robertmackayclan

I do not know if you have in the past visited the Sowers Web Pages found on Genforum & Rootsweb. But you will see there are a lot of different Sowers family groups living in US not related to our Sowers.

Personally, I am only interested in our Sowers Family.

I have a link to some surname searches I did on the names Sowers & Kerfoot but have no desire to put up direct links to the various webpages that appear. Partly because of the Caveat Amptor belief and also because many of these pages are transient. That is they are here today but not here tomorrow.

I've done some checking on the different links I have to other websites on my website and have found quite a few of them that now appear to be dead. Some I regret loosing like the on-line version of the "Kerfoot, Kearfott & Allied Families".

I have to go back and delete all of these links that don't work anymore.

I believe I have received a number of phone calls, letters and e-mail messages about the original Kerfoot book.

Frankly, I have no desire to take my copy and make additional copies for those who ask. It is very time comsuming and expensive to ask others for my cost of copying here in Fairfax, VA at 8 cents a page, plus tax.

I had told people to check out your site. I guess I will just tell them to check State of VA Library System (they would be cheaper) or L.D.S. library. The book I have has 169 pages. It would cost a researcher if they wanted a copy of the entire book from L.D.S. library about $62.50.

When I first found out that the link to the Kerfoot book was dead I did a search and found an on-line book publishing company that sold this book but even now that link no longer is available.

I have since done a search and found where it was being sold again either through Genealogical Publishing Company or Amazon.com but I haven't changed the link to reflect that.

I believe you can purchase a copy of that book for a considerably lower price through either of these companies than you could through the LDS library.

I'll have to do the search again and find out for sure.

I believe I have received a number of phone calls, letters and e-mail messages about the original Kerfoot book.

Frankly, I have no desire to take my copy and make additional copies for those who ask. It is very time comsuming and expensive to ask others for my cost of copying here in Fairfax, VA at 8 cents a page, plus tax.

I had told people to check out your site. I guess I will just tell them to check State of VA Library System (they would be cheaper) or L.D.S. library. The book I have has 169 pages. It would cost a researcher if they wanted a copy of the entire book from L.D.S. library about $62.50.

Ok, I updated the link I have to purchasing a copy of this book. It appears under the dead link to the on-line version of "Kerfoot, Kearfott and Allied Families" on the opening page for The Bethel Memorial, Incorporated at http://www.geocities.com/mckyrbnsn/bethel/

I do not know how current the information is on that page but the price for Kerfoot, etc. was around $26.00 or so. There is an e-mail address that you could contact if you would like to know more about this.

If this is old information then I guess the only option is to buy it through LDS for about $65.00.

The reason I went to the trouble to compile my Sowers book, was because nobody else did. Except for the few notes found in Hunter Branson McKay's works nothing else had been written or compiled on them.

Found on my disk I send to the L.D.S. computer bank, I included all the Sowers names I had on file at that time. I did so in case others might in the future become interested in their Sowers Family History. Plus the fact the Sowers family inter-married so much with the Kerfoot and McKay families.

The information found in the L.D.S. computer bank is of course FREE. Unless others in Salt Lake, UT have changed, altered, delete etc.....the information dealing with our Sowers Family submitted on my disk all should be as I send to them. I am not responsible for others taking my information off this computer bank and transferring it by computer to their personal computers and then sending it off to other computer banks. I know for a fact this has happened.

I believe that if it wasn't for McKay/Sowers descendants there wouldn't be anything in print on this family. If anything Mr. L. Copenspire should at least be grateful for that.

Mr. Larry Copenspire's remark reminds me of children on the playground, if one child doesn't want to do what another wants. Yell out the most hurtful remark a five year can think of, which will usually involve their mothers.

"Your Mother Wears Combat Boots" I have really hear young children yell at each other with other not to nice comments about each others mothers.

This is how I would characterize Mr. Copenspire's statement about my Sowers Book--just a child's hurtful statement with no grounding in the facts.

I have been doing genealogy for about 21 years now, and I have never purchased a book from another researcher/compiler who had included in their works, copies of actual original documents. I have included these documents in all my books to help other researchers. Depending on where I got the document it cost me between $5.00 (State D.C.) to $3.25 (rental of film 35 cents each copy) to copy each record. The reader has the same record without any effort on their part for pennies. I wish someone would give me that deal !!! Or my books tell the reader where to look for a document or if the information came just from a secondary source or "family tale". That fact can save a researcher tons of time.

To change the subject to the McKay family, depending on which family Elizabeth McKoy (wife of Wm. Jenkins) belonged, Mr. Copenspire could also be our McKay cousin as well. I know I am thrilled.

Of course, by the time I figure out which McKay, McKee, McCoy, McKoy etc.....she belonged to--all my McKay books will be sold. Mr. Copenspire can look at two of my books at the library. Or he could compile his own books.

P.S. It would appear from others works and what original records I have found about the above Elizabeth McKoy. She was not a member of the McKee family as reported in B.M. Doughties's book "The Mackeys" on page 95-96. This was the family started by Robert McKee of early Frederick Co. VA. Name also spelled as McKey.

Like the books I have compiled for the ancestry of Elizabeth Antrim (wife of Jacob) and Ann E. Lehew (wife of T.B. McKay), I hope in about five years to do a complete study of the various surnames that went into the make up of my great-grandmother Etta Double Sowers:

Sowers--she had a double line back to Jacob Sowers Sr. through his son Daniel and his two sons: John W. & Wm. Sowers. I need to trace the business dealings of Jacob Sowers Sr. in Winchester, VA. I want to find records of the name of his wife as stated in his will--Mary And to see if she was the only wife of said Jacob. Records will also have to be read in PA for him.

I still need to find out the maiden name of Daniel Sowers Sr.'s wife Catherine.

Also want to point out, found in the papers of Hunter Branson McKay about 100 letters and short notes from his mother to various family members. Do to the lack of interest by the other descendants of said Etta, I will not take the time to type into this book all those pages. But others can read said letters ordered from Salt Lake, UT through any L.D.S. library on film.

Jenkins--came into the family through the marriage of Catherine Jenkins to Wm. Sowers. I am still looking to confirm that they were a Quaker Family that came down into VA from PA. It is this line which may have a connection with the family of MacKay/McKay of Robert Sr. Elizabeth McKoy (daughter ??? of John McKay, son of Robert Jr.???) & Wm./Thomas Jenkins married in Frederick Co. VA were the parents of said Catherine Jenkins. If true Etta D. Sowers & her husband C.E. McKay would have been cousins through Robert McKay Jr. I am missing a lot of the maiden names for most of the wives that married into the various families.

Kerfoot--others have compiled family histories on this surname. Others may have problems with the book Clarke Co. VA Houses by Brown, but his book contains a lot of pictures of old Kerfoot & Sowers homes. My purpose will be to document just my line which stayed in VA. We still have the problem as to the wife of Wm. Kerfoot Sr. If she really was a member of a Carter family, believe more likely belonged to the Quaker Carter family listed in Hopewell Friends. Also need the maiden name of George Kerfoot's wife--"Peggy".

Mitchell--came into the Sowers family through the marriage of Mary Emily Mitchell to John W.Sowers. These are my real "headache" lines: Mitchell & Johnston. Particularly the last surname Johnston. The oldest known Mitchell was Cary who died in 1799 Frederick Co. VA, his wife Frances. We need her maiden name. Still trying to find out his parentage. With the Johnston family, I know of three different Johnson/Johnston living in the area of Frederick Co. VA. The oldest known couple were Wm. Johnston who married in Old Episcopal Church, Frederick/Clarke Co. VA to Frances Reynolds. "We" believe said Frances Reynolds was from Richmond Co. VA but as of now lack the evidence. I am working with one other person on these surnames--Johnston/Reynolds. She could have some great blood lines. Very unclear which Johnson/Johnston family Wm. belonged.

I hope after I read all Clarke and Frederick counties land deeds and wills to find the answers to all my questions. Or I will know the documentation is not present. The book will contain as my other works copies of the actual original documents. I think the page count will be larger enough to just run off forty copies.

Have you found any new information on John McKay, son of Robert Jr. since the printing of the McKay book?

Also, what do Quaker records have to say?

I'm just wondering if he did have a family or whether perhaps he died single or young.

I hope the land deeds of Frederick Co. VA will yield more information.

These are the people I am trying to sort out:

1. John McKay married 1 Aug 1798 in Frederick Co. VA to Elizabeth Sugars. I have a copy of the marriage bond. Sally McKay who married Haines McKay (page 58 of my McKay Book) in Frederick Co. VA 29 May 1828. I have a copy of said bond stated she was the daughter of John McKay.

2. Hatha McCoy married 23 Dec 1799 in Frederick Co. VA to Thomas Johnston, bond posted by John McCoy. Was this Thomas Johnston a member of my Johnston family as well, I have no idea.

3. Elizabeth McKoy married 7 Feb 1799 in Frederick Co. VA to Wm. Jenkins. This is my line.

4. Susannah McKoy married 7 Jan 1805 Frederick Co. VA to Zebidee Kendall. Still living in Frederick Co. VA for 1810 census. Thomas Johnston posted their bond. Was he the same Thomas Johnston ? If he was--could show linkage between Susannah & Hatha McKoy/Mcoy.

5. Amelia McKay married 7 Jul 1806 Frederick Co. VA to Levi Hicks (or surname also spelled Hickey). She was given a portion of John McKay estate in 1836. This couple had John, Mary, Levi & Amelia Hicks.

6. Jane McKay married 19 Oct 1798 Joseph Cooper.

I need to find records which link together these people or discount any kind of relationship. The fact that Amelia McKay was given A PORTION of the estate of John McKay. I hope to find out who got the rest of it.

All the above marriages took place in Frederick Co. VA. I do not know at the moment if this is an important fact or not. I hope it means they all belong to the same family of a John McKay.

I still have my eye on Alexander McKay living in Shenandoah Co. VA for the first census. I have a feeling not related to our group of McKay. But my Elizabeth McKoy still could come from him. If it is not important he lived in Shenandoah and not Frederick Co. VA. I think that Floyd McKay who removed to IN belong to his line.

I have my eye on the McCoy Family of Fauquier Co. VA. And they always used that spelling of the surname. I still have not figured out which direction they came into Fauquier Co. VA. Hope the earlier land deeds will yield that answer.

Also my work in his area of VA has yielded about three generations of the line of Sarah McKay (daughter of Robert Jr.) who married Robert Hume. I have not been contacted by any of their descendants. But all the information is in existance. And I have compiled in book form for sale to public Fauquier Co. VA Births, Deaths, Marriages, Wills and Land Deeds.

I do not know if I told you or not our ancestor Jacob McKay Sr. right before he removed to OH witness one of his nephew's will--McKay Hume in 1816 Fauquier Co. VA. He confirmed his signature which seems to square with the fact he died a Quaker. And a John McKay also signed as a witness but he gave an oath. So I am assuming he was not a member of the Society. The question I have is this John McKay--the brother of said Jacob Sr. ? Or this John McKay--the son of said Jacob McKay Sr. ?

For his son John McKay we know his birth & death dates, name of his wife Rebecca and the names of their children. I just hope his Uncle John DID NOT MARRY a woman named Rebecca !!!

I think it would be really great if it turns out my late great-uncle Hunter Branson McKay did have a double line back to Robert Sr. I believe the record on lines from Robert MacKay Sr. is held by my late great-uncle Hubert F. McKay (by marriage and also my cousin) he had three lines back to Robert MacKay Sr.

Have you found any new information on John McKay, son of Robert Jr. since the printing of the McKay book?

Also, what do Quaker records have to say?

I'm just wondering if he did have a family or whether perhaps he died single or young.

Listed under "Stafford Land Deeds" #50 found information about our Jacob McKay Sr. in Stafford Co. VA.

I hope to find more information about the McKay in early Stafford & Fauquier Co. VA, we never know where they will turn up.

Robert S. McKay and his son Wm. F. McKay ran some kind of business in Stafford Co. VA. I will be looking at those records for my Pilcher family, perhaps I will find more about our McKay at the same time.

I hope the land deeds of Frederick Co. VA will yield more information.

These are the people I am trying to sort out:

1. John McKay married 1 Aug 1798 in Frederick Co. VA to Elizabeth Sugars. I have a copy of the marriage bond. Sally McKay who married Haines McKay (page 58 of my McKay Book) in Frederick Co. VA 29 May 1828. I have a copy of said bond stated she was the daughter of John McKay.

2. Hatha McCoy married 23 Dec 1799 in Frederick Co. VA to Thomas Johnston, bond posted by John McCoy. Was this Thomas Johnston a member of my Johnston family as well, I have no idea.

3. Elizabeth McKoy married 7 Feb 1799 in Frederick Co. VA to Wm. Jenkins. This is my line.

4. Susannah McKoy married 7 Jan 1805 Frederick Co. VA to Zebidee Kendall. Still living in Frederick Co. VA for 1810 census. Thomas Johnston posted their bond. Was he the same Thomas Johnston ? If he was--could show linkage between Susannah & Hatha McKoy/Mcoy.

5. Amelia McKay married 7 Jul 1806 Frederick Co. VA to Levi Hicks (or surname also spelled Hickey). She was given a portion of John McKay estate in 1836. This couple had John, Mary, Levi & Amelia Hicks.

6. Jane McKay married 19 Oct 1798 Joseph Cooper.

I need to find records which link together these people or discount any kind of relationship. The fact that Amelia McKay was given A PORTION of the estate of John McKay. I hope to find out who got the rest of it.

All the above marriages took place in Frederick Co. VA. I do not know at the moment if this is an important fact or not. I hope it means they all belong to the same family of a John McKay.

I still have my eye on Alexander McKay living in Shenandoah Co. VA for the first census. I have a feeling not related to our group of McKay. But my Elizabeth McKoy still could come from him. If it is not important he lived in Shenandoah and not Frederick Co. VA. I think that Floyd McKay who removed to IN belong to his line.

I have my eye on the McCoy Family of Fauquier Co. VA. And they always used that spelling of the surname. I still have not figured out which direction they came into Fauquier Co. VA. Hope the earlier land deeds will yield that answer.

Also my work in his area of VA has yielded about three generations of the line of Sarah McKay (daughter of Robert Jr.) who married Robert Hume. I have not been contacted by any of their descendants. But all the information is in existance. And I have compiled in book form for sale to public Fauquier Co. VA Births, Deaths, Marriages, Wills and Land Deeds.

I do not know if I told you or not our ancestor Jacob McKay Sr. right before he removed to OH witness one of his nephew's will--McKay Hume in 1816 Fauquier Co. VA. He confirmed his signature which seems to square with the fact he died a Quaker. And a John McKay also signed as a witness but he gave an oath. So I am assuming he was not a member of the Society. The question I have is this John McKay--the brother of said Jacob Sr. ? Or this John McKay--the son of said Jacob McKay Sr. ?

For his son John McKay we know his birth & death dates, name of his wife Rebecca and the names of their children. I just hope his Uncle John DID NOT MARRY a woman named Rebecca !!!

I think it would be really great if it turns out my late great-uncle Hunter Branson McKay did have a double line back to Robert Sr. I believe the record on lines from Robert MacKay Sr. is held by my late great-uncle Hubert F. McKay (by marriage and also my cousin) he had three lines back to Robert MacKay Sr.

Well, Hubert did have a few lines back but so did Aunt Sallie Branson McKay & her husband Uncle Joseph Casper McKay. Mitchell Burch's grandparents.

Also, the one I'm aware of who probably had the most was Uncle Charles Robert McKay who married aunt Mary Elizabeth Heflybower (my great-grandmother Nannie McKay's sister).

His parents were 1st cousins: Robert McKay & Lucy Baylis Buck. Lucy Buck goes back to Sarah Jane McKay.

Robert McKay is the son of Robert S. McKay & Nancy Antrim McKay. Nancy Antrim & Sarah Jane are the daughters of Jacob McKay III & Elizabeth Antrim.

Then Robert S. goes back to his grandfather Andrew McKay and Jacob III goes back to his grandfather Jacob Sr. Both Jacob Sr. & Andrew being the children of Robert Jr. & Patience Job.

So, I guess that makes out about three lines.