Sunday, January 31, 2010

Sentimental Surname Sunday - Keys of Delmarva




In preparation for my Carrow and allied families compilation, I wrote this and decided it was both a surname and sentimental. I decided to post it here as my week-end endeavor.

I first became aware of the Keys family when I became acquainted with Mary Keys Carrow as an ancestor. I had hoped in 2005 to establish John Carrow as a Revolutionary War ancestor but his geographic location during that time was in question. Vernon Skinner who has researched large parts of my Delmarva lines for me presented me with William Keys as a Revolutionary War Patriot and I was very happy to have found him.He (William not Vern) and I were easily established into the Daughters of the American Revolution database.

William Keys may have served in the French and Indian Wars as a young man We do know he is born in Queen County Maryland March 23, 1738 and is baptized at St.Luke’s Parish there. His parents were John Keys (Key, Kees) and Anne Sewell daughter of Rev. Richard Sewell of Cecil County. He first appears in our sights in Kent County Delaware when he returns from his Revolutionary War service. He is not found in Kent Co. prior to 1782.

William serves in the Continental Army as a Private 1st Company, 2nd Battalion under, Col. Otho Holland Williams Regiment, Southern Army of the United States. He served in the Delaware Regiment until very late in 1782. He was at or near Yorktown at the surrender surely as his unit served under Gen. Nathaniel Greene.

They then marched to near Charleston SC where at Camp Ashley River they kept the British under surveillance with nightly skirmishes for 2 more years. Records show they (Delaware and Maryland regiments) were extremely poorly clothed and underfed.

Did William return to Queen Anne Maryland and marry? This is a possibility as although he had property in Murderkill Hundred Delaware in 1782 we find him not living there and either unfound or delinquent until 1786. In 1786 he is head of household and we find him there until 1794 occasionally as William Kus and Kees. He marries Mary who may be a connection of Nathaniel Wilds wife Mary so is possibly an Ebtharp, Numbers, Tilton or Alleband from Queen Anne Maryland.

Did William have a prior wife or children? This is unknown although there are two William Keys’ mentioned in Maryland in prior years in Dorchester. It is surely possible although we do know there is at least one other William Keys living in Maryland.

We do know that our William with his growing family is in Dover Hundred in 1793. In 1792 a Bounty Land grant was applied for by William although it is not obvious whether it was used for this or sold for cash. Did William sicken at this time due to his years in the swamps near Camp Ashley River SC? He is not found in tax lists until his Probate accounts in 1796.

Children born to William and Mary during those years are Mary, Elizabeth, Ann ,Priscilla and lastly his only son William in 1795. Timothy Lister who marries Mary Keys present accounts in 1796. He is stepfather to the children and Mary Keys Carrow names her first son Timothy surely in his honor. Elizabeth Keys who marries John Cook names her first son William Keys Cook after her departed father.

John Keye is the first man bearing the name that I can link with a paper trial through the generations. In 1665 he is listed as a Headright and by 1669 he is a servant on the plantation of William Parrott on the Choptank River Talbot County at “Seventh Heaven”.
He must have been successful during this time as he next comes into view in 1696 as John Keye, witness to the will of John Pennington. He has two sons John and Richard born between 1688 and 1696.

He is a member of St. Stephen’s Parish, Cecil Co where in 1696, a John Keye he witnessed the will of John Pennington. He is widowed at some point and makes the acquaintance of Henry Pennington who dies 1702 Sassafrass Neck MD.It is possible that his first wife could have been a relative of John Pennington but what we know for sure is that Elizabeth as wife of John Keys, filed administration accounts as widow of Henry Pennington in 1702. Another witness to Henry’s will is Thomas Ebtharp and this family that will follow us into Kent County.

Elizabeth Boyer Pennington Keys as widow of Cecil Co., deposed her age as 57 in 1721. She dies 25 April,1738 and is buried at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, in Cecil County. Elizabeth and John Keys have a son Thomas who is born about 1706 who signed inventory of Richard Keys as next of kin in 1748 and with wife Esther, filed administration accounts on estate of John Irons the same year.
Many of the Keys family either precede William into Kent County Delaware and Dorchester County Maryland around the pre- and post Revolutionary years.
Reverend Richard Sewell grandfather of William Keyes is a player in all of this as he was sent by the Bishop of London, and appointed by Governor Nicholson to serve as the rector of both North and South Sassafrass parishes of St.Stephens' Church in Cecil County Maryland.He married Jane Ellis there in 1699 and was the father-in-law of John Keys the younger.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Treasure Chest Thursday

John Swanson and Rebecca Spencer

John Carrow and Mary Keys

Two sides of my family in records.Without these marriages and these people who came before me and lived simple and honest lives, I would not exist.
Without these records handed down sometimes absentmindedly, my family history would be nowhere.
I am grateful for everyone who came before me and everyone who has helped in my search.


(Belated) Wordless Wednesday


Probable birthplace of Sigurd Ole Boe and home of his grandfather Ole Larson Boe.

Bjarkoy Troms Norway

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Sentimental Sunday - Line Street in Penns Grove




A sentimental journey back in time to the first house I remember, 35 East Line Street Penns Grove NJ. In addition to the house ( which I actually dream about sometimes ) I want to visit in my mind's eye my first real playmates who were not family. Joey Vanderslice lived next door to me and his cousin Jerry Howard lived down the street.

In recent times I have come across genealogy records for their families also and realize they and others in their lines were very "Old Salem County" families. Of course we did not talk about those things being children with more immediate issues. Joey and Jerry came to my first birthday party in this new house built by my parents in the Post WWII era, I am sure.
Jerry being somewhat older than I was was my escort for a first outing, to movie at the Grove a few streets away.My mother wrote this is my baby book in May 1950.Why then, I wonder was Mom surprised that I dropped her hand and went into kindergarten myself 3 months later?

Joey V. tried to teach me to shoot marbles but I had definite fine motor issues. I tried to interest him in my Bobbsey Twin books which I began to read at 5 and 6 but Joey was not a big reader.I am not sure what we had in common except the neighborhood.I called his mother "Aunt Mae" and liked to hang in her kitchen where she was quite the cook.
East Line Street was on the boundary line between Penns Grove and Carneys Point, then called Upper Penns Neck. An old sewage ditch ran along the back property lines and behind that was a woods.Joey was allowed to explore, I was not but am unsure I would have ventured there anyway. None of that exists now.
Joey's parents had chickens in a coop as did Jerry's. Jerry's family also did a bit of farming, I remember corn growing so surely they had more than the two acres we did. Others on the street had truck gardens and we were the last block in town before actual farms started.
Several years after that my mother went to work as school nurse and we moved to a big house on the river, their dream house.They never looked back,but in my minds eye and sometimes in my dreams I revisit that house and climb the steps and Joey calls me "Yo Kath-ee" and off we run.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Tombstone Tuesday - The Sweeneys from Ireland









James Sweeney and his wife Mary Jane Huey rest at St. Mary's RC Cemetery Salem NJ. Mary Jane was from County Tyrone daughter of James and Letitia who were farmers. James and Mary Jane were also farmers in the Quinton/Alloway area in Salem County NJ. They were among and early group of Catholics farming in South Jersey and James was a founding member perhaps of the Grange.
Their children moved into Gloucester County near Swedesboro and attended St.Joseph's.Their daughter Elizabeth married Patrick Kirwan also from Ireland. Lizzie dies young and tragically leaving young children and a newborn who lived one month.
Lizzie Sweeney Kirwans' daughter Sadie Kirwan Carrow raised and adopted as her own my father William Charles Carrow. Sadie was only 2 when her mother died and she was interred with her in Old St.Joseph's in Swedesboro.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Follow Friday - Whatever gets you there

I have been really immersed in my Norwegian DNA and have concluded that my step grandfather Sigurd Boe is actually my biological grandfather which he indicated at least twice to me. Norwegian records are awesome and free and I now have several generations of my paternal ancestors in and around Bjarkoy Troms Norway. A cousin, son of my father's half brother has been located thanks to a wonderful native of that small island, and I have exchanged pictures with him.

I tried to do the same for our Swansons but it is very difficult.I paid for a trial subscription on Genline but so far it is an uphill struggle without knowing the parish.Norwegian records have something called ' bygddebok' which are family pedigrees for certain lines. Bless them!

The Genline US specialist tells me ( as I knew ) that very likely our Swanson men were Anders and Carl son of Swen and from Gothenberg which can mean the city or the county. She sent some other possible places to check but our men came too early for them.

One new thing was said however: "While they would not be part of the original Colonial Swedes or included in what is defined as the Colonial Swedes, they may have become active in the Swedish community at the time and joining some Swedish organizations. However, they may have known someone or been related to someone and that is why they emigrated to Philadelphia "


So possibly we are actually some kin to the Colonial Swedes or were known to them. That could be a clue and I will follow it.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Oh My Gosh! Happy 101 Award!

Oh My Gosh! Here I am doing my genealogy and DNA intensely and not even Blogging and to my surprise I get an award. Linda McCauley, thank you! I sure did not get it for promptness.





Now 10 things that make me happy and 10 Bloggers who get an award.



1. My four adult children. ( 3 sons and a daughter)
2. My six grandchildren. ( 3 girls and 3 boys)
3. Jim who shares my life.
4. Finding Family ( if you read my blog, you know!)
5. Genetic Genealogy ( includes all those I have met doing it)
6. Reading ( Mysteries both historical and foreign)
7. Our Beach House ( Outer Banks 4 wheel drive)
8. Retirement ( always and every day I marvel at it.)
9. My New Jersey roots ( small town girl)
10. Blogging and sharing genealogy

Now for 10 awardees, and this is hard (and late)therefore I absolve them of some of the second ten requirements (Waving my Magic Wand about). Some new ones who are very exciting and also my old favorites and some who have recently inspired me.

Gone But Not Forgotten
Ancestor Tracking
Of Trolls and Lemons
Nordic Blue
My Genealogy Blog
A Light That Shines Again
Small-Leaved Shamrock
The Genetic Genealogist
The Spittoon
Be Not Forgot

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Surname Saturday - Boe and Olsen


Several new ancestral surnames have bubbled to the surface for me in December.Most important for me I believe is what I have now deduced to be my paternal surname.
In November I wrote about my "Search for My Grandfather" an event which actually had propelled me into both genealogy and DNA in retirement. 'Holes' in a pedigree is what many of my genetic genealogy compatriots have in common and surely understand and I have written about that already.

With 209 current cousin matches on "Relative Finder" at 23andme, my closest matches are turning out to be from Norway. On this, the second exploration of my autosomal profile, but the first of the full genome ( all 23 chromosomes) a Baltic area native element like Saami continues to be evident.

Dad's stepfather Sigurd Boe twice alluded to being Dad's father in my hearing.My Dad, although he referred to his mother and stepfather as "my parents" was less sure of this fact and he legally was named Carrow after his Grandparents adopted him. Four years ago for the first time I received Dad's birth certificate naming "Louis Saybold" as the father but the document was stamped "illegitimate" and also gave his name as William Charles Carrow.

Yesterday I found a link from another Blogger of the Digital Archives of Norway. Grandpop Boe's death certificate as reported to the Norwegian consulate called him "Olaf Boe.His given name was Sigurd Boe and sure enough I find Ove Sigurd's birth and his confirmation as Ove Sigurd Boe in Bjarkoy Troms Norway.Thrilling to me of course!

His father is indicated as Oskar Ludvig Bremer {Oleson} and his mother Lorentse Sofie Kristiansdotr. His paternal grandfather is listed as both Lars Oleson Boe and Peder Oleson Boe which I suppose points to the patronymic of Olesen or 'son of Ole' and a place or origin name of Bo/Boe? I am not at all sure of that but I am sure it is him as he is born in Bjarkoy Troms as found in his first visa to the US in 1920.He seems to have retained his Norwegian citizenship although I know he received Social Security and a pension from a Philadelphia bank building where he was their operating engineer.

Rounding out this found information in 2010 is the place of residence of my Great grandparents
of Slagstad Troms Norway which is either part of or near to Bjarkoy. My paternal GGrandmother ( can you believe this!!) is Elisabeth Martinsdatr also of Slagstad Troms Norway.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Follow Friday 2010



A new decade has arrived and with it my determination to continue discovering what I can about my ancestors. I use a multi-disciplinary approach for most things and genealogy is no exception; a favorite expression is "when the tide rises all the boats will float".

Who do I follow and what are my tools? A thoroughly modern 'baby boomer' I believe in shortcuts which include: genetic genealogy aka "DNA", the use of experienced and trusted researchers and my own anthropology education which highlights customs and traditions of each culture.In addition, I am grateful that I live in an age where I can find a birth record in the old country which will link me with another cousin.
The end of the past decade allowed me to find cousins in New Zealand and Donegal Ireland who are now friends using all of the tools I just described. I also know the path of my family in this country from 1643 forward to the present day.
Susan Carrow and Don Carrow whose ancestors left Accomac Virginia and went to Bath North Carolina, David Font in New Zealand and Manus McClafferty from Falcarragh Donegal as well as my Quinn/Doogan cousins are folks I now communicate with routinely thanks to this great age I live in.
In the coming decade I am vowing to illuminate my ancestors paths in even more detail. Online records some for free and some for a nominal amount of money will make that possible.

As my cousin Manus says "Le grĂ¡ agus beannacht " for 2010.