Hi, all.....
Good questions, Alicia......
Here's what I know:
My James Casey/Kasey, according to a family letter written about 1900 by a
great grandson, Singleton Lisle Kasey, arrived in Virginia some years before
the Rev. War.
He was a mariner from Ireland, landed at the Hampton area, crossed country to
Bedford Co. VA and settled there. He first shows up in land purchase
records about 1775, along with William Kennedy/Canada(y), whose daughter,
Mary, is married to James. Singleton included a lineage chart which shows
James having two unknown children before the ones known about in the family.
Maybe a first marriage? He also says James was in the Rev. War but no
record can be found of that, either.
Among the kids of James and Mary we know of are Alexander, b. about 1770/71,
Ann, William, James, Thomas, John, Elizabeth and George, the youngest. Most
of the family went to the Breckinridge Co. Ky area in the 1830s. George
stayed in Bedford with his mom (Mary) and many of his descendents are still
around there.
There was, in shipping records I've found through the library of VA, a John
Casey who captained a ship out of the Norfolk, Hampton area in that time
period, 1760s and 70s. There was also an Alexander Kennedy who was a ship
owner and captain. Somehow, someway, I think these families are connected
to mine, but I just can't find the link.
A cousin did some research on James in the mid 1950s and 60s and thought the
family was also in Maryland earlier. She found clues that suggested the
family came from Birr in Ireland. What they were I don't know.
Tis' all a mystery and if anyone knows anything about these guys, I'd really
appreciate the help. I've been staring at this deadend too long.
Sally Kasey