Generation 1

JOHN KEEP (d. 1676) of Springfield

Parents: Unknown

John Keep died on 26 Mar 1676 in Springfield. [Ref] He married Sarah Leonard on 31 Dec 1663. [Ref][Ref, p. 680]

On 26 Mar 1676, John, his wife Sarah and his youngest son Jabez were slain by Indians. [Ref]

John was one of the inhabitants of Springfield who signed a 1688 petition against duties on imports into and exports out of the colony. [Ref].

John Keep of Springfield is on a 19 May 1669 list of those who did not take the freeman's oath. [Ref]

Children of John Keep:

1. Sarah Keep was born on 5 Dec 1666. [Ref] She died on 8 Jul 1729. [Ref] Sarah married Benjamin Parsons on 17 Jan 1683. [Ref] Benjamin, the son of Benjamin and Sarah (Vore) Parsons was born on 15 Sep 1658 and died on 28 Dec 1728 in Enfield, CT. [Ref]
2. Elizabeth Keep was born on 15 Nov 1668 [Ref] in Springfield. [Ref] She died in Sep 1675. [Ref]
3. Ens. Samuel Keep was born on 22 Aug 1670 in Springfield. He married Sarah Colton.
4. Hannah Keep was born on 8 Jun 1673. [Ref] Hannah married Ebenezer Miller, the son of Thomas and Sarah Miller, on 16 Oct 1690. [Ref]
5. Jabez Keep was born on 11 Dec 1675 [Ref] in Springfield. [Ref][Ref] He died there on 26 Mar 1676.

Generation 2

ENS. SAMUEL KEEP (1670 - 1755)

Parents: John Keep and Sarah Leonard

Samuel Keep was born on 22 Aug 1670 [Ref] in Springfield. [Ref] Ens. Samuel Keep of Springfield died on 23 Aug 1755 [Ref] in Springfield. [Ref] He married Sarah Colton on 27 Feb 1695 [Ref] in Springfield. [Ref] Samuel and Sarah are buried in the Longmeadow Cemetery in Springfield. [Ref]

Children of Samuel Keep and Sarah Colton:

1. Nameless baby Keep was born on 17 Feb 1697. [Ref]
2. John Keep was born on 22 Jun 1698. [Ref] He died on 28 Jul 1757. [Ref]
3. Samuel Keep was born on 12 Nov 1700. [Ref] He died on 9 Nov 1761 [Ref] in Springfield. [Ref] He married Sarah Bement of Springfield after they published their intention on 11 Feb 1737/8 in Springfield. [Ref]
4. Sarah Keep was born on 23 Aug 1703. [Ref] She died on 4 Nov 1767 [Ref] She married Dea. Daniel Chandler, the son of Henry and Lydia (Abbott) Chandler, on 4 Jan 1728. [Ref]
5. Capt. Jabez Keep was born on 10 Mar 1706 in Springfield. He died on 19 Aug 1774 in Harvard. He married first Sarah Leonard. He married second Experience Lawrence.
6. Elizabeth Keep was born on 22 May 1709 [Ref] in Springfield. [Ref] She became sick and died on 29 Jul 1720 [Ref] in Springfield. [Ref]
7. Jemima Keep was born on 17 Jul 1711 [Ref] in Springfield. [Ref] She married Isaac Griswold of Killingworth on 13 Sep 1731. [Ref]
8. Josiah Keep was born on 30 Nov 1713 [Ref] in Springfield. [Ref]
9. Abiah Keep was born on 17 Dec 1715. [Ref] She married Jonathan Wright of Windsor on 9 Jun 1737. [Ref]
10. Stephen Keep was born on 26 Oct 1717 [Ref] in Springfield. [Ref] He died on 15 Jan 1790. [Ref]
11. Eunice Keep was born on 11 Mar 1719 [?]/20 [Ref] in Springfield. [Ref] She died on 23 Dec 1739. [Ref]
12. Matthew Keep was born on 30 Oct 1722 [Ref] in Springfield. [Ref] He died on 29 Jun 1758. [Ref]

Generation 3

CAPT. JABEZ KEEP (1707 - 1774) of Westford

Parents: Samuel Keep and Sarah Colton

Capt. Jabez Keep was born on 10 Mar 1706 in Springfield. [Ref][Ref] He died on 19 Aug 1774 in Harvard. [Ref] He married first his first cousin Sarah Leonard on 16 Apr 1730 in Springfield. [Ref][Ref, p. 682] Saraj was the daughter of Joseph and Margaret Leonard. [Ref, p. 682] She ws born on 10 Aug 1707. [Ref, p. 682] She died on 9 Mar 1738/9, age 32, in Westford. [Ref][Ref, p. 682] He married second Experience Lawrence of Littleton on 3 Apr 1740 in Littleton. [Ref][Ref says 3 Feb and that Jabez is of Westford] He settled at Westford and is said to have had 16 children. [Ref]

Children of Jabez Keep and Sarah Leonard:

1. Sarah Keep was born on 10 Apr 1731 in Westford. [Ref] She married Preserved Leonard of Springfield on 22 May 1751 in Westford. [Ref]
2. Samuel Keep was born on 3 Nov 1732 in Westford. [Ref]
3. Lucy Keep was born on 7 Nov 1734 in Westford. [Ref]
4. Jabez Keep was born on 13 Dec 1736 in Westford. [Ref] He married Phebe Crosby on 7 Jul 1757 in Westford. [Ref]
   

Children of Jabez Keep and Experience Lawrence:

1. Eunice Keep was born on 18 May 1741 in Westford. [Ref] She married Zachariah Fletcher after 22 Aug 1761 (int.) in Westford. [Ref]
2. Leonard Keep was born on 7 Oct 1742 in Westford. [Ref] He married Ruth Stone on 7 Oct 1765 in Westford. [Ref]
3. Mary Keep was born on 23 Mar 1743/4 in Westford. She died on 3 Sep 1827. She married Capt. Leonard Proctor.
4. Jonathan Keep was born on 7 Aug 1745 in Westford. [Ref] He married Hannah Hildreth on 26 Jul 1769 in Westford. [Ref]
5. Ruth Keep was born on 25 Mar 1746/7 in Westford. [Ref] She married Benjamin Green of Groton after 21 Jun 1765 (int.) in Westford. [Ref]
6. Experience Keep was born on 13 Sep 1748 in Westford. [Ref] She died on 12 Sep 1750 in Westford. [Ref]
7. Elizabeth Keep was born on 20 Apr 1750 in Westford. [Ref]
8. Experience Keep was born on 23 Jan or 3 Feb 1752 in Westford. [Ref] She married Hosea Hildreth on 22 Jun 1769 in Westford. [Ref]
9. John Keep was born on 29 Sep 1753 in Westford. [Ref]
10. Jemima Keep was born on 10 Aug 1755 in Westford. [Ref]
11. Rebecca Keep was born on 16 Apr 1758 in Westford. [Ref]

Generation 4

MARY KEEP (abt 1744 - 1827)

Parents: Capt. Jabez Keep and Experience Lawrence

Mary Keep was born on 23 Mar 1743/4 in Westford. [Ref] She died on 3 Sep 1827. [Ref][Ref] Her gravestone in the Proctor cemetery, Proctorsville, Windsor, VT, says that she was 83 years old. [Ref] Mary Keep of Harvard married Capt. Leonard Proctor on 25 Dec 1769 [Ref] in Harvard. [Ref]

References

Allen, William, "Longmeadow (Mass.) Families," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 31, 1877, 417-420; 33, 1879, 68-70, 202-204; 36, 1882, 165-167.

Davis, Charles H. S., 'Records of Springfield, Mass.' New England Historical and Genealogical Register 18, 1864, 82-86,142-147;19, 1865, 61-64.

Editors, "Genealogies," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 1, 1847, 251-275.

Jacobus, Donald Lines, Hale, House and Related Families, Mainly of the Connecticut River Valley, Baltimore, MD, Genealogical Publishing Co., 2001.

Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850. Online Database: NewEnglandAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2007.

Proctor Cemetery, Proctorsvsille, Windsor County, Vermont, Cemetery Transcription Library, www.Interment.net.

Proctor, Mr. and Mrs. William Lawrence, Genealogy of Descendants of Robert Proctor of Concord and Chelmsford, Mass., Republican & Journal Print, Ogdensburg, NY, 1898.

Trask, William B., "'Petitions against Imposts," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 9, 1855, 81 - 91.

Town of Littleton, Records of Littleton, Massachusetts, 1900, Online database: NewEnglandAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004.