Some Facts and Traditions

While researching the Kear family history a copy of a lengthy unpublished paper written in 1931 by Wiley McDonald Kear was received from Mary MacDonald Ritch, a grandaughter of Wiley. Wiley prepared the paper about 5 years after his son entered the U.S. Naval Academy. He had started his research when the Navy required him in 1896, as a condition to his son's entering the academy, to identify any member of his family, or ancestors who had been in military service.

In conducting the search, Wiley found extensive data on the Frysinger and Romig families, but little about the Kear family. It seems appropriate, however, to include his findings as historical background, and the following excerpt is quoted verbatim from his papers:

"Thomas Reed Kear - Father of Wiley McDonald Kear was born in Anne Arundel County, Maryland April 27, 1806. He was a son of John Kear and Mary (Reed) Kear, his ancestry being English and Scotch (sic). His father, John KEAR was a private in Captain Holt's company, Eighth Regiment, Virginia Militia, War of 1812-1815. His Mother, Mary (Reed) Kear was a native of Maryland and had two brothers that built one of the First Brick Blocks in Baltimore and known as 'REED's Block.' It was near or connected with the Pier of the Chesepeak [sic] Ship Yards, which were owned by the same brothers, and all destroyed all [sic] sometime after 1818.

The REED family were amongst the early settlers of Maryland and engaged as Merchants and Ship Building and owned and with own ships carried the bricks used in building their large Block and other buildings from Wales where other members of the family were engaged in mining and Brick Making. some of them locating in Pennsylvania were engaged in Coal Mining and later in Oil and Gas."

Note

1. Excerpts from a paper prepared by Wiley McDonald KEAR in 1903.

Copyright

Information on this site related to the Kear family is from The John Cears Kear Family compiled, written and edited by Donald L. Kear, copyright © 1984. Copyright © 2000 - 2006 by Donald L. Kear. All rights reserved. Portions of the pages on this site may be reproduced for nonprofit use only. Credit shall be given to the source.