I am not a genealogist; but ever since I heard my father and uncles talk about the lives of their father and grandfather I have been curious about the origins of the King family. Many of my friends could speak of their parents or grandparents as coming to this country from Europe or other parts of the world. This I could not; for my King forebears seemed to have been here for generations. One story had it that we even had native American blood in us. But, such a story probably is heard in almost every old family. Afterall, much intermarriage occured in colonial times. I tried to find out our origins from my grandfather; but he was as vague as my father, uncles and aunts. He and they all had been born in Fairport, New York.
I kept a file of gleanings from my relatives but did not seriously begin looking into the King genealogy until my own children began questioning me about where we came from. And, then, in 1984 I received a telephone call from Shirley Muszynski of Erie, Michigan. She suggested that I might be related to her; for she is a descendent of William Franklin King, an older brother of my grandfather George Eugene King, who had settled in Michigan on leaving his Fairport home. I had been told that two or three brothers had gone to Michigan and Ohio and one as far as Oregon. Therefore, I was not surprised that someone in Michigan should be related to me; but I was surprised to hear her ask: Were you told that you had American Indian blood in you? Undoubtedly, the story had come down from my great grandfather and earlier times.
The Muszynskis are ardent genealogists who already had uncovered considerable information about the Michigan Kings and now were searching the records for the New York Kings. I was stimulated to see what I could do. I soon discovered from the New York State census of 1855 that my great grandfather Ebenezer King was born in Montgomery County, New York. Shortly afterwards the Muszynskis shared their discoveries of the King Cemetery in the Town of Northampton, New York, and copies of the Will of great great great grandfather Henry King and of the probate documents for great great grandfather Benedict King's Will.
Now the search was on. Where did Henry come from? Did he serve in the War of Independence? When and where was Benedict born? When and how did he arrive in Penfield, New York? The questions are endless. This is my story of the search.
Each section was first completed on the date given at its end. From time to time since then as more information was gathered the section would be revised. Thus this story presents my current understanding of the development of the King line from Henry King of West Greenwich, Rhode Island, to George Eugene King of Fairport, New York.
At the end I list the names of the 19 children and 55 grandchildren of George Eugene King to the best of my knowledge at this time.
July 7, 1988
Allen L. King
