Joseph Keyes (1667 - 1757)

Born 24 May 1667 in Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Husband of Joanna (Cleaveland) Keyes — married 28 May 1690 in Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America

Descendants

Died 9 Jun 1757 at age 90 in Westford, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Gary Cleaveland [send private message] and Randy Seaver [send private message]

Biography

Birth

24 MAY 1667 Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States

Source: #S517

Page: 86

Death

9 JUN 1757 Westford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States

Source: #S640

Page: 293

Burial

JUN 1757 Buried at Fairview Cemetery in Westford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States.

Note: Joseph Keyes is mentioned in the Chelmsford records as one of the town "Commity" until 1720.

Joseph Keyes died testate, and his will is included in Middlesex County Probate Records, Packet #13,196 [on FHL Microfilm 0,416,784]. The will reads:

"In the Name of God Amen. I Joseph Keyes of Westford in the County of Middlesex Gen^n being in Bodyly health & of sound and Dsiposing mind and memory Thansk be given unto God, therefore Calling unto mind the Mortality of my body and Knowing that it is appointed for all Men to dye, Do for Avoiding Controversies after my Decease Make Publish & Declare this my Last Will and Testament in maner following And first of all I give and Recommend my Soul unto the Hands of God that gave it, and my body I Recommend to the Earth to be Buried In Decent Christian Burial at the Discretion of my Executor. Nothing Doubting but at ye General Resurrection I Shall Receive the same again by the Mighty power of god. And as Touching such Worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to Bless me in this Life I Give Demiss and Despose of the same in the following manner and form.

"Imprimus I Give and bequeath to Joannah my Dearly Beloved Wife all my Houshold goods During her Life, also I give to Mirriam Lofton my Eldest Daughter Twelve Pounds & Ten Shilling in Bills Emitted in the year One Thousand Seven Hundred and forty four or in other Bills Eaqul to the same mailing Bills of the Province of the Massachusestts Bay and one Cow. Also I give to my Daughter Lydia Mudge Twelve Pounds and Ten Shilling in the Like Bills Described aforesaid.

"Also I give to my Daughterr Joannah Fitch Twelve Pounds and Ten Shillings in the Like Bills Described aforesaid, and Also I give to my Three Daughters Mirriam Lydia and Joannah after my wife Decease all my Houshold goods Eaquily to be Devided amongst them. And the Sums of money that I have given to my Three Daughters before Named, my will is that Jonathan Kyes my Grandson Should pay unto my Three Daughters or to Thare Heirs or Assigns The full sum before mentioned in Two Years after my Decease.

"Also my will is that the Children of my Son Joseph Keyes deceased shall have paid out of my Estate after my Death the Sum of Twenty shillings in Bills of the Last Emittion of the Province of Massachusetts Bay.

 :Also I Do Nominate and appoint Josiah Sartell of Groton in the County of Middlesex to be Sole Executor of this my Last Will and Testament, And I do hereby utterly Disallow Revoke and Disannul all and every other former Testament & Wils Legacies and Bequests and Executors by me in any ways before Named Willed and Bequeathed, Ratifying and Confirming this and no other to be my Last Will and Testament In Witness Whereof I have hereunto Sett my Hand and Seal this Twenty Ninth Day of June One Thousand Seven Hundred And forty five And in the Eighteenth year of his Majesties Reign.

"Signed Sealed Published

Pronounced and Declared

By the said Joseph KyesJoseph Keyes

as his Last Will and

Testament In Presence

of us the Subscribers

Jacob Wright

Andrew Spaulding

Ephraim Wright"

The will of Joseph Keyes, late of Westford, gentleman, was presented for probate by Josiah Sawtell. Jacob Wright and Andrew Spaulding made oath that they saw the said testator sign, seal and declare the will to be his last will and testament. The will was proved by the Court on 11 July 1757.

The gravestones of Joseph Keyes and his wife Joanna are in the Chelmsford old cemetery.

Sources

Source S320

Abbreviation: Newbury MA Vital Records to 1849

Title: The Essex Institute, Vital Records of Newbury, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (Salem, Mass. : The Essex Institute, 1911)

Repository: #R3

Repository R3

Name: New England Historic Genealogical Society (99-101 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116, USA)

Address:

Web Address: http://www.americanancestors.org

Source S517

Abbreviation: Chelmsford MA VRs to the Year 1850

Title: Town of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Vital Records of Chelmsford, Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (Salem, Mass. : The Essex Institute, 1914)

Repository: #R3

Source S640

Abbreviation: Westford MA VRs to the Year 1849

Title: Vital Records of Westford, Massachusetts to the Year 1849 (Salem, Mass. : The Essex Institute, 1915)

Repository: #R39

Repository R39

Name: New England Historic Genealogical Society (99-101 Newbury Street, Boston, Mass. 02116)

Address:

Web Address: http://www.AmericanAncestors.org

Cleveland, Edmund Janes, and Horace Gillette Cleveland, comps. The Genealogy of the Cleveland and Cleveland Families. Vol. 1. Hartford: The Case, Lockwood, & Brinard Company, 1899. Archive. Boston Public Library, 18 Aug. 2009. Web. 13 Jan. 2017. <https://archive.org/details/genealogyofcleve01clev>.

"Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29L-YY56 : 13 July 2016), Joseph Keyes and Joanna Cleaveland, 28 May 1690; citing Marriage, Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 868,435.

"Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F458-HLB : 4 December 2014), Joseph Keyes, 24 May 1667; citing Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, p 162; FHL microfilm 868,435.

"Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F458-JBZ : 4 December 2014), Joseph Keyes, 24 May 1667; citing Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, P 7; FHL microfilm 868,435.

"Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29L-YL9P : 13 July 2016), Joseph Keyes, 24 May 1667; citing Birth, Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 868,435.

"Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29L-YR9W : 13 July 2016), Joseph Keyes, 24 May 1667; citing Birth, Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 868,435.

"Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVKQ-BC4P : 13 December 2015), Joseph Keyes, 1757; Burial, Westford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States of America, Fairview Cemetery; citing record ID 36127493, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

"Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FH7L-PV3 : 13 July 2016), Joseph Keyes, 09 Jun 1757; citing Death, Westford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 761,395.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Mark Shurtliff and Kitty Smith for contributions to this profile.