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From: "Bernard Ozinga" <>
Subject: Re: [NYFL] Julius C. Bement
Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2003 22:59:49 -0500


Would appreciate anything anyone might have on these folks! I have looked
all over Cortland & Tompkins counties to find any type of record, of the
death, or place of burial of Julius Caesar Bement, born about 1813, died
1853-1860, his son Reuben, or his father & mother?.

Jesse Bement Jr. who married AMy Castle & who's family lived in Mecklenburg,
Schuyler Co, New York where many are buried was the brother of Julius C.
Bement's uncle, brother to Julius father John. Jeremy who married Rhoda
Dennison in Skaneateles, Onandaga NY was Julius brother.

Julius Bement was born in Homer, Cortland County, New York about 1813 per
the 1850 census record of Skaneateles where he is shown as Julius C. Bement
, line #19, page 159. He lists his occupation as "None", and Reuben, age 9,
son, Frances age 5 daughter, Ed age 2 son, with wife Sarah are listed as
residing with him at that time. Family # 1235/1306-

Sarah & Julius had two sons, one an infant who died in 1842, one who was
born in 1844, died at age 4 yrs 6 mo, in August of 1848, and the sons are
buried in the cemetery where Jeremy & Rhoda Bements infants sons who died in
1835 & 1836 are buried in Waterloo Cemetery in Seneca Co.

Sketches of Tompkins Co says "Emmaline was his daughter who married Julius
C. Bement", about Reuben Darling married to Frances Hart. Reuben Darling's
will mentions his daughter Sarah E. Bement, who is my GGG Grandmother.

Sarah E. Darling Bement moved to Clarksville, Iowa in 1868-1870, with her
daughter Frances & husband Thomas Darby. Sarah lived in Groton in 1860 by
herself, with younger children Sarah born 1850 & Willie born 1853. They all
lived in Clarksville, Iowa by 1880 census except Julius & Reuben shown on
1850 census. Reuben Darling, Sarah E. Bement's father died in 1870 in
Peruville, so Sarah may have remained in NY until after his death although
we DO know that Frances & Thomas moved to Clarksville in 1868.

Ed Bement joined military service in Tompkins County in 1862, showing his
parents only as "Sarah Bement". Julius had apparently died before the 1860
census, but probably after younger son Willie's birth in 1853 or 1856.
Reuben, shown age 9 on the 1850 Skaneateles census must have also passed
away as their is no further mention of him anywhere. Daughter Sarah born
1850 is said to have been born in both Skaneateles & in Cayuga Co, NY, which
is a puzzle.

There are several articles indicating Julius Bement's father & mother died
in Genoa, New York, but I have not found any traces of them either. Father
was said to have died April 19, 18547 & his wife Betsey , also said to have
died at Genoa.

History of the town of Homer:"

"Samuel B. Hitchcock came to the town at an early day. His father, Peter
Hitchcock, who long resided with his son, was elected one of the deacons of
the first church of Homer upon its organization. Mr. Hitchcock settled first
upon the land recently owned by David Hannum, near the summit of the hill;
his brother-in-law, John Bement, also settled near him.

These two men erected a tannery, but how long they continued the business we
have been unable to learn. They were both practical boot and shoe makers,
and subsequently moved to the village, where Mr. Hitchcock carried on the
latter business in a building owned by Mr. Bowen, on Main street. It is
stated on good authority that Hitchcock & Bement obtained from the
government the first patent for securing the soles of boots and shoes to the
uppers with wooden pegs

History of the Town of Cortlandville:

Boots and Shoes.--In the Cortland Journal of 1824 we find Norman Curtis
advertising the boot and shoe making business , at his shop a few rods east
of Lyman & Blair's store. He kept on hand a good assortment of leather and
stated that his work was all made by the good old fashioned method of
sewing. John Bement was also a shoemaker at that period and was located
opposite the Methodist chapel. It is not probable that these men were the
first shoemakers in the place , though they may have been ; but we have no
earlier records. Wm. Elder and Wm. Fisk were long engaged in the business at
a later date , on the site of Dickinson & McGraw's store. The latter
gentleman was bought out by Dickinson & McGraw in 1864 , since which time
they have carried on a successful trade at the same location.

Northwestern University Library, Evanston, Illinois, has in the John Deering
McCormack Library of Special Collections -F.11 Document signed; Washington,
30 July 1811; letters of patent for shoes, for Samuel B. Hitchcock and John
Bement; 2pp. Signed by Madison, James Monroe, and Caesar Augustus Rodney.



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