Wordless Wednesday - Faces of America

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/facesofamerica/

Join me in front of your TV on this date. I discovered so much of my heritage via DNA that it almost is unbelievable.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.