Colonial Immigration: Adopted vs. Birth Families

 Working on two separate family groups, adopted and birth, have made for some interesting comparisons.

For the most part, my adopted families arrived between 1620 and 1700. A few arrived during the mid-1700s. The McHughs arrived during the 1830s and finally, Catherine O'Neill arrived in 1852.

A sizable number of individuals who arrived during the "Great Migration" settled in New England [Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Rhode Island, Connecticut]. The Dutch and Huguenots landed in what would become New York. Quaker families called Pennsylvania home before migrating south into Virginia,

New England, New York, Pennylvania and Virginia folks headed for Ohio before settling in Indiana. [1824-1876 and 1913] 

My birth families wee a completely different breed. There was some New England and New York settlement between the 1630s and the late 1600s. Several families landed in Pennsylvania, then migrated to what would become Kentucky or into Virginia.  A large number of the immigrants first called Virginia home, the western Carolinas and eastern Kentucky.

Nearly all of the families settled in Kentucky after the Revolutionary War and started migrating into southern Indiana shortly after statehood in 1816. Those families that drifted into Indiana from northern environs arrived in territorial Indiana, settling in old Knox County.

The "birth families" were well established in the frontier regions by the Revolutionary War. There is that one exception: Charles Everhart found his way to America in 1820.

The ol' computer is slowing down considerably and needs to go into the shop. The blog will probably be shut down until repairs are done or a replacement is found!!

Family Origins

 ILLIG: arrived 1733 - Adelshoffen, Heilbronn, Baden-Wurtenberg [Germany]

STEFFY: arrived by 1745 - Bern, Switzerland

STIEFF: arrived 1753 - Baden-Wurtenberg [Germany]

Family Origins

 a trio of mystery names:

GEORGE: 6 generations - English [maybe Welsh]

PARKER: 2 generations - English

DUNNING: 2 generations - Scottish

Family Origins

 BALL: arrived before 1678 - England

PHILLIPPI: arrived 1747 - Volksberg, Bas-Rhin, Alsace [France]

EICHELBERGER: 1733 - Argau, Switzerland

Family Origins

 HOGUE: arrived about 1685 - Musselburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

HUME: arrived about 1685 - Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland

HARRELL: arrived before 1659 - England

Family Origins

 As mentioned in the previous post, there are families of "yet to be determined origin."

Akers: 2 generations - possibly English, maybe German

Russell: 2 generations - Scottish, Irish or Ulster Scots

Bland: 2 generations - probably English from Sedburg, Yorkshire

Clark: 2 generations - English or Scottish

This group ends up in southern Indiana.

Family Origins

 Stillwell: arrived by 1638 - Dorking, Surrey, England

NEIL: arrived  1683-1685 - Innerwick, East Lothian, Scotland

EDWARD(S) : arrived 1683-1685 - Stevenson, Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland

More mysteries:

EDDY: 2 generations - English or Cornish

GRAHAM: 7 generations - Scottish

Family Origins: Where Did Each Family Come From?

 It is my hope to get each of my ancestral lines traced back to its European roots. In some cases success is achieved. In other cases, it is a matter of probability based on research. Still, in other cases, the country of origin is never determined.

EVERHART: arrived 1820 - Hanover [then Prussia] Germany

ARBUCKLE: arrived 1742-1747 - Part Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Scotland

MONTGOMERY: arrived by 1769 - probably Ireland

THOMPSON: arrived by 1747 - Port Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Scotland

ROGERS: arrived by 1722 - Gravesend, Kent, England

On-site Research Needed!

Sometimes you simply need to be where the records are located. Getting to the 8-10 eastern Kentucky counties where ancestral families lived is probably off the table in the foreseeable future. However, Hoosier locales are attainable!

It is quite a list!

Knox

Daviess

Greene

Martin

Switzerland

Jefferson

Clark

Washington*

Bartholomew

Jennings*

Rush

Delaware

All but the last two are south of home and perhaps an hour to two hour drive. Rush and Delaware offer long shots at best. Families weren't there long.

The top four on the list were all home to paternal lines. The rest were home to maternal lines.

*I have been to these two counties already, but a return trip may be in order.

Focus on Reseach: Don't lose it!

 Maintaining focus on research is crucial. Lately, I seem to be losing mine. I am bouncing from one family to another! I'm gathering bits of information along the way, but not accomplishing much in the way of completing files on individual family lines [single surnames.]

Perhaps it's just a phase. I don't know, but it needs to end soon. I'm not making much progress.

I may need to pretend I'm back at the old Salt Lake Institute's Problem Solving course. One problem to focus on for five days, Maybe that's the solution?

Research Goals

 Since beginning my family history research back in 1990, I have done my best to accomplish the following:

{1} Accuracy - make sure all of those people in the tree belong there!

[2] Proper documentation - make sure every fact is documented accurately.

[3] Multiple sources, whenever possible - use more than one source per fact, when available. Sometimes one source is a blessing!!

[4] Fleshing out families - collateral ancestors can be vital in finding information on direct ancestors.

[5] Get each family back to the mother country - tricky when you have trouble locating surnames of some female ancestors

The first four are crucial to successful research. The fifth may not be attainable if your ancestors arrived in America in colonial times, but it's a goal none the less - especially for a bull-headed researcher.

Location, Location, Location!

 Location is one of the key elements in genealogy research. You need to know where your ancestors were every step of the way, if at all possible.

Census records, land records, tax lists, military/census files, city and county directories, birth, marriage and death records, local histories and family genealogies are among the sources available to you.

If you know where an ancestor was in 1770, then you know where to look for records. Likewise for 1850, 1930 or 2023.

Be aware of towns in close proximity to your ancestor's home and how close they are to a county line. A marriage or other major event could have happened outside of the immediate "neighborhood."

You also need to be aware of county changes. Your ancestor could have been living in four different counties between 1785 and 1800 and never moved from his original land grant. You may need to check county A records from 1788 while the ancestor resides in county D in 1799.

If your John Smith served in the Connecticut Infantry during the Civil War, pension applications for John Smith who served in the Ohio Cavalry can be dismissed.

If James White was on a tax list in Kentucky in 1793, it's highly unlikely that he was the James White who married in London, England in 1794.

If you are looking for a Thomas Green who died in Mississippi during the War of 1812, a Thomas Green's Maryland record won't help.

LOCATION is key to research!

Evaluating Sources: Mackay Land Records

 Our Mackay family, like most others, acquires land. Here are some samples:

[1] James T. Makey purchases 100 acres in Camden District, Colony of South Carolina in 1773.

[2] J.T. Maccay was deeded 125 acres of land in the Camden District, SC by Matthew Makay in 1775.

[3] James T. Mackay sells 200 acres of land in Mason Co., KY to Matthew Mackay in 1800.

[4] J.T. Mckay Sr. deeds 25 acres to J.T. Mckay Jr. in Mason Co., KY in 1805.

[5] James Mackay Sr. sells 175 acres in Jefferson Co., IN to Elwood Innis in 1837

The first transaction in 1773 is very doubtful. James T. was only 19. You need to find out the legal age at which a man could purchase land in Colonial South Carolina. If Makey is a corruption of Mackay, you need to find this one's relationship to our James T.

The 2nd and 3rd entries are good matches. James was 21 in 1775. You need to identify this Matthew Makay! The Matthew Mackay in #3 is probably James' eldest son now 21.

#4. Ah ha! James Sr. and Jr.! James Jr. has reached the age of majority  by 1800. James T. is still living, thus identified as Sr.

#5 needs some close examination. We have James Sr. in Jefferson Co., IN, but this record is dated 1837. The elder James passed in 1836. Does James Jr. have a son named for him? Is there another James Mackay younger than James born in 1784.

Evaluating Sources: Mackay Military Records

 A handful of family trees have posted the following military records for our James Thomas Mackay:

[1] Sons of the American Revolution application for a James Mackay, son of Shelby and Ann [Cassidy] Mackay. The SAR application names a James T. Mackay m.  Elizabeth Callahan. All dates and places are a match except James T.'s birthplace, given as Augusta Co., VA.

James' service is given as serving with the Virginia militia at the Battle of Camden in 1780 and the Battle of Yorktown.

Any red flags? James was born in South Carolina, not Virginia. He might have served with the Virginia militia, but serving with a South Carolina unit would make more sense. James' military service, if any, needs documentation. 

[2] Daughters of the American Revolution screen cap of the service of a J.T. Mackay. All dates and places match. Application submitted by Alice [Mackay] Sherwood, granddaughter of James Jr.

Service for J.T.: S.C. Militia under Col. Williams at Musgrove Mill 1780; provided food for Continental troops   1778.

This is different from the SAR application and makes for a better fit. James' kids should have done better research! You need to search Fold3 for James' service record and possible pension file. Also, you can send for the DAR file!

[3] A Civil War Pension File card dated July 1865 for James McKay. Widow's pension dated Feb. 1889 for wife Elizabeth. Service: 124th Indiana Infantry.

Oh come on! Why save a Civil War pension card for a man who died in 1836? Well, the names matched. Do not saved Civil War records for Rev. War vets! Likewise, don't save WWII records for people who died 10-20 years before the war began.

Note: the DAR record was a match.

What wars could the Mackay boys served in?

Matthew: 1812, Black Hawk War

James Jr.: 1812 - maybe, Black Hawk

Shelby: Black Hawk

Evaluating Sources: Fictitious Mackay Family:Vital Records II

 Our Mackay family may show up n birth and death records. However, since parents and children were all born before 1800, both may be tricky. All were born and died before birth and death records were required in Indiana.

Cemetery records are the best hope here. Perhaps a family genealogy or local history. Let's consider the following:

[1] A book on the Karl family has a family group  record that includes an Amos Karl who died "about 1829 near Madison, Indiana."  It says he married twice. First to Edna Haas [born 1769 & died 18o2 Madison, IN]. Second: Lizbeth ______ [born abt. 1785 & died abt. 1860]. Two children: James & Rachel.

Could thhis be Elizabeth Mackay?  Quite possibly. Go with it until other sources are checked. Lizbeth Karl's birth and death are close. Madison is in Jefferson Co. Look for Elizabeth in the 1860 Census and track down those two kids James and Rachel!

[2] Someone has saved a Find A Grave entry for a Sarah MacDonald whose birth and death dates and residence all fit our Sarah Mackay. The spouse is an Alec MacDonald, but no birth or death is included.

A maybe? Unfortunately, this Sarah's maiden name turns out to be Wilson, a fact the "saver" overlooked. Delete this one.

[3] Another Find A Grave entry saved to a tree shows Shelby and Ann Mackay "stones overturned, hard to read." They are both buried in a small cemetery in Hendricks Co.

Is this a hit or miss? Possibly a hit. Contact the cemetery and/or  local libraries in Marion and Hendricks Counties. Shelby should be in the 1850-60 census and Ann in 1850-70. How close did they live to the Marion-Hendricks line? Investigate any kids, they should make it to recorded death certificates.

[4] A local history for Jefferson Co., IN mentions a James Makkay who arrived in the county in 1816 and is saved to a Mackay Family Tree as our James T.

We know that James and Betsy were inwhat was to become Jefferson Co. by 1808, This was 8 years before James Makkay arived. Drop it!!

[5] A researcher has saved a list of births for James and Betsy's children from an old family bible in a cousin's possession. In addition to Matthew, Sarah, James, Elizabeth and Shelby there is a daughter Rachel born December 1785.

This could be a major addition, but how to prove it? Start by contacting the tree owner. Then look a census records beginning with 1790.

Evaluating Records and Sources: The Fictitious Mackay Family: Vital Records

 All right , let's pick up where we left off yesterday. We have the fictitious family of James Thomas Mackay and Elizabeth "Betsy" Callahan.

James Thomas Mackay was born in Berkeley Co., SC on 12 Mar 1754 and died 8 Jun 1836 in Jefferson Co., IN

[1] Birth records may be hard to come by in 1754. But a family bible is online for a Mackay family from Winchester Co., Virginia:

Matthew McKAY - born 5 Jan 1728 - died 16 May 1783; Rachel SHELBY, his wife, born 27 Jun 1730 - died 4 Mar 1779. Married 9 Feb 1749.                                                                                                           Matthew, son, born 11 Nov  1751; married Alice Baum 23 Jan 1774. James, son, born [smudged] Mar /May [hard to resd] 1754; Jane. dau., born 30 July 1756 - died  8 Aug 1756; Nancy - born 1 Aug 1758; Racheil - born [smudged] 1760.

Could this be James Thomas? Possibly. The year fits, but the day and month aren't clear. The mother's maiden name is Shelby, James named a son Shelby. Worth saving? Yes, at least until the family group can be verified. By the way, find a copy of that Mackay family book. It could answer many of your research questions!!

You find some posted marriage records for James and Betsy on several family trees with the correct date - all with source citations!!!

England Marriages 1770-1899: James T. McKay & Eliz. Calihan                                                                    New England  Marriages 1700-1800: Jas. Mackee & Betsy Callahan                                                              South Carolina Presbyterian Church Records: James Macay & Elisabeth Callahan                                Virginia Tidewater Marriages before 1800: J.T. Makay & Elizabeth Callahan

Any keepers? We know the couple was not in England or New England. The Tidewater region of Virginia is too far east. Mackay and Callahan are likely Scots, Scots-Irish and/or Irish and members of the Presbyterian Church. Spelling may be a shade off, but that South Carolina record could easily be them.

If you know where a couple was living at the time of their marriage - or any other event - ignore records from places you know they wouldn't or couldn't be, especially in colonial/revolutionary times. The same line of reasoning applies later on. Marriage in a nearby town or bordering county? Yes, but not a great distance away! Just because names and dates match doesn't mean the wrong place is okay/ You need the trifecta: correct people. date and place!

Evaluating Records: Just Because the Name Matches That Doesn't Mean the Record Matches

 I may have addressed this topic a few years ago, but it is worth revisiting. Especially since the topic continues to rear it's ugly head.

Far too many people conduct a search for an ancestor and attach nearly every record/source that matches the person's name. They show disregard for just about every red flag imaginable: chronology, geography, family, vital records, and just about any other source imaginable.

Let's use a fictitious couple to demonstrate the point: 

James Thomas Mackay - born 12 March 1754 Berkeley Co., South Carolina died 8 June 1836 Jefferson Co., Indiana. James married Elizabeth "Betsy" Callahan on 15 April 1778 in Camden District, South Carolina - born 19 October 1758 Augusta Co., Virginia - died 11 February 1841 Jefferson Co., Indiana. James and Betsy had five children: Matthew [1779-1844], Sarah [1782-1831], James Jr. [1784-1853], Elizabeth [1787-1862] and Shelby [1789-1866]. Matthew, Sarah and James were born in Camden District, SC. Elizabeth and Shelby were born in Mason Co., Kentucky.

The Mackay family left Berkeley Co., SC for Camden in 1773. The Callahans settled in Camden in 1775. James moved to Mason Co., KY in 1786 and finally settled in Jefferson Co., IN in 1808.

Matthew married Deborah Stevens [1780-1837] in 1799 Mason Co., KY. Both died in Madison Co., IN.

Sarah married Jacob Bonner [1773-1806] in 1800 Mason Co., KY; then married Alex MacDonald [1781-1856] in 1809 in Jefferson Co., IN. Bonner died in Mason Co., KY, Sarah in Jefferson Co., IN, MacDonald in Delaware Co., IN.

James Jr. married Sally Innis [1785-1854] in 1805 in Mason Co., KY. Both died Morgan Co., IN.

Elizabeth married Amos Karl [1770-1830] as his 2nd wife in 1804 in Mason Co., KY. She never remarried. Both died in Jefferson Co., IN.

Shelby married Ann Cassidy [1792-1877] in 1811 Jefferson Co., IN. Shelby died in Marion Co., IN and Ann died in Hendricks Co., IN.

There we have our family. What records and sources logically fit James, Betsy and their family? To add to the suspense, in tomorrow's post I'll look at census, land and vital records that may or may not fit the Mackay family.

Adopted and Birth Families Come Together

 For those of you who were adopted, did you ever wonder if your birth and adopted families connect at some point? It probably happens more often than you realize.

Here's my adopted/birth connection.

[1] Hugh Mahurin was born in Ulster or Scotland about 1665 and settled in Taunton, Massachusetts by 1692/3. He was probably a collier at the iron works there. Hugh married Mary, probably surnamed Campbell. Ebenezer Campbell was a neighbor and the given names Ebenezer and Othniel were common to both families. Hugh died in Taunton in 1718.

.[2] Ebenezer Mahurin, eldest son of Hugh and Mary, was born about 1691. He married at Marshfield, Massachusetts on 12 December 1718 to Bathsheba Joyce.[1693-aft. 1755], daughter of Walter Joyce and Elizabeth Low. Ebenezer and Bathsheba settled in Morristown, New Jersey in 1738 and were active members of the Presbyterian Church. About 1742 they moved to Pequannock Twp., Morris Co., NJ. Ebenezer died there in 1755.

Then comes the split!

[3a] Stephen Mahurin was born 9 November 1720 in Raynham, Bristol, Massachusetts. The name of his wife is unknown. Stephen was one of the Mahurins who chose to move south. He died after 1763 in either Kentucky, Virginia or North Carolina.

Stephen's son Silas was born in Morris Co., NJ in 1744. He married a woman named Sarah.[1752-1815] Silas may have moved to Virginia with brothers Ebenezer and Samuel, He was a chain carrier for John Pipes in Surrey Co., North Carolina.in 1779. Silas appeared on tax lists for Fayette [1789], Shelby [1792-1805] and Grayson Co. [1811] Kentucky.Silas died in Grayson Co. on 11 April 1822. [He may have accompanied his son Samuel to Illinois.

Mary, daughter of Silas and Sarah, was born 1777-79, probably in North Carolina. She married John Dillon [c1775 - bef. 1820]. Their son Samuel married Caty Hunt. Granddaughter Elizabeth married Hiram Boyles, mentioned in earlier posts. From there eventually to the Hogue and George families.

[3b] Seth Mahurin [1729-1815] married Mary Hazen [1735-1794] in Morris Co., NJ about 1793. Seth signed the Articles of Association in May 1776 pledging support to the Provisional and Continental Congresses. He also supplied goods to the Continental Army in 1780. Seth opted to change the family name from Mahurin to Hurin/Huron. In 1787 the Hurins moved to New Marlborough, Ulster Co., New York. In 1795 several of the Hurins packed up and traveled the Ohio River to modern-day Cincinnati and then acquired land in Warren Co., Ohio. Seth died in Warren Co. in 1815.

Set and Mary's son Othniel married Bethia St. John and their daughter Rebecca married Joseph Faucett. The Faucetts settled in Hendricks Co., IN. This line would marry into the Prall family.

There you have it. Common ancestors to both families.

Orphaned and "Abandoned" Ancestors

 Lucy Jane Clark, James C. and Susan H. Arbuckle, Sarah Akers and John L. Goodman. All my ancestors. All losing one or both parents at an early age.

Lucy Jane Clark: Daughter of James Clark and Ann S. Graham. James died during the Civil War. Ann remarried twice. First to Peter Kesler in 1866 Second to William Henry McIntyre in 1868. Lucy was living with Ann's parents in 1870, but her mother made Lucy beneficiary of her father's pension benefits. Ann died in 1873 leaving Lucy orphaned, although in the care of her grandparents. Lucy married James C. Arbuckle in 1879.

James Crawford Arbuckle lost his father during the Civil War as well. Unlike his future bride, he was raised by his widowed mother Sarh Akers. James would marry Lucy Clark in 1879.

Susan Harriet Arbuckle was James' sister and shared the same story. She married Charles Augustus Everhart in 1875. 

Sarah Akers, mother of James and Susan Arbuckle, was the daughter of William Akers and Abigail Russell. Little is known about William Akers. He died by 1830, leaving a wife and two infant daughters, Sarah married Thomas Arbuckle in 1852 and was widowed in 1865. Sarah lived until at least 1896. Her mother lived into the 1880s.

John L. Goodman, born 1854, was the son of Carl Goodman and Jane Colegrove. Both parents seem to have died by 1860, when John was living with his maternal grandparents. John married Sarah Catherine Boyles in 1875.