William H Carey Sr. (abt. 1845 - 1910)

Born about 1845 in Eleuthera, Bahamas

Husband of Margaret (Knowles) Carey — married about 1865 in Bahamas

Descendants

Died 8 May 1910 at about age 65 in Key West, Monroe County, Florida, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Carolyn Martin [send private message]

Biography

William Carey Sr. is part of a Bahamian family.

William Carey Sr. is buried in Key West Cemetery.

William was born about 1842-1845. His parents were possibly Michael Carey (1812-), who married Elizabeth Pinder or Russell, per Raymond Petit, from the Bahamas Genealogy Group.

He was married to Margaret Knowles. Both were born in the Bahamas, and married there. Five of their children were born there also: Emma Jane in 1867^[1], Mary Ida in 1869^[2], William Nelson in 1871, Gertrude in 1872^[3], and William in 1874 (or 1875)^[4] Another daughter, Nettie, was born in Key West in 1881.

Note: There is some confusion over the two sons named William. They may be one and the same person, as only one William ever shows up in census records. Adding to the confusion are varying dates of birth on various records, and the different middle names. Bahamian records are notorious for inaccurate dates and even changing a child's name after birth records were recorded. However, William Nelson Carey (1871-) could have been a child who died young, then another son was born and named William H Carey Jr (abt.1875-1930). This seems the more likely scenario since the 1910 census states they had 7 children, but only 5 were still living.^[5]

Immigration to Key West, Monroe County, Florida

William, Margaret, and their children moved to Key West, Florida between 1875 and 1880. By 29 June 1880, the family was in Key West living on Grinnell Street. Four children were in the home - Emma, Ada (aka Ida), Gertrude and William H.^[6] Two Thompson women, both listed as William's sister-in-laws, were living with them. However, these women more likely were his wife's aunts, not sisters, as Margaret's mother was a Thompson and her father a Knowles. William was working as a seaman. His year of birth was given as 1842.

In 1885, the family appeared on the Florida census, still living on Grinnell Street in Key West, Monroe County, Florida. Children at home included Ida, William, Gertrude and Nettie.^[7] William was listed as a seaman and his wife a tobacco stripper. Both sets of their parents were stated to have been born in the Bahamas also.

William declared intent to be naturalized on 10-20-1884.^[8]

In 1910, the census lists W H Carey and wife, Margaret, living on Newton Street in Key West. The census taker obviously was mistaken where he drew the line between Angela and Newton, as the house number is clearly their home on Angela Street. The census indicates they had been married 45 years, and had 7 children of whom only 5 were living. It states the couple immigrated to the United States in 1860 which is impossible as there children were born in the Bahamas between 1867 and 1875. ^[5]

Deaths

William passed away in 1910.^[9] Burial was in the Key West Cemetery in Key West, Monroe County, Florida.^[10] He was 65 and died from "Endocardtas Cerebral Hemorrhage," according to the funeral record. His casket was expensive for the times ($100) and his procession included 14 carriages. He shares a headstone with his wife, Margaret. His date of birth in the funeral record and on his headstone was 1845.^[11]

William and Margaret were listed on their daughters' death records: Emma Jane in 1921^[12], and Nettie in 1938.^[13]

Research Note

A newspaper article appeared in the Miami News (Miami, Florida), 29 Jul 1913, Tue, Page 3, entitled "Heirs of William Carey sold acreage to E F Holmes for $1000," stating that: "Margaret Carey, Gertrude Higgs, Emma Albury, Ida Lones, Nettie Boll, and William H Carey, sole heirs of William H Carey, of Monroe County, Florida, to E. F. Holmes for a consideration of $1000: lot 1 of section 35, and lots 3 and 4 of section 36, township 57, south of range 41 east and containing 129.13 acres." This land apparently is on Elliott Key, which is now part of Biscayne National Park, which is used for recreational purposes, and otherwise uninhabited.^[14] Elliott Key is in the northern part of the Keys near Key Largo in an offshore chain of land only accessed by boat.

A newspaper article on 23 Oct 1906 in The Miami Evening Record, which recounts the harrowing events of a "tidal wave" (hurricane),^[15] stated that a "William Carey of the schooner Marcab, who with his family, lived on Elliott's Key remained in the house until it was overturned. His schooner had gone, but a small boat being near the house, he loaded his family, consisting of his wife and five children into it and made his way to the mangrove trees on the mainland. They were all saved and arrived in the city this morning little worse for their experience...Every plantation on Elliott's Key is devastated and it is doubtful if there is any attempt made to restore them." Is this the same William Carey as mentioned in the land deal and this profile?

Apparently the family was associated with Elliott Key as William's grandchildren, Roland Cialy Albury (1886-1935) and Flossie Belle (Albury) Curry (1888-1978), attended school there in 1896!^[16]

Sources

1. ↑ "Caribbean, Births and Baptisms, 1590-1928," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XLLW-GXG : accessed 16 March 2015), William Carey in entry for Emma Jane Carey, 16 Aug 1867; citing Eleuthera, Bahamas, reference ; FHL microfilm 222,939.
2. ↑ "Caribbean, Births and Baptisms, 1590-1928," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XLL7-W9T : accessed 16 March 2015), William Carey in entry for Mary I. Carey, 10 Feb 1869; citing Eleuthera, Bahamas, reference ; FHL microfilm 222,940.
3. ↑ "Bahamas Births, 1850-1891," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FLM1-1FL : accessed 16 March 2015), William Carey in entry for Carey, 09 Dec 1872; citing Rock Sound, Bahamas, reference p 118; FHL microfilm 222,941.
4. ↑ "Florida, State Census, 1885," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MNJC-JGP : accessed 16 March 2015), William Carey, 4, Monroe, Florida; citing p. 31, sheet letter C, number , line 13, NARA microfilm publication M845 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 888,970.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVKN-4W6 : accessed 22 May 2017), W H Carey, Key West Ward 4, Monroe, Florida, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 124, sheet 9B, family 224, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 165; FHL microfilm 1,374,178.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNZ4-JS7 : 14 July 2016), William H Carey, Key West, Monroe, Florida, United States; citing enumeration district ED 116, sheet 270B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0131; FHL microfilm 1,254,131.
7. ↑ "Florida, State Census, 1885," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MNJC-JGP : accessed 16 March 2015), William Carey, 4, Monroe, Florida; citing p. 31, sheet letter C, number , line 13, NARA microfilm publication M845 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 888,970.
8. ↑ Ancestry Record 1850 #2075929 with attached Image
9. ↑ Certified letter from the Bureau of Vital Statistics, Florida, stating DOD - information taken from "the old mortality ledger of the City of Key West, Florida, now in the custody of the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Jacksonville, Florida." In possession of Carolyn Martin.
10. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/51705222/william-h-carey : accessed 08 March 2022), memorial page for William H Carey (1845–8 May 1910), Find A Grave: Memorial #51705222, citing Key West Cemetery, Key West, Monroe County, Florida, USA ; Maintained by Keith McAllister (contributor 48550646) .
11. ↑ Information recorded by Carolyn Martin from Grave site, Key West Cemetery, Key West, Florida on 4-8-2014
12. ↑ "Florida, Deaths, 1877-1939," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FPQH-PW1 : accessed 16 March 2015), William H. Carey in entry for Emma Jane Albury, 01 May 1921; citing Monroe, Florida, reference 5060; FHL microfilm 2,116,179.
13. ↑ "Florida, Deaths, 1877-1939," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FP91-SMP : accessed 16 March 2015), Wm. H. Carey in entry for Nettie Boll, 19 May 1938; citing Key West, Monroe, Florida, reference cn9369; FHL microfilm 2,115,036.
14. ↑ Wikipedia contributors. (2022, January 13). Elliott Key. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14:30, March 8, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elliott_Key&oldid=1065432694
15. ↑ William Carey, Miami Evening Record The (Miami, Florida, USA), 23 October 1906, Page 1, column 3; Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/615653111 : accessed 7 March 2022)
16. ↑ The Sweeting Homestead on Elliott Key, p 32(https://web.archive.org/web/20160304114801/http://digitalcollections.fiu.edu/tequesta/files/1996/96_1_02.pdf)