Robert was born in County Antrim, Northern Ireland on March 8th, 1782 and died on October 6th 1862 in Edgefield, South Carolina.
Robert arrived in Charleston, South Carolina approximate Jan 1791 from County Antrim in Northern Ireland after which he moved to the Laurens District. He was about 9 years old.
In his statement shown at left it states “I Robert Kenney was born 8th March A.D. 1782 in Ireland, County Antrim, Emigrated to S.C. Landed in Charleston 3 May Jan 1790 or 1791. Settled in Laurens District with Father Mother, three brothers and one sister. All soon dead but myself and sister. This 18 Oct A.D. 1840 signed Robert Kenny”.
Who are these other family members he writes about in his statement? The current hypothesis was generated from two different family bible records that show dates but not relationships. One bible record is entitled ” Family of Robert Kenney Senior” and the other from his suspected brother John C Kenney entitled “Kenney Family Record”
Father: John Kenney (b. 1750 Ireland, d 01 November 1794 Laurens District, SC
Mother: Margaret Kenney (b 12 Jan 1741 Ireland, d March 1814 Edgefield County, SC
Sons of John and Margaret:
- William Adams Kenney (b 2 Jul 1770, d before Jul 1830)
- John C Kenney (b 1777, d 29 Jul 1825)
- Robert Kenney (b 8 March 1782, 06 Oct 1862)
- Samuel Kenney (b 1785, d 1825)
Daughter of Margaret and John
- Margaret Kenney (b 30 Dec 1779, d 15 Dec 1849
Evidence for the hypothesis comes grave location and from the South Carolina 1800 Census
Margaret (b 1779) and Robert are thought to be brothers and sisters. They are buried near one another in the Harmony Methodist Church graveyard, SC and they are close in age with Margaret being 3 years older than Robert
The next clues come from the 1800 Census for South Carolina.
As the family record information lists John Kenney dying in the Laurens District in 1794, the two entries that were of interest were for John (son) and Margaret Kinney (mother) both as heads of households.
The key to this census is provided in the table below for the first 10 numbers with guesses as to whom would fit the age categories with “X”s.
|
Ages of Free White Males |
Ages of Free While Females |
|||||||||
|
0-10 |
10-16 |
16-26 |
26-45 |
45+ |
0-10 |
10-16 |
16-26 |
26-45 |
45+ |
|
| Kinney, John |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Kinney, Margaret |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Samuel age 15 |
X |
|||||||||
| Robert age 18 |
X |
|||||||||
| Margaret Jr age 21 |
X |
|||||||||
| Margaret Sr age 59 |
X |
|||||||||
| William A. age 29 ?? | ||||||||||
As John C was 23 in 1800, he could’ve been married and living with his wife and young child. Support from this comes for other Kenney family bible records, provided to me by Nelma Bryson. Her records indicate that a John Kenney and his wife Rachel were married 15 September 1799 and had a child William born in 1800. This matches the 1800 census information for John Kinney in the Laurens District. Both Kenney bible records have the same year of birth for John C Kenney but differ in their dates of death by 10 years and one month.
Margaret Kinney Senior in both Kenney bible/family records have her born in 1741 yet differ in her death date by 3 years, ie 1811 or 1814. Either way she may show up in the 1810 Census but wasn’t found in the Edgefield census of 1810, Robert Kenney, did show up in the 1810 census, was living in Edgefield with his wife and children and possibly one brother (Samuel or William Adams).
In addition, land records indicate that a John Kenney witnessed Robert’s first purchase of land in Edgefield, SC
There is a John Kenney also showing up in the 1810 Edgefield Census with 7 males, 1 female along with himself and an assumed wife. This may or may not be John C who had 7 known children in 1810.
familyancestors 