Keeley/Keely Family Page


Keeley/Keely Surname Page

Keeley Family of (primarily) Chester County PA

My immigrant Keeley ancestor was Valentine Keeley. He arrived in Philadelphia on August 24, 1728 on the ship Mortonhouse. He may have been accompanied by his wife Susanna and older children Valentine and Matthias. He settled in what is now Perkiomen Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. His children, as named in his will, were Valentine Jr., Matthias, Sebastian, Henry and Anna Maria.

Valentine Jr., the eldest son, was born in 1716. He married Elizabeth (nee possibly Fisher) and settled in the eastern part of Berks County, PA. The next son, Matthias was born in 1722 and died in 1808. He married Eve (nee Unknown) and settled in Uwchlan, Chester County, PA. Sebastian, born about 1729 and died 1777, married Elizabeth (nee possibly Fry) and settled in Vincent Township, Chester County, PA. The youngest son, Henry, born 1731 and died 1799, inherited the homestead of his father Valentine. Henry married Anna Margaretta Held. The daughter Anna Maria married Johannes Romig/Romich.

The Keeleys were supposed to have been from the Palatinate area of Germany. In early records, their surname can be found spelled as Kuhle, Keele, Kiehle and Keely. In time most of the descendants of Valentine Jr. and Henry used the spelling Keely, while most of the descendants of Matthias and Sebastian used the spelling Keeley.

I descend from Matthias, through his daughter Elizabeth who married Sebastian Bucher. Click here to see why I believe Elizabeth Keely, daughter of Matthias was the wife of Sebastian Bucher.

I also descend from Sebastian through his son Jacob who married Maria Shimer. Click here to see why I believe that Sebastian's wife was Elizabeth Fry instead of Elizabeth Christman.

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Page Last Modified: Thursday, 07-Feb-2013 07:24:42 MST