Barnes, Keziah
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Barnes, Keziah
Generation One
Thomas Barnes
Generation Two
Samuel Barnes
Samuel was the son of Thomas and Prudence Albee Barnes. He was born on March 17, 1685 in Swansea, MA. His sister was Anna Barnes who married Thomas Allin on the Cole side of our family.
Samuel's first wife was Joanna Reynolds. Joanne died before 1706. It was that year that he married Jean whose surname is not known. They married on November 28, 1706 in Swansea. Jean was the mother of Keziah Barnes.
In his later life he was again a widower, and he married for a third time. His wife was Rebecca, whose last name is not known.
At the time of his death, he was a resident of Warren, RI and a yeoman. His will dated February 23, 1764, filed in Barrington, RI, mentions his wife Rebecca who "will carry forth the contract made between us."
He mentioned son Thomas Barnes, daughters Hannah Brown, dec'd, late wife of Hezekiah Brown, Keziah Peck, wife of Solomon Peck, and Annie Hunt.
He left an inheritance to his late daughter's children, and to his great grandchildren.
Samuel died after 1764.
Generation Three
Keziah Barnes Peck
Keziah, born in Barrington, RI on April 1, 1718, was the daughter of Samuel Barnes and his second wife Jean. She lived in Barrington as a young girl. One of her brothers was Thomas Barnes who married into the Cole side of our family. It was there at the age of 20 she married Solomon, age 25, son of Deacon Nathaniel Peck.
They were a wealthy family, and had many comforts, but tragedy was no stranger to Keziah.
She was the mother of a large family of eleven children. In 1752, her nine year daughter Hannah died.
During the year of 1776, as the colonists grew uneasy with strict and unjust British rule, Barrington prepared for war. Many English ships sailed into Narragansett Bay armed for battle. July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed. Two of Keziah's sons died as young men, 23 year old Daniel and 29 year old Benjamin. On December 8, 1776, her beloved husband Solomon passed away at the age of 65. Her 5 remaining sons joined the fight for freedom.
The British were very close to the family homestead. The enemy had fired their powerful ship's cannon directly into the town of Bristol, only a few miles away. Rhode Island was on constant alert.
Keziah must have spent many sleepless nights worrying about her family, her home and her country. The war dragged on for several years, and eventually our young county was free. Troubles were not over. The economy was in shambles, and farms had been neglected. The Pecks pulled together and survived. It was their mother who held the family together.
On July 18, 1792, she died at the age of 75. She is buried near her husband in the Princess Hill Cemetery in Barrington, RI.
Her gravestone is engraved with a fitting tribute to this gallant lady.
"All that was mortal of Kezia wife of Solomon Peck, Esqr lieth here
who died July 18, 1792 in the 75th year of her Age
A faithful wife and Mother dear
Such was she who now lies here"
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