Genealogical Sketch of the Jeremiah McKnew (1804-????) and Frances Allethia Pickrell (1810-1845) Family of Maryland and District of Columbia

This is a genealogical sketch of the lives of the Jeremiah and Allethia (Pickrell) McKnew family of Maryland. They are my wife Linda's 2nd great-grandparents.

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Jeremiah McKnew’s Early Life

Jeremiah McKnew was born about 1804 in Prince George's, Maryland, the second son of Nathan McKnew (1771-1834) and his first wife, Mary --?-- (1775-1806), who married in about 1800 in Prince George’s County. They had three children:

• Samuel McKnew, born about 1802, Prince George's, Maryland; married Mary --?--, before 1831, Maryland
• Jeremiah McKnew, born about 1804, Prince George's, Maryland; married Frances Allethia Pickrell, 26 March 1829, Washington, District of Columbia; married Sarah --?--, before 1848, Maryland.
• Basil McKnew, born about 1805, Prince George's, Maryland; married Caroline Duvall, 28 September 1831, Washington, District of Columbia.

Jeremiah’s mother died before 10 February 1806, when Nathan McKnew and Jennet "Jane" Prather were married on 10 February 1806 in Montgomery, Maryland.

Nathan McKnew and Jennet Prather had the following children:

• Thomas McKnew, born before 5 June 1807, Muirkirk, Prince George's, Maryland; married Martha Maria Wall, 23 November 1827, Prince George's, Maryland; died 15 May 1856, Beltsville, Prince George's, Maryland.
• Charles McKnew, born about 1809, Prince George's, Maryland; married Sarah --?--, before 1830, Maryland; died before 1850, Maryland.
• Rachel McKnew, born about 1812, Prince George's, Maryland; married Joseph King, 28 February 1835, Baltimore, Baltimore (city), Maryland.
• George McKnew was born about 1820 in Prince George's, Maryland; no further record.
• Nathan R. McKnew, born 30 October 1823, Baltimore, Baltimore (city), Maryland; married (1) Catherine Stevens, 12 April 1844, Baltimore, Baltimore (city), Maryland; married (2) Milka Baker, 9 February 1845, Baltimore, Baltimore (city), Maryland; married (3) Mary A. Wonn, 16 November 1847, Baltimore, Baltimore (city), Maryland; married (4) Mary Ann Wilkerson Riggs, 2 September 1855, Baltimore, Baltimore (city), Maryland; died 30 December 1890, Baltimore, Baltimore (city), Maryland.
• William McKnew was born about 1825 in Prince George's, Maryland; died October 1882 at the age of 57 in Prince George's, Maryland.
• John Thomas McKnew was born about 1826 in Prince George's, Maryland, United States; no further record.

The Nathan McKnew family resided in Prince George’s County, Maryland through 1834.

Frances Allethia Pickrell’s Early Life

Frances Allethia Pickrell was born about 1810 probably in Prince George's, Maryland. She was the daughter of Benjamin Pickrell (c1780-c1845) and Allethia Prather (c1786-1841), who married in about 1802 in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

Benjamin Pickrell and Allethia Prather had the following children (there may have been other children- the records are sparse):

• Catharine Pickrell, born 1804, Washington, District of Columbia; married Elijah Ourand, 20 November 1823, Washington, District of Columbia; died 17 October 1888, Washington, District of Columbia.
• Frances Allethia Pickrell, born about 1810, probably in Prince George's, Maryland; married Jeremiah McKnew, 26 March 1829, Washington, District of Columbia; died 3 May 1845, Prince George's, Maryland, United States.

The Benjamin Pickrell family resided in Washington, District of Columbia from 1804.

Jeremiah and Allethia’s Married Life Together

Jeremiah McNew and Allethia Pickrell were married on 26 March 1829 in Washington, District of Columbia, United States.[1]

Jeremiah McKnew and Frances Allethia Pickrell had the following children:

• Jeremiah McKnew, born February 1831, Prince George's, Maryland; married Rosalie B. Taylor, 29 October 1852, Washington, District of Columbia, two children; died 27 March 1860, Washington, District of Columbia.
• Catherine Louisa McKnew, born 18 October 1832, probably Prince George's, Maryland; married Elias Thomas, 9 December 1852, Powhatan, Baltimore, Maryland, nine children; died 2 October 1910, Pikesville, Baltimore, Maryland.
• Elizabeth Jane McKnew, born 1835, probably Prince George's, Maryland; married Andrew Aitcheson, 25 August 1853, Laurel, Prince Georges, Maryland, eleven children; died 1901, Alexandria, Alexandria, Virginia.
• Elijah Pickrell McKnew, born 29 March 1836, Prince George's, Maryland; married Jane Whittle, 12 November 1865, Tuolumne, California, eleven children; died 4 April 1912, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
• Benjamin Pickrell McKnew, born 25 December 1840, Prince George's, Maryland; married Diana Houston Aitcheson, 30 November 1865, Prince George's, Maryland, six children; died 14 October 1905, Prince George's, Maryland.
• Maria Louise McKnew, born about 1842, probably Prince George's, Maryland; married Peter Aitcheson, 25 December 1866, Prince George's, Maryland, five children; died 14 February 1885, Alexandria, Alexandria, Virginia.

Jeremiah’s father, Nathan McKnew, died on 27 March 1834 in Prince George’s County, Maryland. In his 1832 will, he left Jeremiah and the other two sons of his first marriage $5 “and no more”. The children of Nathan’s second marriage received the real and personal property. In the estate account, Jeremiah McKnew was paid $20 for house rent for his deceased father.

“Jerry” McKnew was enumerated in the 1840 United States Federal Census in Prince George's County, Maryland.[2] The household included:

• 3 males under age 5 (likely son Elijah and two unknown children)
• 1 male aged 5-10 (likely likely son Jeremiah)
• 1 male aged 30-40 (certainly Jeremiah)
• 2 females aged 5 to 10 (likely daughters Caherine and Elizabeth)
• 1 female aged 20-30 (certainly Allethia)

Frances Allethia (Pickrell) McKnew died 3 May 1845 in Prince George’s County, Maryland at the age of 35,[3] leaving Jeremiah with at least six children.

The death date and parents of Frances Allethia Pickrell are known only from this unusual record:

During a visit at the home of Louise and Elizabeth Marshall (Linda's cousins through the McKnew line) in Alexandria, Virginia in 1998, Randy Seaver was allowed to review family papers and a family Bible. In the process, the two little scraps of paper (approximately 1 inch by 2 inches each) fluttered to the floor from the Bible. He picked them up and read:

"Allethia MacNew the daughter of Benjamin & Allethia Pickerell deceased May 3d 1845."

"Elizabeth Barnes the mother of Benjamin Pickerell deceased June 2d 1825."

The paper scraps were placed back in the Bible, and no image of them was taken.

Jeremiah’s Later Life

Jeremiah McKnew and Sarah --?-- married before 1848, probably in Prince George’s County, in Maryland. Sarah’s parents are unknown.

Jeremiah McKnew and Sarah --?-- had the following child:

• Horace McKnew was born in 1848 in Prince George’s County, Maryland. He died before 5 December 1850 in Washington, District of Columbia.

In the 1850 United States Federal Census, the Jeremiah McNew family resided West of 7th Avenue Turnpike in Washington, D.C.[4] The household included:

• Jeremiah McNew - age 41, male, a laborer, born Md, over 20 years, and cannot read or write
• Sarah McNew - age 26, female, born Md, over 20 years, and cannot read or write
• Benjamin McNew - age 9, male, born Md
• Maria McNew - age 8, female, born Md
• Horrace McNew - age 1-8/12, male, born Md, dead

Jeremiah McKnew died after 1850 and probably before the 1860 United States Census was taken. No death date, death place, burial location or probate records have been found for Jeremiah or Sarah. Some family trees have an 1860 death date for Jeremiah, but that record is for his son, Jeremiah McKnew (1831-1860).

Sources:

1. “District of Columbia Marriages, 1811-1950,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org), Jeremiah McNew and Allethia Pickrell entry, 26 March 1829; citing Records Office, Washington D.C.; on FHL microfilm US/CAN 2,079,251.

2. 1840 United States Federal Census, Prince George's County, Maryland, population schedule, page 7 (image 41 of 64), Jerry McKnew household; imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M704, Roll 169.

3. Marshall Family Bible (No title, edition number or publication date noted), handwritten loose paper scrap. Transcription made in 1998 by Randy Seaver, 1154 Via Trieste, Chula Vista CA 91911.

4. 1850 United States Federal Census, Washington, District of Columbia, Page 261A, Dwelling #30, Family #30, Jeremiah McKnew household; imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com), citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M432, Roll 57.

Relationship

Jeremiah McKnew (1804-????) and Allthia Pickrell (1810-1845) are maternal 2nd- great-grandparents of my wife, Linda (Leland) Seaver (1942-still living), through:

•  her great-grandfather Elijah Pickrell McKnew (1836-1912) who married Jane Whittle (1847-1921) in 1865 in Tuolumne County, California.
• her grandmother Edna Catherine McKnew (1884-1974) who married Paul Frederick Schaffner (1879-1934) in 1906 in San Francisco. 
• her mother Edna May Schaffner (1913-1979)  who married Leo Severt Leland (1911-2002) in 1937 in San Francisco.

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Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

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