Josiah Keen Sr. (1629 - bef. 1710)

Born 1629 in London Bridge, London, England

Husband of Abigail (Little) Keene — married about 1654 (to about 1660) in Marshfield, Plymouth, Plymouth Colony [uncertain]

Descendants

Died before 15 Sep 1710 before age 81 in Duxbury, Plymouth, Province of Massachusetts Bay

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Biography

Josiah Keen Sr. immigrated to New England as a child during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640).

Josiah Keen^[1] was born in London, England the son of Martha (___) Keene. He arrived on the Confidence in 1638 with John Keen age 17, Martha age 60, Elizabeth, Martha and Sarah Keene.^[2] Pope, in his Pioneers of Massachusetts made an error in naming John as his father, misreading his age as 60 versus 17.^[3] Josiah's father has yet to be identified.

He married Abigail Little about 1654-1658.^[1] Although no town or church record of their marriage is extant, their grandson Hezekiah Keen's account book^[4] says:

... [In] Meshfeld ... my Grandfather Josiah Keen mared with Abigil Lettle who he had my father Josiah Keen By & one Dafter Who Died young and my grandmother Dyed allso & Left only my father Josiah Keen who mared with Ledia Baker & Theay had Eleven children...

Abigail was the daughter of Thomas and Anna (Warren) Little, and a granddaughter of Mayflower passenger Richard Warren.^[1] The couple had two children, but only the son, Josiah survived childhood.^[4]

Abigail died before 1660 probably in Marshfield when Josiah married his second wife, Hannah Dingley and had seven more children.^[4] Hannah was the daughter of John and Sarah Dingley.^[5]

Thomas Little and Josias Keane were each granted 100 acres on 03 October 1665 incase they can find it. ^[6] On the same day, he and Thomas Little were sued by Mistress Rachell Davenport as heir to Major William Holmes, and as attorney for her husband Humphrey Davenport, for detaining the estate of Major William Holmes.^[7]

Josias Keine was elected in Marshfield as surveyor of highways in 1666 with John Dingley, and constable in 1667 with Nathaniel Winslow.^[8]

Some time later he moved to Duxbury. Josiah Kein Sr. and his sons Josiah Jr., John, Benjamin and Matthew shared in the division of the commons in Duxbury on 12 September 1707, receiving 20 acres each.^[9] He was on the grand jury from Duxbury in 1689 and 1703. An entry in the Duxbury Records for June 20, 1695 refers to the sale of about 20 acres, "for 4 pounds in silver money to Josiah Keen, Sr." On Feb. 24, 1696/7, a record is found of a tract of land of 30 acres being "laid forth to Josiah Keen, Sen. ... the said land Josiah Keen, Jun. bought of Francis West."

Josiah probably died in Duxbury. Josiah Kean's will, which he signed with his mark, was dated 28 May 1695 but was not proved until 15 September 1710. In his will he named his wife; sons Josiah, Mathew, John and Ephraim; and four unnamed daughters. On 15 September 1710, his widow Hannah Keane made oath to the inventory of his estate.^[10][11]

The children of Josiah and Abigail (Little) Keen were probably born at Marshfield:^[1][4]

1. Josiah Keene
2. Daughter Keene, died young.

The children of Josiah and Hannah (Dingley) Keene:^[4]

1. John
2. Matthew
3. Ephraim
4. Hannah
5. Elizabeth
6. Abigail
7. Sarah

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Wakefield, Robert S., revised by Judith H. Swan, Mayflower Families Through Five Generations, Richard Warren, Vol. 18, part one, 3rd edition, (Plymouth, Mass : GSMD, 2004), pages 19-20.
2. ↑ Stevens, Henry, "Passengers for New England, 1638," NEHGR Vol. 2:109
3. ↑ Pope, Charles Henry, The pioneers of Massachusetts (Boston : C.H. Pope, 1900), p. 265.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4} Bowman, George Ernest, "Hezekiah Keen's Account Book with Family Records" Mayflower Descendant Vol. 28(1930):5-6. Mayflower Descendant: A Journal of Pilgrim Genealogy and History. Boston, MA: Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1899- . (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010) Link by $ubscription.
5. ↑ Bowman, George Ernest, "Abstracts of the Plymouth County, Mass., Probate Records and Files," Pilgrim Notes & Queries Vol. V (1917), "John Dingley's Estate."
6. ↑ Shurtleff, Nathaniel Bradstreet; Pulsifer, David, Records of the colony of New Plymouth in New England (reprint New York : AMS Press, 1968) Vol. 4:110.
7. ↑ Shurtleff, Nathaniel B., Records of the colony of New Plymouth in New England (reprint New York : AMS Press, 1968) Vol. 7:126-7.
8. ↑ Shurtleff & Pulsifer, Plymouth Colony Records, Vol. 4:124, 149.
9. ↑ Winsor, Justin, History of the town of Duxbury, Massachusetts (Boston : Crosby & Nichols, 1849) p. 137.
10. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (20 May 2014), Probate case files 1686-1881 no 11744-11829 > image 729 of 1235; State Archives, Boston. Plymouth County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1686-1881, Josiah Keen, Duxbury, 1710, file #11791
11. ↑ Bowman, George Ernest, "The Wills of Josiah Keen, Sr., of Duxbury and his son Josiah, of Pembroke," Mayflower Descendant Vol. 19(1917):128-30 Will

See also:

• The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .) Vol. 18 (1941) pp. 114 - 117.subscribers$
• Stratton, Eugene A., "John Dingley of Marshfield and What the Navy Driver Saw," TAG Vol. 61(1985):237 by $ubscription
• TAG 63:122