Our Blakeley Roots

Much of the Blakeley data presented here was collected by my sister Lois Steury, U.E. She devoted much of her life in the period up to and into the 1980's developing our Blakeley roots. She spent many weeks and weekends visiting courthouses and cemeteries throughout New York and Eastern Canada. One product of that work was a paper she wrote titled "JAMES BLACKLY (1730-1814) IN NORTH AMERICA".

Ed. Note. James surname was Blackly at birth. It appears to have evolved to Blakely over his life, since that name was used in his Land grants and elsewhere. It is interesting that he named his son Samuel Blackly as an executor in his will. I have left Lois'paper unchanged regarding his surname.

This paper pulls together everything Lois was able to learn about James Blackly's/Blakely's journey from Scotland to Ireland to the Colonies, his life during and after the Revolutinary War, and his descendants. He has been recognized as a United Empire Loyalist (U.E.L.) by the association in Canada with the same name.

Lois has since transferred her interest in Manchee and Blakeley genealogy to her grandchildren and Al.