Submitted by:
John Middleton, Leawood, Kansas
After some years of research I have discovered at least
three or four main concentrations of Neely's. Unfortunately, there has not been sufficient
research to make the connections between the groups. They seem to have descended from one
or two main immigrations in the 18th Century. The Neely's appear to have entered the US
through Philadelphia.
One group went south and settled in the Carolinas. Another group moved west and settled in
western Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Then, one of these groups, or perhaps both, spread
west to Nashville (Neely's Bend), Tennessee and then down the Mississippi to Louisiana.
This could have been through the Cumberland Gap from the Carolinas or on the Ohio River
from western Pennsylvania.
I propose that the Neely family as a whole attempt to make the necessary connections among
these groups or show they are indeed separate families. In order to do this, we will need
to find volunteers in the primary locations (Philadelphia, Tennessee, Allegheny County,
the Carolinas, and Louisiana) to do onsite research which can be coordinated to provide a
complete picture. Because I am out of position, in Kansas, I would be willing to volunteer
to coordinate the activities. I will
write a monthly newsletter and publish it by email to everyone who volunteers and to
others who are interested. I also propose to work the problem with as much dispatch as
possible and try to get a decent overall picture by the turn of the century. (Kind of a
Neely Millenium Project. ;-) )
To start I have a good amount of information on the family of Samuel Neely of Pine
Township, Allegheny County. I know there was another Samuel Neely living in Robinson
Township, Allegheny County at the same time and there seems to be another Neely
concentration in Leet Township on the Ohio River.
I have just read Juanita Henderson Neely's 1959 book on the Neely family in the Carolinas.
There are just under 400 individuals in her book. It appears that her beginning
individual, Thomas Neely, may have been the beginning of both the Allegheny and Carolina
contingents.
If there is enough interest from those currently in contact with this mailing list, the
Allegheny County list, and a few others that I will send this to, I will publish a listing
of the related surnames in an
attempt to bring all of the available resources to bear. I will also attempt to develop a
bibliography of those sources containing Neely information.
What I need to know is -- Is there sufficient interest in this?
If you interested, please email me directly (not on the list).
mailto:jmcpa@kcnet.com
I will report the results on the list and will start an email list for
the newsletter.
jm
--
John Middleton, Leawood, Kansas
Middleton, SCT>Liverpool, Eng>Chicago, IL, 1800-1920; Neely, IRL>PA,
1759-1900; Chid(d)ester, WV>OH, 1800-1900; Som(m)erville, Grasmere, Eng, 1700-1850
