| State | Delaware |
|---|---|
| County (Primary) | Sussex |
| Other Counties | – |
| Family Name | Okey |
| Family History Notes | The Okey family probably has some connection to John Okey and his wife Mary Vincent, early residents of Sussex County, Delaware. Before marrying John Okey, Mary had a mixed-race son (Aminadab Hanser) by a slave in Accomack County, Virginia [see the Hanser history]. It appears that there was another member of the Okey family who was named Aminadab, and he was probably mixed-race as well. However, his origin has not yet been identified. Perhaps he was another mixed-race child of Mary Okey. John Okey owned 400 acres in Sussex County called "Mollattoe Hall" in 1686 [DB A:31, 49; Horle, Records of Sussex County, 412-3]. 1. Aminadab Okey, born say 1680, may have been the "strang Child ... which is not Certainly known Whose it is" who was living at John Okey's house in March 1682 when the Sussex County court bound him to Henry Bowman. Aminadab Okey was sued by Aminadab Hanser in Sussex County court on 3 May 1704 [Horle, Records of Sussex County, 155, 1191]. He and Aminadab Hanser were apparently neighbors because on 9 April 1713 he was required to give 100 pounds security to Aminadab Handsor in Sussex County court to guarantee that he would abide by the arbitrators' decision regarding the removal of a fence [DB D-4:225-6]. And Aminadab Hanser's wife Rose mentioned Aminadab Okey's land adjoining hers in her 8 December 1725 deed of sale [DB F-6:220-2]. Aminadab Okey died before 1734 when the account of his estate was recorded in Sussex County court. The account totalled 44 pounds and included 22 pounds for the sale of land [Orphans Court 1728-44, 65a]. He was most likely the ancestor of 2 i. Robert1, born say 1698. 3 ii. Joseph, born say 1725. iii.Thomas, born say 1726, recorded his ear mark in Sussex County court on 18 November 1747 [Q-16:301]. He submitted to the Sussex County court on the charge of assault and paid a 2 shilling fine in November 1754 [RG 4815.017, 1753-1760, frame 118]. He died before 4 February 1784 when is widow Elizabeth sold half of 106 acres in the forest of Broadkill Hundred, Sussex County, which she had purchased on 3 May 1780. She sold the remainder on 10 January 1793 [DB N-13:254, 511]. iv. Alexander1, born say 1732, charged with grand larceny in Sussex County court in May 1754 [RG 4815.017, 1753-60, p.134, frame 71]. 4 v. Saunders2, born say 1750. vi. Sinai, made to post security in Sussex County court in November 1784 to keep the peace. William Jackson and Cornelius Molsely were securities [RG 4805, General Sessions Court, 1767-94, frame 349]. vii. Robert2, born say 1746, was sued by Jesse Mackemmy in Sussex County court in May 1768 and agreed with the plaintiff in May 1769. He sued Alexander Stockley in August 1770 [RG 4815.017, General Sessions Court, 1761-71, frames 417, 435, 509, 555]. He was taxable in Lewes and Rehoboth Hundred, Sussex County, in 1774. He was called a tanner on 2 February 1789 when he and Jennett Okey, spinster, purchased as tenants-in-common four acres in Lewes and Rehoboth Hundred on the edge of the Rehoboth Road [DB O-14:161]. He was head of a Sussex County household of 9 "other free" in 1800 [DE:438] and 11 in 1810 [DE:462]. viii. Thomas2, Jr., born say 1757, taxable in Lewes and Rehoboth Hundred in 1774. ix. Jonathan1, born say 1757, perhaps the John Okey, Jr., who was taxable in Lewes and Rehoboth Hundrds in 1774. Jonathan was head of a Little Creek Hundred, Kent County household of 4 "other free" in 1800 [DE:41]. 5 x. William1, born say 1763. xi. Jonathan2, head of a Saint Jones Hundred, Kent County household of 2 "other free" in 1800 [DE:45] and 3 in Sussex County in 1810 [DE:416]. xii. Robert3, head of a Little Creek Hundred, Kent County household of 3 "other free" in 1800 [DE:40] and 9 in Sussex County in 1810 [DE:468]. xiii. Robert4, born 1776-1794, head of a Sussex County household of 7 "other free" in 1810 [DE:415] and 8 "free colored" in Lewes and Rehoboth Hundred in 1820 [DE:306]. xiv. William2, born 1776-1794, head of a Lewes and Rehoboth Hundred, Sussex County household of 6 "free colored" in 1820 [DE:306]. xv. Levin, taxable in Broadkiln Hundred, Sussex County, in 1784. He was indicted by the Sussex County court for petit larceny in November 1783 with Elizabeth Oaky as his security [RG 4805, General Sessions Court, 1767-94, frame 321]. He purchased 6-1/2 acres in Broadkiln Hundred at the sheriff's sale for 15 pounds, made additions to the dwelling, added other buildings and improvements and sold it about two years later about 1789 for 40 pounds [DB O-14:154, 622]. xvi. Betty Okey, head of an Accomack County household of 4 "other free" and a slave in 1810 [VA:117]. 2. Robert1 Okey, born say 1698, was living on 111 acres of land adjoining Samuel and Ann Hanser on 20 May 1733 when they sold 124 acres near Rehoboth Bay, Sussex County. He was mentioned in the 11 June 1742 Sussex County, Delaware deed of his son Samuel who sold land which had formerly belonged to Aminadab Okey and Robert Okey [DB G-7:34-5; H-8:14]. He died before 3 September 1745 when his daughter Sabria and her husband John Parsons petitioned the Sussex County court to divide his land among his heirs [Orphans Court 1744-51, 17]. He was the father of i. Samuel, born say 1719, called son of Robert Okey on 11 June 1742 when he sold 60 acres in Sussex County which was formerly owned by Robert and Aminadab Okey and by Aminadab Hanzor before them [DB H-8:14]. He was sued by William Taft in Sussex County court in November 1742, but the case was settled out of court, and he sued David McCracken in court in November 1762 but withdrew the suit before it came to trial [RG 4815.017, General Sessions Court, 1741-53, frame 45; 1761-71, 118]. He was listed in the account of the Sussex County estate of Cord Hazard, Jr., on 12 March 1750 [Orphans Court 1744-51, 80]. ii. Richard, born say 1721, called brother of Samuel Okey in Samuel's 11 June 1742 Sussex County deed by which Samuel sold land adjoining Richard's [DB H-8:14]. iii. Sabria, born say 1725, wife of John Parsons. 3. Joseph1 Okey, born say 1725, and Elizabeth Oakey sold 89 acres, part of Ebenezer to John Barker for 11 pounds, 10 shillings on 8 August 1744 [DB H-8:66]. He and his wife Arcada Okey were administrators of the Worcester County estate of her father Peter Beckett on 23 January 1754 [Prerogative Inventories 48:98-100; 60:89; Accounts 37:65]. He purchased 212 acres in Broadkill Hundred, Sussex County, Delaware, on Indian River Branch from the sheriff on 5 August 1762 [DB I-9:390]. He sued James Pettyjohn in Sussex County court for assault in February 1759 but he discontinued the suit in February 1760 [RG 4815.017, General Sessions Court, 1753-60, frames 510, 526, 585]. He was a "Molatto" taxable in William Burford's District, Granville County, North Carolina, in 1765. He was taxable on two tithes in 1769 and 1771 and was taxed on an assessment of 329 pounds in Nap of Reeds District, Granville County, in 1780. In 1786 he was called Joseph Oakey, Sr., in Nap of Reeds District of Granville County when he was head of a household of 2 "white" men over 60 or under 21 years and 4 "white" women in the state census. He was taxable on 250 acres from 1786 to 1804 and taxable on one poll in 1786 but not free from poll tax by 1790. He was called Joseph Oakley in 1800 when he was head of a Granville County household of 8 "other free." Perhaps his widow was Sarah Oakey who was taxable on 50 acres in Ledge of Rock District, Granville County, from 1805 to 1808 [Tax List 1803-1811, 142, 199, 212, 268]. Joseph was probably the father of 6 i. Joseph2, Jr., born say 1750. ii. Micajah, head of a household of 1 "white" male under twenty-one years of age and 2 "white" females in Nap of Reeds District in the state census for Granville County in 1786. 4. Saunders Okey, born say 1742, was sued for debt by Robert and Mary Jackson in Sussex County court but the case was agreed to before coming to trial [RG 4815.017, General Sessions Court, 1761-71, frame 106]. Saunders and his wife, Mary, "melattoes," registered the 20 October 1771 birth of their daughter, Rhoda, at St. George's Protestant Episcopal Church, Indian River [Wright, Vital Records of Kent and Sussex Counties, 101]. He was taxable in Lewes and Rehoboth, Sussex County in 1774 and a delinquent taxable in 1787. He married, second, Johannah Hansor, widow of Nehemiah Hansor by 12 November 1787 when they were summoned to court to give an account of Nehemiah's estate [de Valinger, Court Records of Kent County, Delaware, 1680-1705, 89]. He was the father of i. Rhoda, born 20 October 1771. ii. ?Lina, married Shepherd Harmon on 10 October 1802 in Sussex County, Delaware. iii. ?Nancy, married Peter Pride on 12 February 1803 in Sussex County, Delaware [Records of the United Presbyterian Churches of Lewes, Indian River and Cool Spring, Delaware 1756-1855, 318, 319]. 5. William1 Oakey, born say 1763, and his wife Sarah registered the 5 April 1785 birth of their daughter Polley at St. George's Protestant Episcopal Church, Indian River Hundred, Sussex County, Delaware [Wright, Vital Records of Kent and Sussex Counties, 106]. He was taxable in Indian River Hundred, Sussex County, from 1784 to 1790. William and Sarah were the parents of i. Polly, born 5 April 1785, baptized 5 October 1785. 6. Joseph2 Okey, born say 1750, was taxable on an assessment of 1,810 pounds in Granville County, North Carolina, in 1780. He was called Joseph Oakey, Jr. in 1790 when he was taxable in Dutch District, Granville County and called "Joseph Oakley, Jr." in 1800 when he was head of a Granville County household of 8 "other free." He was taxable on 447 acres in Dutch District, Granville County from 1786 to 1796 and taxable on 250 acres in Ledge of Rock District, Granville County from 1802 to 1804. His 8 August 1804 Granville County will was proved by his wife Elizabeth in August 1805. He (signing) left 100 acres to his son Aaron, 150 acres to his son Willie and daughter Selah, and named his other children: Joseph, Susanna, Elizabeth, and Deborah [Original at N.C. Archives, CR.044.801.29]. His widow Elizabeth Okey was taxable on 250 acres in Ledge of Rock District in 1805 [Tax List 1796-1802, p.283; 1803-1811, 89, 142, 199, 212], and head of a Ledge Neck, Granville County household of 3 "free colored" women in 1820 [NC:18]. They were the parents of i. Aaron. ii. Selah. iii. William4/ Willie. iv. Joseph3. v. Susanna. vi. Elizabeth. vii. Deborah. |
| Additional Notes | – |
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[Author (if known)], Free Black Families of Colonial Delmarva (abstracted by Paul Heinegg), [Date (if known)], Enduring Connections: Exploring Delmarva’s Black History, Nabb Research Center, Salisbury University.
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