Vintage Voices Blog

Located in Springfield, Missouri, at 435 E. Walnut Street is the Keet-McElhany house.  The house was built in 1881 and was officially entered into the National Register of Historic Places over 100 years later in 1984.  The house was the residence of prominent Springfield ancestors for over 100 years.  The Keet, McElhany, and Holland families were important merchants and bankers in early Springfield, Missouri history. Ancestors Within These Walls Claude McElhany, my second cousin three times removed, resided in this house alongside his wife, Katherine Keet-McElhany.  The property, acquired by Katherine’s father, James Keet, in 1883, became a significant part of their shared history.  The couple exchanged vows within the home on July 7th, 1909 and continued to call it their residence until their respective passings - Claude in 1956 and Katherine in 1992.   Claude was a veteran of World War I.  For the majority of his career, he worked as a clerk and...

The McElhany surname finds its roots in Northern Ireland. The name represents the Anglicized (or English) version of the Gaelic Mac Goilla Chainnigh or Mac Goilla Choinnigh, which is translated to mean “son of the servant (or devotee) of Saint Cainneach”. In Ireland, Cainneach is recognized as St Canice, while in Scotland, he is known as St. Kenneth or St. Kenny. St. Canice, born in the Ulster province of Ireland around A.D. 515 and passed away around A.D. 600, was the son of Lughadh, a poet, and Maul or Mella. During his youth, he journeyed to Wales for religious studies and was ordained as a priest. It’s said that he ventured to Rome for a period of time and when returning to Ireland, he dedicated himself to the eradication of paganism from the country. In today’s Catholic tradition, the feast day of St. Canice’s is celebrated on October 11th. The McElhany surname has experienced a multitude of spelling variations, some of them are: McElhaney McElheney McElhenney McElhenny McElh...

Lawrence and Cassandra Southwick (Sethwick) were imprisoned, fined, whipped, starved, and eventually banished from the Colony of Massachusetts in 1659 for their religious beliefs. They were exiled to Shelter Island, New York, where they soon perished due to deprivation and exposure. Their son Daniel and daughter Provided were sentenced to be sold into slavery, but could find no one to take them. Their son Josiah was also banished and later whipped for returning. Ancestor Spotlight - my 10x Great Grandparents: Lawrence Southwick B. 1598 Lancashire, England D. 1660 Shelter Island, New York Cassandra Burnell B. 1598 Worcestershire, England D. 1660 Shelter Island, New York Journey from England to Colonial America: Family lore suggests that Lawrence came to America in 1627 on the 2nd voyage of the Mayflower.  He then went back to England and brought his wife Cassandra and son John, arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630. Their daughter Mary was likely born the same year, so it's pl...