Person:William Hammond (3)

Burial: Riverside Cemetery, Montgomery, Orange County, Ny Note: From Town of Montgomery, Orange County, Ny, 1870 federal census (Pg 159) ... Dwelling 635, family 718 Wm Hammond, age 59, Stone Mason, Born Ny Hannah, age 55, Keep House, Born Connecticut Charles, age 25, Harness Maker, Born Ny John W., age 21, Silver Smith, Born Ny Silas C. Couch, age 83, Without, Born Connecticut

From Town of Montgomery, Orange County, Ny, 1860 federal census (Pg 1068) ... Dwelling 649, family 679 William Hammond, age 56, Stone Mason, Born Ny Hannah A., age 47, Keep House, Born Ny Mary J., age 16, Born Ny Charles S, age 15, Born Ny John W., age 11, Born Ny

Notes provided by Chris Barry: From Orange County deeds and mortgages (Orange County Government Center, Goshen NY): James Hoey and wife Nancy conveyed a lot on Oakley Street, Montgomery NY to William Hammond 9 Sep. 1841 (72:65), and an adjoining lot 30 Nov. 1843 (79:310). William took out a mortgage from Hoey 18 Jan. 1842 (47:423), a debt not satisfied until 1913 (474:190). William's son John Hammond and wife Carrie DeHart sold their interest in the property to William's daughter Mary J. Van Steenburgh 7 Oct. 1889 (370:274) and it is her name that appears on a lot map, circa 1900, indicating a house on the west side of Oakley St. Under the column "Of how many children the parent" in the 1865 NY State Census, is listed 6 for William Hammond.

On 12 March 1867, William Hammond and three others were sworn in as fire wardens of Montgomery. (Town records 1810-1873; microfilm at Newburgh Free Library). From the Republican And Standard And Wallkill Valley Times, Montgomery NY, Sat. 29 Apr. 1871, Pg. 3: "Mr. William Hammond and his son Johnny, the enterprising masoners of this village, finished plastering the new depot at Springtown, half way between New Paltz and Rosendale, last week." The Montgomery Village Directory, printed within the Orange County Directory 1878-9, Pg. 412, lists William E. Hammond, mason, residing on Oakley St.

From the Republican And Standard And Wallkill Valley Times, Montgomery NY, Friday 17 Dec. 1880, Vol. XVII, No. 9, Pg. 3 (microfilm at NY State Library, Albany): Headline: William Hammond. "Mr. Hammond died very suddenly at his residence in this village, on Monday evening last. He had been down to the village during the early part of the evening, at the store of Mr. Mould, and went home very soon after, carrying a pan of lard. Upon reaching home he remarked to his wife as he sat down in his chair, that it had tired him very much. She carried the pan down into the cellar, and while there, she heard a gurgling sound, and on reaching the room again, she found him lying upon the floor dead. "Mr. Hammond had all through his life been a rugged and healthy man with no disease whatever, and it was from this fact that his death was very sudden and unexpected to all. "Like a dash of lightning, a break of the wave, He passed from life, to his rest in the grave. He passed from the highway of active, arduous life, on to that other life that opens in eternity without a moment to reflect or even to rest from his toil. Mr. Hammond had been long known as a master workman in his business of stone masonry - and he was a master of his trade. By hard work, industry and economy, he had saved enough to purchase a neat home and many things to make life pleasant in later years. He leaves a wife and two children to mourn his loss. A son employed in the Erie freight office at Newburgh, and a daughter, the wife of Mr. William G. Morris of the same place, while Montgomery loses a most valuable mechanic."

Slightly less detailed versions of the above story appeared in the Middletown Daily Press of 14 Dec. 1880, and The Orange County Press, Fri. 17 Dec. 1880.

An inventory of William E. Hammond's estate includes mention of a family Bible and family pictures. (Inventory 10 January 1881, Orange County Surrogate's Court, Goshen NY)

Census references: 1850 US Census, Montgomery, Orange County NY, dwelling 507, family 566, enum. 28 Sept. 1850. 1855 NY Census, Montgomery, 1st Election District, dwelling 328, family 362, enum. 29 June 1855. 1860 US Census, Montgomery NY, dwelling 649, family 679, enum. 25 July 1860. 1865 NY Census, Montgomery, 1st Election District, pg. 51, dwelling 330, family 365, enum. 30 June 1865. 1870 US Census, Montgomery NY, dwelling 635, family 718, enum. July 1870. 1875 NY Census, Montgomery NY, 1st Election District, dwelling 212, family 216, enum. 1 June 1875. 1880 US Census, Montgomery NY, ED 24, dwelling 176, family 201, enum. 7 June 1880.