Williams and Keen

It has been forever since I have posted on this blog. I have been busy doing an online search for a friend of mine. She gave me her parent's and grandparent's names, places of birth and death and a few dates. I took it from there and went back 18 generations on one line. Unfortunately I couldn't get her two main lines-Williams and Keen-back too far.

Her Williams line goes back to Norwich, New London County, Connecticut. Charles A. Williams was born in 1904 in Norwich to Calvin C. Williams and Margaret Anderson. Calvin was born in 1869 in Norwich and Margaret was born about 1869 in Scotland. I have been unable to find when she immigrated or who her parents were. They had three children: Charles A, James A. and Margaret Elizabeth.

Calvin C. Williams was the son of Calvin P. (Potter?) Williams born 1836 in Norwich and Elizabeth Atcheson Kilroy. Elizabeth was born 1838 in Ireland. She immigrated about 1850 and had a brother, Alexander Kilroy born about 1832 in Ireland and died 1870 in Norwich. I couldn't find their parents. Calvin and Elizabeth had 5 children: Elizabeth Susan, Frances Lilly, Erastus A., Calvin C., and Alexander Porter (Potter?).

Calvin P. Williams was the son of Erastus D. Williams and Alice Lucinda Potter. Do you have any idea how many Erastus Williams' there were in the area in the early 1800's?? Erastus was born about 1815 in Connecticut and Alice was born in 1814 in Voluntown, Connecticut. They had at least 4 children: Calvin P., Luther, Sidney and Charles. Alice died in 1845 and Erastus married Lydia A. ? soon afterwards. They had two children: Arthur Anson and Julia A. I think but can't prove that Erastus is the son of William Williams. I would love to find some proof of his parentage so I can extend this line.

As for the Keen ancestry, I can only go back 3 generations. Leslie Lee Keen was born in 1897 in Henderson County, Tennessee. He married Addie Mae Hays who was born 1901 in Tennessee. Addie is listed in the 1910 census with her grandparents James Buckingham "Buck" Hays and Laura Jane "Sis" Massey. I have no idea who Addie's parents were. I am assuming she was illegitimate but don't know for sure. Leslie and Addie had 13 or 14 children. I think I have accounted for all of them but I'm not sure.

Leslie Lee Keen was the son of Doctor Marvel (or Marvin) Keen and Sena Ann Gilbert. The Doctor is a name rather than a title. In some places he is listed as Marvin but he signed his WWI registration as Doctor Marvel Keen. He was born 1874 in Tennessee. Sena was the daughter of William "Old Billy" Gilbert and Minerva Renfroe. (This is apparently the same Renfroe family who settled Renfro Valley, Kentucky.) Doctor Marvel and Sena had 3 children: Leslie Lee, Essery S. and Ruby M. Sena died in 1922 and he married Haudie Mae Sego. They had three children: Dorothy Fay, Jerry, and Loudean.

Doctor Marvel/Marvin Keen was the son of Jerry Keen and Mary Elliot. I can't prove that Elliot was her last name but found it on a message board online. I found them in the 1880 census in Decatur County, Tennessee with the name spelled Kune. Jerry was born about 1808 in North Carolina and Mary was born 1836 in Tennessee. Also listed was a daughter Adeline born 1866 in Tennessee. Due to the gap in ages of both Jerry and Mary and of Adeline and Marvel, I am assuming that Mary was a 2nd wife. There may have been children born between Adeline and Marvel who died. I have no idea if Jerry was actually Jeremiah, Gerald, Jerrold or what. My friend stated that she had native American ancestry but didn't know from where. Marvin/Marvel is listed with black hair and eyes on his WWI registration. I'm wondering if Jerry Keen could possibly have been Cherokee. I cannot find Jerry or Mary on any other census although I did find a Jeremiah Keen (listed under Jessica Keen) and a Mary Keen in Henderson County, Tennessee in 1870 which would fit. Children were Josepha age 23 suggesting a first wife, Mary A (or Nancy A) age 5 which could be Adeline, Jeremiah age 3 and C. Keen age 7 months. The two youngest children are not listed with Jerry and Mary in 1880 so possibly died-thus the gap between Adeline and Marvel.

I would love any help I can get to extend the Williams and Keen lines or to find out who Addie Mae Hays' parents were as well as Mary Elliot's.