Rees - Goman family ancestry sit

Memories & Data Researched

This section is for recording both word of mouth stories passed down through the generations as well as research and information found concerning the Rees, Goman, Zerfas, and Todd family links. Please contact the author if you have additional information or corrections to this section.

Note: All of the early transcripts such as the US Census were hand written and contain errors. Many of the errors include unreadable script (most were script, not printed), written over twice, or phonetically written Rees versus Reese.

Evan Rees & Ann - earliest known Ancestry

The family origin seems to be tracable back to Evan Rees. He was born about 1759-63 in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales. He married (probably around 1790-92) to Ann Sarah [unknown], born May 11, 1774. Evan Rees was a rope maker by occupation. Evan died on December 21 and was buried December 24, 1824 in the Parish of Quebec, Canada, and his wife died on April 1, and buried on April 13, 1840.

Ambrose & Ida [or Adah] Rees - 2nd known generation

Evan and Ann Rees had ten children: Henry (first born, 1793), Mary Ann Sarah, Charlotte, Evan, William, Edwin, John, Ambrose, Amelia, and Fredrick (last born, 1815). We will focus on Ambrose as he is the next generation in this line of the Rees-Goman-Zerfas family.

     Ambrose Rees was born in Bristol, England on November 22, 1808. Evan Rees moved (emigrated) his entire family, wife and ten children between the ages of five to seventeen from England to Quebec City, Canada in or about 1820.

     It is currently unknown when Ambrose Rees moved to New York State or where he got his education. The oldest document currently known is the 1850 US Census for Cold Springs, Putnam County, New York. He occupation was listed as "druggist" at the age of 39. His wife was Ida [or Adah] M. (Tuttle) Rees, age 27, and born in New York. Children were: Mary A. Rees (6); Matilda (4); and Fredrika (10/12) [?]. Another name is listed in the same family household: Emanuel Rees (19), occupation: finisher, born in Canada.

     Ambrose Rees died on August 23, 1862 and Adah died in 1891. Both are buried in Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery in section 6, lot 84, area 121.

Sarah F. Rees & Thomas E. Goman - 3rd known generation

The next US Census in 1860, Cold Springs, Putnam County, New York shows the following (note that "Rees" is incorrectly spelled as "Reese"): Ambrose Reese (52), druggist, born in England; Adah [Ida?] M. Reese (37), born in NY; and children Julia A. (17); Mary F. (15); Elizabeth A. (16); Sarah F. (12); William A. (5); and John A. (2). All of the children were born in New York, most likely in Cold Springs, Putnam. The 1880 US Census , Poughkeepsie, Duchess County, lists Ada M. Rees (57) as "mother-in-law" living with Charles C. Pollock (34) and Mary F. Pollock (34 or 36). That was the last listing for Ada.

Searching on the ancestry of Thomas E. Goman has revealed some possible paths, but nothing firm to put here. The earliest known document of Goman is his original Civil War enlistment paper. Here on September 4, 1861, he listed his age as 19, which would put his birth year at 1842 (+/-1), at Duchess County, New York. Look at the 1900 Census where Thomas states his age at 55, putting his birth year at about 1845.

What was Thomas Goman like? According to Lewis Todd (in 2007), Thomas' daughter Ada said her father was lazy. One incident, her mother was throwing dishes at him and Thomas was catching them, then slamming them on the floor. Lewis went on to say that Ada told him that Thomas carried a bullet from the Civil War in his hip to the end of his life.

The Poughkeepsie Cemetery site for Thomas E. Goman (1907) lists: Jarvis W. Goman, Dec. 1885; Jane N. Goman, Sept. 1884; Sarah F. Goman, Aug. 1893, Arthur Goman, 3, Nov. 1883; and Thomas E. Goman, Apr. 1907.

More seems to be known about Jarvis W. Goman. 1840 US Census, NY, Duchess, Poughkeepsie: Jarvis W. Goman (age group 30-40), plus on female (age group 30-40), and one female (age group 5-10). 1880 US Census, NY, Poughkeepsie District 58: Jarvis W. Goman (80), painter, born in NY, father in Rhode Island, mother in NY; Jane (74), born in NY, father in Ireland, mother in NY. This puts Jarvis to be born about 1800. Not indicated ties to Thomas E. Goman.

Enter the "Jacobsen" family name. According to the 1870 US Census for Kings County, Brooklyn Ward 13, Sarah Rees was listed in the Jacobsen family as follows: Charles Jacobsen (32), Denmark, reflector maker; Elizabeth Jacobsen (23), NY; Charles (2), NY; Sarah Rees (20), NY. [Sarah and Elizabeth are probably "Rees" sisters.]

Thomas E. Goman and Sarah F. Rees were married July 16, 1871. Sarah was with the Jacobsen's in 1870 and Thomas was born in ~1872. Because Sarah Goman died in 1893, daughter Ada (below) was taken under the care of the Jacobsens.

Ida Goman & Louis Zerfas [or Zasper]- 4th known generation

The only (found) US Census for Thomas E. Goman is 1900 for Manhattan. It shows T. Goman (55), laborer, Wm. J. Goman (28), son, truck driver; Manie Goman (23), son's wife; Nellie Goman (5); Flora (3); and William (1). Again, the US Census (1900), Brooklyn Ward 13, New York, brings up the "Jacobsen" name: Charlie Jacobsen (no age listed), head of household; Elizabeth Jacobsen (no age listed), wife; Ada Goman (13), niece. This proves that Sarah was very likely Ambrose's daughter. Ada was Thomas E. and Sarah Goman's daughter.

According to Lewis Todd (in 2007) Louis Zerfas' father was born on the ship on the way over from Europe (Germany?) The 1910 US Census, New Jersey, Hoboken Ward 1, Hudson, this is the first (found) record of the Zerfas family: Louis Zerfas "(Louis Zasper)" born about 1871; spouse: Ada; Eugene, son; Margret, daughter. The 1920 US Census, NY, NY, Manhattan Assembly District 14: Louis Zerfas (49); Ada Zerfas (36); Eugene Zerfas (16); Margaret Zerfas (14); and Lewis C. Zerfas (4). According to Lewis Todd (2007), Louis and Ada had three other children, one son and twin girls, that died at a very young age.

     Louis Zerfas died on May 31, 1941.   Elizabeth A Jacobsen died Aug. 10, 1919 aged 73 in Kings Co., New York.   Charles Jacobsen died on July 10, 1924 at age 85.

     According to Lewis Todd (in 2007), Ada had a brother, William Goman (listed above) and another brother, name unknown, who had disappeared. Lewis also recalls that Ada was a member of the D.A.R. A reply from that organization has no listing for her.

     Ada Goman died in 1946 in Queens County, New York. Lewis also mentioned that Louis Zerfas had two brothers, Frank and John (had a daughter and son, Fritz).

According to Lewis Todd (in 2007), Ada had two brothers, William Goman (listed above) and Frederick, who had disappeared when he went to Alaska during a gold rush.

Zerfas - Todd - 5th known generations

As mentioned above Louis and Ada Zerfas had three surviving children, Eugene (9/24/1903 - 7/xx/1978), Margaret, and Lewis (1/10/1915 - 9/24/1968). Eugene's daughter is Barbara Walsh (living). Margaret's son is Lewis Todd (living), and Lewis C. Zerfas had three children, Lewis L. Zerfas (living), Anne L. Zerfas (living), and Cathy (died at a young age).

Eugene was a career police officer with the NYPD. Lewis C. Zerfas enlisted in the Army on Oct. 19, 1942 and was discharged after several months with a bad knee. He worked for the NYC RR, Texaco, and several other jobs. Both brothers lived in Whitestone, Queens County (NYC), NY, in the years before and at the time of their deaths.

Zerfas - Cleary - 6th known generations

Barbara Walsh (Cleary) has a son Tommy (living). Lewis L. Zerfas has two sons, Brian (living), and Michael (living).

Note: Other early (before 1940) family names are Fowler, Percells, Carson, Perrick. They are other branches on the tree.

Ancestors of Jesse Goman, Fishkill NY, late 1700s

Re: Jarvis W. Goman, 1800-1884 Posted on Ancestry.com on 17 Sep 2007 11:38AM

I think Jarvis W Goman married Jane N Somebody c1806-1884. They are in the Poughkeepsie 1880 census, and Jarvis says he was born in New York, his father was born in Rhode Island, and his mother was born in New York. One of Jarvis and Jane's children, I think, was Thomas Edward Goman c1843-1907 who married Sarah Fredrika Rees 1849-1893, daughter of Ambrose Rees 1808-1862 and Adah M Tuttle 1822-1891. All these folks are buried in the Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery. Anyone familiar with this line?

Re: Jarvis W. Goman, 1800-1884 Posted on Ancestry.com on 16 Oct 2007 11:55PM

That certainly sounds like the same Jarvis W. Goman that's the brother to my g-g-grandfather, John Goman. I take it that you don't happen to know the names of Jarvis's paternal grandparents. I've run into a dead end there. John Goman, Jr., my g-grandfather, had documented back to Jesse Goman, Jarvis and John Sr.'s father, but he didn't know the name of Jesse's father, only that he lived in Rhode Island and that his wife's name was Mary Taft. I've checked with people who know Rhode Island's Colonial families, and they're unanimous that there's no record of any Tafts in Rhode Island at that time. There are numerous Teffts, though, and I think that that's what Mary's maiden name was. Unfortunately every Mary Tefft that I've checked out has turned into a dead end.

R e: Jarvis W Goman, 1800-1884 Posted on Ancestry.com on 6 Dec 2007 7:19PM

I would like to confirm that Jarvis W. Goman is the father of Thomas E. Goman (my G-GF) of Poughkeepsie, NY. Both names appear on the plot deed from the cemetery. It is noted in the paperwork that Jarvis's death was in "Dec. 1885." I awaiting my cousin's friend to take photos of the site and see what the markings are. All of my information is on my web site www.knology.net/~qed/goman.htm where you can view the deed.
If this is the same Jarvis, where can I find information on him?

Lew (updated July 15, 2008)