An American Family History

Mackay Family

The Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia borders Maryland and Virginia. The first European settlers started arriving about 1730.

also spelled McKay, McCay, McKey

The Society of Friends (Quakers) began in England in the 1650s, when they broke away from the Puritans. Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn, as a safe place for Friends to live and practice their faith.

Appalachia was the 18th century backcountry and many settlers were Scots-Irish. It includes southern New York, western Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Virginia, West Virginia, eastern Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee and northern Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.

Robert MacKay was probably born about 1680.

His first wife was Anne Browne.

Mary MacKay (1705, married George Robinson),
Robert MacKay (1708, married Patience Jobe and Mercy Borden),
Margaret MacKay (married Joshua Jobe)
Hannah MacKay (married George Hollingsworth),
Zachary MacKay (1714, married Lydia Whitson),
Moses MacKay (1715, married Mary Jobe),
Leah MacKay (1716, married William Taylor or Tyler),
Elizabeth MacKay (1719, married Abraham Jobe),
James MacKay (1720, married Mary Chester).

The family moved from New Jersey to Cecil County, Maryland about 1723. They were in the vicinity of the East Nottingham Meeting near the Pennsylvania and Maryland border.

Anne died before 1726.

The McKays were early settlers in, what is now, the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. About 1731 the family moved to Dry Run near Martinsburg in what is now in West Virginia, and then moved on down the Shenandoah Valley.

On October 21, 1731, Robert Mackay and Joist Hite were granted 100,000 acres on the Shenandoah River.

On September 18, 1739 the Nottingham Monthly Meeting disowned Elizabeth Mackay and on October 20, Abraham Jobe was disowned.

From Frederick County Road Orders

13 January 1743/44 O. S., Frederick County Order Book 1, p. 15
Ordered that George Bowman, Andrew Falkenborough & Robt Mckay Junr. or any two of them View & lay off the Road from John ffunks Mill cross Ceeder run Creek ford to the said Robert Mckay Junrs. & to Branston Gap According to the petition of Jacob Teeter & Others & make return of their proceeding to the next Court

10 February 1743/44 O. S., Frederick County Order Book 1, p. 29
George Bowman & Robert McCoy Junr having made their return on the Order for Viewing & Laying off the Road from John ffunks Mill Cross Ceedar Run Creek ford to the said Robert McCoy Junrs to Branstons Gapp in these words We the Subscribers have viewed and laid Out the Road from ffunks Mill back of George Teleners and from thence to Ceedar Creek ford & Robert McCoy’s & from thence to Gregories ford upon the River & thereupon its Ordered that the sd. Road be Cleared by the Petitioners Robert McCoy, George Dellener & George Bowman are hereby Appointed Overseers of the said Road & its further Ordered that they cause the said Road to be cleared According to Law.

Robert Mackay, Sr. wrote his will in Augusta county in 1746.

Robert probably died in 1752.

West Virginia is located in the Appalachians and was originally part of Virginia. The capital and largest city is Charleston. It became a state during the Civil War and was admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863.

In 1786, William Whitson [Jr.] and Abraham McKay were elected to meet with the Primitive Baptist church association held at Kendrick's Creek, (Sullivan county) to petition for permission to establish a church at Big Pigeon.

Abraham and Rachel McKay were original members of the Primitive Baptist church in Pig Pigeon in 1786. They built a fort on the French Broad river.

In 1790 Jeremiah Mackay of Shenandoah County gave his power of Attorney to David Jobe in Washington County and Abraham Mackay of Green County to receive his wife's portion of the estate of Joseph Whitson.

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©Roberta Tuller 2019
tuller.roberta@gmail.com
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