Okey, Levin

For several days I have been working on edits and fixes to my RootsMagic file for the Okey family of Monroe Co., Ohio. There are 1197 people and 386 marriages in the file. A "register" report with name index is 187 pages.

Summary of Levin OKEY - 14 Jun 2010
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Name: Levin OKEY
Sex: Male
Father: Thomas OKEY (abt 1740 - 1780)
Mother: Elizabeth STOCKLEY (24 Jan 1736 - 24 Feb 1824)

Individual Facts
Birth 23 Oct 1760 Lewes, Sussex Co., DE
Death 21 Jun 1829 (age 68) Woodsfield, Monroe Co., OH

Marriages/Children
1. Esther HAZARD
Marriage 20 Apr 1782 (age 21) Delaware
Children
Cornelius OKEY (3 Jan 1783 - 23 Sep 1859)
Nancy OKEY (17 Nov 1784 - abt 7 Aug 1852)
Arthur OKEY (5 Oct 1786 - 4 Jul 1838)
Hannah OKEY (1 Aug 1788 - 10 Nov 1853)
James OKEY (7 Jul 1790 - 23 Dec 1820)
Woodman OKEY (9 May 1792 - 28 Jun 1866)
Henry L. OKEY (5 Apr 1795 - 15 Oct 1858)
Sarah (Sara) OKEY (2 Nov 1799 - bet 1812 and 1816)

Notes (Individual)
General:
Levin Okey

AKA: Levin Okey; Leven Okey

RELATIONSHIP: Levin Okey was the son of Thomas Okey, according to Orphan Rolls and Baptismal Records in Maryland. (Furnished by Janet Downing)

REFERENCE: See National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 58, No. 2 (June 1970) pp. 118-124, "The Okey - Hazzard Family." (Source: "Family Research in Monroe County, Ohio," by Catharine Foreaker Fedorchak, Vol. X, p. 214)

BIOGRAPHY: Levin Okey was among the first settlers of Monroe County, Ohio, and the Act organizing the county designated his house as the place of holding the first term of the Court of Common Pleas for the county. (Source: History of Monroe County, Ohio; H.H. Hardesty & Co., Publishers, Chicago and Toledo, 1882, p. 2, John B. Driggs biographical sketch)

MILITARY: Levin Okey served with a Worcester Co., regiment in the Revolution. In 1778 Leavin Ockly and Wm. Ockly swore oaths of fidelity to Worcester County. [No source citation.] (Source: Monroe County Ohio Families, p. 233 - written by Minnie Louise Decker Gadea)

LAND-PUBLIC_SERVICE: Belmont Co., OH records show Levin in 1802 as a landowner, in 1804 as a Co. Commissioner and Justice of the Peace. Levin Okey went to Chillicothe for Woodsfield's charter and in 1814 purchased land in newly formed Monroe Co. The first court was held in 1815 in Levin's home; he was an Associate Judge. Woodsfield in 1820 had 12 log cabins, 6 log houses, and a log structure serving as both jail and courthouse. (Source: Monroe County Ohio Families, p. 233 - written by Minnie Louise Decker Gadea)

LEGAL-MATTER: Suit 5 June 1823 Levin Okey against the administrators of Jacob Winland, deceased, who were John Winland, Henry Winland and Sara Winland. Okey charged that Jacob Winland was indepted to him (Levin Okey) in his lifetime viz on the 1st day of July, 1821 in the sum of $601.00 for work done by Levin (plus other sums of money mentioned in the suit) and after the death of said Jacob Winland, vis on the 5th day of April, 1823, the administrators promised to pay the said sums to said Levin Okey and have since this date refused. Therefore, the said Levin brought suit against the administrators of Jacob Winland's estate.

(Mrs. Fedorchak's comment: When I first copied this I thought there might be two Jacobs, this one who died 5 April, 1823, and the one mentioned in a suite brought by Peter Palmer who died in Nov. of 1821. But on further evidence, and putting together bits and pieces, I found that I had interpreted the above record in error. It states, "After the death of said Jacob Winland, viz on the 5th day of April, 1823, the administrators promised to pay..." I took that date to be the death date of Jacob, but another interpretation, which later proved to be the correct one was that after the death of Jacob Winland, the administrators promised to pay, and that promise was given on 5 April, 1823, as there was only one Jacob and he died in Nov. of 1821 [10 Nov 1821, REH]. So sometimes you are led astray even in interpreting the records you do find.)

In checking further in the old records, I found that at the April term of Court, 1822, Elizabeth Winland, aged 17 on 20th of Sept. 1822; Sarah Winland, aged 15 years on the 26th day of Sept. 1822, minor daughters of Jacob Winland, also Moses Winland, aged 11 years on the 26h day of June 1822, Margaret Winland, aged 7 years 9th day of Oct. 1822 and Jacob Winland, aged 9 years on the 19th day of August, 1822 (b. 1813) chose guardians. So Jacob must have died before they came into court in April, 1822 to choose guardians.

A later record showed that by 1828 Elisabeth Winland had married Jonathan Stackhouse and Sara Winland had married Benjamin Baker. Also by Feb. 1826, the widow, Sara, had married a man named Davis. (Source: "Family Research in Monroe County, Ohio," by Catharine Foreaker Fedorchak, Vol. VIII, p. 57)

LAND: Deed Book E (Burned Records) Monroe Co., OH, page 253 Levin Okey & Hessey, his wife to Jehu Long 14 Apr 1828, SE 1/4 of S.32, T.5, R.5. (Source: "Family Research in Monroe County, Ohio," by Catharine Foreaker Fedorchak, Vol. X, p. 146

PROBATE: Court of Common Pleas, Monroe Co., OH, Journal No. 1, Special Term, 7 Jul 1829, page 210 Last will of Levin Okey brought to court. Witnesses were Jeremiah Hollister and John Hollister. Cornelius and Arthur Okey, executors. (Catharine Fedorchak note. This was Levin Okey, first judge of the court in Monroe Co., [OH] and a Revolutionary Soldier from Delaware and buried in Pioneer Cemetery, but his stone is no longer readable. The law setting up the county stipulated that the court would be held at his house.) (Source: "Family Research in Monroe County, Ohio," by Catharine Foreaker Fedorchak, Vol. VIII, p. 148 & Vol. X, p. 214)

LEGAL_MATTER: Deed Book C, Monroe Co., OH, 31 Oct 1829 Nancy Phillips. late Nancy Okey to Arthur Okey, both of Monroe Co. quit-claim for $70.00 62 acres NW 1/4 Section 30, Township 4, Range--one following, (Catharine Fedorchak comment. we have proof that Nancy Okey was the dau. of Levin Okey - by matching up the land descriptions. She had first married a Fairhurst [Jeremiah Fairhurst] - see Belmont Co. marriage records, and after he died, she married James Phillips, who also died a few years later.)

John Gray and Hannah, his wife, late Hannah Okey to Arthur Okey, all of Monroe Co. quit-claim all right in 62 acres, part of NW 1/4 S.30 T.4 R.-- all interest in effects of Levin Okey, deceased, late of said county 10-31-1829. (Catharine Fedorchak comment. See deed preceeding also - Nancy Phillips, Hannah Gray, and Arthur Okey were children of Levin Okey, deceased. Levin was first Judge of Monroe Co. Court, and a Rev. soldier.) [Note: It is interesting that the word "late" as used in relation to Nancy Phillips and Hannah Gray does not mean deceased as is most commonly seen. In this case, "late" means "nee" as is commonly used to show the maiden name of a married woman. Richard E. Henthorn] (Source: "Family Research in Monroe County, Ohio," by Catharine Foreaker Fedorchak, Vol. X, p. 208)

CEMETERY: I also found a small stone here [at Pioneer Cemetery, Woodsfield, Monroe Co., OH] with crude lettering on it which I believed was for Levin Okey, the first judge of the Monroe Co., court. He is probably buried here, but even in 1960, I was not able to make much out of it except the name, Levin Okey. (Source: "Family Research in Monroe County, Ohio," by Catharine Foreaker Fedorchak, Vol. VII, p. 162)