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John Crowell - Wife of John Crowell birth surname

Started by Linda L Bucher on Sunday, April 7, 2024
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A note in an early genealogy states "(Wife's oldest daughter, Jane Zachariah Sears, March 31, 1743. O'Kelia.)"

Was Sarah married to an O'Kelia and her daughter by that first husband married Zachariah Sears? The date of March 31 1743 could be the death date or approximate death date of Jane since Zachariah was married to his known wife of Mehitable Crowell 31 October 1742 Yarmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States at the age of 36.

I believe the reference is to David O'Killia, author of The immigrant of Old Yarmouth, Massachusetts with his descendants and allied families.

I'm not sure what could have played a role in Jane's name, but can check a few things for you.

Perhaps David O'Killia was Sarah's father?

https://books.google.com/books/about/David_O_Killia_the_Immigrant_o...

"David O'Killea [was] b[orn], in Ireland; d[ied], in Old Yarmouth now Dennis, Mass., 1697. m[arried], Jane Powell b[orn] in Wales; d. Yar. Oct. 17, 1711. They resided in Old Yarmouth near the Head of Follin's pond, presently a section of Dennis called Mayfair."--Page [19]. Descendants lived in Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, Ohio, Wisconsin, California, Rhode Island, Michigan, Florida, Montana, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Missouri, Kansas, New York, Washington, D.C., Indiana and elsewhere.

He did have a daughter names Sarah:

David O’Killea

Linda L Bucher What is the source you found that references the name O'Kilea? Thank you!

Sarah O'Killia

possibly same as

Sarah Crowell

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."

Thank you Erica! I just made new coffee and was trying to make some sense of Levi's work.

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.)

Mine too! :-) I did not even see the bio blurb!

I have the page in Levi Crowell's book up and there is no reference in this to Jane Zachariah Sears, at least not in he section for this incorrect pairing of John and Sarah O'Killea.

I have not been able to find anyone named Jane Zachariah Sears in any of the saved sources I have, but will keep looking.

Actually....Later in history, but I believe this Sears-Crowell couple should have a daughter listed named Jane. I can find a daughter Jane b. 17 Nov 1748, d. July 1799 in the
Mayflower Births and Deaths, Vol. 1 and 2. She is not included here on Geni.

Hannah Sears

Christopher Crowell, Sr

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.)

Oops--listed her father, when I meant to post her husband.

Edmund Sears-Boston Tea Party

Cross-posted,willdo

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.

My DNA hurts! ;-)

Thanks again Erica!

Erica Howton

Profile manager has mistakenly placed with this thread related family:

Temperance "Tempy" Hicks

This Sears family branch seems to be from Virginia, and I cannot find on Geni. I believe the father's full name may have been John Edmund Sears, and that is where the profile manager became confused. Temperance from Virginia was the widow of Joseph Harrison Hicks. I found the pension info online linking the two. I'm less certain of her parents, but she is not the same Temperance born in 1764 in Barnstable County.

This Temperance is the one associated with this thread and has the correct birthdate in the Mayflower books:

Temperance Clark

Once you start pulling threads on the bag, out comes tumbling profiles that need undoing.:)

I added Jane O’Killey but I can’t find anyone who could be her among the O’Killeas, so far. However, I need to unite Elizabeth Sears with her husband Silas Sears. No children.

And that relates back to the O.P. https://www.geni.com/discussions/277859?msg=1694336

Ha! I likely have another one for you, sort of connected to these families, but found a few days ago during some merges. It involves a profile where I am fairly certain the parents suggested never married and had children, especially as the father would have only been 12/13 years-old at the time of the daughter's birth. Have not received a reply from the profile manager yet, but with the eclipse and things, thought I would give her a few days in case she has plans.

I know there is a Sears Family Association, so maybe they will know something of the family from Virginia.

I found the source in the book the O'Kilias of Cape Cod I found the book on Family Search but I think the link took me to this site https://search.worldcat.org/title/7977400 . After looking back at the text, they reader may have picked up the information from a the second column adding it to the first.

I know that my dad has quite a bit of dna in common with various "Crowes" and a number of Jennings, Sears and Eldredge descendants..... I know what you mean about your dna hurting. If we can find some direct descendants (on GEDmatch) and isolate the specific strings to that family then I can search for those locations and find matches to determine the lineage.

Erica, I don't think we can find the "Jane", I was just wondering because of Zachariah's age of about 36 when he married Mehitable Crowell and it was not uncommon to marry a cousin or sister after the first wife died.

Hi Linda,

This particular John Crowell, the first one you linked/mentioned, was an 8th ggf of mine.

Silas Sears, husband of Elizabeth Sears mentioned here was an 8th great uncle, his father a 9th ggf.

I have an almost silly number of connections to these families since they all married amongst themselves repeatedly. It would be fun to compare Gedmatch with you or your father, as we're certainly cousins, but I'm not sure how we could tease more out to help solve this at this distance using our DNA?

This is our closest path on Geni--there are probably several others, and maybe something closer which is not reflected yet due to people who lived, but do not have Geni profiles yet.

https://geni.com/00HH30

In support of Levi, I offer up the following. Torrey, Clarence Almon., Bentley, Elizabeth Petty. New England Marriages Prior to 1700. United States: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1992. This work, compiled over a period of thirty years from about 2,000 books and manuscripts, is a comprehensive listing of the 37,000 married couples who lived in New England between 1620 and 1700. Listed are the names of virtually every married couple living in New England before 1700, their marriage date or the birth year of a first child, the maiden names of 70% of the wives, the birth and death years of both partners, mention of earlier or later marriages, the residences of every couple and an index of names. The provision of the maiden names make it possible to identify the husbands of sisters, daughters, and many granddaughters of immigrants, and of immigrant sisters or kinswomen. Page 195 lists John Crowell and Sarah O' kelly.

Hello Karrie,
I know that in my father's FTdna account we are related to quite few with the Welourn name, as well as Anderson.

Like you, dad's dna matches are near 8000 now. The older families do make it quite a puzzle to figure out.

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