Hi Gang, Happy St. Pat's Day! My 4th great-grandmother was Margaret (Rhoda) Mc Keever, wife of Thomas Pennington of Hampshire Cty. VA (now WV). She was born 7 Jan. 1799. On the census you will see her listed as Rhoda, Marg, and Myranda They are all the same person. According to the Mc Ivor legend, there were 2 Mc Ivor brothers, one of them named Hugh that lived on Capon and married a daughter of Thomas Edwards. After the marriage they moved to a fertile valley of the Greenbriar River far away from "White Settlements". Hugh McKeever was born 14 march 1804 and died 15 Feb. 1882. His wife Lucinda O., b. 3 nov. 1804 and died 18 April 1890. They are buried in the town cemetery in now Wardensville, Hardy Cty. WV. There was an Indian massacre and only one person of the McIvor name was left, a child taken and brought up by a German family who changed the spelling of the name to McKeever, the name the family is now known and is the progenitor of the McKeever's of the valley. This McIvor may have been the son of one of the men killed in the first battle of Ft. Edwards about 1757. There is mention of a Darby McKeever that lived not far from Capt. Isaac Pennington on Long Marsh off the "Bullskin" ??as mentioned in the History of Old Frederick County, VA. "Darby" (Irish is there was such an Irish name) McKeever is listed in the surveys in 1749. "Darby Sr. is listed on the Capon River. About 1787, Henry Frye on a hunting expedition found the Capon Springs in Hampshire Cty, its grounds laid off into lots and named "Watson". By legislative enactment trustees were appointed; one of them being Paul Mc Ivor (McKeever). Before the close of the Revolutionary War, Paul acquired the farm later known as the Alfred S. Anderson place and was it's first occupant and built his home there. The farm of 540 acres lays in the Capon Valley very close to Yellow Springs. Paul may have been married twice (family rumor - not verified) but his first wife Chesher (Cheshire) had 7 children. Paul Jr. lived in Pocahontas County, WV at the time of the settlement of his father's estate. Paul's 2nd marriage was to margaret Switzer (or Switzerine) later called Swisher. Their children were Mrs. Fanny Kackley, "Mrs. Rhoda Pennington", Mrs. Margaret Pennington, Christina McKeever, Hugh McKeever, Moses McKeever, Mrs. Sarah Arnold, Mrs. Elizabeth Capper, Mrs. Julia Ogden and Mrs. Michael Brill. Mr. and Mrs. Kackley went west, the Penningtons and the Brills remained on Capon and Timber Ridge. Also mentioned in the Old Frderick History - "The first successful effort to produce a machine to thresh wheat from the straw in this county; had it's start in Middletown. Some old men of to-day remember the one manufactured by James Ridings about 1817; and then the McKeever". Just a little Irish history for this special day. Do any of the other surnames - ring any bells with anyone? Rene'e Davis, CFO ARD, Family Groups PRA - Group 9 Pennington Research Association, Inc. www.penningtonresearch.org