A longtime resident of Weld was Pomp Russell, an African-American man adopted as a very young child by Thomas and Bethia Holt Russell in Andover, Massachusetts in the early 1760s. The only extant record is a church baptism for Pompey, “servant to Thomas Russel” in Andover, MA. on 18 Nov. 1764. Thomas Russell, son of Joseph, was born in Andover, MA 5 June 1732. He and Bethia Holt married 15 May 1760 in Andover, MA. In 1769, Thomas and Bethia and four children (Bethia, Thomas,Jr., Pomp and Hannah) moved to Wilton, N.H. In September, 1769, Thomas purchased for 106£, 13 shillings and 4 pence