John Crowell - Wife of John Crowell birth surname

Sarah O'Killia

Curator Note from Ben M. Angel, still catching up (11/7/2013):

As opposed to an assertion made by Levi Crowley in 1903, Sarah apparently lived and died single. Not associated with the Crowley family.

............For those interested in early English Crowells on Cape Cod..........

"Who was the wife of John Crowell, grandson of the immigrant John? She's frequently listed as Sarah O'Kellia, daughter of David O'Kellia and Jane Powell, but that's been shown to be incorrect and we now realize we don't know her maiden name. This is one of the inaccuracies that the Levi Crowell 1903 book has perpetuated and it will live forever courtesy of the internet!

Levi states unequivocally, "JOHN CROWELL, of Bass Ponds (Thomas, John), m. Sarah, eldest dau of David and Jane O'Kellia. He died 1715." He continues on to list 8 children for the couple, including my ancestor Thomas born 1691.

However, the NEHGS Register article Vol. 151, April 1997, page 131, "David Okillea of Yarmouth, Massachusetts, and Some of His Descendants," by R. Dudley Kelley, proves the earlier theory wrong. Apparently, the identification relied on John Crowell's mention of Sarah's daughter in his will. Quoting the article: "The will of John Crowe, dated 12 March 1713/14, includes a bequest 'to my loving wife Sarah for her support and livelihood so long as she shall remain my widow. To my wives Eldest daughter Jane Okilley ten shillings.' The identity of these two women remain a mystery, but it is clear from her estate administration that Sarah OKillia did not marry John Crowe: she is named there as 'Sarah OKilley, Single Woman."

Sarah daughter of David and Jane O'Kellia is described in the article as follows, "SARAH2 OKILLIA, b. ca. 1660; d. at Yarmouth 25 July 1715. The administration of Sarah's estate lists house, lands, and meadow worth [63 pounds]. She never married and probably never left her father's homestead, even though it had been bequeathed to her brother, Benjamin. Their mother died in 1711, about the time Benjamin removed from Barnstable County, and Sarah may have acquired his house and lands at Yarmouth as a result. Administration on Sarah's estate was given to her brother, Jeremiah OKilley, 17 Aug. 1715, and distribution ordered as follows: 'Whereas Sarah Okilley late of Yarmouth in sd County Single Woman died intestate and left some Estate both Real & Personal within sd County. I do therefore. order. that it shall be equally divided. among Jeremiah OKille, David OKille, Benjamin OKille, and John OKille the son of John OKille Deceased and Elizabeth Sears all the brothers and sisters of sd deceased..'"

So it really is clear that this Sarah daughter of David O'Kellia is not the woman who married our John Crowell (probably her second husband since she already had one daughter) and went on to have 8 additional children with him.

If Sarah daughter of David O'Kellia had had children, they would have received her estate."

Can someone tag the Jane in question? Geni’s Lt. Zachariah Sears who married Mehitable Sears does not show he had a wife Jane.

Apparently he made errors. :)

(I had just cleaned up O’Killia for you, so fresh in my mind.)

Go ahead and add her, Thanks.

Found the Jane reference.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Unknown-557094

(Their equivalent to Sarah Crowell)

Her children included:[4][5]

Jane, b. prob. before 1690[2] named in her stepfather John Crowe(ll)'s will,[2] and who may have married David O'Kellia of Yarmouth[4] (This marriage to David O'Kellia is unlikely, given it occurred before 1696.)

So It seems Sarah, wife of John Crowell had an earlier daughter Jane, (not on Geni or on Wikitree) who married a O’Killea (there were several).

The will of John Crow of Yarmouth was dated March 20, 1713/4.[2][3] It included a bequest to his wife Sarah and "to my wives Eldest daughter Jane Okilley ten shillings." It also named all of the children listed below except Joshua.[2]

2. surname of O'Killia in 1714 will of her stepfather John Crow(ell). Genealogy of Some Descendants of Edward Fuller of the Mayflower (lettered vol. I), Fuller, William Hyslop, (Palmer Mass.: C. B. Fiske, 1908), see page 33 < Archive.Org >

I’ll go ahead and add her.

PS the Fuller source identifies Sarah Crowell as daughter of Samuel and Jane (Lothrop)Fuller (unproven). So we take the identification of daughter Jane’s husband with grains of salt.