|
What is Bowne House?
In 1661, John Bowne, and English immigrant to the american colonies, built a house in what is now Flushing, New York. That house is still standing today and is the oldest surviving house on Long Island. That in itself is sufficient to make it worthy of a visit. However the significance of Bowne House lies more in the role it and its builder played in bringing freedom of religion to the New York colony, and by extension, to the United States as a whole. You can learn about this fascinating piece of history from the Parade Magazine article reproduced here or from the Bowne House website at www.bownehouse.org.
What is the connection between Bowne House and our family?
The Keese family tree connects up with the John Bowne family back in the 18th century. John Bowne’s granddaughter, Mary Bowne, married John Keese in 1791 in Flushing, New York. John and Mary Keese lived in Bowne house, where they had a son, John Dobson Keese. To bring this up to the 21st century and to our immediate family, John Dobson Keese is the great-great-great-grandfather of Olive Keese Strand.
|
