Pomp’s story has been left out of Wilton, N.H. history until now.
Editor’s note: This story will be continued in an upcoming edition of The Ledger-Transcript.