Posted: 2:19 PM - Jan 26, 2008
Bob Scott
Dee's message on Asa McKay son of Jacob reminded me that we have progress on the line of Asa McKay who married Malinda Lanham, daughter of Henry Lanham, whose daughter Sarah married Zachariah McKay and whose daughter Mary married Abisha McKay.

I have not seen any discussion of whether this Asa is in the Robert McKay line. Researcher Donald Short posted an Ancestry Tree that says Asa married Milly on 12 May 1812 in Middletown, Frederick County, (It said Maryland, but he must have meant, Virginia) One of these Asas was the one shown in Middletown, Frederick County, and the other was shown in Isabella Furnace, Shenandoah County, in the 1820 census, I assume.

The Asa who married Millie Lanham was then almost certainly the A. McKay who was shown in the 1830 Jefferson County, Ind., census (which does not shown townships). He died by 1840 when Milly McKay headed a household in Craig Twp., Switzerland County, which neighbors Jefferson County on the East. Milly then headed a household in Milton Twp., Jefferson County, (which borders Craig Township on the West) in the 1850 census with Henry McKay 25, and William McKay, 23, apparent sons, in her household. Milly, age 67, was listed in Enos McKay’s household in Craig Township in 1860.

Asa and Milly's children were outlined the Doughtie's book, The Mackeys and Allied Families, but Asa and Milly were not mentioned. The footnotes listing this got mixed up, I suspect, from the notes submitted from the Indiana sources on this family and the footnotes never quite made sense. However, some time ago I found the death record of Enos McKay in Switzerland County, which showed Asa and Milly as his parents and recently Michelle Davis of Madison, Ind., found the death record of Floyd McKay in Jefferson County, which shows Asa and Milly were also his parents. Floyd and Enos were both buried in the cemetery of the Mt. Zion Methodist Church in Craig Township, Switzerland County. The church building is now used by another denomination.

The notes for this family that were printed in Doughtie's book were collected by Mary Hill and I came into possession of these several years ago. Much of the information came from Mrs. Louise Reed, Floyd McKay's daughter, who was living in the Drusilla Home, a home for elderly women in Madison. These notes shown the same confusion as the footnotes in Doughtie's publication.

Mrs. Reed gave the following as brothers and sisters of Floyd: Enos who married first Malinda Bray, and second Jane Gow; William, who died unmarried; Cheney, who married a Bray; Henry who married first a Lanham, second a Wallace; Lidia who married Henry Lanham.
Mrs. Reed (30 Aug. 1856-25 July 1950) would have known most of these. She did not list Morris McKay, who evidence suggests belongs in this family, and she did list Cheney, who evidence suggests is not one of the children. The only thing I can think is that conversations between interviewers and subjects can get mixed up with the best of participants.,

Another footnote was based on information collected by Miss Hill, which came from Mrs. Minnie McKay Jackman of Hemlock, Ind. This footnote, attributed to Mrs. Minnie McKay Jackman of Hemlock Ind. Mrs. Jackman was daughter of Daniel Boone McKay and his wife Malinda McKay. Daniel Boone McKay was son of Enos McKay,

The record appears to show Floyd, Enos, George, Morris and Chancy McKay as brothers by the way the outline is organized in the Daughty Book. The outline was repeated a second time in detail. The George would have been George who married Malinda Lanham on 2 March 1821 in Switzerland County. I've not been able to sort out from the records whether the name is Chancy or Chaney McKay. Census and marriage records show both.


Putting that together with the information in the McKay book, I think we can state with a great deal of certainty that the following were Asa and Milly's children. I am withholding judgment on George and Cheney/Chancy McKay at this point. George McKay married Malinda Lanham on 2 March 1821 in Switzerland County and probably would fit here. But I cannot find him in the censuses with any certainty (as compared to another George McKay or two) With Morris McKay marrying Malinda Bray's sister Elizabeth, it would not be surprising if they were brothers.


1. FLOYD MCKAY (4 March 1814-3 March 1882) He m. on 10 May 1838 in Jefferson County, Lucinda Vaughn, both buried Mt. Zion Cem. He was listed immediately after Moses McKay in Craig Township in 1840. They were listed in Milton Township in 1860, and 1880 His tombstone inscription says he was born in Shenandoah County, Va.
2. ENOS MCKAY (4 July 1816-23 Nov. 1901), buried Mt. Zion Cem. He m. 1st on 6 March 1843 in Switzerland County, Malinda Bray. They were listed in Craig Township in 1850. He m. on 21 Jan. 1855 in Switzerland County, Francis Jane Gow (1831-4 Aug. 1869), buried McKay Cem. (Braytown). Tombstone transcription shows her as wife of Enos McKay. They were shown in Craig Township in 1860, 1870, and 1880.
3. MORRIS MCKAY (22 Feb. 1820-5 Nov. 1883) He m. on 6 Dec. 1841 in Switzerland County, Elizabeth Bray (19 May 1824-26 March 1886), both buried McKay Cem. at Braytown. They lived in Craig Township in 1850, 1860, and 1870. The will of Henry Lanham, Milly Lanham’s father, lists Morris as a grandson. It does not appear that Morris could belong to Sallie Lanham, who m. Zachariah McKay, or to Mary Lanham, who m. Abisha McKay, because these children are spelled out in Zachariah’s probate and Abisha’s will. The only way he could be Lanham's grandson would be if he were Milly's child. Morris’ birth date is from a family Bible, probably transcribed in the 1940s. It belonged to a Mrs. Culver of Moorefield, Ind. at the time.
4. LYDIA MCKAY (8 March 1822-4 Feb. 1896) She m. on 30 Jan. 1840 in Switzerland County, Hiram Lanham. Born in Indiana, she died in Craig Township. They lived in Craig Township, in 1850. In 1860, Lydia was not in his household and his children range down to the age of two, suggesting Lydia died in the 1848 to 1850 period. The transcription of her death is probably an error.
5. HENRY MCKAY (1824/25-after 1860) Listed in his mother's household in 1850, he m. 1st on_12 May 1855 in Switzerland County; Nancy Lanham; m. 2nd on 15 Jan. 1860 in Switzerland County, Martha Wallace (b. 1834/35). They were listed in Craig Township in 1860 and later moved to Greensburg. Transcriptions of county records provided the first names.
6. WILLIAM MCKAY (b. 1826/27) He was shown in his mother’s household in 1850. He was unmarried, per Mary Hill’s records.






Posted: 11:49 PM - May 19, 2015
Dee Ann Buck
Henry Lanham in his will names his wife as Mila. Find a Grave has her name as "Eleanor A. Milli McKay wife of Henry born in MD. Married in Prince George Co. MD. I can not find a marriage record between this couple. Grave stone its self does not have Eleanor as her name. Someone being "helpful" has added false information to the page.

They have as their daughter as "Melinda Amelia Lanham" married to Asa McKay. This is just wrong Asia McKay married in Frederick Co. MD to Amelia Lanham, not the daughter of said Henry.

L.D.S. 1310439 has Marriage Records of Switzerland Co. IN on file I do not know if on line as of now found George McKay 8 mar 1821 to Malinda Lanham daughter of Henry. This woman named in Henry's will as his daughter.

This means Morris McKay was Zachariah McKay's son by dec'd daughter Sarah. Amelia and Asia McKay have nothing to do with Henry Lanham.


Posted: 11:27 AM - May 20, 2015
Dee Ann Buck
If you can sort through the mix of good and bad information found on this Find A Grave entry. The good news Amelia Latham name can be short for Millie, so this MARYLAND girl could be Amelia Lanham who married in MARYLAND to Asia McKay.

Henry Lanham also stated coming from P.G. Co. MARYLAND his wife name odd "Eleanor A. Milli McKay" Lanham, but she also from MARYLAND.

Someone has mixed this Amelia with Malinda who married George McKay. There is no place for Amelia in the will of said Henry.

This means people who descend from Floyd McKay need to stop looking in Shenandoah Co. VA (false information on Find a Grave) and look in MARYLAND. But Amelia belongs to a group of Latham who lived in Frederick Co. MD and Henry east in Pr. George Co. MD.

Good news people can stop researching the wrong group of McKay and Latham. Bad news you will have to work in a new location--MARYLAND.