52 Ancestor Challenge Week #18 - Edgar Allan Poe

When I was growing up my Grandmother Farley would often relay to us that Edgar Allan Poe was one of our ancestors.  Then I would ask her how was he related and she never really knew so lately I have been trying to find out IF there was a connection.  I have been puttering in genealogy for about 10 years - give or take and have never found any Poe connection.

Lately I have been working on my Rees/Reese ancestors and finally found the answer as to whether or not we have a connection  to Edgar Allan Poe.   The answer is yes BUT it is so far out there that I really hesitate to say he is an ancestor.

My 3rd great grandparents Daniel Evans & Ruth (Dawson) Reese had 15 children among them my great grandmother Maria Kenley Reese and an older sister Rebecca Reese.  Seems Rebecca was married to William E. Clemm and therein lies the connection to Edgar Allan Poe.  Rebecca's husband William E. Clemm was a half brother to Virginia Clemm who was married to Edgar Allan Poe.  Poe was also a cousin to Virginia Clemm but in neither line do we have a direct connection.  Sorry Nana it really doesn't count.

52 AncestorsChallenge - Week #17 Daniel Evans REESE revisited

Daniel Evans Reese was my 4th great grandfather and youngest child of  John Rees & Catharine (Evans) Rees.  He was born about 1769 near Newberrytown, York, PA.  He married Ruth Dawson. A list of members in the City of Baltimore found in the Register of the 1st Methodist Episcopal Church he is spoken of as a preacher and a "traveling" preacher.

Rev. Daniel Evans Reese died on the 17the of August 1849 and is buried at Mt Olivet Cemetery in Baltimore, MD.  His wife Ruth died the 23rd of February 1842 and also is buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery , Baltimore, Maryland.  

Rev Daniel Evans & Ruth (Dawson)  Reese had 15 children:
Daniel Evans, Jr born after 1790
Thomas C. born about 1792
Joseph born about 1797
John W born about 1799
David Meredith born 1800
Catharine born 1801
Sarah Dawson born 1802
Anna R born 15  May  1804
Samuel born about 1808
Rebecca born 4 Sept 1809
Maria Kenley born 31 July 1813  *** my 3rd great grandmother
Caroline Barnes born about 1814
Mary Ann born about 1815
Elizabeth Jane born about 1816
Charles W. born about 1817

My grandmother always told the story that we were related to Edgar Allan Poe but I have never been able to confirm that.  I will be going to Richmond, Virginia soon and hope to find more that will either prove or disprove this story.

So far the only possible connection could be through Rebecca Reese who married a William E. Clemm.  I have not researched this family yet.