John Gomery arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick, with the other Rangers in 1819 and married Mary Barry 11 Nov 1823. By that time they both were of Kent Parish, York County, New Brunswick (York Co. Marriage Registers, 1816-34, entry #133, Prov Arch of NB film F1094). Knowing that he gave his birthplace as Maidstone, Kent, England, we found a Gomery research specialist whose work included this geographic area and launched our own "Gomery Enquiry":

"I still think John is the son of Thomas Gomery and his wife Ruth Ranger from the Staplehurst area in Kent, England", advises Linda Hansen, a Gomery family researcher. "They moved to the Maidstone area in the mid 1780s.

"I don't have a baptism for him but he fits nicely into a gap in the baptisms of their children. He's most likely the John Gomery listed as a night watchman at the Kent County Prison in Maidstone in the 1841 census; and the John Gummery, pensioner, lodging with his niece and her family [Mary Ann and Francis Smallman] in Maidstone [in] the 1851 census. He died on 3 Nov 1860 at Maidstone aged 71 years, a watchman at the county prisons (superannuated). The informant on the death cert. was his nieces husband.

"So, he returned to Kent [England] sometime before 1841. ... I've found no trace of a likely Mary Gomery [his wife] in Kent [England] so maybe she died in New Brunswick and he returned home." (E mails Linda Hansen to MH 23 October 2006 and 7 March 2005)

Linda Hansen
Researching GOMERY/GOMORY/GOMORI
and GUMERY/GUMMERE/GUMMERY worldwide.
GOMERY One-Name Study (GOONS #3034)
Gomery Surname

A search of several databases at the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick site, including the Daniel Johnson newspaper vital statistics site fails to find a single "Gomery" entry. The Johnson database alone covers over a hundred years and 75 New Brunswick newspapers.

Private John Gomery appears to be an example of a soldier/settler who abandoned any lands before they could be formally registered to him and left for his original home. We don't know of any John Gomery descendants either in New Brunswick or England. If you have any information please contact us...