KEES-KEYS FAMILIES in S.W. PENNSYLVANIA
Note: Three Kees-Keys families migrated into western PA during and after the Revolutionary War. The following lineage explains who they were and from whence they came.
(A) JAMES KEES Sr. from Cumberland Co PA to Washington Co PA
1778 Cumberland Co Pa.
JOHN KEA Jr. Pvt. 7th Btn.
4th Company, 6th Class under Capt. Edward Grimes, Company Commander. "Order from
Council dated Jan 1778" for Duty Served Fine Book of John Carothers, County Lt.
p. 159. Source: PA State Archives' Digital State Archives.
1778 Cumberland Co Pa. JAMES KEAS Pvt. 7th Btn. 5th Company, 6th Class under Capt. Edward Grimes. Active Militia Duty Fine Book of John Carothers, Co. Lt., p. 160. "Order from Council dated January 1778-1780 Cumberland Co Pa.
JAMES KEES Jr. of East Pennsboro Twp, Cumberland Co Pa. Will dated June 5, 1779/15 Sept 1779. "To my only child JAMES KEES III, a minor (b. c1777) ; to my brother, JOSEPH KEES; to daughters of my brother JOHN KEES: Katrin, Margaret, Mary Kees. Excrs: Robert PATTERSON & Wm Gilson Wts: JAMES KEES Sr., JONATHON HOGE, Richard Gilson. (Source: "Will Abstracts of Cumberland Co Pa. 1777-1785" p. 65 from Cumberland Co. Will Book C:160)
Robert Patterson: Col. Patterson b. c1759 Pa. began his military career 1774 as a volunteer in the Rangers. He went to Fort Pitt taking part in border forays agst. British & Indians. He accomp. Gen. Geo. Rogers Clark on campaign, and helped found Lexington, Ky, in 1788. He acted as a surveyor for Losantiville (Cinti.). In 1804, Col. Patterson rem. to land s. of Dayton, Ohio. He mar. Elizabeth Lindsay 29 Mar 1780, Bedford Co Pa.. He d. 25 Aug 1827. Eliz. Lindsay b. c1760 Falling Springs, Bedford Co Pa." Source: Cinti. Oh Pub Lib "Concerning the Forefathers" by Charlotte Reeve Conover.
Jonathan Hoge b. 23 July 1725 Lancaster, Lancaster Co, Pa. m. Isabella Armstrong, d/o James Armstrong & Eliz. McCORD; d. 9 Apr 1800 Phila, Pa. Isabella Armstrong b. c1739 East Pennsboro, Cumberland Co Pa., d/o James Armstrong & Elizabeth "Betty" McCORD, mar. Jonathan HOGE Jonathan Hoge, Pa. Line in Rev. War "sought back pay from Congress" Source: Amanda Nall amanda@searkin.net
Conclusions: James Kees Sr. of Cumberland Co Pa. had three sons: John Kees, James Kees Jr. d. 1779, and Joseph Kees. Wife of James Kees Sr. of Cumberland Co Pa. was Martha Kees who married James Watson and removed to Washington Co Pa. in 1794. James Kees Jr. mar. Jane McClelland.
1785 Washington Co Penn. Tax List: William Marsh & James Watson
1800 Washington Co PA Census, Chartiers Twp, p. 743: James Watson: 3M-10, 1M 10/15, 3M 16/25, 2M 45+ and 1F -10, 1F 10/15, 1F 45+.
Notes: Martha Kees, widow of James Kees Sr., mar. James Watson c1781 Cumberland Co Pa. and moved to Washington Co, Penn. Message of John Watson on "Washington Co Pa" GenForum: "James Watson moved to Washington Co Pa. in 1794, d. bef. 3 Nov 1800 there. He married Martha Keys, a war widow."
1800 May 10/3 Nov 1800: James Watson Will, Chartiers Twp. Washington Co Pa.: to wife Martha (Kees) Watson; sons John the Blacksmith, George, William, Robert, Thomas, David & James Jr.; daus Elizabeth Struthers, Ellinor, Anny, Catren; dau-in-law Mary Gibson Watson, w/o John. (Will Bk. W-27 - 1806)
1829 May 2/ probated 30 May 1829. Martha Watson Will, Chartiers Twp. Washington Co Pa.: to son James Watson (Jr.) Bible, to sons Robert & David Watson, to daus Cathrine Emery, Mary, Ann (dec'd), to grddau Martha Johnson (d/o Ann dec'd), and six other children of dec'd dau Ann Johnson; to Eliza Watson (d/o James), and Martha Watson, d/o David. to dau-in-law Mary Watson, James' wife. to others: JAMES KAYS and Thomas?. Excrs. David & James Watson. Wts. Samuel Fulton, Betsey Campbell. (Wash. Co Pa. Wills Vol 4 p. 427, 1829)
Notes: Martha Dunbar Kees Watson b. 24 May 1754 Cumberland Co Pa, d. 9 May 1829 Washington Co Pa., mar. (1) James Keys Sr. of Cumberland Co Pa., mar. (2) James Watson. James & Martha Kees Watson children: John (m. Mary Gibson), George, Robert Watson b. 20 May 1784 m. Rachel McClelland, Thomas b. c1789, David b. c1793, James Jr. b. 1796 m. Mary Campbell 1818, Elizabeth (m. Struthers), Ellenor, Anny b. c1785, Catren b. 1790.
(B) JOHN KEES (c1755-1841)and wife SARAH CLYMER (1755-1817) from Berks Cs. Penn.
In 1781, John & Sarah Kees left Berks Co PA for Washington/Greene Cos. Penn. with Sarah's widowed mother. They settled in West Bethlehem Twp, Washington Co Penn.
The Kees-Clymer-Gayman(Gehman) kinship group: (a/b) John Kees and wife Sarah Clymer (c) Susannah Kees Gayman (1765-1800), sister of John, mar. Daniel Gayman (d) Susannah Kees, sister of John Kees (e) Christian Gayman (f) Mary Clymer Gayman w/o Christian (g) Daniel Gayman s/o Christian & Mary, mar. Susannah Kees, removed to Ind.
Children of John & Sarah Clymer Kees: (1) Mary Kees mar. Jacob Spindler (2) Daniel Kees (3) John Kees (4) Ann Kees m. Daniel Gray rem. to Pickaway Co Ohio ch: Jacob, Mary, Debray (5) *Jacob Kees (6) Elizabeth mar. Nicholas Weaver (7) *Abraham Kees m. Barbara Shidler (8) Margaret m. Adam Weaver (9) Enoch m. Rachel ? (10) Isaac Kees2 m. Anna Mary Lewis/Loos (German) (11) David Kees m. Mary McGinnis.
*Abraham Kees, E. Bethlehem Twp., Washington Co Penn. Will. 31 Aug 1809/19 Sept 1809. to wife Barbara (Shidler) Kees, to brother Jacob Kees, to children mentioned, not named. Exec. Jacob Kees & Zephaniah Beall. Wt. Daniel Noffsinger, Peter Shidler, Stephen Hill, Adam Weaver. (Wash. Co Pa. Wills Vol. 2, p. 232: 1809)
*Jacob Kees, E. Bethlehem Twp., Washington Co Penn. Will. 26 Nov 1816/31 Dec 1816. to unnamed wife; to sons Jacob Kees Jr. and Enoch Kees; to daus Elizabeth Thomas, Mary Horner, *Sarah Kees. Exec. Jacob Kees Jr. son, Geo. Crumrine; Wts. Zeph. Beall, Wm. & James Buckingham. (Wash. Co Pa. Wills Vol. 3, p. 127: 1816)
*Sarah Kees, E. Bethlehem Twp., Washington Co Penn. Will 31 May 1817/28 Oct 1817. to mother Eve Kees, brother Enoch Kees, sister Mary Horner, other Ruth Clark. Exec. John Bower, Wt. Joseph Alexander, James Clarke. (Wash. Co Pa. Wills Vol. 3 p. 173- 1817)
From "Pittsburg and Her People:" "Isaac Keys was of *Penn. Dutch descent (*Rhine Palatanate), his ancestors having come to Penn. from Maryland, settling in Lancaster Co, Penn."
John Kees3, eldest son of Isaac & Mary Lewis Keys, was born near Zollerville, Washington Co Penn. on August 1, 1813. From 1850-60, John & Mary Keys lived in Morgan Twp., Greene Co, Penn. John Kees b. 1 Aug, 1813, d. 19 Apr. 1837, mar. Hannah McClelland Mar 29, 1837, dau. of John & Nancy Montgomery McClelland. (Ten-Mile Counrty, p. 73)
Notes: "The Lewis-Loos Family" including Isaac Kees and his wife Anna Mary Lewis from "Ten-Mile Country and Its Pioneer Families," pp. 72-73. "Descendants of Abraham Kees" by Earl Henderson ObiwanLV@aol.com
(C) HUGH KEYS & wife ELIZABETH IRWIN, son of WILLIAM KEYS & CRISTINA GRAHAM of Fermanagh, Ireland, from Baltimore, Maryland, to Washington & Fayette Cos. Penn.
William and Thomas Keys came to Maryland in eaarly 1800s from Fermanagh, Ireland. Thomas Keys d. 1839. William mar. Cristina Graham in Ireland. William and Christina Keys children: William, Andrew, Irwin, James, Hugh and dau. Margaret. Hugh Keys, s/o William, mar. Elizabeth Irwin. Hugh Keys was a merchant briefly, then removed c1805 to Washington Co Penn. and ran a hotel. He removed to Fayette Co Penn. and was Canal Commissioner, d. 1841. Andrew Keys b. c1786 mar. Eliza Fowler in Washington Co Penn., d. 24 Nov 1857 Cass Co Ind. Eliza Fowler b. c1798 Washington Co Penn., d. aft 1870 Pulaski Co Ind. Couple had two children: William b. 1819 and Thomas H. b. 1821. For details about this Irish-Maryland-Pennsylvania Keys family, please contact Earl Henderson ObiwanLV@aol.com
1815 June 13/30 Aug 1815: William Keys, Pike Run Twp. Washington Co Pa. Will: to sons William Keys Jr., Andrew Keys, Irwin Keys, James Keys, Hugh Keys; dau Margaret Keys; wife Christina Keys. Excrs. Wm. & Andrew Keys. Wt. Alexander Greenlee & John Hosack. (Washington Co Pa. Will Bk 1:52. 1815)
Notes: Barbara LaMarche searcher_22@hotmail.com descendant of Andrew Keys who mar. Eliza Fowler, d/o Joseph Fowler of Washington Co Pa. Earl Henderson ObiwanLV@aol.com wrote: "Wm. Keys Sr. came to Baltimore Md. from Ireland c1804. William Keys' son Andrew Keys mar. Eliza Fowler and had two sons: William & Thomas H. Keys. and grandson: Edwin Fowler Keys. Andrew & Eliza Fowler Keys moved to Cass Co., Ind. Joseph Fowler b. c1767 Westmoreland Co Penn, mar. Lydia Hawkins c1793, d. testate bef. Nov 27, 1835, Pike Run Twp., Washington Co Pa. Sons: William & Thomas H. Fowler; dau Eliza Keys." Due to the late arrival of the Irish Keys, doubt they were kin to Wm Kees of Harrison Co Ky.
1825 July 7, Washington Co Pa. Pike Run Twp. Will of Joseph Fowler: to wife Lydia Fowler, to sons Wm Fowler & Thos. H. Fowler, to dau Eliza Keys. Exec. David Campbell, Robt. T. Allison. Wt. Zephaniah Beall, Sarah Pursell. Prob. 27 Nov 1835. Source: Wash. Co Will Bk-5:224. Note: Descendant claims Eliz. mar. Andrew Keys of Wash. Co Pa. Andrew Keys d. 24 Nov 1857 Cass Co Ind. Wife Eliza Keys d. 18870 Puaski Co Ind. (Earl Henderson, Las Vegas, NV, FGS)