Thomas Canney

https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~pattyrose/genealogy/engel/gen/fg04/...
Good site to see family.

He was a sea captain. He came to New Hampshire in 1630 in the employment of Capt. John Mason. In 1640 he was living at Piscataqua, Maine, in 1670 at York, and later at Dover. The name Canney is now spelled Kenney.

He took a lot of Captain Wiggins in 1634, which in 1647 was bounded thus: "Butting upon ye high street west, and on ye east nere ye river of Nechechoewannicke, on ye lands of Joseph Austin, south and uppon ye land adioyning to ye spring north." He was taxed in 1648 and to 1668, and was alive in 1677. He had grants of land in 1652, 1656, etc. He was a Freeman in 1653. On 26 June 1661, "The Canney of Dover desireing the Court to free him from Comon training by reason he hath lost his eiesight, [it] is granted him."

In the autumn of 1637, the people formed the "Dover Combination" for government and Rev. George Burdett was placed at the head. In the absence of government, the growing colony found it necessary to organize. "In witness wee have hereto Set our hands the two and twentieth day of October in the Sixteenth year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord Charles by the grace of God King of Great Brittain France & Ireland Defender of the Faith &c. Anno. Dom. 1640." Thomas Canney, Richard Pinkham, John Heard, Robert Huggins, William Storer, William Furbur, John Damme and William Pomfret all signed this.

His ancestry is unknown. Some sources say he came from Scotland, and connect the Canneys with Clan Campbell. Mabel Demers put forth the theory that Thomas Canney was a son of Sir Thomas Kinne and that his brothers William and John each spelled their names differently. The theory has not found supporting evidence.

Some sources assert he was a brother of Elizabeth Kenney, wife of William Wentworth. Both Thomas Canney and William Wentworth lived at Dover, but if they were brothers-in-law, it is unusual that they are not often associated in the records. The only times they appear together is in 1652 and later when they were joint proprietors (with others) of the Fresh Creek saw mill and timber lands.

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Canney's Creek or Cove

Thompson, Mary P. 1892. Landmarks in Ancient Dover New Hampshire.  Page 38

Canney's Marsh and Creek, otherwise Kenney's. Canney's marsh is on the Greenland shore of the Great Bay, adjacent to Canney's creek, and now forms part of the Weeks land. It is so named from Thomas Canney of Dover, who, before 1651, had a grant of nine acres of marsh on the S. W. side of the Great Bay," bounded on the south running into y* marsh of George Webb's creek, and y* whole marsh in tire till you come out of y* Great Bay at y* north end upon a cove, a neck of land all on y* S. E. side between Geo. Webbes and that. More, two small spots lying by the water side, near to the above marsh, bounded upon y* south west side of y* Great Bay." Thomas and Grace Kenney of Dover, May 4, 1696, conveyed to Leonard Weeks of Greenland "three acres of meadow on the Great Bay, given by Ould Thomas Kenny to his son Thomas, deceased, as appears by a deed to his son Joseph."

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Source Citation Citation Information

Transcription of text CANNEY, THOMAS, 1600—1678. He was born in England and came to New England in 1631. He was a member of Capt. John Mason's company that commenced the settlement of Strawberry Bank. He came to Dover in 1634, having land in what is now Newington, then called Bloody Point-in-Dover. His farm was on the bank of the Pascataqua River, at the cove called Canney's Cove, the cove taking its name from its ownership of the surrounding land. He sold this land to John Seeley, and Seeley sold it to James Rawlins in 1661. Canney removed to Dover Neck before 1650, and resided there the remainder of his life. The present shipyard in Newington is located on part of Thomas Canney's farm. Probably he never anticipated such a use of his shore line. Mr. Canney was a very active man in business affairs, also he was a stanch supporter of the First Church in the time when the Quaker women gave the Church so much trouble, after 1662. He was a firm friend of Rev. John Reyner, then minister of the Church. His name is frequently men- tioned in the old town records, in matters of business. He was twice married. The name of his second wife was Jane. Detail Page 55

Pioneers of ME NH: Canney, Canning, Kanny )Thomas Pisscataqua signed the combination in 1640. Living at Bloody Point, he was one of those residents who petitioned 1642 to be included in the town of Dover (MA Archives 3 438) Constable in 1646. His wife Jane was in court in 1655 upon some matters affecting her husband and her son in law Jeremy Tibbitts husband of her daughter Mary. ... He joined in a petition to the Gen Court 10 Oct 1665. Removed to York (but went back to Dover)

Canney's marsh is on the Greenland shore of the Great Bay, adjacent to Canney's creek, and now forms part of the Weeks land. It is so named from Thomas Canney of Dover, who, before 1651, had a grant of nine acres of marsh on the S.W. side of the Great Bay

(Mary Tibbetts Jarvis, "Henry Tibbetts of Dover NH and some of his Descendants,1635-1939", has 2 full pages on Thomas Canney of Piscatawa and Dover, and his children, Thomas was sent over by Capt. Mason the patentee on or before 1631 from western England . He was Constable in 1648 (p. 32, Pioneers of Me & NH 1623-1660 by Charles Henry Pope) on the Grand Jury 1643 & 1656, petit jury 1651 (Libby's Dict. Part 2, p. 127). He was a freeman in 1653, had land grants in 1652-55. Was Selectman, Dover, 1658 April 19 (Scales' Hist, Dover, p.256).