Bible: James Askey/Jane Swanzey, 1800's: Centre/Franklin Cos, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by J Gloria Askey Kerns. escapart@networld.com USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. ____________________________________________________ James' father, Capt. Thomas Askey settled in Bald Eagle Valley, near Howard, Centre County, PA. James was born in Path Valley, Fannett Township, (Franklin County) PA. This is where Thomas and Betsey Baker met and were married. James was their oldest child, born before they moved to Bald Eagle Valley, but most all the children were born and reared in Bald Eagle Valley, except for the period when Betsey returned to her parents in Path Valley during the "Great Runaway" when Thomas was off fighting during the Revolutionary War. [Ed note: For more information on the Great Runaway, see the AREA HISTORY section of Luzerne County USGW Archives] James Askey/Jane Swanzey(Swansey) Surnames: ASKEY, SWANZEY, SWANSEY, BENNETT, POTTER, WELLS, MCKIBBEN, KELLEY, KILLIAN, LUSK, PAUL, SCHULTZ This little essay was included in information received from Mrs. Elinor Woods. NOTES FROM JANE SWANZEYÕS BIBLE This old Bible, ca. 1800, is modern enough that the letter "S" is shown as now used rather than that of old English script such as used in the 1700s. It is printed in English, but there is no record of the publisher nor a date because the first 25 pages, together with the title, are missing. Likewise, 114 pages (p. 439 to p. 552, inclusive) are missing and all were lost for many years because the book was rebound, or at least the old binding was reworked, and is in fairly good condition. While the paper has yellowed with age, it is still easily read. Size of the volume, which is bound in brown leather, is 9 x 12 x 2-*" thick. Jane Swanzey was born about 1790 or 1796 or, possibly, just a little earlier and when but 16 to 20 years of age married James Askey in August, about 1814. James was a younger brother of Robert Askey and both were sons of Captain Thomas Askey, of Revolutionary fame, and Elizabeth (Betsy) Baker. As a product of this marriage, James and Jane had two sons, John and Thomas, born in Centre County, Penn. Thomas does not figure in this narrative, but John does because he married his first cousin, Mary Evoline Askey, who was my grandmother and well do I remember her by being in direct contact during the first 12 years of my life. She is also the grandmother of Elinor Potter Ames of Florida, and whose birth is recorded in this Bible; of Evaline Paul Killian, Bertha Paul Lusk, Harry John Paul, and Luetta Bennett Schultz, all of whom are first cousins of mine and all of whom are living at this writing. Our grandmother married twice, the first time (as described above) to James Askey and from this lineage descended Elinor Potter Ames, who is truly a half-first cousin to the rest of us. Our grandmother, several years after the death of her first husband, married again and this second marriage, to Edwin Bennett, made him grandfather to the rest of us. This adds up to the fact that Jane Swanzey, whose Bible we are writing about this century and a half later, was a great-grandmother to Elinor Potter Ames, whereas she was not a blood relative ancestor to the rest of us at all. We all got into the picture, however, as will be seen from the attached genealogical tree which I have prepared entirely from the 36 Bible entries which are also reproduced herewith. (The "genealogical tree" referred to was not with the information received from Mrs. Woods.) Jane Swanzey Askey acquired her bible some time after her first husband, James Askey, died (September 17, 1816), because the first entry made was of his death. Her sons, John and Thomas, by this marriage were not entered, nor was her marriage entered until after her second marriage, and both of these were recorded at a later date by William McKibben in his heavy mannish-type of writing with black ink. In fact, all the McKibben entries, some 12 in number, were entered by him using the same pen and black ink. It is indeed unfortunate that the two leaves embracing the four pages of data are somewhat torn and a part of one leaf is gone. This part had several more entries on additional McKibben births, most of which are important at this time, but the reverse side lost just a corner of the two entries showing the year dates of Jane SwanzeyÕs two marriages. From the data given, however, we can closely approximate both dates. James died in 1816 and had two sons, hence he married Jane Swanzey not later than 1814; she married William McKibben during the period between 1818 and 1837. His first recordings in the Bible were of his father McKibbenÕs death, January 8, 1837, and then he made the whole series of recordings mentioned in the paragraph above. So, Jane acquired this Bible during her widowhood, some time between 1816 and 1837. This Bible narrative is not concluded, however, because it is still in existence and it had to be in someoneÕs possession ever since. Why do we now have it; why did Mary Evoline Askey Bennett or John Askey have it; why did it not remain with the McKibben line after they had it, is somewhat of a mystery to me. Why, After having so decisively made many entries on his previous family (about 1837), there are no birth records showing the children of William McKibben and Jane Swanzey? From other sources we learned they had three sons, Joseph, Thompson and Jesse, all of whom at some time or another lived in Freeport, IL. Joseph still resided there in January 1900. Jane Swanzey McKibben was also there. What happened when the McKibbens went to Illinois (remember all of the foregoing history was made in Pennsylvania)? What became of Jane Swanzey Askey McKibben; what was the date of her death and where did it take place; and how come the Bible, her Bible, left the McKibben family and got back to John Askey, a son by a previous marriage? Well, whether or not any of these questions can be answered does not change the fact that the second home of, or rather, the new owners of the Bible were John Swanzey Askey and Mary Evoline Askey, who were married in Pennsylvania October 31, 1839, and left there in 1844, with 4 children, for new parts west. They traveled in a covered wagon and had everything they owned, the Bible included with them. I have written a whole book of biography on my grandmother, Mary Evoline Askey Bennett, hence will not dwell upon it here. This is a story of the Bible, however, and it traveled with them to Miami Reserve and to points in Indiana, to Blue Island and Chicago, Illinois, all the time they were endeavoring to find a place suitable for his health. Finally, by 1848, they settled at Leaf River, Illinois, on a 40-acre farm which was deeded to them May 4, 1849, and which shows in the county record at Oregon, IL. Here the Bible remained until 1866. It afforded space for many entries of the Askeys and Bennetts. From there it went to Clinton, IA, then to Chicago, IL, all the time possessed by Mary Evoline Askey until she died September 28, 1895. While she lived with my family (1879-1892), the Bible was with us, too, but during the last 3 years of her life she lived with her youngest daughter, Charity Ann Bennett Paul who, in 1895, became the third owner of the Bible. Aunt Chat, as we knew her, had the distinction along with my mother, Louise, of having their births recorded in the Bible. At the time of Aunt ChatÕs death (January 2, 1941), the Bible handed itself down to her son, Harry John Paul, who loaned it to me yesterday for some recording and certified copy work in connection with application for membership in the C.A.R. and the S.A.R. This short story of Jane Swanzey and her Bible should be interesting to the hundreds of descendants from the same 25 persons recorded therein. H.D. MacDonald February 23, 1946 FAMILY RECORD 21TH THOS. ERSKINE BORN 1750 BIRTHS Mary E. Askey was born May 28th A.D. 1820 Mary Jane Askey was born August 14, A.D. 1840 Eleanor Swansey Askey was born June 26, 1841 Sarah Lucinda Askey was born July 22, 1841 James Thomas Askey was born February 8th, 1844 Rebeccah Adaline Askey was born February 25th 1850 Eliza Matilda Askey was born December 5, 1851 David J. Wells was born May 14, 1835 Louisa Bennett was born 8th February 1857 Charity Ann Bennett was born 22nd March 1860 Wendelin Thomas Bennett was born 13th October, 1864 Ellie Potter was born September 25 (all ink entries except "Ellie Potter", done in pencil) m McKibben was born October, 1775 Lamb was born June, 1782 s McKibben, son of _____ and Susan McKibben born the 28th day of January, 1804 retta A. McKibben, daughter _____m and Susan McKibben was born the 16th of September, 1807 William McKibben, son of William and Susan McKibben, was born the 22nd of April, 1810 _____ gh _____ ne _____ the 18th Letty J. McKibben, Daughter of Wm. and Susan McKibben, was born May the 30th, 1816 ______ son of _____cKibbben ______ 1824 Susan L. McKibben, daughter _____m and Susan McKibben born the 27th day of December, 1819 McKibben Bennett was born _____th November, 1830 _____ City of London (page badly torn). DEATHS James Askey Died September 17, 1816 William McKibben. Departed this life the 8th Day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand, eight hundred and thirty-seven Susan McKibben. Departed this life on the 6th day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand, eight hundred and twenty Susan L. McKibben, Daughter of William and Susan Mc Departed this (page torn off)Day of Nove ______ John S. Askey. Departed this life December 30, 1852 Eleanor S. Kelley. Departed this Life August 21, 1869 Mary Jane Wells. Died June 25, 1873 Wendelin Thomas Bennett. Departed this Life August 7th 1890 Mary E. Bennett. Departed this Life September 28th 1895 MARRIAGES James Askey and Jane Swansey w ______ married August William McKib____ Jane Askey was mar_____ October 18,18__ John S. Askey was married to Mary E. Askey October 31, 1839 Edwin Bennett and Mary Evoline Askey were married 7th May 1856 David J. Wells and Mary Jane Askey was married May the 22, 1856 Johnnie Potter and Matilda Askey was married December the 11, 1871