Posted: 5:13 PM - Sep 16, 1999
That's a question which we do not as yet have a definite answer simply because we do not have anything further back than Robert Mackay Sr., the Quaker pioneer who lived in Freehold, Monmouth Co. NJ and later in Frederick/Warren Co. VA.
Dee Ann has been looking at a possible connection with a group of Scottish Quakers and also a man named John Mackay I believe.
One of the names of these Quakers is Leith which is the surname of Lydia's (dau. of Robert) 3rd husband. Brown also figures in these names but that's about as common as Smith. I have other Browns in my ancestry as well.
These Quakers were living in the Mid Lothian region of Scotland which is somewhere near Edinburgh. Now, if Robert's ancestors came from Strathnaver and were part of this group then for some reason they would have to have left the homeland and gone South to be with this group. Perhaps they did so in order to migrate to the Americas or perhaps for other reasons. All of this is theoretical at this point.
I believe that Robert is descended from the Strathnaver Mackays simply because that name, "Robert Mackay", appears quite often in the Clan Mackay. There were other Robert Mackays who emigrated to the Americas at later dates than our Robert (the Quaker)'s lifetime. One of these, I believe, came over on the Hector into Nova Scotia. The name appears on tombstones in the Mackay Country as well.
Perhaps one day we will solve the mystery as to our Robert's true origins. Time will tell.
Dee Ann has been looking at a possible connection with a group of Scottish Quakers and also a man named John Mackay I believe.
One of the names of these Quakers is Leith which is the surname of Lydia's (dau. of Robert) 3rd husband. Brown also figures in these names but that's about as common as Smith. I have other Browns in my ancestry as well.
These Quakers were living in the Mid Lothian region of Scotland which is somewhere near Edinburgh. Now, if Robert's ancestors came from Strathnaver and were part of this group then for some reason they would have to have left the homeland and gone South to be with this group. Perhaps they did so in order to migrate to the Americas or perhaps for other reasons. All of this is theoretical at this point.
I believe that Robert is descended from the Strathnaver Mackays simply because that name, "Robert Mackay", appears quite often in the Clan Mackay. There were other Robert Mackays who emigrated to the Americas at later dates than our Robert (the Quaker)'s lifetime. One of these, I believe, came over on the Hector into Nova Scotia. The name appears on tombstones in the Mackay Country as well.
Perhaps one day we will solve the mystery as to our Robert's true origins. Time will tell.