John Wade Keyes was born 25 September 1752 in Mystick (near Boston), Massachusetts, and died 13 February 1839 in Athens, Limestone, AL.
Wife Louisa Talbott was born 20 April 1756 in Alexandria, Arlington, VA, and died 6 November 1836 in Athens, Limestone, AL. They were married 27 January 1773 in Alexandria, Arlington, VA.
Their children were:
1- Francis Keyes b: 25 September 1775 in Alexandria, Arlington, VA; d: 6 October 1842 in Ray Co., MO
+Mary Meek b: 1783 in Washington Co., VA; m: 5 October 1801 in Abington, Washington, VA [Joseph/Lydia ----]
Notes for Francis Keyes:
-1810 Virginia, Washington Co., p. 227: Francis Keyes – males 4 <10, 1 (26-45), females 1 (16-26), 1 slave [Francis 35, wife Mary 27, James Harvey 8, Joseph 6, William 4, John 2]
2- Amelia Keyes b: 13 November 1777 in Alexandria, Arlington, VA
+Samuel Meek b: 1777; m: 14 August 1798 in Washington Co., VA [Joseph/Lydia ----]; d: 1806
*2nd Husband of Amelia Keyes:
+Nicholas Grubb m: 1808 in Washington Co., VA
3- Marcella ‘Mercy’ Keyes b: 13 October 1779 in Alexandria, Arlington, VA
+Dr. Clemens b: 1777; m: 4 July 1805
4- Sarah ‘Saley’ Keyes b: 9 August 1781 in Alexandria, Arlington, VA
+Daniel Hughes b: Abt. 1780; m: 26 January 1802 in Washington Co., VA
Notes for Sarah ‘Saley’ Keyes:
- 1810 Virginia, Washington Co., p. 226: Daniel Hughes – males 2<10, 1 (26-45), females 2<10, 1 (16-26) [Daniel 30, wife Sarah 29, James H. 7, John K. 6, Ellen 4, girl 2]
5- John Wade Keyes b: 9 December 1783 in Alexandria, Arlington, VA; d: 17 July 1864
+Catherine Greever b: 1785; m: 30 December 1806 in Washington Co., VA; d: 20 June 1872 in Limestone Co., AL
6- Harvey Keyes b: 31 July 1786 in Alexandria, Arlington, VA; d: 11 September 1866 in Washington Co., VA
+Salley Greever m: 1 September 1807
7- Elizabeth Keyes b: 9 September 1789 in Alexandria, Arlington, VA; d: 7 February 1839 Limestone Co., AL
+Charles Meek b: Abt. 1785 in Limestone Co., AL; m: 8 October 1806 in Washington Co., VA
8- George Keyes b: 18 November 1792 in Washington Co., VA; d: 13 June 1833 in Athens, Limestone, AL
+Ellen 'Nelly' Rutledge b: 1 March 1799 in Tennessee; m: 16 November 1820 in Sullivan Co., TN; d: 22 October 1834 in Limestone Co., AL
9- Washington Keyes b: 18 November 1792 in Washington Co., VA; d: 13 February 1838 in Quincy, Gadsden, FL
+Elizabeth Williamson b: Abt. 1800 in Columbia, Maury, TN; m: 23 October 1823 in Columbia, Maury, TN
Notes for Washington Keyes:
-1830 Alabama, Limestone Co., p. 5: Washington Keyes – males 2<5, 1 (20-30), 1 (30-40), females 1<5, 1 (20-30)
10- Nancy Keyes b: 2 February 1795 in Alexandria, Arlington, VA; d: 4 February 1806 in Alexandria, Arlington, VA
11- Charlotte Keyes b: 24 April 1797 in Alexandria, Arlington, VA; d: 1 April 1826 Athens, Limestone, AL
+John Rutledge Cowan m: 20 January 1820 in Limestone Co., AL
12- Matilda Keyes b: 9 April 1799 in Alexandria, Arlington, VA; d: 4 May 1803 in Alexandria, Arlington, VA
13- Mary Ann Keyes b: 29 March 1801 in Alexandria, Arlington, VA; d: 6 December 1882 at 247 Felicity St., New Orleans, LA; burial: 7 December 1882 Metairie Cem., sect 28 as Mrs. M.A. Redus
+John M. Richardson b: 26 July 1795 in Virginia; m: 16 March 1820 in Athens, Limestone, AL; d: 30 June 1856 in Athens, Limestone, AL
*2nd Husband of Mary Ann Keyes:
+Col. Samuel Redus b: 1 May 1797 in Wythe Co., VA; m: 27 October 1862 in Gallatin, Copiah, MS [James A./Sarah Chaffin]; d: 27 February 1870 in Martinsville, Copiah, MS; burial: Ellington-Redus Cem.
14- Louisa T. Keyes b: 2 April 1803 in Alexandria, Arlington, VA; d: 15 April 1881 Denver, Arapahoe, CO
+Micajah Thomas b: 26 May 1785 Edgecombe, NC; m: Abt. 1825; d: 13 September 1840 Athens, Limestone, AL
*2nd Husband of Louisa Keyes:
+(Col.) Larkin Bradford b: 25 June 1814 Sumner, TN; m: 19 September 1843 Limestone Co., AL; d: 9 March 1879 Denver, Arapahoe, CO
Notes for Louisa T. Keyes:
- Micajah Thomas' will (of Limestone Co., AL, done 4 September 1840, deceased by 15 October 1840) left all his estate to his wife Louisa T. & his 5 children (Cornelia Ann, Teresa Elizabeth, Eliza Hill, Joseph Van Buren & Micajah Thomas).
- 1870 Liberty, Clay, MO: Larkin Bradford 55 (TN) tin smith, wife Louisa 52 (AL), M. J. McNamara 27 (PA) clerk in dry goods store, wife Louisa 22 (AL); 8 others
- The Athens Post (Athens, AL), Friday, 21 July 1876: From an article entitled Old Times About Athens - Theo and Micaja Thomas were among our earliest and most worthy citizens. They were men of means and moved and lived in good style........Macaja died and was buried here. His widow married Larkin Bradford of Huntsville and they are now both living in Mo......... Mrs. Thomas was a kind hospitable woman - lived where Gov Houston now resides, and her house was ever open to the young people of town, and no one contributed more to their enjoyment than she did.
- Huntsville Independent (Huntsville, AL), Thursday, 21 April 1881: Died in Denver - In Denver, Colorado, on the 15th April, Mrs. Louisa Bradford wife of the late Col. Larkin Bradford. She leaves three daughters, Mrs. M. J. McNamara of Denver, Col., Mrs. W. M. Brandon of Little Rock and Mrs. John W. Cooper of Huntsville.
- The Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, AL), Tuesday, 26 April 1881: Deaths - Mrs. Louisa, wife of the late Col. Larkin Bradford, of Madison county, died at Denver, Colorado, on the 15th.
- Tombstone Inscription, Riverside Cemetery, Denver: Larkin Bradford / 1814 - 1879 // Louise K. Bradford / 1812 - 1881
Notes for John Wade Keyes:
From Genealogy of Robert Keyes of Watertown, Mass., 1633, Solomon Keyes of Newbury and Chelmsford, Mass., 1653, and Their Descendants: also Others of the Name (Asa Keyes 1880):
"John Keyes, eldest son of Capt. Humphrey, married Jan. 27, 1773, in Virginia, "Louisa," or Luvica Talbott, niece of Mr. Monroe. She was born near Alexandria, Virginia, April 20, 1756. Capt. John Keyes settled near Alexandria, moved thence to the vicinity of Blountsville, Sullivan Co., East Tenn., and finally to Athens, Limestone Co., Alabama, where he died Feb. 13, 1839. Luvica, his wife, died Nov. 6, 1836."
From "History of Limestone County, Alabama", p. 37:
"William Moore, from whom the town subsequently took its name, settled at Mooresville around 1808. He was soon joined by, among others, Ben Dunklin, Amos Vincent, Thomas H. Thach, Isaac Campbell, Donald Campbell, Joseph Sloss, James Walker, Luke Pryor, father of the future Congressman and Senator of the same name, Levi Edmundson, James D. Scott, Dr. Bibb, Dr. Withers, John DeWoody, John Wade Keyes, Winfield Scott, a nephew of the celebrated general, and others."
From Transactions of the Alabama Historical Society, Vol. iv, p. 548, Mrs. P.H. Mell:
"The last resting place of this Revolutionary soldier is in an old family burial ground upon his plantation, three miles from Athens on the Huntsville road. His lovely rural home was situated upon a hill about half a mile from Swan creek. His wife, Louisa Talbot Keyes, lies beside him. John Wade Keyes was born in Mystic, near Boston, Mass., Sept. 25, 1752, and died near Athens, Ala., Feb. 13, 1839. His ancestry and many acts of his life are told in a book of the Keyes family called Solomon Keyes and His Descendants, by Judge Asa Keyes, of Vermont, published in Battleboro. We find from this that he was the son of Capt. Humphrey Keyes and Marcella Wade. His father was a sea captain of Boston. After many successful voyages he was wrecked and taken captive by the Algerians. He was a prisoner for years, but finally made his escape. Upon his return to Boston he took John, his oldest son, and went down into Virginia. An old family record in Tennessee shows that Capt. Humphrey Keyes in 1775 was proprietor of 'Keyes' Ferry' on the Shenandoah River. A member of the family has now in his possession a letter written by General Washington relative to the survey of Keyes' Ferry tract on the Shenandoah near Charleston, Jefferson County, Virginia. John Wade Keyes married January 27, 1773, in Virginia, Louisa Talbot, niece of President Monroe. She was born near Alexandria, Va., April 20, 1756, and died near Athens, Nov. 6, 1836. This happy couple lived together for sixty-three years. "Early in the Revolutionary war there was a call made for volunteers under Gen. John Thomas in the Shenandoah Valley. John Wade Keyes was the second man to enlist; he was engaged in the battles of Bunker Hill, Lexington, Trenton, White Plains, Princeton, Brandywine and King's Mountain. Capt. John Keyes settled near Alexandria, Virginia, moved thence to the vicinity of Blountsville, Sullivan County, East Tennessee, and finally to Athens, Limestone County, Alabama, where he was one of the pioneer settlers. It is said that he would never consent to apply for a pension and when asked for his reasons he would reply, 'I fought for patriotism, not pensions.' He greatly honored and loved George Washington and he showed his admiration by naming his twin sons for him; one was called George and the other Washington. George Keyes commanded a company under Gen. Jackson and was afterwards made a brigadier-general of militia. Among the descendants of John Wade Keyes were Chancellor Wade Keyes, one of the most prominent jurists that Alabama has produced; George P. Keyes, a noted journalist; Col. John B. Richardson, of New Orleans, commander of the famous 'Washington Artillery' during the war, and others of distinction at the present day."
Dictionary of Alabama Biography:
KEYES, JOHN WADE, sr., soldier of the American Revolution, pioneer settler and planter, was born September 25, 1752, in Mystic, Mass., and died February 13, 1839, at his plantation home, three miles from Athens; son of Capt. Humphrey and Marcella (Wade) Keyes, of Boston, the former a sea captain, who removed, about 1775, to Jefferson County, Shenandoah Valley, Va. He was educated in the schools of his community; volunteered in the Revolutionary army, under Gen. John Thomas, of Virginia; was in the battles of Bunker Hill, Trenton, White Plains, Princeton, Brandywine, and King's Mountain. After the close of the war, he settled near Alexandria, Va.; afterwards removed to Sullivan County, Tenn.; and later located permanently at Athens, Limestone County, where he was among the founders of that city while Alabama was still a territory. He acquired extensive tracts of land and built a large house, in which he lived and died. He was an ardent admirer of Gen. George Washington, and followed him in politics. He and his wife are buried in the old Keyes burying plot, on the old homestead. Married: January 27, 1773, in Alexandria, Va., to Louisa Talbot, a niece of President Monroe. Children: 1. twins, George, m. Nellie Rutledge (q. v.); 2. Washington. Last residence: Athens.
- The Democrat (Huntsville, AL), Thursday, 30 May 1833: Col. Keyes of Athens, was elected cashier of the Decatur Bank at the last meeting of the Directors on Thursday, 25th April.
Parents of Louisa Talbott
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