Robert Keyes

Robert Keyes

• Born before 1611 in England (Or born ca. 1607 or 1610)
• ALT births born before 9/22/1607.
• seen as “probably born in Kent, England.”
• Died 16 Jul 1647 in Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts
• Parents possibly Robert Keyes and Amy Trapher
• Husband of Sarah Swett. Sarah m. (2nd) John Gage of Ipswich, MA on 11/7/1658.

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Family

He married Sarah (Swett) on 8 Apr 1632 in New Buckenham, Norfolk, England.[3]

As per Anderson, the following children were born to Robert and Sarah:[4]

1. Solomon Keyes baptised in New Buckenham, Norfolk, on 23 Mar 1632/3[5]; m 2 Oct 1653 Frances Grant; [d.28 Mar1702 Chelmsford, MA[citation needed]
2. Sarah, b 26 May 1633, d 7 Jul 1707 Bradford[citation needed]; m 8 Jul 1656 Samuel Buswell
3. (prob) Peter, b abt 1635[another source without citationclaims 26 May 1629]; m by 1664-7 Elizabeth _____.
4. Rebecca, b 17 Mar 1637/8; m 6 Jul 1657 William Smith
5. Mary [Phebe], b 17 Jun 1639; m abt 1664 John French of Topsfield
6. Mary, b Feb 1641/2; bur 20 Jul 1642
7. Elias, b 20 May 1642; m 11 Sep 1665 Sarah Blanford

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Updated Information

Randy A. West, Robert Battle, and Robert Charles Anderson, The English Connection of Robert1 Keyes of Watertown and Newbury, Massachusetts, and John1 Swett of Newbury, in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society) 176.1 (Winter 2022) 5. link to PDF

Robert Keyes arrived in Watertown in 1637 from Buckenham, Norfolk. He probably purchased the William Wilcocks homelot in Watertown at that date. Vital records of Watertown recorded by Simon Eyre were not recorded until 1644 and included children born in England. Sarah2 Swett (John1 Swett), bp. New Buckenham 6 May 1610; d. Newbury 7 July 1681; m. (1st) New Buckenham 8 April 1632, Robert1 Keyes, who d. Newbury 16 July 1647.

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In New England

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Keyes-29

Robert owned land in Watertown that he purchased form William Wilcox/Woolcocks [WaBOP 50, 135]. He also held 22 acres of Remote Meadows, which he sold to Nicholas Guy [WaBOP 21].

26 June 1638: "Robt. Key for unseemly behavior toward Goody Newell to sit in stocks at Lynn one hour with her, and one hour at Cambridge before Lecture on 4th day of next month."[9][10]. This Goody Newhall? Mary Newhall

Robert’s name ("Robert Keies") is to be found at the base of the monument to Sir Richard Saltonstall at Watertown. We do know that Robert and Sarah settled on a three acre "homestall" at Watertown which adjoined the lands of Sir Richard Saltonstall (nephew of Sir Richard Saltonstall, Lord Mayor of London during the time of Queen Elizabeth), who came with The Winthrop Fleet in 1630. Robert’s "homestall" is in the vicinity of what is now Brattle St. at Harvard Square, Cambridge (much of original Watertown was ceded to Cambridge in 1754).

Robert and Sarah later removed to Newbury, MA, where Robert died 7/16/1647. Sarah m. (2nd) John Gage of Ipswich, MA on 11/7/1658. Sarah d. 7/7/1681 in Newbury, MA. Robert's name ("Robert Keies") is to be found at the base of the monument to Sir Richard Saltonstall at Watertown.

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Notes

Immigration

Until recently, it was generally assumed that Robert, Sarah and their son Solomon Keyes immigated from England sometime between Solomon's baptism in New Buckenham, Norfolk, on 23 Mar 1632/3[6] and the birth of their next child, Sarah (Keyes) Buswell, who was believed to have been born in in Watertown, Massachusetts on the 26 May 1633, based on Watertown vital records.[7] However, more recent scholarship indicates that this Watertown birth record for Sarah is likely an error. The baptismal records of New Buckenham indicate that Sarah Keyes, daughter of Robert, was baptized in New Buckenham on 29 June 1634, which is in conflict with the Watertown May 1633 birth record. Based on a detailed analysis of early Watertown land records, emigration patterns from southeast Norfolk, and early Watertown vital records, the most recent scholarship concludes that it is more likely that they migrated from Norfolk to New England in about 1637; and that the Watertown birth record of May 1634 for Sarah was simply an error.[8]

A REGISTER of the BIRTHS and DEATHS in BOSTON from the YEARS 1630 untill the FIRST of the FIRST MONTH, 1644. Copied by Mr. David Pulsifer Extracted from New England Historical & Genealogical Register Vol 2, Jan 1848, p 76 and subsequent [Transcribed by Coralynn Brown]

"WATERTOWN, MASS. Births and burialls from ye yeare 1630 unto the yeare 1644.

• Rebecca the daughter of Robert & Sarah KEYES borne 17 (1) 1638.
• Mary the daught of Robert & Sarah KEYES borne 17 (4) 1639.
• Elias the son of Robert & Sarah KEYES borne 20 (3) 1643.
• Mary the daughter of Robert & Sarah KEYES borne (12) 1641 buried 20 (5) 1642."

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http://www.inficad.com/~cingram/elmer/f8.htm: 6-6-06: Genealogy of Robert Keyes of Watertown, Massachusetts 1633, Solomon Keyes of Newbury And Chelmsford, Massachusetts, 1653, and Their Descendants: Also, others of the name, by Asa Keyes. Brattleboro: George E. Selleck, Printer, 1880.

"The death of Robert, is recorded at Watertown, Newbury, Plymouth and Sudbury, Mass. The Watertown record says: "Robert removed to Sudbury, Mass., June 16, 1645, where he died 1647." Another record, makes his death occur July 16, 1647. His history seems to be, that he was in Watertown, in 1633 if not earlier, removed to Newbury between 1643 and 1645, and to Sudbury during the latter year, and died in 1647. His widow was married to John Gage, in 1658, or according to the Plymouth record, Nov. 1664. "

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Came to New England in 1633 to Watertown, MA. [SIC: 1637 - see above] It is not known as to where he came from originally. He did not become a freeman and did not leave an estate.

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https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/21421031/robert-keyes

{The following information has been gathered from Genealogy, Robert Keyes of Watertown, Mass., 1633, and Solomon Keyes of Newbury & Chelmsford, Mass., 1653, and their Descendants, by Asa Keyes, Brattleboro, VT, 1880, and updated with information gathered from public records and other sources. The middle English for quay and key was "key(e)", or "kay". Thus, a likely meaning for Keyes (and other variations; Kay, Kaye, Key, Keys, etc) is from residence near or employment at a wharf or quay; key-bearer is a possible meaning for all variations (A Dictionary of British Surnames, by P. H. Reaney , 1958).}

1. Robert (1) and Sarah:

• a. (prob.) Solomon b. 1624?, m. Frances Grant of Newbury, MA, d. 3/28/1702
• b. Sarah b. 5/26/1633, m. Samuel Buswell of Salisbury, MA

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Origins

From FamilySearch.com

Christening Record found at https://archive.org/details/bedfordshirepari03bedf/page/6/mode/2up
Parish Registers starting from 1558 for Woburn, Beds:
1. Joan Keyes b. March 5, 1583
2. Jane Keyes (m. Taylor) b Jan. 12, 1584
3. John Keyes b. Dec. 9, 1585
4. Edmund Keyes b, Dec. 14, 1586
5. Robert Keyes b. Jan. 1, 1589 d. 1589
6. ROBERT KEYES b. Jan. 11, 1590 FATHER OF THE SUBJECT OF THIS PROFILE
7. Anne Keyes b Jan. 16, 1592
8. Elizabeth Keyes b. Dec. 16, 1593
9. Sarah Keyes b. Feb. 8, 1596
10. William Keyes bc 1598
11. Beatrice Keyes b. 1601

Photo of page 7 the christening record page for Robert the elder and Anne Keyes is posted at Media. After Robert the elder was 19 he does not appear in any record in Woburn, Bedfordshire. Being the 3rd son in the family he probably moved a short distance away to a different town or county. His brother John b1585, the eldest son, is the only son recorded as having children in Woburn. So with no Robert Keyes or Kaye born in or around 1610 in Woburn. Beds, England, record instead has been found for a 1610 birth of this younger Robert Keyes in Norfolk, England with father Robert Keyes. This record shows a christening in Deopham, Norfolk on January 27, 1610 of Robert with father Robert Keyes and also marriage of father to Amy Trapher in 1609. Robert and Amy also had children later named Elizabeth and Mary born in Deopham, Norfolk. These records were found in the Adams Web Site at MyHeritage.com.

Older information

Robert is believed to have arrived from England abt. 1630. The earliest record of Robert is with the birth of his first child, Sarah, in 1633. We do not know his wife's maiden name. It is believed that Robert was also the father of Solomon Keyes found at Newbury, MA in 1653. The will (dated 4/9/1704) of his daughter Sarah's husband, Samuel Buswell, mentions his "brother-in-law Solomon Keyes of Chelmsford".

According to one family genealogist (Paralee Keys-Simpson Hoot, The Family Keys), Robert was of County Kent and m. (1st) Elena Coke, the daughter of William Coke of Trusley and his wife Dorothy (Fitzherbert). As authority, Paralee cites Burke's A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland (Vol. 4, Pages 268-9). Therein it is stated that Elena Coke m. a Robert Key, Keyes, or Kays. Paralee believes that Elena probably died in England after giving birth to Solomon (and a second son, Joseph) and Robert and the two boys then emigrated to America (bef. 1632), where Robert married (2nd) Sarah.

While this sounds appealing, 1. there is no evidence that Elena's Robert is our Robert and 2. Elena's father, William, was b. before 1518 and d. 1576. He and his wife had eleven children (five boys and six girls), Elena being the second daughter. It is safe, then, to assume that Elena was born ca. 1560 and was, therefore, unlikely to have borne children in the 1620's when she would have been over 60.

In a later work, More Keys, Paralee speculated that Robert may have been related (perhaps a cousin) to Grace Saltonstall, wife of Sir Richard Saltonstall, the founder of Watertown. Grace was the daughter of Robert and Anna (Flowers) Kaye of Woodsome (Almondbury), Yorkshire. She was aunt to Sir John Kaye, created Baronet by Charles I, 2/4/1642 (The Baronetage of England, by E. Kimber & R. Johnson, Vol. the First, 1771).

Walter Lee Sheppard, Jr. in his article William Godfrey and Robert Keyes of Watertown, Mass., and Elsewhere (The American Genealogist, Vol. 46, Pages 150-4) theorized that Robert may have been the the son of Peter and Susan (Nawe) Kaye of Woburn, Bedfordshire, bapt. 9/22/1617. As reflected above, Robert had a son named Peter. Sheppard opined (for no apparent reason) that it was more likely that Peter was the eldest child, born before Robert's arrival in Watertown. Sheppard has since withdrawn (Vol. 65, Page 12) this unfortunate conclusion. If our Robert was the Robert Kaye of Woburn and the father of Peter born in England before 1633, he would have been a very young husband and father, indeed!

The New England Historic Genealogical Register (Vol. 8, Page 135, et seq., 1854) carried an article entitled "New England", Orders in Council from 1630 to 1641, when the troubles of Charles I commenced with his Parliament, Transcribed from the Original Books of the Privy Council by Geo. Allard, Esq. Feb. 1852. Therein we find the following:

"At Hampton Court 29th September, 1630": Samuel Aldersley, Matthew Cradock and others on behalf of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay petitioned, "by reason of the increase of the number of Planters lately come thether, who tooke no provision with them, And for that divers of their cattle perished ….. they are in great danger to perish this winter ….. the Board did upon their suite think fitt to transport the provisions …." (here is set forth a description of wheat, meal, beef, pork, cheese, etc) (Co. Regr. Chas. I, Vol. 6). Then we find – "Sixth of March, 1630, An order for ye Licencing Capt. (Henry) Keyes to transport into New Englande to Pascatoway 30 quarters of meal and 20 quarters of pease for the relief of the planters there who, through want of supplies, are not able to proceed to a farther discovery of those partes" (Co. Regr. Chas. I, Vol. 6, 382). Henry Keyes was Captain of a boat called the "Pied Cow" which transported supplies to settlers at the mouth of the Piscataqua River, near present day Portsmouth, NH. Perhaps Robert (and his family) came on the "Pied Cow"?

It should be noted that a Robert Keyes was a participant in the "Gunpowder Plot" of 1605. He was the son of the Rector of Staveley, Derbyshire and 40 years old at the time. Might he have been our Robert's father?

We do know that Robert and Sarah settled on a three acre "homestall" at Watertown which adjoined the lands of Sir Richard Saltonstall (nephew of Sir Richard Saltonstall, Lord Mayor of London during the time of Queen Elizabeth), who came with The Winthrop Fleet in 1630. Robert's "homestall" is in the vicinity of what is now Brattle St. at Harvard Square, Cambridge (much of original Watertown was ceded to Cambridge in 1754). On June 26, 1638, Robert was sentenced by the court in Salem to sit in the stocks for "one hower" at both Lynn and Cambridge for "unseemly behaviors & actions" toward Goody Newell (Historical Collections of the Essex Institute, Vol. VII, No. 4, Page 186, Aug., 1865).

Robert and Sarah later removed to Newbury, MA, where Robert died 7/16/1647. Sarah m. (2nd) John Gage of Ipswich, MA on 11/7/1658. Sarah d. 7/7/1681 in Newbury, MA. Robert's name ("Robert Keies") is to be found at the base of the monument to Sir Richard Saltonstall at Watertown.

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References

• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Keyes-29
• For American Ancestors subscribers, here is a link to the Winter edition: https://www.americanancestors.org/sites/default/files/2022-03/nehgr...
• 9. Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts, 1636-1686, 1:8 < link >
• 10. Historical Collections of the Essex Institute, 7:4 (Aug. 1865), p 186.
• Family / children: http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/AF/family_group_record.asp?f...

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