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Agnes (Unknown) Keeney (abt. 1599 - aft. 1670)

Agnes "Annis" Keeney formerly [surname unknown] aka Keene
Born about in Ilfracombe, Devon, Englandmap [uncertain]
Daughter of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Wife of — married about 1626 in Ilfracombe, Devon, Englandmap [uncertain]
Descendants descendants
Died after after about age 71 in New London, New London, Connecticut Colonymap [uncertain]
Profile last modified | Created 19 Aug 2013
This page has been accessed 654 times.
The Puritan Great Migration.
Agnes (Unknown) Keeney migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640).
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Contents

Biography

This is the profile for Agnes, the wife of the immigrant William Keene/Keeney of Marblehead, Gloucester and New London.

First Name

The fact that William Keene/Keeney was married to a woman named Agnes is established by the records of the First Church of Boston which refer to "Agnes Keayne the wife of one Willyam Keayne" and "Our Sister Agnes Keeny"[1] and apparently by 1662 list or deposition referenced in History of New London which seems to have given her name as Annis.[2]

Date of Birth

Agnes was probably born sometime about 1599. Her date of birth is estimated based on a statement in Caulkins' History of New London which states that she was 63 in 1662.[2] That statement appears to have been based on information in a 1662 list of inhabitants of New London or perhaps a 1662 deposition. No copy of such a list or deposition appears to have been found by modern genealogists.

Possible English Records

As discussed in the profile for her husband William Keene/Keeney, two English records have been found that have been identified as possibly relating to William and his wife Agnes -- a record of the marriage on November 30, 1627 of William Kynney and Agnes (or Mary) Ducket in Ashby Parva, Leicestershire[3] and the record of the baptism on August 15, 1627 of Susanna, daughter of William Keene and Agnis his wife, in Ilfracombe, Devonshire[4][5] -- and, of the two, it appears much more likely that the latter relates to William Keene/Keeney and his wife Agnes than the former.

Place of Birth

Agnes' place of birth is uncertain. However, based on the likelihood that the record of the baptism on August 15, 1627 of Susanna, daughter of William Keene and Agnis his wife, in Ilfracombe, Devonshire relates to William Keene/Keeney and his wife Agnes, it is probable that Agnes was born in or near Ilfracombe, Devonshire.

Parentage; Maiden Name

Agnes' parentage and maiden name are unknown. Since, as discussed above, it is very unlikely that the record of the marriage on November 30, 1627 of William Kynney and Agnes (or Mary) Ducket in Ashby Parva, Leicestershire relates to William Keene/Keeney and his wife Agnes, it is very unlikely that her maiden name was Ducket. No evidence has been found with respect to the maiden name or parentage of the Agnes whose daughter Susanna was baptized in Ilfracombe, Devonshire in 1627.

Marriage

Based on William's estimated date of birth (1601) and the estimated date of birth of William's oldest known child, Susannah (1628), William probably married Susannah's mother about 1625-7. It is very probable that Agnes was the mother of William's children Mary and John, but it is less certain that she was the mother of his eldest child Susannah, who was born about 10 years before the other two children. As a result, there is some uncertainty as to whether William's marriage about 1625-7 was with Agnes. If the 1627 Ilfracombe, Devonshire baptismal record relates to William Keene/Keeney and his wife Agnes, that removes any doubt that Agnes was the mother of Susannah as well as Mary and John and suggests that they were probably married about 1625-7 in or near Ilfracombe, Devonshire.

Immigration; Residency in Marblehead and Gloucester

As discussed in the profile of her husband, William Keene/Keeney, William (and presumably his wife Agnes) probably emigrated from England to New England in 1638 and settled, first, in Marblehead before moving to Gloucester sometime between 1645 and 1648.

Children

William Keene/Keeney had the following children. As discussed above, Agnes was very probably the mother of Mary and John and, if the 1627 Ilfracombe, Devonshire baptismal record relates to William Keene/Keeney and his wife Agnes, that removes all doubt that she was also the mother of Susannah.

  1. Susannah, b. about 1628[6] in England[7] (possibly bpt. August 15, 1627 in Ilfracombe, Devonshire[4][5]), m. 1st by January 31, 1665 Ralph Parker[8] probably in New London,[9] m. 2d December 26, 1678 John Turner[10]
  2. Mary, b. about November 1638[11] probably in Salem or elsewhere in New England,[12] m. probably about 1660 Samuel Beebe in New London[13] presumably in New London[14]
  3. John, b. about July 1642 probably in Marblehead, m. 1st October 1661 Sarah Douglas in New London, m. 2d about 1690 Elizabeth Latham in New London, m. 3d February 17, 1703 Naomi (Burdick) Rogers at New London, d. February 3, 1716 in Nahantick. (See sources and discussion in John's profile.)

As discussed in the profile of her husband, William Keene/Keeney, in her profile of Samuel Beeby in History of New London, Caulkins indicates that William and Agnes also had a daughter named Agnes, but that may well have been an error and no evidence has been found that William had a daughter named Agnes or that Samuel Beeby was married to a woman named Agnes.

First Church of Boston Records

While living in Essex County, William's wife Agnes, but apparently not William himself, joined the First Church of Boston. The Church's records show that "Agnes Keayne the wife of one Willyam Keayne" was admitted on the 31st day of the 3d Moneth (May) 1646.[15] There is no record that suggests that William himself ever became a member of that church. The First Church of Boston's records also contain an entry for the baptisms on the 31st day of the 3d Moneth (May) 1646 of "Mary Keayne the Daughter of our Sister Agnes the wife of Willyam Keayne about 7 years and an half old and John Keayne hir Sohnne being about 3 years and 10 Monethes old."[16] (Note: the spelling of their surname as "Keayne" is probably attributable to the fact Capt. Robert Keayne and his son Benjamin Keayne were also members of the Church[17] and therefore the clerk who made the entries used that spelling since it was familiar to him, even though the names were probably pronounced slightly differently.) The removal of the family from the Boston area to New London is reflected by a First Church of Boston record stating that "Our Sister Agnes Keeny upon her owne desire and with the consent of the Church granted her Letter of dismission unto the Church at Pequot the 10th day of the 5th month [July] 1653."[18]

Residency in New London

As discussed in the profile of her husband, William Keene/Keeney, William (and presumably Agnes) moved from Gloucester to New London in 1650 or 1651 and continued living there until there deaths.

An October 5, 1670 list of the members of the New London Church includes Goodwife Keeny, but as in the case of the First Church of Boston, it appears that her husband William did not become a member.[19]

Death

No evidence establishing Agnes' date of death has been found. Since the last known record for her is the October 5, 1670 list of the members of the New London Church, she died sometime after that date, most likely in New London.

Sources

  1. See "First Church of Boston Records" in this profile.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Caulkins, Frances Manwaring. "History of New London, Connecticut". H.D. Utley, 1895. p. 291. Link to page at archive.org.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "England, Leicestershire Parish Registers, 1533-1991," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP47-29PP : 6 June 2018), William Kynney and Agnis Ducket, 30 Nov 1627; records extracted by findmypast, images digitized by FamilySearch; citing Marriage, Ashby Parva, Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom, page 40, citing the Record Office of Leicestershire, Leicester, and Rutland, Wigston, UK.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Parish register of Ilfracombe, Devon, England. South West Heritage Trust, Archive reference 3253A/PR/1/1. Link to transcription and image at findmypast,com. See image attached to this profile.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JMR7-JXP : 11 February 2018, Suzanne Keene, 15 Aug 1627); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 916,849.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Daughter Susannah's date of birth of about 1628 is based on the statement in History of New London that Mary was 22 in 1662. See Caulkins, Frances Manwaring. "History of New London, Connecticut". H.D. Utley, 1895. p. 291. Link to page at archive.org.
  7. 7.0 7.1 The proposition that Susannah was born in England is based on the assumption that her family did not emigrate to New England until 1638.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Susannah married Ralph Parker by January 31, 1665 based on a deed dated that date from William Keeney to his son-in-law Ralph Parker. See Jacobus, Donald Lines. "John Prentice of New London, Conn. and His Two Nichols Wives". The American Genealogist. Vol. 34 (1958). p. 82. Link to page at americanancestors.org.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Daughter Susannah's New London place of marriage is based on the assumption that she and Ralph Parker were married in or after 1651 when both her family and Ralph Parker would have been residents of New London.
  10. 10.0 10.1 Caulkins, Frances Manwaring. "History of New London, Connecticut". H.D. Utley, 1895. p. 346. Link to page at archive.org.
  11. 11.0 11.1 Daughter Mary's date of birth of about November 1638 is based on her baptismal record, which states that she was about 7 and a half when she was baptized on May 31, 1646. See "First Church of Boston Records" in this profile. According to the profile of her family in History of New London, Mary was 22 in 1662. See Caulkins, Frances Manwaring. "History of New London, Connecticut". H.D. Utley, 1895. p. 291. Link to page at archive.org. However, the baptismal date is probably more accurate.
  12. 12.0 12.1 The proposition that Mary was born in Salem or elsewhere in New England is based on the assumption that since Mary's estimated date of birth is almost exactly at the same time that William received his grant of land in Marblehead, William had not yet settled at Marblehead but was instead probably living in Salem or elsewhere in New England.
  13. 13.0 13.1 Mary's and Samuel Beebe's 1660 date of marriage is estimated based on the estimated date of birth of their eldest child, Samuel Beebe, Jr. ( sometime in 1660-1662).
  14. 14.0 14.1 Mary and Samuel Beebe were probably married in New London based on the fact that both her family and Samuel Beebe were residents of New London at her estimated date of marriage (about 1660).
  15. 15.0 15.1 "Records of the First Church in Boston 1630-1868". Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, Volume XXXIX, Collections. 1961. p. 46 (original pagination). Link to the volume at colonialsociety.org.
  16. 16.0 16.1 "Records of the First Church in Boston 1630-1868". Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, Volume XXXIX, Collections. 1961. p. 302 or 303 (original pagination). Link to the volume at colonialsociety.org.
  17. 17.0 17.1 "Records of the First Church in Boston 1630-1868". Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, Volume XXXIX, Collections. 1961. pp. 25, 26, 29, and 37 (original pagination). Link to the volume at colonialsociety.org.
  18. 18.0 18.1 "Records of the First Church in Boston 1630-1868". Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, Volume XXXIX, Collections. 1961. p. 54 (original pagination). Link to the volume at colonialsociety.org.
  19. 19.0 19.1 Caulkins, Frances Manwaring. "History of New London, Connecticut". H.D. Utley, 1895. p. 144. Link to page at archive.org.




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Comments: 12

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Finished the profiles for Agnes Ducket and her husband William Kynney.
posted by Chase Ashley
edited by Chase Ashley
I'm going to revise this profile today and create one for Agnes Duckett.
posted by Chase Ashley
I just posted new information on G2G (www.wikitree.com/g2g/984980/should-agnes-duckett-profile-duckett-changed-agnes-unknown):

Agnes Duckett was almost certainly not the Agnes who married William Keeney (b. ca. 1601 of the Great Migration). Perry Streeter indicated today that William Keeney and wife Agnes more likely came from Devonshire and their daughter Susannah was the one baptized at Ilfracombe, Devonshire, in 1627. Furthermore, I just discovered that William Kynney (who married Agnes Duckett) was probably the Willm Kynny who had a son Willm baptized in 1628 at Lutterworth, Leicestershire, about 3 miles away from where he married Agnes Duckett. And then I found a burial record for William Kinney at Lutterworth on 24 February 1668. His wife Agnes was probably the Anne Kinney buried in 1658 (although there is also an Ann Kinny buried there in 1670). Therefore, William Kinney (who married Agnes Duckett) probably has absolutely nothing to do with the immigrant William Keeney. So should we change the Agnes Duckett profile to Agnes Unknown? I wasn't able to find a marriage record for William Keene (and Agnes) of Devonshire who are almost certainly the immigrants.

posted on Duckett-529 (merged) by Kenneth Kinman
I think it would be good if there were profiles for William Kynney and Agnes Duckett of Leicstershire as a place to house the info about them. The info in their profiles could then be cross-referenced in this profile without the need to re-cite sources.
posted by Chase Ashley
A possible match for this family group--or at least one worthy of further investigation:

Name: Suzanne Keene Gender: Female Baptism Date: 15 Aug 1627 Baptism Place: Ilfracombe,Devon,England Father: William Keene Mother: Agnes FHL Film Number: 916849

Source Information Ancestry.com. England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013.

posted on Duckett-529 (merged) by Perry Streeter
The origins of William Keene [Keeney] of Marblehead, Gloucester and Boston, Massachusetts; and New London, Connecticut are unknown (Robert Charles Anderson, FASG [Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists], The Great Migration Directory: Immigrants to New England, 1620–1640; a Concise Compendium [Boston: New England Historical and Genealogical Society, 2015], 191).
posted on Duckett-529 (merged) by Perry Streeter
Hi Chase,

I would have no objection to changing it to just Agnes. It was very rare for middle names to be given at that time in England, so I doubt that she had one. But I would still mention in the biography that the marriage shows the name Mary crossed out and Agnes written above it.

posted on Duckett-529 (merged) by Kenneth Kinman
I propose we change her name back to Agnes. There is no record that indicates that here name was "Mary Agnes". The Ashby Parva marriage record has Mary crossed out, and Agnes written above it, which indicates not that her name was Mary Agnes but rather that her correct name was Agnes and Mary was written in error. The only New England records for her (the First Church of Boston membership and baptismal records and the 1662 deposition that gives her age which referenced in "History of New London") just use Agnes.
posted on Duckett-529 (merged) by Chase Ashley
Duckett-1054 and Duckett-529 appear to represent the same person because: Please agree to merge these duplicate profiles. Thanks!
posted on Duckett-529 (merged) by Kay (Johnson) Wilson
Unknown-32652 and Duckett-529 appear to represent the same person because: Same name; Same husband. Marriage record shows her maiden name is Duckett.
posted on Duckett-529 (merged) by Kenneth Kinman
Douglas-891 and Duckett-529 appear to represent the same person because: Same dates; same husband. Marriage record says Duckett, not Douglas.
posted on Duckett-529 (merged) by Kenneth Kinman
Keney-3 and Duckett-529 appear to represent the same person because: Same husband.
posted on Duckett-529 (merged) by Kenneth Kinman

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Categories: Puritan Great Migration