Chester-Delaware County PA Archives Biographies.....Key, Moses ca 1675 - 1748
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Ottis Moore geneshirl2@juno.com October 29, 2005, 1:19 pm
Author: Ottis Gene Moore
Moses Key
Around 1680, King Charles II of England granted William Penn a huge tract of
land in the colonies of America as payment for a debt owed by the king to
William's father. The territory, lying between New York and Maryland, was a
wilderness. The king urged him to name the territory in honor of William's
father and thus the name Pennsylvania. William Penn had come to America to
escape the religious persecution and imprisonment which he had suffered in
Britain. Thousands of Quakers refugees settled in this new colony and it begin
to thrive under Penn's leadership. He returned to England in 1684 but returned
to America in 1699, bringing with him more believers and their families with
him.
The following year, 1700, another ship arrived with a new party of Friends.
One young man on that voyage was Moses Key and he, like many others, settled in
Nether Province, also called Aston. At the Concord Monthly Meeting of Friends
in Chester County, Pennsylvania, he presented the following letter from his
fellow Friends and brethren back in Middleswich, England recommending him to
their Meeting:
Transcribed as follows:
Ye, 20th of the 8th month, 1700
This is to certify to whom it may concern that whereas our Friend, Moses Key,
of Middleswich in the county of Chesire, blacksmith, having an intention to
remove into the province of Pennsylvania, having laid the said intention before
several Friends and relations and hath the free consent and approbation of
both; And this may satisfy whom it may concern that as to his life and
conversation from a child hath been as such as hath become his profession and
as we heartily wish that he may so continue to the end of his days. So we rest
in recommending him to the care of Friends in that country.
Your Friends and brethren,
Signed ye day aforesaid at our Preparitus Meeting at Middleswich
The letter was signed by 17 men and women in attendance at the meeting
including Allen Key, who may have been a relative of Moses Key. A copy of the
original letter is included elsewhere in this book.
During this time (or maybe on the ship that brought him from England) Moses had
met Elizabeth Yearsley, daughter of John and Elizabeth Yearsley. The Yearsley
family, according to the following biography, had came to America in 1700 and
was probably on the same ship as Moses. They were from the same area of
England and may have been acquainted with Moses before boarding the ship.
From: The History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, by Futhey and Cope, 1881
Yearsley, John, of Middlewich, in Cheshire, England, came to Pennsylvania in
1700, and settled in Thornbury, where he died in 1708. His wife's name was
Elizabeth and they had children-Elizabeth, m 12-18-1701 to Moses Key; John;
Ann, m Jacob Vernon, 1701; Sarah b. 5-28-1690, d. 6-9-1690; Hannah b. 3-22-
1693, m 1-13-1717/18 to Peter Hatton; Martha, b. 4/14/1696 m. John Palmer, Jr
9-4-1714.
John Yearsley, Jr m. in 1710, Sarah Conway, dau of Thomas and Mary, of New
Castle County, and had children-Isaac, m to Phebe Heald; Elizabeth, m. to John
Heald; Jacob m to Susanna Chamberlain; Mary, m to Joseph Williamson; Thomas
m to Hannah Mercer; Nathan m to Susanna Wright.
John the father died in 1748, and his son Thomas in 1770. Isaac, son of Thomas
married Mary Davis 11-11-1784 and settled after a time in West Caln Twp. He
had children- James, Isaac, Thomas, Mary, John, Nathan and perhaps others.
Moses and Elizabeth courted for a while and as was the custom of the Quaker
religion, when they got ready to marry, they had to go before a Friends Meeting
to declare their intentions to marry. The following is a transcription copied
from the third paragraph of a Friends Concord Monthly Meeting in Chester
County, Pennsylvania:
At a meeting held at Nathaniel Parks house the 12th day of the 11th month
1701. Moses Key and Elizabeth Yearsley laid their intention of marriage before
this meeting it being the first time. This meeting have ordered the said Moses
to bring a certificate from ye place where he sojourned to the next monthly
meeting.
According to an excerpt from Jerry Richmond, Fidonet Genealogy Conference,
1995, Members had to appear before the Monthly Meeting and publicly state
their marriage intentions at two Monthly Meetings in a row. Following the
first appearance, a committee would be appointed to investigate the clearness
of the individuals to marry.
It appears from the transcribed Meeting records that Moses Key probably had to
present the letter he had brought from England stating his affiliation with the
Quaker faith before he would be allowed to marry Elizabeth, who also was a
Quaker. One of the rules of marriage was that the intended spouse had to be a
member of the Quaker faith or they would not approve the marriage and they
would then have to go before a magistrate for the marriage. Moses probably
presented the letter at the next meeting and then they were married in
December, 1701. After the ceremony witnessed by the members of the Friends
Meeting, the marriage would have been recorded in the following month's records.
Moses and Elizabeth lived in the Concord District of Chester County,
Pennsylvania and started their family with the birth of their first child,
Lettice, who was born in 1703. She was followed by William, 1705; Mary,
1707; Elizabeth, 1709; Moses, Jr. 1711; Hannah, 1714 (died in infancy);
Hannah, 1716 (died in infancy); John, 1717; Robert, 1720; Rebecca, 1722 and
Anne, 1725. The first 6 were born at Concord and the remaining children were
born after they moved to Aston Township in Chester County. In some families,
when a child died in infancy, they would name another child with the same name
as the child that had died in infancy. This appears to be the case with Moses
and Elizabeth as they named two of their daughters Hannah.
While Moses was raising his family he was an active member of the Friends
Meeting at Concord and several records have been found to show his
participation in the meetings. One record shows that he was a clerk for the
Friends Meeting for many years. Another record is found in the book, History
of Delaware County, PA by Ashmed, page 508. It shows that an order was made
by the courts of Delaware County on November 12, 1678 that the court this day
ordered that every person should, within the space of two months, as far as his
land reaches, make good and passable ways, from neighbor to neighbor, with
bridges where it needs, to the end that neighbors on occasion may come
together. Those neglecting, to forfeit 25 gilders.
Although Moses had not come to America at this time, this order would affect
his life later as he would be found to be one of the 83 people from Chester
County who signed a petition in regards to that court order. Also found in
the History of Delaware County, PA book is the following petition that was
presented to the Council on March 19, 1705/1706:
To the Honorable John Evans, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of the Province of
Pennsylvania and the Three Lower Counties, and to his Council:
The Humble petition of the inhabitants of the Town of Chester and others,
humbly showeth: That whereas, by ye laws of this government, ye sole power of
laying out of the Queens Road is lodged in the Governor and Council; and
whereas the town of Chester is daily improving, and in time may become a great
place concerned in the improvement is much discouraged for want of a direct
road from thence to Philadelphia, we, your Petitioners, whose names are
hereunto subscribed, do beg the Governor and Council that an order may be
granted to fit and proper persons to lay out the Queen's Road on as direct a
line as can be from Darby, to answer the bridge on Chester Creek, and your
petitioners in duty bound will ever pray.
The petition is followed with the signatures of 83 men who were members of the
community and county. Moses Key's name was among men who were the fathers of
children that members of his family would later be married to at Friends
Meetings.
In chapter 29 of History of Chester County, Pennsylvania Moses is mentioned
as being on the list of taxables in Aston Township in 1715. Another listing in
the same book shows him on the Civil List of Assemblymen of Aston Township in
1719, 1723 and 1724 and on March 3, 1732, a petition was sent by the Quakers of
Pennsylvania to the King of England requesting a settlement of the boundary
disputes between Maryland and Pennsylvania. Moses Key is listed as one of the
signers of the petition.
Another reference to Moses Key was found on page 43 of the book, Progress and
Prosperity in the 19th Century. I do not have a copy of the book to see what
the reference was about. This record was found on the Chester County,
Pennsylvania genealogy website. Evidently Moses left his mark in this part of
Chester County that would later become a part of Delaware County when the lines
were re-drawn.
During all this time, Moses and Elizabeth's children were marrying and
beginning families of their own. The first record found for a marriage was in
Quaker Records of Concord Meetings Marriages 1698-1783 page 42. The marriage
of their daughter, Mary, is transcribed as follows:
Whereas John Sharpless of Ridley, Chester, Pennsylvania, cord winder, and Mary
Key of Aston, Chester, Pennsylvania, spinster, fully accomplishing their
intentions this 18th day of the 9th month in the year of out Lord, 1725.
This marriage was witnessed by at least 55 people including the parents and
members of the bride and groom's immediate family. In looking at the record of
the marriage, it appears that most of the men not associated with the family
sat in the first row and the women not associated with the immediate family sat
in the second row of the meeting house. The bride and groom, along with their
parents and immediate family members sat in the third row and all signed their
names as witnesses to the marriage
We found that daughter, Lettice, first married John Chamberlain and had at
least one daughter. We know that her first husband died because she is listed
as a widow in the records of her second marriage to Thomas Vernon. Proof of
this marriage is found in the Quaker Records of Concord Meetings Marriages 1698-
1783, page 114 and is transcribed as follows:
(2nd marriage for Lettice, daughter of Moses and Elizabeth Key) Whereas
Thomas Vernon of Providence in the County of Chester and Province of
Pennsylvania, and Lettice Chamberlain of Aston in the said county, widowfully
accomplishing their said intentions this 31st day of the 8th month in the year
of our Lord, 1734.
One of the impediments to a marriage before the Friends Meeting was if it had
been less than a year since the death of the previous spouse. In the early
years there was a high death rate and there were many second marriages. If a
man lost his wife and had a brood of young children to raise, waiting a year
was not always practical. Even among the families that were deeply devoted
Quakers, the majority of second marriages were performed by a Justice of the
Peace. But, many who were remarried at a Meeting, had to wait two years before
they had the approval of the Quakers to remarry before the Meeting. This was
probably what had happened in regard to Moses and Elizabeth Key' s daughter,
Lettice's, second marriage as they were devout Quakers and would want to follow
the rules. As in her sister's marriage records, there were many witnesses
present along with the family of the bride and groom.
At the present time, records have not been found for other marriages but
perhaps further searching will turn up more records. It has been established
that their daughter, Elizabeth, married Thomas Morgan and daughter, Rebecca,
married a man with the last name of Patton. It has not been established if
daughter, Anne, ever married but she is referred to as Ann Key in her
mother's will and reference is made to the daughter of Anne Key as Rebecca
Key. Perhaps Anne never married but had a child out of wedlock and the will
seems to indicate that she may have been at home with her parents.
Moses, no doubt, lived to see his family grown and had lived a prosperous life
as a farmer,
(also referred to as a yeoman) and a blacksmith in Chester County. In 1745,
Moses asked to be released from his clerkship of the Concord Monthly Meetings
on account of age and infirmities and on April 19, 1746, he wrote his will, a
copy of which was obtained from the Chester County, Pennsylvania Archives and
is transcribed as follows:
In the name of God, Amen. The nineteenth day of second month call April in
the year of our Lord God one thousand seven hundred and forty six I Moses Key
of Aston in the County of Chester and Province of Pennsilvania Yeoman being
weak in body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be given unto God therefore
calling unto mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for
all men once to die do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament that is
to say principally and first of all I give and recommend my soul into the hands
of God that gave it and for my body I commend it to the earth to be buried in a
Christian like and decent manner at the discretion of my Executor, nothing
doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall receive the same again by the
mighty power of God as touching such worldly estate whereunto it hath pleased
God to bless me in this life. I give, devise and dispose of the same in the
following manner and form first I give and bequeath to my dearly beloved wife,
Elizabeth Key, all and singular my real and personal estate except what shall
hereupon mentioned to be at her disposal to her and her heirs and assigns
forever. And if my son, Robert Key, survive his mother I do hereby ordain that
the rent and property of all and singular of my whole real estate is and shall
be allotted for his maintenance during his natural life. I give unto my son,
William Key, twenty shillings. I give unto my son, Moses Key, all my smith
tools and ten shillings of money. I give to my daughter, Lettice Vernon, ten
shillings. I give unto my daughter, Elizabeth Morgan, ten shillings. I give
unto my daughter, Rebecka Patten, ten shillings. I give and bequeath to my
daughter, Ann, the best feather bed and furniture therein belonging and a new
chest of doors now called Ann Key's door with the privilege of my lower room
after her mother's decease for her use during the time she lives unmarried and
a pacing year old colt and forty pounds to be paid her in one year after my
death. I give to my granddaughter, Hannah Sharpless, five shillings and lastly
I do hereby appoint, constitute, make and ordain my dear loving wife, Elizabeth
Key and son-in-law, Thomas Morgan, of the Borough of Chester to be my sole
Executors of this my last will and testament and for a gratuity of my love to
my son-in-law, Thomas Morgan, I give him the said Thomas Morgan, five pounds to
be paid him after my death and I do hereby utterly disallow, revoke and
disannul all and every other former testaments, wills and legacies, bequests
and Executors by me in anyways before this time named, willed and bequeathed,
ratified and confirming this and no other to be my last Will and Testament. In
witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above
written.
Signed: Moses Key
Attached to the copy of the original will were the following:
Signed, sealed, published, pronounced and delivered by the said Moses Key as
his last will and testament in the presence of us the subscribers.
John Bezer
Jane Cummings
Elinor Petters
The words mother's decease for her, was underlined in the second line of the
right side of the signatures of the witnesses before signing and delivering.
The document then had the necessary oaths as follows:
Chester, June 14, 1748, then personally appeared John Bezer, June Cummings and
Elinor Peters , the witnesses to the within will who on their solemn
affirmations did declare that they were present and saw the testator therein
named, sign, seal, publish, pronounce and declare the within writing to be his
last will and testament and that at the doing thereof he was of sound mind and
memory to the best of their understanding.
Affirmed Coram
Jo Parker D Reg.
The next record was when the will was brought before Probate court and letters
of administration were issued as following:
Be it remembered that on the fourteenth day of June anno domini 1748, the last
will and testament of Moses Key, late, of the said county, yeoman, deceased,
was proved in due form of law and probate and letters of Administration were
granted to his wife, Elizabeth Key, and son-in-law, Thomas Morgan, sole
Executors in the said will named, being first attested well and truly to
administer and bring in an inventory of the deceased's estate unto the
Registrar's Office at Chester on or before the fourteenth day of July next and
rendering a true and just account of their administration when legally
thereunto required. Given under the seal of said office.
Jo Parker
D Register
The copy of the will we received also contained a complete inventory of the
Moses Key estate that was done on May 5, 1748 and the will was offered for
probate on June 14, 1748, so Moses must have died just prior to those dates.
No record has been found of his death and where he is buried but I think that
he is probably buried in the Friends Burial Grounds located at the Concord
Meeting House where he attended and was a part of the services for almost 50
years. His wife, Elizabeth, lived for at least 11 years after he died and is
probably buried with him. Elizabeth wrote her will on October 15, 1758 and it
was probated on February 3, 1759. The following is transcribed from a copy of
the original will on record with the Chester County, Pennsylvania archives:
Be it remembered that I, Elizabeth Key, widow and relict of Moses Key, late, of
Aston in the county of Chester of the Province of Pennsylvania, deceased, being
far advanced in years but of a sound and disposing mind and memory, thanks be
to God, therefore, calling to mind the uncertainty of time, here do make and
ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following: Viz: It
is my will and mind that all my just debts and funeral expenses be paid by my
Executors, hereinafter named, as soon as conveniently can be after my decease..
I give and bequeath unto my granddaughter, Rebecca Key, the daughter of my
daughter, Ann Key, all my household goods of what kind forever they beexcept
one ______tablecloth. I also further give to her, the said Rebecca Key, fifty
pounds, current money of Pennsylvania, to be paid her by my Executors,
hereafter named, when she arrives at the age of eighteen years. But and if my
said granddaughter, Rebecca Key, should happen to die before she arrives at the
age of eighteen years and leave no issue, then and not otherwise, I give an
bequeath to my granddaughter, Hannah Sharpless, ten pounds money of
Pennsylvania, a part of the said fifty pound and also I give and bequeath my
said household goods to be equally divided among my daughter, Lete's (Lettice)
grandchildren by Joseph Baker, deceased. Also, I give twenty pound, a farther
part of the said fifty pounds to my son, Moses Key, of Aston. These last
bequeaths being part of the said fifty pound and household good is only on
condition my said granddaughter, Rebecca Key, should die before she arrives at
the age of eighteen years and leaves no issue and not otherwise and in that
case to be paid to the legaties by my Executors hereafter named in eighteen
months after the death of my granddaughter, Rebecca Key.
I give to my son, Moses Key, one bond I have against him of ten pounds and the
interest thereon due.
I give to my granddaughter, Mary, the wife of Andrew McCoy, twenty shilling to
be paid her in one year after my decease by my Executors.
I give to my daughter, Rebecca, the wife of Richard Patten, the sum of one
shilling.
I give to my granddaughter, Hannah Sharpless, my large ____tablecloth.
I give to my grandson, Allen, son of William Key, the sum of five shillings.
I give to my great granddaughter, Lettice, the daughter of Joseph Baker,
deceased, ten shillings to be paid her in one year after my decease.
I give and bequeath to my son-in-law, John Sharpless, of Providence, my riding
shay with all the furniture therein belonging.
I nominate, constitute and appoint my esteemed son-in-law, John Sharpless, of
Providence, and my good neighbor, James Lindsay, of Aston, sole Executors of
this my last will and testament and hereby order, appoint and give authority to
my said Executors or the survivors of them, to sell for the best price that can
be got, all my lands in the Province of Pennsylvania, hereby giving them or the
survivor of the full power and authority to convey and make over all or any
part of my said lands as I _______personally present with full power also to
execute all deeds or other instruments for the good and sure conveyance thereof
and the receipts by the sale of the said land shall be assets in the hands of
my said Executors to enable them to discharge my just debts and such legacies
as I have given or may yet give by this my last will.
I give and bequeath to my said Executors, John Sharpless and James Lindsay,
aforesaid, each of them the sum of twelve pounds currency of Pennsylvania in
full satisfaction for all the trouble, care and pain they each of them shall
take in administering the said estate and executing this my last will.
I give all the residue and remaining part of my estate, whether real or
personal, of what kind and nature and degree soever the same may be, unto my
son, Moses Key, of Aston, to be given by my above said Executors at such time
as he has need and not otherwise. Likewise, it is my last will that if my said
son, Moses Key, should happen to die before he has used the above said
remaining part, if any there be, then it is to return to my granddaughter,
Rebecca Key, her heirs and assigns forever and I hereby revoke, make null and
void all other former wills heretofore made by me, ratifying this and no other
to be my last will and testament. In witness, whereof I have hereunto set my
hand and seal this fifteenth day of the 10th month (October) in the year 1758.
Signed, sealed, published, pronounced
and declared by said Elizabeth Key
to be her last will and testamentHer
in the presence of us
Elizabeth Key
Mark
David Johnson..Affirmed
Abraham Martin Affirmed
John Lindsay.Sworn 3 Feb, the year 1759
Inv. The 3
March
Sharpless..Affirmed
Lindsay..Sworn
Chester, February 3rd, 1759. Then personally appeared David Johnson, Abraham
Martin and John Lindsay, the witnesses to the foregoing written will. The said
David Johnson and Abraham Martin, on their solemn affirmations according to law
and the said John Lindsay, on his oath on the Holy Evangelesties of Almighty
God, severally, solemnly, sincerely and truly declare, affirm, depose and say
that they were personally present and did see and hear Elizabeth Key, the
testor above named, sign, publish, pronounce and declare the foregoing writing
to be her last will and testament and that at the doing thereof she was of a
sound mind and well disposing mind and memory and that their names subscribed
thereto are of their own respective proper handwriting.
Affirmed and sworn before me
To Parker(Reg)
Also included with the copy of Elizabeth Key's will was a copy form the Chester
County Orphans Court Minors record in 1759 of Rebecca Key's petition for a
guardian on June 19, 1759;. It is transcribed as follows:
To the honorable justice of the Orphans Court held at Chester the 19th of June
1759
The petition of Rebecca Key, granddaughter of Elizabeth Key, late of Aston in
the County of Chester, widow deceased,
Humbly showeth That the said Elizabeth Key by her last will and testament in
writing did give and bequeath a legacy in money and several goods and chattels
to your said petitioner, who is a minor above 14 and under 21 years of age
Your petitioner therefore prays that your honors will be pleased to admit of
and appoint Joseph Cloud of Concord in the said county, yeoman, to be guardian
over her person and estate, he being willing to undertake the burden if
appointed by your honors.
And your
petitioner shall pray
(Signed in
her handwriting)
Rebekah Key
A complete inventory of the will of Elizabeth Key was made on January 7, 1759
and the administrative papers were filed on March 25, 1762. Elizabeth died in
1758 not long after she made her will. She is probably buried with her
husband.
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