THE AGNEWSLETTER VOLUME XVI, ISSUE 2—AUGUST 2009 ASSOCIATION OFFICERS CONVENOR: BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Dr. Thomas I Agnew , Irwin, PA Joe Dunn, VA Tel:(703)532-3544 (724)864-5625 [email protected] E-Mail: [email protected] David A Agnew, GA (706)754-3661 TREASURER: [email protected] Sue Agnew Thorne, lone, CA Susan R Guise ,FL (813)398-0863 Tel:(209)274-0874 [email protected] Email: [email protected] Stephanie A Eledge, OR (541)928-6459 EDITOR: [email protected] Stephanie Eledge, Albany, OR Dr. Thomas I Agnew, PA (724)864-5625 Tel: (541)928-6459 tag new@comtrol-corp, com Email: [email protected] MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY: WEBMASTER: Peggy Agnew, Albany, OR Joseph E. Snyder III Tel: (541)928,6459 [email protected] Email: [email protected] HONORARY MEMBERS: Sir Crispin and Lady Susan Agnew Lois Schieck, AAA Co-Founder Inside this issue: Association Officers FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY Membership Application SER//\LS 15 Genealogy Chart 35 NORTH WEST TCUDI r- 3ALT LAKE CITY. UTAH «4 Family History 929.27305 Ag63g v. 16, issue 2 (Aug. 2009) The Agnew Association in America By Lois Schieck From the Agnewsletter, Spring-Summer 1993 Seeds for the Agnew Association of America were sown in the summer of 1983 when Sir Crispin and Lady Susan Agnew attended the Grandfather Mountain Scottish games in North Carolina as honored guests. Taking advantage of this, two members of the Scottish Agnew Association - Magalen Bryant and Lois Schieck invited them to be guests in the Washington D.C. Middleburg Virginia area. Magalen was host in her beautiful farm in Middleburg, and Lois Schieck planned a reception in the home of her daughter, Nancy Galler, in McLean Virginia. Prior to the reception, sightseeing trips were arranged through government buildings, as well as touring Mount Vernon and Alexandria Virginia. The guests attended a picnic on the lawn of the Middleburg Country Club, welcomed by bagpipe music and later Bluegrass music. There were seventy five for this delightful weekend At the reception Sir Crispin became acquainted with those members of the Association and those interested in joining. Later that day, he proposed the possibility of forming an American association. At this gathering were slides from the Rockwood Museum in Wilmington Delaware of the Agnew Kilwaughter Castle in County Antrim, North Ireland. Soon after, the Agnew Association of America was formed and board members began a search for interested Agnews to join the organization. Colonel John P Agnew, grandnephew of Miss Mary Virginia Agnew, author of "The Book of the Agnews" was suggested as first Convener. He served for two years, retiring due to ill health. Col. Jack D. Agnew took over for the next two years, finding it also necessary to resign due to family illness. Our present convener, Arthur W. Agnew, has now served for over four years, ending his term in September of this year. (1993) The membership roster began with fifty member4s, and this total has steadily climbed until there are now 177. The Board of Directors, having now served for nine years, will now be reorganized. Taking the office of convener in September at our meeting in Ligonier PA. is Dr Thorpe f Agne&v pf lrw'n,PA Mrs. Patricia Alexander was the first editor of the Agnewsletter, producing four issues a year in her term. She is now Archivist. In the following four years, Mrs. Carol Smith, working closely with her father Arthur Agnew, did a splendid job as editor. She recently turned over the letter to Mrs. Susan Guise, in con­ cert with Dr. Thomas Agnew in Pennsylvania. Historian is Dr. Marie Agnew-Marcelli, who will be compiling material about the Agnews from mate­ rial she already has in her4 possession, sent in by members. Lois Schieck continues as Secretary- Treasurer. It was decided to hold biennial meetings on opposite coasts and these have alternated between Santa Rosa California to Williamsburg Virginia, and from Santa Rosa to Ligonier Pa. Santa Rosa meetings were in conjunction with the Scottish games held there each year. Sir Crispin was invited as honored guest at both meetings. Unfortunately, he is unable to attend the Ligonier meeting, but [plans are for a video greeting from Sir Crispin, Lady Susan and their children Isabel, Emma, Roseanne and Mark, as well as Sir Crispin's Mother, Lady Swanzie Agnew. Lady Swanzie has visited the states and was such a fine tour guide for those attending the Scottish Agnew Association's meeting in Edinburgh and Lochnaw in 1985, Sir Crispin having been taken very ill. At this same trip, Kilwaughter castle in County Antrim N., Ireland was visited, although unhappily, it is in ru­ ins. The Larne County Folklore Society planned a splendid welcome for their American friends. At a recep­ tion in Belfast, Irish and American "cousins" became acquainted and discovered many family affiliations among those present. It is hoped that there will be a goodly number of our members and their families attending the meet­ ing in September where there will be books and pictures relating to the Agnews, beginning in France and following to England, Scotland and Ireland. This will be an excellent opportunity to become acquainted with the other members of the Agnew family and to share a kinship with the Agnews in the American tradition Page 3 AGNEW FAMILY REUNION IN HARMONSBURG PA JULY 25, 2009 The 89 annual Agnew Family reunion was held on July 25, 2009 at Gibson Park in Harmonsburg, Crawford County PA. Lunch was at 1pm.until dark or full. Next year's reunion will be the 90 , (July 24, 2010?) they want large attendance; suggest a prize for the branch with the highest percentage of attendance. The Pres. wants monthly emails sent to remind people to put it on their schedule. They made T shirts for the 70th reunion, want to make them again for the 90th. They also plan to take clan family pictures to keep. They want to put up an Agnew engraved stone, taken from the old Agnew farm, in Gibson Park. One of the Agnews is on the park board. The oldest male was Ken Rea, age 91; the oldest female was Edith Ann Agnew, at 39+; (she knew the birthday of the second oldest, but wouldn't tell either number.) (I have a picture of Ken and son Tom Rea, VP of the Harmonsburg Agnews; also the youngest, born April 1, 2009.) One highlight was the annual egg toss; won two years ago with a hard boiled egg; won last year by Tom Rea with a "freeze dried" egg, put in the ice cream cooler on top of the "dry ice"; it bounced like a baseball. This year's winners were Curtiss and Sam Copeland, who had to break their egg to show they, at least, were honest Agnews. Davis Agnew won the scavenger hunt, getting all ten answers plus many signatures. Dave Agnew won the prize for traveling the longest distance, from Montana, but we didn't know if Arizona was farther. Old officers were Vince Pisani, Pres. and wife Lucy was VP. New officers are Ann Agnew Pres; Tom Rea VP Email torn [email protected], Phone 216-433- 7685; Jean Agnew Secy, and "Honest" Dave Shontz was reelected Treasurer, Cookie Rea the newsletter and Sean Dyke in charge of the fantasy football league (cost $20 to play.). Dues were kept at $4.00 per adult. Page 4 CAN YOU PROVIDE THE MISSING LINK? I have the Kilwaughter Agnew history, and the Harmonsburg PA. Agnew history, can you fill in the link between the two? Irish Agnew family history: According to the book Agnews of Kilwaughter" by William Agnew Moore: Patrick Agnew married Janet Shaw, and built Kilwaughter in A.D. 1622. He was succeeded by his son, John Agnew, who married his cousin, Eleanor Shaw Who was succeeded by his son Patrick Agnew, married (wife not known) Patrick purchased the remaining lands of Kilwaughter which, up to this date (A.D. 1660) were owned by the Agnews of Lochnaw. (By Sir Patrick Agnew, 9th hereditary sheriff of Lochnaw, father of Co. Alexander Agnew of Whitehills who, with Andrew Agnew, his brother, afterwards ( 9th?) sheriff, was frequently in Ireland.) He was succeeded by his son Patrick Agnew, married (wife's name not known) Children: 1. Patrick Agnew, who succeeded 2. Margaret Agnew, married James Crawford 3. Jean Agnew, married Robert Blair Helen Agnew, married James Stewart Patrick Agnew, who succeeded, married Margaret Houston (or Houseton: Children: 1. William Agnew, who succeeded 2. Francis Agnew, who married and left heirs 3. John Agnew, who married and left heirs 4. James Agnew 5. Patrick Agnew 6. Henry Agnew, married Grace Harries, and left heirs 7. Hugh Agnew Page 5 William Agnew, who succeeded, married his cousin Margaret Stewart (of Kellymorn Castle) Cootestown Co. Tyron (It will be remembered that Dr. Egle, editor of the "Pennsylvania archives" de­ rived his information in regard to the ancestry of James Agnew(1711-1770) from Robert Agnew of Cootestown, or Coote's Hill, Ireland) Children: James Agnew Wiliam Agnew, who died as a young unmarried man Maria Agnew, married 1) James Ross, two children, died young. Married 2) Valentine Jones, one son, Edward Jones, one daughter, Margaret (Agnew or Jones?) Jane Agnew, married Henry Shaw, afterwards of Ballygate Edward Jones succeeded his grandfather William Agnew and assumed the additional name of "Agnew" He died in 1834, married Eleanor Galbraith. Children" William Agnew, b. 1824, who succeeded, died unmarried Maria Agnew, married T. C. Simon, Esquire William Agnew was succeeded in the Kilwaughter Estate by his niece, the Countess (Agusta) Balzani, the only child of T.C.