KENNEY-L Archives

From: "Jeff Green" <>
Subject: Part 1 - More on the Four Israel's of Massachusetts
Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2006 20:43:35 -0500

I've been told that this post needs to be done in two parts as the list won't accept anything larger than 20k in size.
All references are at the end of part two.

Part One
Since my original post on this forum in May 2003 titled "Untangling the Four Israel's of Massachusetts", there have been a few more developments in my research that I finally feel ready to pass on to all others concerned. In other words, I figured it's time I share it before I inadvertently croak, or something to that effect.

Instead of making a mishmash of corrections on my original post, I will reissue my discoveries, thoughts and conclusions so to leave as little confusion as possible. By utilizing the few available records and the process of elimination, I hope to leave no doubt in the reader's mind that the Israel Kinney who married Susannah Hood and migrated to Maugerville, New Brunswick, Canada, was in fact, the same Israel Kenney who was born in Sutton, Worcester, MA on October 23, 1739.

In this post, I'll address the four Israel's of issue as such: Israel #1, #2, #3 and #4:

(1) Israel Kenney, Sr. was the first of the name in the colonies. He was born in Boxford (inc. into Middleton in 1728), Essex, MA on August 24, 1712 to Daniel, Sr. and Mary (Richards) Kenney [R-01]

(2) Israel Kenney, Sr. was the second of the name in the colonies. He was born in Sutton, Worcester, MA on October 23, 1739 to Daniel, Jr. and Elizabeth (Stockwell) Kenney. [R-02] He was a nephew of Israel #1

(3) Israel Kenney, Jr. was the third of the name in the colonies. He was born in Middleton, Essex, MA on January 6, 1745/46 to the unmarried Rebeckah Perkins and is* the son of Israel #1 [R-03] (*This has been proven with DNA testing and a proper paper trail.)

(4) Israel Kenney, Jr. was the fourth of the name born in the colonies. He was born in Middleton, Essex, MA on October 21, 1746 to Israel #1 and Eunice (White) Kenney [R-03]

To begin: There were only four Israel Kenney/Kenny/Kinne/Kinney's "born or living in the colonies" until the birth of Israel #3's *named son on September 19, 1766. This child died soon afterwards and the next Israel born to #3 was on September 14, 1768. This child survived to adulthood and was married only once and had a family. I have also been unable to find any record of an Israel or Asa Kenney that migrated from Ireland during this time frame. There's just no evidence to support this theory.

*Note: The first children born to Israel & Hannah on August 19, 1765 were twins of which the daughter, Rebecca, survived and an unnamed son was stillborn. [R-03]

Now for those that still believe in the Josiah and Deborah (Towne) Kenney parentage:

There was no Israel Kenney born to Josiah and Deborah (Towne) Kinney in 1731. It is a supposition known only to a Mabel Gould Demers Hinckley who published a genealogy of this line in 1969. There is more evidence to debunk her theory than there is to support it.

The timeline for this family is as follows:
Josiah Kenney, Sr. born Feb. 12 ,1705/06, son of John, Jr. and Mary Kenney
Josiah Kenney, Sr. and Deborah Towne were married on May 1, 1729.
Their first child was Mary (Kenney), born on Dec. 15, 1729.
Their second child, a son named Asa (Keney), born on Sept. 30, 1732.
It's evident that Deborah had complications that arose from the birth of Asa and never recovered. Five weeks later on Oct. 16, 1732, an unnamed wife of Josiah Kenney is listed in Topsfield Deaths (C.R.).
Josiah, Sr. remarried on July 3, 1734 to a woman named Mary Case, the daughter of Humphrey and Rachel (Nichols) Case.
Asa, son of Josiah, Sr., dies August 31, 1736 (C.R.)
Josiah Kenney, Sr., dies January 8, 1737 (C.R.)
Josiah Kinney, son of Josiah and Mary Kinney born June 18, 1737 He survives to adulthood and has a family of six children, none of them were named Israel.

All of the life events in the preceding family/ies were recorded in the Topsfield town or church records [R-04] and all of these records have survived and are available on the internet at:

http://www.rootsweb.com/~maessex/VitalRecords/EssexCounty/Topsfield/

There is no evidence in the vital records of an Israel Kenney/Kenny/Kinney/Kinne etc. born to Josiah and Deborah Kenney, nor can I find any evidence of one born anywhere else in the colonies between 1713 and 1738. Asa's name was not mistakenly entered as Asa, instead of Israel, in the Topsfield town records when he was born, as told by Mabel Hinckley. Nor could they have made that error twice when he died. Nor is there an entry in the Topsfield vital records for an Asa being born on August 18, 1736, thirteen days before his older half brother of the same name passed away on August 31, 1736. In fact, I can find no event occurring on Aug. 18, 1736 with regard to this family. If there can be anything legitimately attributed to this mystery date it's that Asa, born of the first marriage, had not been baptized until then. This could have possibly occurred because his mother was sick from the day she delivered him, until she died five weeks later on October 16, 1732. I will specul!
ate that in August 1736, Asa probably became gravely ill and Josiah and his second wife Mary's concern for this led them to having him baptized thirteen days prior to his death. If this was so, then that baptism date, wherever it came from, could give one the mistaken impression that (a second) Asa was born then. But people don't generally give a child the same name as an earlier child unless the first one has already passed away. I have not been able to locate any baptismal records that have this information, but I'll be willing to bet this is where this date of August 18, 1736 came from. It is not included in the church records, but it may be that he was baptised on his deathbed and the record may have come from a family bible. The only other explanation for this date is that it was fabricated.

All of this confusion in this family appears to have been created by a researcher attempting to find a place for the "Israel Kinney of New Brunswick" to fit in by following a strict ideal of naming conventions. And when a Deborah and an Asa (names used by Israel #2) were found in a Topsfield family with the Kenney surname, they made it fit by backing it up with an assumption of erroneous record keeping, not once, but in two incidents and offering no other proof. Considering that all of the life events for Josiah's family from his first marriage until his untimely death and the posthumous birth of his son Josiah, Jr. were recorded in the church records, then I find it ludicrous to believe a story that there was some overlooked mystery child born to this family. (Personal rant, now off. lol)

The Boxford Iron Works
Israel #1, the main cause of the confusion revolving around this debate, grew up in a large family of nine children in a house that is said to have been located at the northeast quadrant of what is now known as Kenney Road and Liberty Street in Middleton, MA. His father, Daniel Kenney, Sr., was originally a mason by trade, but sometime prior to 1720 he had aquired a 1/6th share in the Boxford Iron Works, which was located on the south side of Pout Pond Brook and in close proximity to his northern property boundary. [R-05] This appears to be the initial introduction to the iron manufacturing, blooming, blacksmithing and iron art business by this branch of the Kenney family who were descendents of Henry and Ann (Putnam) Keney.

After the death of his father, Job Averill, Sr., in February of 1730, a young Samuel Averill was bound out for the iron trade by his father's will to Daniel Kenney, Sr., "the famous ironmonger" who became his guardian. (Samuel's older brother, Israel Averill, married Daniel, Sr.'s daughter, Mary Kenney.) [R-06]

During his short life, Israel #1 and his brothers Isaac and David became heavily involved in the business of the iron works and Israel #1 and Isaac also had interests in obtaining lands in the Maine frontier, possibly for the further development of their iron business. On March 23, 1738/39, they purchased 471 acres along the west side of the Sheepscot River, between Wiscassett and Alna in the Maine Territory, from Isaac Kenney's brother-in-law, Isaac Richardson. [R-07] In 1744, Ezekial Averill, the youngest sibling of Samuel, was said to be in the employment of Israel #1. In a pay draft, dated September 5, 1744, he received of Israel #1 "one pound, ten shillings old tener to pay to Ezekial Averill for his work for me at Shepcut". (Sheepscot) [R-06] On October 25, 1744, Israel #1 purchased his father's (Daniel,Sr.) 1/6th share in the Boxford Iron Works.

The following April of 1745, thirty-two year old Israel #1 had an affair with the eighteen year old, Rebeckah Perkins. That following winter on January 6, 1745/46, Rebeckah gave birth to a son she named Israel Kenney (#3). But, on January 11, 1745/46, just five days after young Israel's (#3) birth, Israel #1 traveled to Boston with Eunice White, his second cousin, and filed an intention of marriage. [R-08] Nine months later, on October 21, 1746, Eunice gave birth to a son she named Israel Kenney (#4). In the following spring of 1747, I find evidence that Israel #1 passes away a few months shy of his 35th birthday. In his inventory taken on June 29, 1747, it lists various iron working tools and a 1/6th part of an iron mill. [R-09] Although it's noted by several researchers that the infant Israel #4 inherited his father's 1/6th share in the mill in his will, the File #: 15324 in the Essex County, Massachusetts, Probate Index, 1638-1840 specifically states that Isreal Kenney, S!
r. #1 died intestate. Israel #4 may have received it after probate and it was held by his mother until he reached the age of majority, but he didn't receive it in a will. There's a big difference there.

Israel #3, the Revolutionary Soldier
Israel #3 born in Middleton, Essex, MA on January 6, 1745/46, was the only child of his unwed mother Rebeckah Perkins. [R-03] He was raised in the home of his maternal grandmother and it's not known for sure whether his mother resided with them or not. But it does appear that she took an active part in raising him as he did name his first daughter Rebecca.

Israel #3 wed Hannah Wilkins on September 18, 1864. [R-03] She was born October 19, 1741, and was the daughter of a nearby neighbor. Hannah's father had also died within a year of her birth and she was raised by her mother and her stepfather, Jonathan Bailey. Rebeckah Perkins, the mother of Israel #3, died in Topsfield on May 15, 1774 "a middle aged woman". [R-04] According to her birthdate of Jan. 12, 1726/27 [R-04], she was 47 at the time of her death.

Israel #3 and Hannah moved to Hollis, Hillsborough, NH sometime between August 1765 and September 1766. Their first child was stillborn in Middleton on August 19, 1765 [R-03] Their next two children were twins, born on September 19, 1766, and they were named Rebecca and Israel. They were most likely born in Hollis because I can find no record of their birth in Middleton. Young Israel, III the male twin of Rebecca died in his bed on Feb 07, 1767 and this incident is recorded in the Middleton records. So this possibly could have occurred during a visit back home, as did the birth of their next child. On September 14, 1768, Hannah gave birth to a son they again named Israel. The next seven of their nine surviving children were evidently born in Hollis because they aren't registered in any other of the town records. They are, however, listed under the family if Israel and Hannah Kinney, with dates of birth, in the "History of the Town of Hollis New Hampshire" by Samuel T. Worce!
ster. [R-10]

On April 19, 1775, when his wife was four months pregnant with their son Moses, Israel Kenney #3 and 91 other men, referred to as the Hollis Minute-Men, gathered on the Common in Hollis, NH and began their long march to Lexington to do battle with the British. He served in the 1st regiment of three New Hampshire Continental regiments, was in and out of battle till the end of the war, and is found to have fought in New York City, Trenton and Princeton in New Jersey. [R10]

In about 1805, Israel's (#3) son Moses Kenney and his wife of one year, Jennie Jane Knowlton, along with his sister Hannah and her husband, Solomon Blood, made settlement in the Knox Plantation in Hancock (now Waldo) County, Maine, just west of Belfast. Within the next ten years, several other brothers and sisters with their spouses joined them, as well as the widowed and aging Israel #3. It is here in the town records when Knox was incorporated on July 17, 1819 that Israel Kenney #3 stated in his deposition that he was born January 6, 1745/46. [R-11] This statement and the Middleton birth record for Israel #3 are irrefutable evidence linking this Israel to his birth mother, Rebeckah Perkins. On March 5, 1820, nine months after he gave this deposition, Israel Kenney #3 passed away while living at the residence of his son Moses. He was 64. [R-12]

Israel #4, the Mayflower Descendant
Israel #4 was born in Middleton, Essex, MA on October 21, 1746 to Israel #1 and his wife, Eunice (White) Kenney a descendant of the Whites of the Mayflower. He was the only child born to this couple and after his father passed away, his mother remained single for five years until June 4, 1752, when she married the three time widower, Mark Howe. [R-03] Mark also had connections to the Boxford Iron Works as his father, John, Jr. and grandfather, Capt. John Howe, Sr. were at one time part owners in the business. [R-05] Together, Mark and Eunice had three children and he brought three from his last marriage. [R-03] So Israel #4 grew up in a home with three step siblings and three half siblings. And his older half brother, Israel #3, lived nearby with his mother and maternal grandmother.

On May 5, 1765, Israel #4 married Hannah Balch in Topsfield, MA. [R-05] She was a third great-granddaughter of the immigrant ancestors, John and Agnes Balch that settled in Beverly, MA in about 1636. Their house, which traces back to this date, still stands today and is considered the oldest standing timber-framed house in North America.

Israel #4 and Hannah settled in Middleton where all seven of their children were born and raised. [R-03] Sometime after the 1790 census and prior to 1798, it appears that Hannah passed away because on November 25, 1798, Israel #4 married the much younger widow Judith (Woodbury) Fuller [R-13] who was born on February 21, 1766. She brought two children into the marriage and Israel #4 still had his three youngest daughters living at home. Just before July 29, 1804, Judith gave birth to a son they named Israel Curtis Kenney, the middle name being the first name of Judith's father. He died a few days later and was buried on August 4, 1804. Their next child, a daughter, was named Lydia White Kenney, born prior to April 19, 1807. Her middle name of "White" was obviously derived from Israel #4's mother, Eunice (White) Kenney Howe. Judith and Israel #4 had another son born in February 1808 they named Israel Kenney, III [R-13] and according to the census figures for 1820, it doesn't !
appear that he survived to adulthood. Israel #4 passed away and was buried on June 1, 1817 and Judith survived him and lived until April 6, 1840. [R-13]

This thread:

• Part 1 - More on the Four Israel's of Massachusetts by "Jeff Green" <>