The Family of the Reverend Doctor Daniel KEITHWe became interested in the family of Daniel KEITH though the family of his son - Edward Joseph KEITH - from whom many people are descended, either though his legitimate family with Ann Boleyn McPHERSON or his more extensive family in Australia through his parallel relationship with Louisa HANKS. We present here the information and copies of original sources as far we have been able to deduce them. We may have missed a few important facts so please email if you can add to this story.
What's in a name: KEITH or M'KIECH?Many of the descendents of Edward Joseph KEITH have always assumed the family originated in Scotland and they belong to the well known KEITH clan, wearing the Keith tartan and even visiting the town of Keith in Scotland. Sadly, there is no evidence for this claim - indeed there is good evidence that the original family name was M'KIECH. The evidence for this is obscure but some is presented here to back up this claim. Just when and why Daniel McKIECH became Daniel KEITH is not known but it appears to have been between 1779 and 1785. Perhaps KEITH was more socially acceptable, with its cachet to the KEITH clan. There is good documentary evidence that Daniel KEITH was an ordained minister and was awarded the degree of Doctor in Divinity. He is referred to as the "Reverend Doctor" (for example see his Will below). If our interpretation of the various documents is correct, a Daniel McKIECH was born (or at least baptised) in Monzie, Perthshire on 4 December 1757; a Daniel McKIECH was enrolled at St Andrews in 1775-1777; a Daniel KEITH was ordained by the Scots Presbytery in London on 14 June 1785; a Daniel KEITH was awarded the degree of Doctor in Divinity by St Andrews University on 4 February 1809. This may appear confusing to us today. But as the two letters in the St Andrews University library show, it was also confusing for Daniel Keith's grandchildren. The University Librarian received two letters in 1901 both asking for information about Daniel Keith's identity. These two people lived on opposite sides of the world - Niagara in Canada and Adelaide in Australia, showing how far Daniel's family had spread. Is Daniel McKIECH and Daniel KEITH the same person?Starting with what we know from available information:
If we now look at the parish records for Scotland for this period, we cannot find any trace of a Daniel KEITH (acknowledging that the records may not be complete), but a Daniel McKIECH was baptised at Monzie, near Crieff, Perth on 4 December 1757 to John McKIECH and his wife Janet ROY. A brother to Daniel was baptised on 23 March 1760 also at Monzie. These are the only baptisms I can find for John McKiech and his wife Janet.
The marriage of John McKiech and Janet is problematic. A John McKIECH married a Janet McLAREN at Monzie on 24 Sep 1756. The location and date would fit - but the surname differs. Perhaps the parish minister made an error, or perhaps Janet used her father's name on the marriage and her mother's name on the births?
The evidence suggests Daniel M'KIECH became Daniel KEITH some time between 1779 and 1785. The case is strong but remains circumstantial at this point. We are unlikely to be able to prove the relationship beyond doubt. The references to documents in the University of St Andrews library assists this question but does not provide a conclusive answer. Documents held by the Library at St Andrews UniversityWe visited St Andrews University in May 2019, having arranged with the archivist to view all documents relating to Daniel KEITH/M'KIECH. There were several packages. Photography of the documents was permitted but by hand-held camera only. I could not use a flash and I could not flatten out the documents, hence the images are not ideal, but can still be read.
University Minute BookThese books are large, leather-bound tomes full of hand-written minutes. They are mostly in the same hand, apart from a few entries. There were 3 entries for Daniel McKeich (various spellings) on 7 Nov 1775 (page 760); 8 Nov 1776 (p798) and 10 Apr 1777 (p826). Two examples are shown here, the entry for the Chancellor prizes runs over two pages.
Letter from Thomas Rutledge D.D. and Robert Young D.D.In support of his application for the awarding of the degree of Doctor in Divinity, Daniel KEITH appears to have asked the Scots Presbytery in London to confirm that he had been ordained in 1785. Note that the letter implies that Mr Keith had already been offered a position in Quebec, Canada. Note also that Daniel had changed his name from McKiech to Keith some time between 1779 and 1785 (assuming this is the same Daniel).
Attestation by the Duke of Kent on behalf of Daniel KEITHIn support of his application for the awarding of the degree of Doctor in Divinity, Daniel KEITH asked the Duke of Kent for an attestation. The full letter, including packaging (today we would use an envelope) is in the archive.
File Note - 1809This file note was written by the Univeristy Librarian (Bursar) in 1809, presumably to assist consideration of Daniel's application for the degree. It is in a unique shorthand, but if anybody can decipher it, please let me know! You will see reference to Daniel McKiech on line 4 and later "McKiech & Keith on line 7. One would like to deduce that the Librarian concluded McKiech and Keith were the same person.
Daniel KEITH travels to CanadaArrival in Quebec CityThere is a shipping record for a Daniel KEITH arriving in New Brunswick in 1783 in the "Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s" edited by Filby but not enough detail to be sure this is our Daniel KEITH. The date is too early, unless Daniel returned to London to seek ordination (on 14 June 1785) before returning with the intention to start a school. Daniel KEITH arrived in Quebec on the ship "Ranger" on 27 September 1785, in 56 days from London so departed London on 2 August 1785. (According to Lloyd's Register, the "Ranger" was a sloop of 300 tons, built in 1777 and registered in Stockton.) The passengers included a "Messr KEITH". On the basis of a newspaper advertisement (dated 11 October), this is the Rev. Daniel KEITH. Note there was also a Messr SERJANT (sic) on the ship, who had accompanied Daniel to Quebec.
Setting up a school in QuebecJust 2 weeks after their arrival, Daniel Keith and William Serjeant advertised in the Quebec Gazette that they were setting up a school, the notice dated 11 October 1785. The newspaper advertisement tells us several items of importance:
At the time of their arrival, Quebec City had a population of about 14,000 inhabitants (Statistics Canada estimate), about half being of non-French origin (mostly English and Scots). This population was growing but the number of school-age childen was small, and only males were catered for. Also there were separate schools for Protestant and French-speaking pupils. In 1790 there were five Protestant (English) schoolmasters. In 1792 there were only four schools with 160 pupils in total . William Serjeant's school (he had separated from Daniel Keith by this time) had closed in 1790, probably due to insufficient pupils.
On 28 October 1785 the Lieutenant-Governor in the Province of Quebec (Hon. Henry Hamilton) concluded his term in the role and returned to London. On his departure he was presented with an Address, signed by many of the citizens of Quebec, including a "Dan KEITH", who had been in Quebec for just 4 weeks.
On 14 March 1786 Messrs. KEITH and SARJEANT advertised the opening of an evening school in Quebec. The location is not stated, suggesting locals would know where Messrs Keith and Serjeant lived.
The first definite record we have for Reverend Daniel KEITH in Canada is a mention in the Quebec Gazette for 20 July 1786, when the house he currently occupied was put up for sale. The house was "on the top of the hill in Mountain St ... now occupied by the Revd. Mr KEITH". The vendor (Madam La Croix) considered it important to name the Revd. Keith as the occupant, suggesting Daniel was now well known about the town. Mountain St (now Côte de la Montagne) rises steeply from the waterfront, around the ramparts to join Rue Port Dauphin beside Montmorency Park. The park was created after the demolition of the "Bishop's Palace" - the last of several buildings on this site, that once housed Canada's parliament, and later that for Quebec Province. A later advertisement in the Quebec Gazette tells us the La Croix House was next to the Bishop's Palace.
By July 1787 Daniel was well-established as a schoolmaster in Quebec. He gave an address after one of his pupils had tragically drowned in the St Lawrence River, after falling out of a canoe. The incident occurred on Thursday 5 July; 11 days later Daniel was in Trois Rivières to marry Mary BURN.
Marriage to Mary BURNAlthough Daniel KEITH was living in Quebec he married Mary BURN on 16 July 1787 at the Protestant Church, Trois Rivières, Quebec, Canada. He was referred to as the Reverend Keith so we can be sure it the correct person. It is not clear that Daniel had ever lived in Trois Rivières, so how he met Mary is intriguing. We do know that a Selby BURNS (probably Mary's father) was a school teacher in Trois Rivières at this time, so they may have met through that connection. A year later on 8 July 1788 Daniel baptised his daughter Catherine Anne at the same church. The town of Trois Rivières (Three Rivers) is just west of Quebec, about half way between Quebec and Montreal. In the 1780s, Quebec had just become a British possession, having been wrestled off the French in the Battle of Quebec in December 1775. Trois Rivières would have been a small outpost settlement.
But this family was short-lived. His wife Mary died and was buried on 5 July 1788 at Trois Rivières. Two years later their daughter Catherine Anne died and was also buried at Trois Rivières, on 16 December 1790. Daniel, now aged only 30, had lost his wife and daughter. We are not sure why Mary and Catherine were buried in Trois Rivières, other than this being where her family lived. Daniel was living in Quebec during this time and we can assume that Mary and Catherine were living with him. After Mary died it is possible that Mary's family cared for Catherine until her death.
In 1787 Lord Dorchester was considering the need for more support for schools and non-Catholic clergy in Quebec Province. He presented a list of clergy and schoolmasters, and the level of financial support they received. The following year the Quebec City Directory for 1788 lists Daniel as a Presbyterian Minister at Quebec.
Visit to Daniel Keith's School by the Bishop of Nova ScotiaOn 12 July 1789 The Bishop of Nova Scotia embarked on a tour of the Province of Quebec. While in Quebec City he visited Mr Keith's school, and recorded the event in his diary.
Notary Public filesOn 1 February 1790 Daniel had signed the lease for a property in Quebec. On 7 September 1791 Daniel KEITH entered into a purchase agreement (possibly the purchase of a lease or property in Quebec) and again on 20 July 1793.
The Directory for the City and Suburbs of Quebec published in 1790 has Rev. Daniel KEITH, Schoolmaster, at 13 St Famille St, Upper Town.
In October 1790 Daniel KEITH was one of many signatories to a Petition to the Governor-General of the Province of Quebec (Guy Lord Dorchester) asking for the establishment of a "University of the Province of Quebec". He signed as Daniel Keith, Protestant Minister.
Daniel became well established as a school master in Quebec, one of eight in the town. By 1790 the school was at 13 Rue St Famille. By 1790 he appears to have separated from his former colleague: William Sergent was now running a separate school from the Bishop's Palace: in 1791 he had 11 pupils, but the school appears to have gone by 1792. By 1792 Daniel had 36 scholars. He did not receive funding from the government for this school. He was also a member of the Quebec Agricultural Society.
Daniel's school had become well known. In May 1791 his "Grammar School" was inspected by a large group of prominent officials and "a great number of respectable citizens" who were obviously impressed.
A Sermon for the Duke of Kent and a school inspection by His MajestyOn 22 June 1792 the Rev KEITH preached "a most excellent sermon" to a meeting of the ancient fraternity of Freemasons. In the audience was Prince Edward, fourth son of George III, later to become the Duke of Kent and Queen Victoria's father. On 27 March 1793, the Rev KEITH was in the procession, along with Prince Andrew, for the funeral of Mr Galloway, a baker in Quebec and a Freemason. The Duke clearly knew Daniel KEITH well so it is not surprising he maintained a keen interest in the fortunes of Daniel KEITH and his school in Quebec. Later, the Duke was the key sponsor when Daniel applied to St Andrew's University for the degree of Doctor in Divinity.
An inspection by the Lord Bishop of QuebecIn February 1795 the Bishop of Quebec and his Clergy called at Mr Keith's school and examined the youths under his tuition. They were much impressed.
Marriage to Jane McPHERSONOnce again, Daniel travelled to Trois Rivières for marriage. He married Jane McPHERSON at the Trois Rivières Protestant Church on 17 October 1794. He was a widower aged 34 and she a spinster aged 18. On the marriage record Daniel was "of the parish of Quebec", confirming his residence there. It is possible that Daniel had met Jane during his visits to Trois Rivières when he married Mary BURN or for the funerals. If this was so then Jane was only aged 11 to 14 years at the time. The McPHERSON family plays an important role in the early history of Quebec. Jane's sister Anne also appears later in the KEITH story.
Daniel and Jane KEITH's Family in QuebecWe do not know how many children Daniel and Jane had in Quebec, but the evidence suggests that Isabella was born in 1796 (she died in Hammersmith, London on 26 January 1811 aged 14) and Mary was born in about 1797. Neither child appears to have been baptised at Quebec (or at all). If the ages at death are close to correct then Isabella was older than Mary and as Mary gave her place of birth as Quebec in the 1901 census for Canada (see Mary's story here) then Isabella must also have been born in Quebec. The next child might have been Susan (probably born in Bristol), followed by Edward Joseph (born 1801 in Bristol, Somerset). Departure from CanadaOn 23 March 1796 Daniel sold a property in Quebec to the Hon. John YOUNG. On 19 April 1796 (and again on 5 May) he advertised his house at 23 St Anne's St, Quebec, for sale. He indicated that he wished to retain possession of the lower floor (which presumably he used as the school room) from 1 May until 1 August. This suggests he had already decided to close the school and depart Quebec (and presumably Canada) by early August 1796; or he had found better premises for the school to start at the beginning of the next term. As he soon moved to Somerset, it is most likely that he closed the school.
Why did the Rev. Daniel KEITH leave QUEBEC?We do not have any further information about Daniel KEITH and family in Canada after the 1796 newspaper advertisement. He may have left at that time, but the birth of daughter Mary (in Quebec) would have been in late 1796 at the earliest. Daniel KEITH does not appear again in the Quebec Gazette, nor in the Almanac for Quebec for 1797 or 1798, although he was listed in earlier editions as both a teacher in Quebec and as a Protestant Minister. We will never know, but there are three obvious circumstances that would have influenced Daniel and his family. The first was the loss of his benefactor the Duke of Kent: the Duke moved from Quebec to Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1795. The second was economic: the school market in Quebec was not large enough, or with enough funding to support Daniel and his growing family. The third was security. With about half the population in Quebec of French origin and with the French Revolution underway by 1789 (Louis XVI was executed on 21 January 1793), the English settlers in Quebec were rightly nervous. On 10 July 1794 the Quebec Gazette published a statement signed by many citizens - English and French - that exorted their fellow subjects to uphold the powers of the King, government and Constitution against "the seditious attempts lately made by wicked and designing men ... against the powers of our Government, and the laws". As the situation in France deteriorated further, Daniel KEITH may have decided that Quebec may no longer be safe for him and family. In Daniel's mind may also have been the fragile state of his finances, that would have been made intolerable if the French revolution had spread to Quebec as some people were trying to engineer. In 1792 through to 1795, apart from the large French Séminaire de Québec with 110 pupils, in Quebec City there were four Protestant schools as well as two "pour les écoles francaises" and "une écoles pour les Sauvages" (from "Les Premiers Alamanachs Canadiens"). In 1796 a further school had been opened by an Alexander Clifford who later moved to Trois Rivières. Only two of the Protestant schools were funded by the government - Mr Tanswell received £100 for his 45 pupils and John Fraser received £30 for his 15 pupils. Daniel KEITH and John Jones received nothing: theirs were private schools relying solely on fees from the pupils. Messrs Tanswell and Fraser were receiving about £2.2 per pupil per year but they charged fees as well, possibly another £2 or more per year. At this government rate Daniel's income on 36 pupils would have been about £80. As this was Great Britain Pounds, adjusting this for inflation from 1790 to 2024 and converting to Canadian Dollars gives $CAD17,000 - about half the minimum wage in Canada today. This suggests Daniel KEITH and other private schools may have had to charge about £5 per year, a lot of money to the early settlers in Quebec, despite some of them being described as "opulent". The market for good education was severely limited and would only get worse if trouble broke out. Perhaps Daniel KEITH saw the writing on the wall - the increasing unrest caused by the French revolution (and later the strained relations with the Americans across the border to the south) would have diminished Daniel's capacity to earn enough income to support his family. We also cannot underestimate the influence of the Duke of Kent, who may have suggested to Daniel that he move to Somerset and who appears to have unfailingly supported Daniel whenever he needed it (including his sponsorship of Daniel's Doctor in Divinity degree from St Andrew's University a few years later. [As an aside, it is interesting to speculate. If Daniel had remained in Quebec and weathered the economic and security storms, he may have had a better future there. After several years of difficulty in education the combined parliament passed new Education Acts and provided state funding for new schools. By 1830 teachers were in demand but good teachers were rare, but this would have come too late for Daniel who by then was 73 years old. If scarlet fever had not struck him down in 1811 he probably had a much better prospects with his academy at Kent House in Hammersmith, London. The education market was much larger than Quebec and there was a lot more money available in a wealthy middle-class society that Daniel was well placed to access.] From Canada to SomersetThe next we know, Daniel KEITH and his family were in Bristol, Somerset. Why Daniel transported his family to Bristol is unclear but Bristol was a wealthy port city, close to Bath so there were good teaching prospects. By the late 18th Century, Bath was a fashionable town and its population was growing fast. It would have been a prime location to establish a school for the fashionable middle classes. Perhaps the Duke of Kent, Daniel's benefactor brought this opportunity to his attention. The Quebec Gazette of that time frequently ran advertisements for ships soon to sail direct to Bristol so obtaining a passage for himself and family would not have been difficult. We do not know when they left Quebec, but it was probably around early 1797. The first record we have of Rev. Daniel KEITH outside Canada is in the Land Tax returns for 1799 for Bristol. These taxes were to raise funds for the Crown for the 1799 year, so he would have entered into leases on the properties in 1798 or even earlier. He leased two properties in Lower Church Lane Bristol; a dwelling and a garden. The location lies beside the Church of St Michael Without (i.e. outside the walls of the city). Although Daniel was an ordained Minister, he does not appear to have taken up a position at a local church. The Land Tax indicates that Daniel leased the properties from local owners, probably with the intention of establishing a school there. He may have started the school here. According to advertisements in London papers dated early 1810, Daniel had run a school in Bristol for 12 years. Assuming this time is correct (and not the editorial licence he sometimes resorted to) that would place his arrival in Bristol around 1797, in accordance with the Land Tax record. He did not stay at Church Lane for long, as by 1802 he was living at the Rectory House, Kelston (much closer to Bath), where his son Edward Joseph was christened in 1802.
The Rectory House, KelstonDaniel did not stay at Church Lane, Bristol for long, perhaps 2 years. We do not know why he left but by 30 July 1800 he had found new premises at Kelston, close to Bath. He first advertised for pupils on 30 July 1800 and then a "Good plain cook", for a "gentleman's Family and then a week later for Rev Mr Keith's school. He must have found a cook and some pupils, for the Bath Chronicle reported in the issue of 1 January 1801 that the young gentlemen at Kelson School had collected One Pound 4 shillings to be distributed to the poor at Christmas. He also advertised for new pupils in January 1801 and 22 July 1802.
Kelston a small hamlet part-way between Bristol and Bath. Daniel was now living in the Rectory House at Kelston and running a school from the house.
The next record we have is when his first son - Edward Joseph KEITH - was christened on 16 May 1802 at Kelston (see below for image). This venue was also short-lived as by late 1803 Daniel had found new premises for his school at Summer Hill, St George, Bristol. A Bristol newspaper reported he had found new premises for his school at Summer Hill as he had been removed from the Rectory House as a consequence of the Clergy Residence Bill. This newspaper article explains the move.
Summer Hill is now part of Bristol, the city having grown out to engulf the area. The area of Summer Hill has changed considerably since 1804. All of the early buildings have been demolished; even the "New Church" and vicarage have gone and been replaced by apartment blocks and rows of cheap houses. The rebuilt St George Church is a newer building, across the road from the older church and today is a coffee shop. The 1883 map provides the location of Daniel's Summer Hill House. Today the location is on the corner of the A431 (Summer Hill Rd) and Marling Rd. The house and gardens have been replaced with blocks of flats and the dog-leg in Marling Rd has been replaced. ( See this location on Google Maps - will open in a new tab or window.)
The Family of Daniel and Jane KEITHDaniel and Jane were married in Quebec in 1794. They appear to have had two children in Quebec before moving to Bristol - Isabella born in 1796 and Mary born in 1797. As neither child appears to have been baptised there is no direct evidence to hand that shows they were actually born in Canada. However, Mary later married John Blackwood (see Mary's story) in Canada, and she is recorded in the 1901 census for Canada and gave her place of birth as Quebec. Susan was probably born in Bristol, or on the ship from Canada to England. Either way, it is unusual that Daniel did not take the opportunity to have her baptised in Kelston at the same time as his son Edward Joseph, unless she had already been baptised elsewhere. (But note that only 1 of the 5 girls appears to have been baptised in a church.) The christening of Edward Joseph KEITH was recorded on 16 May 1802 at the parish church at Kelston. The entry in the Parish Register is intriguing. It states "Edward Joseph son of the Rev Daniel & Jane Keith born May 2nd 1801 was christened". Most other entries in this register are for baptisms and do not give the date of birth, but it was common for ministers to record the date of birth if it was more than a few weeks before the baptism. The year is overwritten and smudged. It appears the Minister wrote 1802 and then changed this to 1801. Although Daniel was an ordained Presbyterian Minister he was in fact occupying the Kelston Rectory House where he ran his school, so it is most unlikely that he was not welcome in the Church of England. It is noteworthy that in each case the children were almost a year old before they were christened or baptised. Christenings or baptisms were usually conducted a few days to a few weeks after birth. This pattern of late baptism continued with the other children for whom we can find baptism records. Daniel and Jane went on to have five more children, giving nine in total that we can be sure of.
Baptismal records
Doctor of DivinityThe next step in Daniel's life was his application to St Andrews University for the degree of Doctor in Divinity. Daniel was awarded this by St Andrews University, Scotland on 4 Feb 1809. His application was supported by a letter from the Duke of Kent. The reference from the Duke is interesting. The Duke - otherwise The Prince Edward - was the fourth son of George III, King of Great Britain. He was also the father of Queen Victoria. The Duke spent some of his earlier life in Canada, including around two years in Quebec so met Daniel Keith and knew of his teaching activities in Quebec. Daniel was now the Reverend Doctor Daniel Keith. Removal to London and a new school at HammersmithShortly after the awarding of the D.D. degree in 1809, Daniel and Jane's youngest child Jessica Amelia was born. At this time also, Daniel and family moved to London where he established a seminary for young boys on the Lower Mall, Hammersmith. He evidently bought the copyhold on the property and fitted it out for a school. There are two properties advertised in London papers, one in 1807 the other in 1808; they may be the same property but both match the description of the property Daniel obtained and later renamed as Kent House after the Duke of Kent.
He then advertised extensively in London papers, the text of the advertisements is illuminating:
Kent House, even today, is an imposing and prominent structure adjacent to the Thames on the Lower Mall at Hammersmith. It was built in 1762 in the Georgian style, extended late in the 1790s and again in 1912.
Presumably Daniel found a ready market amongst London society for his new seminary. He no longer had a need for the premises in Bristol so he advertised them for sale in 1810. Note that the premises were available for immediate possession, implying Daniel and family had already moved to Hammersmith. However the copyhold did not sell, leaving Jane to deal with it after Daniel's death in 1811 (see below). Daniel also sold all the furniture in the property. The advertisement gives us an insight to the size of the school: 22 half-tester beds, 22 millpuff beds; four-post and field bedsteads, feather beds, mattresses etc. Apparently, Daniel did not take these to London for his new school at Hammersmith. Perhaps the cost of transport from Bristol to London was too high.
Family tragedy - Death of Daniel and two childrenThe Lower Mall runs beside the Thames and the poor state of the river at this time may have been the cause for the next tragedy in Daniel's life. The seminary was at No. 10 Lower Mall and this building still exits today. It was built about 1792 and there is more information about the building here. It was originally named the Mansion House but some time between 1800 and 1839 become known as Kent House. In his 1839 "History of the Parish of Hammersmith" (which can be viewed online) Faulkner gave a description of Kent House and commented that it was being run as a seminary. In the British History page there is a comment that the origin of the name of Kent House is not known, but Daniel Keith would have renamed it in honour of his benefactor the Duke of Kent.
In the space of a few weeks in January and February 1811 two of Daniel's children died - James George on 16 Jan and Isabella on 26 Jan. Daniel himself died on 15 February 1811. The cause of death is not known but one report suggests it was scarlet fever brought into the school by a pupil.
One of the parish register books available on line for St Pauls, Hammersmith is actually a notebook relating to burials in the church. Many of the entries indicate where in the churchyard the burial occured, the name of the undertaker and a guess at the cause of death. The scribe had a rough hand and was a poor speller ("died" for instance is spelled "dide"). The entry for Daniel KEITH is puzzling as the cause of death is not clear. Taken phonetically it could be "paralytic shock/stroke".
Daniel's WillDaniel left a Will. This was unusual in 1811 unless the person had significant money and land. We do not know the value of the estate but it would have been over £20 as it attracted Death Duties. Note that the Will is the only original record we have acknowledging that Daniel had been awarded the degree of Doctor of Divinity.
The Will is difficult to read in places but it leaves his estate to his "dear wife Jane Keith" comprising the "copyhold estate in the Manor of Fulham, Middlesex to which I was admitted by a Court holden on the seventh day of October 1808" also "my copyhold or lifehold estate & houses situate at Somers Hill St Georges near the city of Bristol". He leaves all this in trust "to permit my wife to occupy my house at Hammersmith if she shall think proper and as long as she remains my widow". It also appoints two trustees to manage the estate and to provide for any children that may be alive until they reach the age of twenty-one years and then to transfer the estate to these children within six months of the death or marriage of Jane. The Will refers to two "Copyhold" estates, one in the Manor of Fulham, Middlesex and the other at Somers Hill (Summers Hill) St George, Bristol. Rights to the former "to which I was granted by a Court holden on 7th October 1808". Copyhold was an ancient form of customary land tenure whereby occupation rights to land owned by the local Lord of the Manor was granted to a person in return for a specified service or payment. In the 1850s this service was converted to a rent. The agreement was entered into the Manor Book or Roll and a copy was provided to the tenant - hence "copy hold". Copyhold passed down through the family as of right and did not need to be specified in a Will or change of agreement with the Lord (as compared to Lifehold which was only for the life of the tenant). Copyholds could be sold by the tenant, usually by the tenant giving the right back to the Lord on the condition that it be transferred to the purchaser. By 1800 there were many advertisements in local newspapers for the sale of copyholds, some noting that the terms and conditions were as favourable as a lease. Although the Copyhold at Fulham in London was awarded by a Court, as was usual when copyholds were sold, it had been advertised for sale. Daniel would have bought the right from the previous holder. The Bristol copyhold was also probably bought by Daniel rather than being received through a family succession. He established a school, first in Bristol and then in the Rectory House at Kelston, before being evicted and having to find new premises, which he did at Summer Hill, St George. Daniel had advertised the Summer Hill property for sale in 1810 after his removal to Hammersmith but it did not sell. His trustees offered the property for sale shortly after Daniel's death in April 1811. By this time the property had been subdivided into four lots. These were advertised in April 1811. However it is not clear from the documents that the "summer retreats" were part of the property that included Summerhill House. The school had been taken over by Mr Jones, which he was still running in 1813.
It is not clear that all of the properties sold. Some time after Daniel's death, his widow Jane and family were living at St George, possibly in one of these properties. Jane died there in 1824. Jane may have stayed on at Kent House and continued teaching the boys at the seminary. But by early the next year she had decided to leave and the property was advertised for sale.
Continuation of the School at Summer HillAlthough Daniel had left Summer Hill and established a new seminary at the Lower Mall Hammersmith, it appears that the school at Summer Hill St George, Bristol continued to operate. It was now run by Mr N.W. JONES. He continued with the school for several years. In November 1813 he advertised for new pupils.
Addition to Daniel's WillThe copy of Daniel's Will has an interesting addition in the left margin. It is hard to read but it is dated 1843 which was 19 years after Jane had died. "On the 26th June 1843 xx with the Will xx of the goods chattels and credits of the Rev Daniel Keith formerly of Somars (sic) Hill St Georges in the City of Bristol but late of the Lower Mall Hammersmith within the city of Middlesex Doctor of Divinity deceased left unadministered by Jane Keith widower deceased whilst living the Relict so executing one of the xx of legatees by trust xx legatee during life or Widowhood appointed in the said Will was granted to Jessica Amelia Keith spinster one of the natural and lawful children and as such one of the xx legatees subsituted in he said Will having been first sworn duly to administer the said Executrix died intestate and Adam xx and Hugh Edwards esquires the other xx legatees in trust being dead as by Acts of Law appears." The outcome of this addition was to appoint Jessica Amelia KEITH as the executrix and trustee to Daniel's Will because Jane and the two named trustees had all died. Presumably there was money or property still held in trust. The Gossipist Mrs Crawford's account of Daniel's LifeShortly after the death of Daniel's son Edward Joseph KEITH in Sydney in 1837, the local magazine The Colonist, reproduced an article written by Mrs Crawford. There are many errors of fact, especially dates and ages, but the overall story accords well the the evidence.
What became of Daniel's wife - Jane McPHERSON?When Daniel died in 1811, his wife was aged 35 and she had six children aged from 2 to 13 years under her care (Mary, Edward Joseph, Susan, Thomas Davis, Frances Jane, and Jessica Amelia). Although Daniel left an estate valued at over £20, Jane may have found life difficult without Daniel's income and without any close family or relations in London. It is unlikely that she continued to run the seminary at Lower Mall, although it does appear to have remained a seminary through to the mid-1800s or later. At some point Jane took the family back to Quebec to join her family there. A Mrs Keith and family arrived in Quebec, departed 3 April arrived 29 May 1816 as noted in the Quebec Gazette No. 2680 on 30 May 1816. Mrs Crawford, the gossip columnist wrote that Jane took her six children to Canada after Daniel died. If this is correct, Jane would have taken Mary aged 18, Susan aged 16, Edward aged 15, Thomas 11, Frances aged 9 and Jessica aged 7.
The next few years are not clearly identified in the records. After about a year or so in Canada Jane KEITH returned to England and lived in Bristol. She may have lived initially on the copyhold land at Summer Hill, St George as mentioned in Daniel's Will. Her daughter Mary with her husband William McNish PORTER (married whilst they were in Canada) also travelled to Bristol, perhaps at the same time, as their daughter Jane PORTER was born in Bristol in 1823 and baptised at St George on 19 June 1823. Edward Joseph is mentioned in the Quebec Gazette for June 1822 when he was admitted to the bar. It is likely he and his sisters Frances, Susan and Jessica would have returned to England with Jane and Mary.
Jane died on 26 March 1824 with the burial recorded at St George, Bristol. The abode is "Upper Easton", a suburb of Bristol and a short distance to the west of St George. The baptism of Jane PORTER in June 1823 records the same abode.
The Children of Daniel and Jane KEITHWhat happened to the nine children of Daniel and Jane?
Return to the Benton Family Index Page Last updated: 22 February 2024 |
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