Ezekiel had an account at John Williams' store in Deerfield, Massachusetts, where he is referred to as "Ezekiel Negro" in 1783, and "Ezekiel Gomer" in 1784. Among other things, his purchases included half-pint bottles, rum (including cherry rum), shoe binding, a bushel of wheat, a razor, a linen shirt, penknives, a silk handkerchief, cotton hose, knee and shoe buckles, sugar, playing cards, and some small bowls. It is believed that he was a tailor as he also bought sewing notions such as buttons and thread, and a large quantity of fabric.
Gomer enlisted in the Continental Army as a private in 1777, and again in 1779. Prior to 1790, he lived in Worthington and Pittsfield, Massachusetts. In 1787 he and his family were "warned out" of Pittsfield because they could not support themselves, but they returned by 1790, when Ezekiel appears as the head of his household in the 1790 census for that town. It is interesting to note that he is listed in the column for free white males over the age of 16, while his five other family members appear in the "other free persons" column. By 1800, the family had moved to Deerpark, New York, and appear in the 1800 census under the name, "Ezekiel Gummere". Again, the entries are curious. Three "free white" people between the ages of 26 and 45+, one "other free person", and six "slaves" are listed. In 1810, the family was still in Deerpark, now listed under "Ezekiel Gumaer". The household numbered 12, with four "free white" people between the ages of 16 and 45+, and eight other "free persons".
Military Service
Sources Consulted
Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War, Vol. 6, pub. Secretary of the Commonwealth, 1891, p. 549