Surname Saturday - KENYON (England > RI)

It's Surname Saturday, and I'm "counting down" my Ancestral Name List each week. I am up to number 95, who is Nancy Kenyon (1765-????), one of my 4th-great-grandparents.

My ancestral line back through six generations of KENYON families is:

1. Randall J. Seaver

2. Frederick W. Seaver (1911-1983)
3. Betty V. Carringer (1919-2002)

4. Frederick W. Seaver (1876-1942)
5. Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962)

10. Thomas Richmond (1848-1917)
11. Julia White (1848-1913)

22. Henry Arnold White (1824-1885)
23. Amy Frances Oatley (1826-before 1870)

46. Jonathan Oatley (1790-1872)
47. Amy Champlin (1798-1865)

94. Joseph Champlin, born about 1758 in Charlestown, Washington County, RI, and died 17 June 1850 in South Kingston, Washington County, RI. He was the son of 188. Elijah Champlin and 189. Phoebe Card. He married before 1785 in probably South Kingstown, Washington County, RI.
95. Nancy Kenyon, born About 1765 in Washington County, RI.

Children of Joseph Champlin and Nancy Kenyon were Samuel Champlin (1785-1874); Phoebe Champlin (1788-1879); Mary Champlin (1790-????); Joseph Champlin (1792-1877); Nancy Champlin (1794-1821_; Elizabeth Champlin (1796-????); Amy Champlin (1798-1865); Abigail Champlin (1798-1859); George Hazard Champlin (1799-1865); Frances Gardner Champlin (1800-1880); John Kenyon Champlin (1804-????); Alice Champlin (1808-1876).

190. John Kenyon, born about 1742 in Richmond, Washington County, RI; died July 1831 in Sterling, Windham County, CT. He married 1764 in probably Newport, Newport County, RI.
191. Anna, born about 1742 in RI; died before in probably Windham County, CT.

Children of John Kenyon and Anna are: Nancy Kenyon (1765-????); Lewis Kenyon (1767-????); Sylvester Kenyon (1769-1838); Almy Kenyon (1770-????); Abigail Kenyon (1772-????); Cynthia Kenyon (1773-????); Mary Kenyon (1774-1810); John Kenyon (1776-????); George Kenyon (1778-1834).

380. Sylvester Kenyon, born 07 April 1710 in Kingstown, Washington County, RI; died 03 May 1800 in Voluntown, New London County, CT. He married 07 April 1740 in North Kingstown, Washington County, RI.
381. Anna Barber, born 08 October 1717 in North Kingstown, Washington County, RI; died after 1800 in Sterling, Windham County, CT. She was the daughter of 762. Moses Barber and 763. Susanna West/Wast.

Children of Sylvester Kenyon and Anna Barber are: Giles Kenyon (1740-????); Sylvester Kenyon (1741-1838); John Kenyon (1742-1831); Abigail Kenyon (1744-????); Paul Kenyon (1746-????); Moses Kenyon (1750-1824).

760. John Kenyon, born about 1682 in Rhode Island; died before 27 February 1734/35 in Westerly, Washington County, RI. He married July 1704 in North Kingstown, Washington County, RI.
761. Elizabeth Remington, born about 1685 in Kingstown, Washington County, RI; died before 05 October 1747 in Richmond, Washington County, RI. She was the daughter of 1522. John Remington and 1523. Abigail Richmond.

Children of John Kenyon and Elizabeth Remington are: John Kenyon (1706-1747); Thomas Kenyon (1708-1778); Sylvester Kenyon (1710-1800); George Kenyon (1712-1796); Sarah Kenyon (1715-1803); Mary Kenyon (1717-????); Elizabeth Kenyon (1720-1778); Samuel Kenyon (1722-1747); Abigail Kenyon (1724-1746); Benedict Kenyon (1727-1807);

CORRECTION: See the UPDATE below, I have modified the information for the family of John Kenyon below:

1520. John Kenyon, born about 1657, died before 26 June 1732 in Westerly, Washington County, RI. He married about 1678.
1521. --?-- Mumford, died in Westerly, Washington County, RI.

Children of John Kenyon and --?-- Mumford are: John Kenyon (1679-1681); John Kenyon (1682-1735); Sarah Kenyon (1683-1721); Jonathan Kenyon (1687-1687); Enoch Kenyon (1688-1781); James Kenyon (1690-1774); David Kenyon (1693-1772); Jonathan Kenyon (1695-1767); Joseph Kenyon (1697-1766); Samuel Kenyon (1699-1724).

CORRECTION: James and Esther (Smith) Kenyon are not the parents of John Kenyon (1657-1732) - see the UPDATE at the bottom of this post:

3040. James Kenyon, born 1633 of Droyleston, Manchester, Lancashire, ENGLAND. He married 02 May 1654 in Oldham, Lancashire, ENGLAND.
3041. Esther Smith, born 1633 in Oldham, Lancashire, ENGLAND. She was the daughter of 6082. John Smith and 6083. Sarah Sherman.

Children of James Kenyon and Esther Smith are: John Kenyon (1655-1732); James Kenyon (1657-1724); Mary Kenyon (1660-????).
END OF CORRECTION

One published history of the Rhode Island Kenyon family was American Kenyons ... by Howard N. Kenyon, which got some of the families in rural Rhode Island mixed up, especially my 380. Sylvester Kenyon and his son 190. John Kenyon's families. The Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: Book 3, George Soule by Anne Harding seems to have found more accurate information, and is what I'm using. I discussed the family and John's wife's name here.

CORRECTION: The paragraph below is also affected by the UPDATE below:

Some resources list the wife of 1520. John Kenyon (1655-1732) as Hannah Mumford. However, several of John Kenyon's children were born to an Anna in Lancashire while the assumed Hannah Mumford was apparently born in RI. He may have married a Hannah Mumford after the English-born wife died.

Are there any Kenyon cousins reading this? I have lost contact with some of the knowledgeable Kenyon cousins that have worked hard to correct the American Kenyons book. Please contact me at rjseaver@cox.net if you wish to correspond.

UPDATED 16 August: Martin Hollick noted in Comments that "In a series of articles in TAG in 2003-4 the Kenyons' English origins were disproved. 1521. becomes [blank] Mumford, daughter of Thomas and Sarah (Sherman) Mumford. And 1520 is the end of the line. It's my book which you have."

Martin's excellent book is New Englanders in the 1600's, A Guide to Genealogical Research Published Between 1980 and 2005, Boston, Massachusetts, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2006. The entry in Martin's book noted:

"KENYON, JOHN, b. ca. 1657, d. Westerly, R.I., 1732. TAG 78:222-27, 79:207-8 (revision of English origins and early generations)."

I have edited my post above to reflect the revisions noted in the two articles from The American Genealogist periodical. I will have more to say about my research on this family in a later post.

Thank you to Martin Hollick for providing the latest scholarly information about the early Kenyon families. I really dislike to be wrong on any of my genealogical information, but I know that my research, and my database, are very imperfect! All errors are my own, and I appreciate readers that help me find ancestral family information.