Cross Keys Rockingham Co., Va.
ave you ever come across any info that concerns the Harry surname the Keeslinge family?
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Cross Keys derived it's name from an book store in England 1650-1655. Who gave the name to the place in Rockingham County, Virginia is not known, but a post office was established there in 1804. J. Hancock, probably an eastern Virginian was the first post master. He cut his name on a weathered plank board of the old Kemper home stead at Cross Keys 1804 and so did John Brown, a reformed minister then a young man of thirty three.
John Harry was the owner of Cross Keys, in 1817, when the place was bought by Jacob Kisling, a soldier of the revolution and given to his daughter, the wife of John Pence. In 1823 Rodham Kemper moved down from the old "Plow and Harrow store" near Mount Sidney In Augusta County bought Cross keys and it remained in his family for many years. Rodham Kemper was a merchant of that place from 1823 to 1845, the year of his death and the business was continued by his sons, Edward S. Kemper and William Morgan Kemper. The latter was a private soldier in the Tenth Virginia Regiment and died in the service in 1862. The oldest building at Cross Keys was a small one story building named the "Tailor Shop" It stood at an angel to the Keezelton Road and the road leading to Pleasanton Valley, probably built by John Harry and his trade give his name to the "Tailor Shop"
One point of Interest:
My ancestor arrived Philadelphia Ship Fanes Oct. 17 1749 From Roterdam via Cowes also Jacob Keeling (Jacob Kisling Pa. Archives) was present on this ship.
Virginia Valley Records By John W. Wayland
Any help appreciated.
James S. Harry
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Re: Cross Keys Rockingham Co., Va.
Scott Manwaring 5/21/09