LNEALOGICALM, RCCRDS


 THE K EDY FA2~ILY

TIIOAS PUGHi ?:-iiD', born Thomas Kennady Pugh, in Phila-
delphia, December 12, 1812, was the son of Samuel Kennedy
'Pugh and Jane Penrose, of the English houses of Tresse, Pen-
'rose, Kennedy and Pugh, as shown in the old Bible contain-
ing the family records of eight generations.
 Coming to St. Augustine, Florida, in 1828, at the age
of sixteen years, Thomas reversed his aanes of Pugh and Ken-
nedy, taking the latter as his surname.
 He spent the next twelve years in various parts of
 Florida, finally locating in Tampa in 1840, whore hs .married
 Adelaide Christy; she came here in 1837 with her uncle, Ma-
 jor Fraser, viho was in command of the United States garri-
 son, Fort Brooke. lr. Kennedy establiUhed the first trad-
 ing post here with the InLdians, also one at Charlotte Har-
 bor. He was on tha friendliest -orns with the Indians; he
 was liberal and just with them, and they held him in high
 esteem. Billy Bowlegs, the old Seminole chief, particularly
 admired him, and was often entertained by ILr. Kennedy and
 his wife as an honored guest. Before Billy Bowlegs was sent
 to the Indian reservation he presented Mr. Kennedy with a
 handsome silver medal, which had been given him by President
 Van Buren at the signing of the peace treaty with the Semi-
 noles. This medal is still in the possession of the Kennedy
 family. Mr. Kennedy's business took him frequently to Cen-'
 tral and South America and Mexico. On one of these trips,
 during the Mexican war, while running the blockade with sup-
 plies for the American troops, ho was captured by the Mexi-
 cans and held prisoner for many month's; the story of his
 escape is interesting and romantic.
 He was a charter member of the Masonic lodge here,
 and his son, Thomas Pugh Kennedy, second, and grandsons have
 also been prominent in the order.
 Mdr. Kennedy became one of the wealthiest and most ho0-
 ored men in South Florida; more than 375,000 of his fortune
 was given to the support of the Confederate Government. HO
 gave assistance in business life to several young men who
 later acquired fortunes or became prominent citizens of Tam-
 pa, among them being the late William B. Henderson, who fre-
 quently spoke with pride of his friendship.
 At the time of his death, in 1858, r. Kennedy was an
 extensive property holder throughout the state, particular-
 ly in Tampa and Hillaborough County. The first entry in j
 the clerk's office of Hillsborough County was a deed from I
 E. T. Kendrick and wife to Thomas P. enanedy, recorded Marth