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Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Tombstone Tuesday- James McKeen, Derry, New Hampshire

This tombstone, erected by descendants in 1848, is located in Forest Hill Cemetery, Derry, New Hampshire.  It contains a plethora of genealogical information!  According to FindAGrave.com this stone was carved by F. A. Brown of Haverhill



In memory of
JAMES McKEEN, Esq.
A principal proprietor & Magistrate of
the little Colony which first settled this Town.
Who died Nov. 9, 1756:
aged 91 yrs.
His children by JANE COCHRAN his first
wife were ELIZABETH, the wife of ASA NESMITH
and JANNETT, the wife of JOHN COCHRAN;
and by ANNAS CARGILL, his second wife,
JOHN McKEEN, a member of the provisional
Congress in NH, JAMES McKEEN, JANE the wife
of Wm. ORR, MARTHA, the wife of JOHN DINSMORE,
and MARY the wife of ROBERT BOYD.
His other near relations were his sister MARY ANN
the wife of the REV. JAs. McGREGOR, ANNETT
the widow of his brother JOHN McKEEN and his &
her three sons & one daughter formerly of Londonderry
ALSO IN MEMORY OF
ANNAS
his 2d wife, who died Aug. 8, 1782
aged 94 yrs.
They were members of the presbyterian Church & to enjoy their
opinions in peace they & all the other Colonists emigrated from the
north of Ireland to this Country.  In gratitude to God & in honor
of departed worth this monument was erected in the year
1848 by certain descendants of the deceased. 








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Copyright 2011, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

5 comments:

  1. Sometimes I'm just happy to find a tombstone, but this would definitely be the mother lode of tombstones!

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  2. nice article and photos. I am of the same family as James McKeen and his brother John. We have done a lot of research on our family via DNA testing. I located our family in Ireland several years ago. My branch settled in Mississippi 1830s. Interesting data for you, this is the same family as Senator John McCain. I have even located our point of origin in Argyll with the aid of the DNA results.

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  3. Dear McKeens,
    I am a German journalist and in a book with German love letters that I picked up on the flee market, I found a letter of James McKeen to a woman he calls My Joy. The letter was written 1967 in Manila, Philippines, on stationary with the name of James Mc Keen on it, his home and his office number as well as a cable address. He has given the book to the woman in 1952 and has written a poem on the first page, probably he is also the author of that poem. Can anybody help me to find this man? Please reply to andrea.jeska@gmail.com

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  4. James Mckeen's great grand daughter, Jean McKee was the 1st wife of Robert Darrah (my maternal 5x great grand father). I am so happy to have this information!

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