We have all been intrigued by stories of our ancestors, myself no more than anyone else. When I started researching our family history I have become fascinated by the bits and pieces of information I have been able to put together about my great great great grandfather. It may be the mysteries that still surround him are what draw me to the search.

Beginnings

At this point there is still more unknown surrounding his birth than any other point in his life. All the references I have seen refer to him being born in a Occonee County South Carolina in 1781. I have yet to find any “official” birth records which is unfortunate. I have seen many references in other family trees to credit and Elijah Harrison Keys as his father and a unknown mother. I believe this data is incorrect. It seems more likely to me his father was one of three keys man who migrated to South Carolina after the Revolutionary war. The first federal census was not done until 1790 and the information recorded only lists had some household and the number of persons in the household.

Marriage

There is almost universal agreement that he married Mary Brooks in 1801. She was born in Georgia on March 13, 1780 But there is not much other information regarding her and her family. it is purely speculation on my part but I believe both of their fathers were farmers and I remember seeing a Brooks family listed near a piece family on one of the census records.