Person:James Kenyon (19)

Richard R. Kenyon, Clark Kenyon and Harry Kenyon have collected Kenyon information and published the results on the Internet at http://hometown.aol.com/ctk0209/index.htm. This book is a collective work of dozens of Kenyon family genealogical researchers, authors, and interested individuals who over the course of three generations and 65 years have made this collection possible.

The initial published book on the Kenyon Family was "American Kenyon Generations Historical Genealogical Record" by Captain Charles Kenyon, published by Tuttle Publishing Co. in 1934.

Before beginning with the earliest sustained generations of Kenyon families in the New World, and in order to better understand more clearly the significance of the dates, places and town records of early Rhode Island and New York descriptions are included as a reference.

Chronological History of Rhode Island:

Westerly was set off from the King's Province on 14 May 1669.

Charlestown was set off from Westerly on 22 Aug 1738.

Richmond was set off from Charlestown on 18 Aug 1747.

About half of the Village of Carolina is in the town (township) of Richmond and offices of the town clerks of Richmond and of Charlestown are situated in Carolina. This can tend to lead to great confusion while trying to decipher the land records for earlier period.

Hopkinton was set off from Westerly in 1757. The Baptist Church at Potter Hill, which was established as early as 1680 (The first Sabbatarian Church), was the one to which many of the early Kenyons belonged. When Hopkinton was set off from Westerly it left those Kenyons who settled in Charlestown with their former land records in Westerly and church records in Hopkinton. In the case of David Kenyon (16), who settled in Richmond while it was still part of Westerly, he had land records in Westerly, town clerk records of births in both Charlestown and Richmond, and his later land and civil records in Richmond.

In the record of marriage of James Kenyon (I) it is stated that he was a linen weaver at the time of his marriage and resided in Droylsden in the parish of Manchester. The record also states that his wife was a spinster, daughter of John Smith within Glodwick, in the parish of Oldham, and that both James Kenyon (I) and his wife were about the age of one and twenty years at the date of their marriage. All recorded births of his children show him as a resident of Glodwick after his marriage. There is no record of his death in Rhode Island. The dates of birth and names of his children and grandchildren conclusively prove his identity.

He may have come to Rhode Island from Muddy River (now known as `Brookline') Massachusetts.

The elder son, John, may have followed or preceded the family to America by way of Virginia on the `Thomas and John' from England. The passenger list for the `Thomas and John' bound for Virginia, lists two Kenyons, Jo: and Geo:. The entry `Jo:' is believed to be that of John Kenyon. No current knowledge is known regarding the `Geo:' entry by this author. Some family folklore is available that states that John and George were sent by the eldest son of the family, to find their riches, in the new land of America.