Joseph Alexander (abt. 1660 - bef. 1730)

Born about 1660 in Raphoe, Donegal, Ulster, Ireland

Ancestors

Husband of Abigail (McKnitt) Alexander — married 1686 in Of., Somerset, Maryland

Descendants

Died before 9 Mar 1730 before about age 70 in New Munster, Cecil, Maryland

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Biography

Joseph Alexander was born in Ireland.

Joseph Alexander migrated from Ireland to Colonial America.

Joseph Alexander was a Maryland colonist.

Joseph Alexander died in 1726 at New Munster, in the colony of Maryland.

In 1673 Joseph immigrated to Armaugh County, Ireland to gain religious freedom. In Ireland, the King, in an effort to subugate the Irish, divided the counties into parishes. He appointed Clergy of the Church of England and entrusted in them both civil and ecclestiastical authority to govern the people. The Presbyterian ministers were persecuted by the State Clergy and they retaliated by persuading their congregations to immigrate to America with them, where religious freedom was assured.

In 1676 Joseph Alexander, and six of his brothers and two sisters, sailed from Ireland on the "Good Ship Welcome" for America. They anchored in the Delaware River, off shore from the town of New Castle. They then migrated to the established Presbyterian settlement at "New Castle", now known as Christianna Hundred, in the American colony in 1714. Lord Cecil had received from the King of England, a land grand of several thousands acres in Maryland colony. Land speculators had purchased approximately 6,000 acres of Lord Cecil's tract, one part of which was located on the Big Elk River, which the early settlers named "New Munster".

Joseph Alexander and his brothers purchased land in New Munster and established the first homes of the Alexanders in America. The actual location of Joseph Alexander's first home is not known, however, a few of the houses have been restored and they are built of field stone and logs mortared with clay. The original land grant to Lord Cecil and Joseph Alexander's deeds can be seen at the Maryland Historical Library at Annapolis, Maryland. Approxiamately [sic], two hundred years later William DuPont purchased several hundred acres of the original Lord Cecil grant, including a portion of "New Munster" and built his estate "Fair Hill". He restored the old Presbyterian Church (now known as Christianna Hundred) and a few of the old houses. In the graveyard of the Church are buried many of the Alexander immigrants and their descendants.

Joseph Alexander's will was filed at Elkton, Maryland on March 9, 1726 which gives the names of his children and his bequests to them.

Children of JOSEPH ALEXANDER:

1. Sophie Alexander 2. Jane Alexander 3. Abigail Alexander 4. Francis Alexander 5. Abraham Alexander 6. James Alexander

Family links: Parents: William Alexander (1625 - 1688)

Mary Maxwell Alexander (1625 - ____) Mary Maxwell Alexander always lived in Scotland and she was never the mother of any of the seven brothers and two sisters.

Spouse: Abigail McKnitt Alexander (1667 - 1714)

Children: James Robert Alexander (1690 - 1779)*

Siblings: Elizabeth (Alexander) Wallace (1640 - 1692)* William Alexander (1646 - 1735)** Andrew Alexander (1648 - 1700)** John Alexander (1652 - ____)** James Benjamin Alexander (1652 - 1740)** Francis Alexander (1654 - ____)** Samuel Alexander (1657 - 1733)* Joseph Alexander (1660 - 1730) Jane Alexander McKnight (1665 - 1691)*

• Calculated relationship
  • Half-sibling

Burial: Head of Christiana Church Cemetery Newark New Castle County Delaware, USA

Our Early Alexander Ancestors

CAVEAT: These family sketches are guidelines, not primary source material. Although the authors have attempted to be accurate, the content represents their opinions or best guesses and should be independently verified by serious researchers.

Seven Brothers, Two Sisters: Ireland to MD Most researchers of this large group of Alexanders who settled in early Somerset County and the New Munster area of Cecil County, MD have believed that they were seven brothers and two sisters who emigrated from County Donegal, Ireland, to Maryland, with a possible stop in VA or elsewhere, starting about 1685. The "seven brothers" have been identified as:

1. William Alexander (ca 1646 - ca 1707) m. Ann Liston

2. Andrew Alexander (ca 1648 - ca 1692/1700) m. Jane McKnitt

3. James Alexander 'weaver' (ca 1652 - 1735) m. Mary Steele

4. John Alexander (ca 1652 - ca 1718) m. Mary Barbary

5. Francis Alexander (ca 1654 - bef 1701) m. Rebecca Unknown

6. Samuel Alexander (ca 1657 - 1733) m. Mary Taylor

7. Joseph Alexander 'tanner' (ca 1660 - 1730) m. Abigail McKnitt

Their "two sisters" have been identified as:

1. Elizabeth Alexander (ca 1650 - ca 1692) m. Matthew Wallace

2. Jane Alexander (ca 1665 - 1693) m. John McKnitt Sr.

Over the years, many researchers have attempted to identify the father of the Seven Brothers, Two Sisters, but none of the commonly mentioned candidates have been shown to be connected through primary source documentation. Before the American Revolution, descendants of the Seven Brothers, Two Sisters migrated to different parts of Maryland and into nearby Pennsylvania. Large branches also migrated to North Carolina in the same time period.

Participants in the ADNA Project have paper trails to Andrew, James, Joseph, and Samuel. These participants match each other closely in their YDNA profiles and also match a few others who apparently descend from these brothers or close cousins also but have no paper trails to them. These participants found roots through this project.

The Spartanburg Confused Bunch was long said to descend from James Alexander (known as the weaver); however, DNA evidence appears to rule this out. (See Seven Brothers, Two Sisters: Ireland to MD.) However, they have been connected to another James, James Alexander, Sr, who was b. about 1730, place unknown, and died probably after 1810 in either Spartanburg County, SC, or Blount or Roane County of eastern TN. James and wife, apparently named Mary, lived in Rowan County, NC, in the 1750s and were in Spartanburg County, SC, by the time of the American Revolution, either by their move or by a move of the colony boundary.

Most members of this DNA project, all of whom match each other closely, descend from James Sr's son James Jr, his son Matthew, and apparently his son William; however, a few participants who are certainly members of this group and match the others very closely may descend an unknown brother or cousin of James Sr instead of one of his sons. The descendants of James Jr and Matthew have paper trails to James Sr, while the probable descendant of William has no paper trail to him but can rely on family tales in his family and Matthew's family claiming kinship between the two groups. The other participants with matching DNA found their kinship through the DNA project; however, their earliest know ancestors lived near James Sr's home county in SC a few years after he was known to live there.

The grouping of The Lancaster, VA, Limb is a result of DNA testing. Two early members of this family group are James Alexander, b. in VA about 1732, d. in VA about 1778, and Anguish Alexander, who died in VA, probably 1742, (will written 28 Feb 1742, recorded 8 Feb 1743); however, it's currently unknown exactly how Anguish relates to James. From information posted by Donna Suzawith: Abstracts Lancaster County, Virginia Wills 1653-1800, W.B. #13, p.321; the Anguish Alexander will mentions: wife Mary, sons James, Jesse, John, Robert, and William; dau. Hannah. Extrx, Wife. Wits. Jno Rogers and Jas. Monro.

The will of James Alexander, b. 1732, was probated 13 July 1778 in St. Stephens Parish, Northumberland, VA. Two members descend from him through his son William, who served in the Revolutionary War.

One member descends from Jesse Alexander, probably the Jesse mentioned in Anguish Alexander's will. Now that the DNA project has brought them together, it is hoped that they can combine family knowledge to help each other.

Sources

• Source: Maryland Calendar of Wills, v6, p195

See Also:

• Source: Find A Grave Memorial# 52843621 Find A Grave: Memorial #52843621

Acknowledgements

WikiTree profile Alexander-2453 created through the import of McKnight.ged on Apr 21, 2012 by Curtis Baldwin. See the [https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Special:NetworkFeed&who=Alexander-2453.

WikiTree profile Alexander-2710 created through the import of Alexander Family Tree.ged on Jul 16, 2012 by Rod Alexander. See the [https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Special:NetworkFeed&who=Alexander-2710.