John Wade Keyes (1752 - 1839)

Born 25 Sep 1752 in Mystic, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Husband of Louisa (Talbott) Keyes — married 27 Jan 1773 in Alexandria, Arlington, Virginia

Descendants

Died 13 Feb 1839 at age 86 in Athens, Limestone, Alabama, United States

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Biography

John Wade Keyes was the eldest son of Captain Humphrey Keyes and Marcella 'Mercy' Wade. John was born at Mistick, near Boston, on September 25, 1752. He passed away in 1839.

Biography of Brigadier General John Wade Keyes

"I Fought for Patriotism not pensions"

John married Louisa Talbott on January 27, 1773, in Alexandria, Arlington, Virginia. John and Louisa had 14 children:

1. Francis Keyes b. 25 Sep 1775
2. Amelia Keyes b. 13 Nov 1777
3. Marcella 'Mercy' Keyes b.13 Oct 1779
4. Sarah 'Sally' Keyes b. 9 Aug 1781
5. John Wade Keyes b. 9 Dec 1783
6. Harvey Keyes b. 31 Jul 1786
7. Elizabeth Keyes b. 9 Sep 1789
8. George, b. 18 Nov 1792 (twin to Washington)
9. Washington Keyes b. 18 Nov 1792
10. Nancy Keyes b. 2 Feb 1795
11. Charlotte Keyes b. 24 Apr 1797
12. Matilda Keyes b. 9 Apr 1799
13. Mary Ann Keyes b. 29 Mar 1801
14. Louisa Keyes b. 2 Apr 1803

John Wade Keyes was a soldier of the Revolution, pioneer settler and planter. He is a veteran of the battles of Bunker Hill, Trenton, White Plains, Princeton, Brandywine and King's Mountain.

Revolutionary War military record:

Name: John Wade Keyes

Event Type: Military Service

Event Place (Original):

Residence Place: Athens, Alabama

Military Regiment: Militia

Birth Year (Estimated):

Death Date: 13 Feb 1839

Death Place: Athens, Alabama

Relationship to Head of Household:

Spouse's Name: Louisa Talbot Keyes

Additional Name: Humphrey Keyes

Page: 65

Source Reference: Thomas McAdory Owen, comp. Revolutionary Soldiers in Alabama; being a list of names, compiled from authentic sources, of soldiers of the American Revolution, who resided in the state of Alabama.Montgomery, Ala. : Brown Print. Co., 1911.

Military Rank (Original): Brigadier General

Digital Folder Number: 101711094

Image Number: 00063^[1]

Early in the Revolutionary War the call went out for volunteers and John was the second to enlist under General John Thomas, of Virginia. John was an ardent admirer of General George Washington, followed him in politics and named his twin sons after him.

La Fayette Wounded at Brandywine

Captain Keyes located to Athens, Limestone County, Alabama, where he was one of the founders of the city while Alabama was still a territory.

John acquired extensive tracts of land and built a large house, in which he lived and died. He and his wife, Louisa Talbot, are buried in the old Keyes burying plot on the old homestead.

• Fact: Christening (6 October 1751) Medford, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America
• Fact: Military Service (from 1770 to 1776) BRIG GEN - AMERICAN REVOLUTION Massachusetts, United States
• Fact: Burial (1839) Athens City Cemetery, Athens, Limestone, Alabama, United States
• Fact: [1] Born in Mystic, MA; son of Humphrey and Marcella Wade Keyes, John was a volunteer soldier from the Shenandoah Valley in the American Revolution under General John Thomas of Virginia. He was the second man to enlist. He was in the battles of Bunker Hill, Trenton, White Plains, Princeton, Brandywine, and King's Mountain.

On January 27, 1773 he married Luvisa Talbot a niece of President Monroe. After the war they settled near Alexandria and then moved to Blountsville, Sullivan Co., Tenn., and finally to Athens, Alabama where he was one of the founders of the city. Alabama was not a state at that time. He acquired extensive tracts of land and built a large house where he lived and died.

John was an ardent admirer of General George Washington and when his twin boys were born in 1792 he named one George and the other Washington.

Children: Burial Unknown Amelia Keyes Meek, b. 13 Nov, 1777, m.Samuel Meek 14 Aug 1798 Marcella (Marcy) Keyes Clemens, b. 13 Oct 1779. m. Dr. Clemens 4 Jul 1805 Sarah 'Saley' Keyes Hughes, b. 9 Aug 1781, m. Daniel Hughes 26 Jan 1802 Harvey, b. 31 JUL 1786, m.Sally Greever 1 Sep 1807 Elizabeth Keyes Meek, b. 9 Sep 1789, m. Charles Meek 8 Oct 1806 Washington, b. 18 Nov 1792 Nancy Keyes, b. 2 Feb 1795 - d. 4 Feb 1806 Matilda Keyes, b. 9 Apr 1799 - d. 4 May 1803 Louisa Keyes Thomas Bradford, b. 2 Apr 1803, m1st Micajah Thomas, m2nd Mr. Bradford (Denver CO)

John Wade Keyes and wife, Luvisa Talbot Keyes were originally buried on their plantation three miles from Athens, but were re-interred through the John Wade Keyes chapter of the D.A.R. in the Athens Cemetery about 1912.

Sources

1. ↑ Citing this Record: United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783", database with images, FamilySearch : 18 March 2018, John Wade Keyes

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch : modified 24 December 2022, 04:46, entry for Captain John Wade Keyes Sr. (PID [2]; contributed by various users.
• Family of Captain John Wade Keyes and Louisa Talbott[3]

[4] John Wade Keyes in the Family Data Collection - Births [5] John Wade Keyes in the American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI) [6] John Wade Keyes in the Family Data Collection - Individual Records [7] John Wade Keyes in the Alabama, Revolutionary War Residents, 1776-1783 [8] John Keyes in the North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 [9]