Margery (Lewis) Kenna (1827 - abt. 1902)

Born Dec 1827 in Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died about 1902 at about age 74 in Charleston, Kanawha, West Virginia, United States [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Edward Burgess [send private message]

Margery (Lewis) Kenna was born in Appalachia, in Virginia (now West Virginia).

Biography

Margery was born December of 1827 in Virginia, the daughter of John Lewis and Caroline Donnally. ^[1] There is a good chance that Margery was born at Valcoulon Mansion, the home built by her father Colonel John Lewis in 1826. The home was built on property once owned by Lewis, but later came into possession of William and Rachel Thompkins (not to be confused with Col. C. Quarles Tomplins, a Confederate officer who commanded several training companies there). At what point the property was transferred to Tompkins is unclear.

Margery married Edward Kenna on Tuesday, 15 June 1847, in Kanawha County , Virginia, United States.^[2] This couple had three children: John Edward, Catherine, and Caroline.

Edward Kenna was shot and killed by his Lewis brothers-in-law [The two Kanawha newspapers in 1856 give Andrew D. and John V, but this is almost certainly John William and not James Van Bibber Lewis, who would have been onlly 17 at the time of the shooting- but this is currently conjecture] in a scandalous public shooting at Charleston’s fashionable Kanawha House hotel in June 1856. In 1858, his widow moved her family to Missouri, where her brother James V. Kenna, lived with his young family. She remained there until the outbreak of the Civil War, then returned to Kanawha County, Virginia (now WV).

The widow Margery (M. L.) Kenna married second to Mr. Richard J. Ashby in Carroll County, Missouri, on 2 June 1861. In the Minister's return her surname is misspelled "Kenner." She was married at the home of her brother James V. Lewis of Sugartree Bottom. Officiant was D. B. Cooper, M.E. Church.^[3]

Margery Lewis was said to be the only daughter of her father Colonel John Lewis.^[4]

Census

Edward and Margery Kenna appear on the 1850 U. S. Census, District 29, Kanawha, Virginia, with thier two children John L. (sic) and Catharine Kenna.^[5]

Edward Kenna, age 34, farmer, value of real estate $1500, born in Ireland

Margery Kenna, age 23, born in Virginia

John L. Kenna, age 2, born in Virginia

Catharine Kenna, age 3 months, born in Virginia

NOTE: As enumerated, the Kenna's are living in the vicinity of families well-known to the Coal River area, especially the Forks, but also the Upper Falls area, including Baptist minister Wythel Wood, Joseph and the Rebecca's Midkiff, Meredith Pauley and family, Nathan Turley (who owned property on Smith Creek), John & Sarah Ferrel (sic), the family of William Bryant, Allen M. Smith, the Kidds, Pauleys, etc. Given the order of the enumeration, it's not entirely clear how the census was taken, (i.e. up one side of the river and back down the other), as these families are mixed up a bit when compared to other census years.

Margery Kenna and her family appear on the 1860 U. S. Census in Sugar Tree Bottom Township, Mile's Point Post Office, Carroll, Missouri. She is widowed, and living with her brother James V. Lewis, formerly of Virginia.^[6]

James V. Lewis, age 24, Farming, value of land $4800, value of personal wealth $7405, born in Virginia

Sarah Lewis, age 22, born in Missouri

Thomas Lewis, age 2, born in Missouri

Margery Kenna, age 22, born in Virginia

Catherine Kenna, age 11, born in Virginia

Caroline Kenna, age 9, born in Virginia

John Kenna, age 13, born in Virginia

NOTE: Margery's age is clearly wrong, as she was closer to 32. John Kenna's may also be off by a year, although this is conjecture. James V. Lewis was also known as John V. Lewis; he and Margery are siblings.

NOTE: "On January 1, 1855, Jonathan Miles platted the town of Miles Point. It is evident that Mr. Miles had in mind in the founding of this town nothing more than to provide shipping facilities by river. For a long time after its founding it was known by the name of "Shanghai." Tradition says that this name of Shanghai was given to the town by reason of the importation of a large consignment of chickens of this creek. At first the name was written with the apostrophe but later the apostrophe was dropped."^[7]

NOTE:The township called Sugar Tree is so named because of the maple trees growing there.^[8]

Margara (sic) and Richard Ashbey (sic) appear on the 1870 U. S. Census, Charleston Township, Kanawha County, WV.^[9]

Richard Ashbey, age 35, Clerk in the State House, $1000 in personal assets, born in Kentucky

Margara Ashbey, age 42, Keeping House, $8000 in real estate

Walton Ashbey, age 7, at home, born in Missouri

John Kenna, age 22, Lawyer, born in VA/WV

Carrie Kenna, age 18, at home, born in VA/WV

NOTE: John and Carrie are newlyweds. Both have checked the box for "father of foreign birth," but neither have checked the box for thier mothers.

NOTE: Asst. Marshall Fields has designated the enumeration district as "Malden," which lies up river and east of downtown Charleston; although the exact dividing line isn't currently known, it's almost certain that they were living in that part of Charleston that is considered the City of Charleston, and not up

the river at Malden.

Margorie (sic) Ashby appears on the 1900 U. S. Census, Ward 6-7, Charleston, Kanawha, West Virginia, with her son and others. All but the youngest are literate.^[10]

Walter L. Ashby, head, born Nov 1863, age 37, married 10 years, born in Missouri, father born in Missouri, mother born in WV, Lawyer

Mary C. Ashby, wife, born Aug 1865, age 34, married 10 years, mother of four, all four still living, born in PA., father born in B. Columbia, mother born in PA

Mary C. Ashby, daughter, born June 1890, age 9, born in West Virginia, father born in Missouri, mother born in PA.

Margorie J. Ashby, daughter, born May 1893, age 7, born in WV, father born in MO, mother born in PA

John K. Ashby, son, born April 1894, age 6, born in WV, father born in MO, mother born in PA

Joseph B. Ashby, son, born March 1896, age 4, born in WV, father born in MO, mother born in PA

Margorie Ashby, mother, born Dec 1927, age 72, born in WV (VA), father born in VA, mother born in VA

Richard Ashby, father, born Jan 1835, age 65, married 40 years, born in Kentucky, mother and father both born in KY, Clerk

Joseph B Powers, father-in-law, born Jan 1832, age 68, married 37 years, born in Canada, father born in Ireland, mother born in B. Canada (sic)

Alice Dunlap, servant, white, born March 1879, age 21, single, born in WV, father born in WV, mother born in WV, a Cook

Winnie Wright, servant, black, born May 1877, age 23, single, born in WV, father WV, mother WV, a Nurse

Research

[Notes in preparation for expanding the bio and growing the tree]

Child of Margery Lewis and Richard Johnson Ashby Walter Lewis Ashby (1862 - 12 May 1920)

John Lewis was born on 10 July 1795 at Botetourt County, Virginia.1 He married, at age 28, Caroline Donnally, age 16, daughter of Andrew Donnally and Marjory VanBibber, on Thursday, 29 April 1824 at Kanawha County, Virginia.1 John Lewis died on 23 December 1854 at Duval County, Florida, at age 59 years, 5 months and 13 days.

John Lewis descends from a Huguenot family who took refuge in Ireland to escape religious persecution after the death of Henry IV of France. His rank was an Esquire. His wife, Margaret Lynn, was the daughter of the chieftain of the clan, Lock Lynn.

NOTES from Rootswebb by Carrie Newton 2013, who extracted her info from Re-Interment of the Hero of Point Pleasant, September 20, 1781- April 5, 1897. By Fanny R. Johnston. Reproduced from the Salem Times Register, April 9, 1897.) :

"John Lewis fled Ireland after his brother was brutally murdered and his wife injured by the Laird, Sir Mungo Campbell, who had also evicted him from his leasehold. He avenged his brother's death and murdered both the Laird and his steward. Due to the wealth and power of the Laird, a price was put on John's head, so he fled to America to Pennsylvania.

John Lewis eventually settled in Augusta County, VA at Bellefont, near Staunton. The children of John and Margaret Lewis were: Samuel Thomas Andrew William Charles

Andrew Lewis attained the title of General in the military and had five sons:

John Samuel Thomas Andrew William

John served under his father and was taken as a POW to Quebec and then to France. After he was liberated, he went to London and served a commission in the British Army as one of the Queen's guards. He resigned, returned to Virginia and married Patsey Love. His son, Samuel, went to KY. His daughter, Eliza married first John Luke of Alexandria, second Major Ball, and third, Alex K. Marshall (KY).His son, Captain Andrew Lewis, married Jane McClanahan(William, Eliza, Sally, John, Samuel, Emeline, Patsey. John Lewis died in Charleston, WVA (Andrew, John, James, Margery. Margery married Edward Kenna and their son, John Lewis Kenna, served in Congress as a representative of WVA.)

Samuel and Thomas, sons of General Andrew Lewis, inherited land in Greenbrier, Bath and Botetourt counties and in Kentucky.

Major Andrew Lewis, fourth son of General Andrew Lewis, of Bent Mountain, inherited Crystal Spring in Roanoke. His plantation was named Richfield (Dropmore), for which the retirement home west of Salem in Roanoke County is named. Also, Fort Lewis once stood on the land that was once part of the Lewis military grant.He married Agatha, daughter of John Madison and Agatha Strother. Agatha Madison had a sister, Lucy, who married Maj. Andrew Lewis's brother, William. A Brother of the sisters was James Madison, who was First Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church of Virginia. They were cousins of President James Madison. (Their children were Charles, Thomas and Agatha. Charles died unmarried, Thomas was killed in a duel with MacHenry in Montgomery County in 1808. Agatha married Col. Elijah McClanahan and had nine daughters. Major Lewis married second and had one daughter, who married Mr. King).

William Lewis, youngest son of Gen. Andrew Lewis, married Lucy Madison. He inherited Richfield, the plantation west of Salem in Roanoke County. (Children: Dr. Andrew Lewis married Maria Walton- to TX. Agatha married Mr. Adams - to TX. Dr. William Lewis married first a McFarland, and second, a McClanahan who was sister of Colonel Elijah McClanahan. Ann Lewis, only daughter, married Rowland Madison, brother of Agatha and Lucy, and they went to KY."

Sources

1. ↑ 1850 Census: "United States Census, 1850"
   citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
   FamilySearch Record: M8DH-QWX (accessed 31 July 2022)
   FamilySearch Image: S3HT-DBB7-Q6P Image number 00077
   Margery Kenna (23) in Kanawha, Virginia, United States.
2. ↑ Marriage: "West Virginia, County Marriage Records, 1776-1971"
   citing FHL microfilm: 000464921;
   FamilySearch Record: Q2ZF-38QS (accessed 31 July 2022)
   FamilySearch Image: 3QSQ-G9K9-SSZJ Image number 00061
   Margery J Lewis marriage to Edward Kenna on 15 Jun 1847 in Kanawha, West Virginia, United States.
3. ↑ "Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99CY-CJF7?cc=2060668&wc=ZS64-829%3A1583568204%2C1583588501 : 1 October 2019), Carroll > Marriage records 1833-1950 vol A-C > image 481 of 1071; Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City.
4. ↑ Entered by Edward Burgess, Thursday, September 5, 2013.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1850", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8DH-QW6 : Fri Sep 15 22:54:18 UTC 2023), Entry for Edward Kenna and Margery Kenna, 1850.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHZ9-29Q : Fri Sep 15 22:40:17 UTC 2023), Entry for James V. Lewis and Sarah Lewis, 1860.
7. ↑ Adams, Orvyl Guy. "Place Names In The North Central Counties Of Missouri." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1928.
8. ↑ Adams, Orvyl Guy. "Place Names In The North Central Counties Of Missouri." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1928.
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZ42-VFP : Thu Sep 14 18:44:48 UTC 2023), Entry for Richard Ashbey and Margara Ashbey, 1870.
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9CP-8DB : Sun Sep 17 02:12:09 UTC 2023), Entry for Walter L Ashby and Mary C Ashby, 1900.

Acknowledgements

Edward Burgess Gregory S. Morris Carrie Newton Fanny R. Johnston

Acknowledgements

Original Research and bio by Gregory S. Morris, Huntington, Sept. 2023