Individual Details
Ephraim Keyes
(27 Jan 1737 - 1774)
Barbour Reads Kyes, Epharem, s. of Epharem & Sarah, b. Jan. 27, 1737/8 in Ashford, Ashford VR v.1, p. 57.
Ephraim was not listed by Asa Keyes in his genealogy. It is possible that the Ephraim Keyes of Avon, OH and Hannah Keyes who married Levi Carpenter are children of this Epharim Keyes, particularly since Hannah was born and married in Ashford. NEED PROOF, however, and can find nothing more on this family either in Ashford, CT or Acworth, NH, where some of the family went after Ashford about 1770. Hannah and Ephraim are of the correct ages to belong to this Epharim. Have no dates of the deaths of Ephraim and Abigail, but I have been told they are buried in Acworth, Sullivan County, New Hampshire.
It seems likely that Ephraim and Abigail would have had more than three children. It is possible they had more children and the later children were not recorded. The deaths of Ephraim Keyes, Jr. and wife Abigail are not recorded in the Ashford records, nor can I find the deaths recorded any other place. If Abigail had died young before having more children, I would have expected to find her death listed in Ashford.
An Abigail Chaffee married Jacob Orcutt 1 Jan 1771 in Ashford, Windham, Connecticut and had Jacob born in August of the same year and Jehu born in 1773, both in Ashford. However, if this is the same Abigail Chaffee who married Jacob Orcutt, why was she not listed Keyes in the marriage record, and again, why is there no death recorded for Ephraim?
Another researcher thinks Jacob Orcutt married someone other than the daughters of Benjamin or Jonathan Chaffee. If Ephraim Keyes, Jr. died right after 1764 as has been suggested, why did Abigail not marry again until 21 Dec 1778, assuming this is the same Abigail that married later as his 3rd wife Joseph Enos? Who would have provided for a young mother with three young children? Her daughter Zilpha married at age 20 in Ashford 16 Nov 1780 Clark Robbins, and one would assume her mother would likely be living in Ashford at that time and not with Joseph Enos in Union, Tolland, CT, a distance of about 10 miles, but then again that was not a huge distance. And, did Zilpha help raise her possible younger brother and sister in Ashford?
More recently, evidence is found that Ephraim Keyes had more than three children:
"Will of Ephraim Keys, of Town No. 5, Berkshire County, now resident at Hadley, Hampshire County, dated 30 May 1772, probated 1 March 1772, Probate Record, vol. 12, p. 145."
Names his wife Abigail whom he appoints as executrix and names children: Mareschal, Asa Ephraim (or Asa, Ephraim), Zilphah, Miriam, and Hannah.
Will probated in Hampshire County; guardianship documents of daughter Hannah, filed in Pomfret Probate Court, Connecticut, refer to Eprhaim as being from Hadley.
Ephraim was not listed by Asa Keyes in his genealogy. It is possible that the Ephraim Keyes of Avon, OH and Hannah Keyes who married Levi Carpenter are children of this Epharim Keyes, particularly since Hannah was born and married in Ashford. NEED PROOF, however, and can find nothing more on this family either in Ashford, CT or Acworth, NH, where some of the family went after Ashford about 1770. Hannah and Ephraim are of the correct ages to belong to this Epharim. Have no dates of the deaths of Ephraim and Abigail, but I have been told they are buried in Acworth, Sullivan County, New Hampshire.
It seems likely that Ephraim and Abigail would have had more than three children. It is possible they had more children and the later children were not recorded. The deaths of Ephraim Keyes, Jr. and wife Abigail are not recorded in the Ashford records, nor can I find the deaths recorded any other place. If Abigail had died young before having more children, I would have expected to find her death listed in Ashford.
An Abigail Chaffee married Jacob Orcutt 1 Jan 1771 in Ashford, Windham, Connecticut and had Jacob born in August of the same year and Jehu born in 1773, both in Ashford. However, if this is the same Abigail Chaffee who married Jacob Orcutt, why was she not listed Keyes in the marriage record, and again, why is there no death recorded for Ephraim?
Another researcher thinks Jacob Orcutt married someone other than the daughters of Benjamin or Jonathan Chaffee. If Ephraim Keyes, Jr. died right after 1764 as has been suggested, why did Abigail not marry again until 21 Dec 1778, assuming this is the same Abigail that married later as his 3rd wife Joseph Enos? Who would have provided for a young mother with three young children? Her daughter Zilpha married at age 20 in Ashford 16 Nov 1780 Clark Robbins, and one would assume her mother would likely be living in Ashford at that time and not with Joseph Enos in Union, Tolland, CT, a distance of about 10 miles, but then again that was not a huge distance. And, did Zilpha help raise her possible younger brother and sister in Ashford?
More recently, evidence is found that Ephraim Keyes had more than three children:
"Will of Ephraim Keys, of Town No. 5, Berkshire County, now resident at Hadley, Hampshire County, dated 30 May 1772, probated 1 March 1772, Probate Record, vol. 12, p. 145."
Names his wife Abigail whom he appoints as executrix and names children: Mareschal, Asa Ephraim (or Asa, Ephraim), Zilphah, Miriam, and Hannah.
Will probated in Hampshire County; guardianship documents of daughter Hannah, filed in Pomfret Probate Court, Connecticut, refer to Eprhaim as being from Hadley.
Events
| Birth | 27 Jan 1737 | Ashford, Windham County, Connecticut |  |  | |
| Marriage | 20 Dec 1760 | Ashford, Windham County, Connecticut - Abigail Chaffee | | | |
| Will | 30 May 1772 | Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts | | ||
| Death | 1774 | Massachusetts | | ||
| Probate | 1 Mar 1774 | Hampshire County, Massachusetts |
Families
| Spouse | Abigail Chaffee (1740 - 1810) |
| Child | Zilpha Keyes (1760 - ) |
| Child | Miriam Keyes (1762 - ) |
| Child | Marshall Keyes (1764 - 1820) |
| Child | Ephraim Keyes (1770 - 1852) |
| Child | Hannah Keyes (1774 - ) |
| Father | Lt. Ephraim Keyes (1715 - 1802) |
| Mother | Sarah Watkins (1718 - 1790) |
| Sibling | Capt. William Keyes (1739 - 1813) |
| Sibling | Asa Keyes (1742 - 1742) |
| Sibling | Miriam Keyes (1743 - 1753) |
| Sibling | Edward Keyes (1745 - 1823) |
| Sibling | Jonah Keyes (1748 - 1820) |
| Sibling | Hannah Keyes (1754 - ) |
| Sibling | Sarah Keyes (1755 - ) |
| Sibling | Frederick Keyes (1756 - 1785) |
| Sibling | Henry Keyes (1758 - 1792) |
| Sibling | Amos Keyes (1761 - 1820) |
| Sibling | Avis Keyes (1764 - ) |
Notes
Birth
Epharam KyesFather's Name: Epharem
Mother's Name: Sarah
Event Type: Birth 27 Jan. 1737/8
Event Place: Ashford, Windham, Connecticut
Vital Records Vol. 1, page 57
Marriage
Ashford Vital Records Vol. 3, page 12:KEYES, Ephraim, Jr
m. Abigail Chaffe, Dec. 20, 1760
Will
In the Name of God AmenI Ephraim Keyes of a Place called and known by the Name of Number Five in the County of Berkshire and Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England Yeoman Now Resident at Hadley in the County of Hampshire and Province aforesaid being Sick and weak in body but of sound mind and Memory & understanding do make publish and declare this my last Will and Testament in Manner and form following (Viz). My soul I commit into the hand of God who gave it hoping and Trusting in his Mercy for the sake of Christ my redeemer. And my body to the dust in Expectation of a Glorious Resurrection at the Last day. And as for that Worldly Estate with which God has blessed me with I Give and dispose thereof as follows Imprimis I Give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Abigail the whole of my Estate both Real and Personal to be at her own disposal forever my Just debts and the several Legacys hereafter mentioned being first paid out of the same by my said Wife: Whom I do hereby Constitute and appoint Sole Executrix of this my last Will and Testament.
Item I do hereby Give and bequeath unto my dear Children Mareschal, Asa Ephraim, Zilphah, Miriam, and Hannah the sum of Twenty shillings Each Lawful Money to be paid to each of them as they shall severally arrive at the age of twenty one years or be married as shall first happen.
And for the better Education of my said children I do Give and dispose of the Tuition and Custody of them and every of them to my said Wife so long as they and either of them respectively continue unmarried and under the age of twenty one Years. And my further Will and desire is that my said Executrix shall with all convenient speed after my Decease bargain sell and aliene in Fee: simple part or all of my Farm in Number five at her discretion to enable her to pay my Just debts & for the payment of the several Legacys beforementioned.
And I do hereby Revoke and disannull all former Wills by me made and declare this and this only to be my Last Will and Testament.
In Witness whereof I the said Ephraim Keyes have hereunto set my hand and seal this Thirtieth day of May in the twelvth year of the Reign of our sovereign Lord George the Third and in the Year of our Lord Christ One thousand seven hundred and seventy two.
Ephraim Keyes (seal)
Signed Sealed Published and declared by the said Ephraim Keyes as and for his Last Will and Testament in Presence of us the subscribers &:
Elisha Porter
Gardner Kellogg
Thankfull Kellogg
Note: This Will was probated at the Hampshire County Court by Judge Israel Williams on March 1, 1774.
Death
Will of Ephraim Keys, of Town No. 5, Berkshire County, now resident at Hadley, Hampshire County, dated 30 May 1772, probated 1 March 1772, Probate Record, vol. 12, p. 145. Names his wife Abigail whom he appoints as executrix and names children: Mareschal, Asa Ephraim (or Asa, Ephraim), Zilphah, Miriam, and Hannah.Will probated in Hampshire County; guardianship documents of daughter Hannah, filed in Pomfret Probate Court, Connecticut refer to Eprhaim as being from Hadley.
Endnotes
1. "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F74S-23T : 11 February 2018), Epharam Kyes, 27 Jan 1737; citing ; FHL microfilm unknown..
2. "Connecticut, Vital Records, Prior to 1850," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP7L-7WB6 : 20 February 2019), Epharam Kyes, 27 Jan 1737; citing Birth, Ashford, Windham, Connecticut, British Colonial America, Compiled by Lucius A. and Lucius B. Barbour, housed at State Library, Hartford, Connecticut; FHL microfilm 008272237..
3. "Connecticut, Vital Records, Prior to 1850," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP7L-7WBJ : 20 February 2019), Abigail Chaffe in entry for Ephraim Keyes, 20 Dec 1760; citing Marriage, Ashford, Windham, Connecticut, British Colonial America, Compiled by Lucius A. and Lucius B. Barbour, housed at State Library, Hartford, Connecticut; FHL microfilm 008272237..