General Notes

Keeler Notes form Family Tree Maker online books;

Thomas Morehouse, m.the eldest dau. of Ralph Keeler, of Norwalk. Ralph Keeler was b. in 1613; d.in 1672; m.Sarah Whelpley, widow of Henry Whelpley. Thomas m2nd.Martha Hobby. She was bapt. Nov. 1, 1696, at Fairfield; dau. of John Hobby. Thomas was the son of Thomas Morehouse.

Thomas Morehouse, d.in 1658; m.Isabelle Keller. He came from Eng., in1653, and settled early in Wethersfield, removed to Stamford in 1640-1 and later to Fairfield. He was Deputy in the General Court of Hartford.

KEELER

1. RALPH KEELER, born in 1613; died in 1672; married Sarah Whelpley,
        in 1653. She was probably the widow of Henry Whelpley, and
        formerly widow of Edward Treadwell. She married fourthly
        Thomas Skidmore, of Fairfield, and died later in 1684.
Ralph came from England and settled at Hartford, Conn., about 1637; a first settler at Norwalk, Conn., in 1650; he had a lot there in 1640 though not original proprietor; freeman in 1668.

        Children:
     2. Daughter, eldest, m. Thomas Morehouse, son of Thomas.
        Rebecca,          b. Feb. 9, 1650-1, at Norwalk.
        Samuel,           b. in 1655; d. in 1713, at Norwalk; m. Sarah
                          St. John, dau. of Mark St. John.
        Elizabeth,        b. prob. at Norwalk.
        John,             m. Mehitable Rockwell, June 18, 1679.
        Ralph,            m. Grace Lindall.
        Jonah,            d. in 1674.


        Ref: History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield,
        by Jacobus, Vol. 1, part 4.



 
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Chapter


XXV


KEELER

Ralph Keeler was the first of the line in the colonies and came from England about 1635/6. although the first record of him is in Hartford, Conn. in 1639 when he was granted a lot for a home. This lot was on what is now the West Park, north of the present site of the Capitol.

There is no record of his first wife, the mother of his children. About 1663 he married, second, Sarah the widow of Henry Whelpley. In early records a Walter Keeler is mentioned and was probably a brother of Ralph.

Rocords indicate that Ralph Keeler was a builder and contractor. He was chimney viewer in 1645, one of the signers of the agreement for planting Norwalk, June 1650. In Norwalk on Dec. 18, 1653 the town awarded him a contract to cut the timber and build a house for a Mr. Hanford, and in a Norwalk town meeting in Sept. 1668 he contracted to build 40 rods of fence.

In 1651 or 1652 he sold his property in Hartford and moved to Norwalk where he was a freeman in 1668. The Keelers of this area were apparently able and energetic as Ralph and his sons in turn were leaders in their communities. They were Puritans of Norman origin.

Ralph Keeler was born in England in 1613. His will is filed in the Fairfield, Conn. Probate Court records. It is dated Aug. 20, 1672 and was probated later the same year. The estate was valued at 53 lbs. which is only about one third of its value in 1655.

The children of Ralph Keeler were:

  1. Isabel, b. about 1648; m. Thomas Morehouse.
  2. Rebecca, bapt. Feb. 9, 1650/1 at Hartford; M. Benjamin
     Turney.
  3. John, b. about 1652, will dated Feb. 27, 1718/19; m.
     June 18, 1679, Mehitable Rockwell.
  4. Ralph, b. about 1653; m. Grace Lindall.
  5. Samuel, b. 1656.
  6. Jonah, b. about 1658; d. 1674/6.
  7. Elizabeth, b. about 1660; m. July 17, 1673, James
     Pickett.


Samuel Keeler, born in 1656, married Sarah St. John in Norwalk on Mar. 10, 1681/2. She was born in Norwalk on Jan. 18, 1659 and was the daughter of Mark and Elizabeth Stanley St. John.

Samuel Keeler was a man of great energy and activity. He was a representative to the General Court in 1701 and

Page 60


served in all of the early Indian Wars but was especially noted for his participation on Dec.19, 1675 in the Narragansett Swamp Fight of King Philip's War. At a Norwalk town meeting on Jan. 12, 1676 the Towne in consideration of


 
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KEELER

1. RALPH KEELER, born in 1613; died in 1672; married Sarah Whelpley,
        in 1653. She was probably the widow of Henry Whelpley, and
        formerly widow of Edward Treadwell. She married fourthly
        Thomas Skidmore, of Fairfield, and died later in 1684.
Ralph came from England and settled at Hartford, Conn., about 1637; a first settler at Norwalk, Conn., in 1650; he had a lot there in 1640 though not original proprietor; freeman in 1668.

        Children:
     2. Daughter, eldest, m. Thomas Morehouse, son of Thomas.
        Rebecca,          b. Feb. 9, 1650-1, at Norwalk.
        Samuel,           b. in 1655; d. in 1713, at Norwalk; m. Sarah
                          St. John, dau. of Mark St. John.
        Elizabeth,        b. prob. at Norwalk.
        John,             m. Mehitable Rockwell, June 18, 1679.
        Ralph,            m. Grace Lindall.
        Jonah,            d. in 1674.


        Ref: History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield,
        by Jacobus, Vol. 1, part 4.



 
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