Benjamin Keyser

Notes:

1691: Benjamin Keizer (or Keyser) of Somerset County (who died in 1691), who in his will names "my father George Keizer," brothers Elizer and John Keizer, sister May Mould and "my cousins [Nieces and Nephews?] Tabitha White, Priscilla White, Sarah White, Stevens White and William White". He also left small legacies to Lawrence Crawford and George Layfield, and refers to land which Col. William Stevens, of "Rehoboth", in his will, also devised property to Edmund Howard and his son William Stevens Howard, not mentioning any relationship. John White m Sarah Keyser.

Notes:

Some say George immigrated with the Winthrop Fleet in 1630 but there are no records confirming. We received the following after Tom Yarington's request to the Keyser Society for more information:
Friday, December 12, 2003
"Gentlemen; Mr. Yarrington has asked me about the arrival of George Keyser (correct spelling, as attested to by a sample of his signature which has survived) in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. My information indicates that George arrived there sometime before 1638 when he appears in the official records of the colony in connection with a court case. I too have a copy of Banks' book and, indeed, it does NOT make any mention of a George Keyser or anyone with a similar sounding name. Nor, to the best of my knowledge, does any other known source on this period. That George Keyser should arrive without any record of his transit or arrival is, I understand, not all that unusual as the known records for those times are far from complete.

In addition, it is alleged that some persons emigrated under assumed names for various reasons, not all of which are nefarious. I do not know the origin of the assertion that George Keyser was on the Winthrop fleet, but Leon Keyser in his Keyser Families of New England does make this assertion. He cites Banks' book as his source but, as I have said, this is groundless. At least until new arises, we cannot know for sure that George Keyser was NOT on the Winthrop fleet but we certainly do not know that he was. In any event, we do know that he did emigrate and we do know, at least beyond a reasonable doubt, that he came from Leighton Buzzard, England.

His father, George Keyser Sr., lived and died in that hamlet, but it is reasonably certain that he was not born there. The Keyser name seems to have come "originally" from southern Germany. The name and its homonyms well known in Germany to this day and many other members of this clan emigrated to North America over the centuries. It is not even certain that George Keyser Jr. was the first "Keyser" in North America as I have seen references to another Keyser in the immigration records for Virginia for the 1620s.

I hope that this information is of some use to you. Best wishes to you both.
Geoff B. Geoffrey R. Browning"
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=greysteel&id=I35239

George married Elizabeth Holyoke, (immigrant) about 1640 in Massachusetts (?). Elizabeth (daughter of Rev. Edward Holyoke, (immigrant) and Prudence Stockton) was born in 1614 in St. Lawrence, Jewry, England; was christened in 1615; died in 1659 in Massachusetts (?). [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Elizabeth Keyser (born Morris Holyoke), 1615 - 1659 [sic Holyoke-Morris)
Elizabeth Keyser (born Morris Holyoke) was born on month day 1615, at birth place, to Edward Holyoke and Prudence Holyoke (born Stockton).
Edward was born on February 15 1586, in Tamworth, Staffordshire, England.
Prudence was born on December 20 1584, in Alcester, Warwickshire, England.
Elizabeth had 8 siblings: Ann Stockton Putnam (born Holyoke), Capt Elizur Holyoke and 6 other siblings.
Elizabeth married Thomas Morris in 1640, at age 24.
Thomas was born in 1620, in Waltham Holy Cross, Essex, England.
They had 8 children: Hannah Morris, Elizabeth Gott (born Morris) and 6 other children.
They divorced.
Elizabeth married George Keyser in 1645, at age 29 at marriage place, Massachusetts.
George was born in 1610, in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, England.
They had 7 children: Eleazer Keyser, John Keyser and 5 other children.
Elizabeth passed away on month day 1659, at age 44 at death place, Massachusetts.
She was buried in month 1659, at burial place, Massachusetts.
https://www.myheritage.com/names/elizabeth_holyoke

Edward married Prudence Stockton. Prudence was born on 20 Dec 1584 in Alcester, Warwickshire, England; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]