robertmackayclan

After I compiled my notes in 1990's I found a new document which places our Robert Mackay in Freehold, Monmouth Co. NJ in 1705 and it was probated 1714. This would indicate that all of Robert's children were born in NJ. At the time he was not a member of the Society of Friends.

In 1705 the "Old Scots" Presbyterian Church was established between Wickatunk and New Aberdeen. The early records of the church are not available and only the very important leaders of the church are their names remember in local histories. I believe our Robert Mackay and Ann Brown were members. We know from said legal document he was not a Quaker.

My theory at the moment is that his first wife Ann Brown (fellow Scot) died in NJ. And as a widower Robert removed from NJ for Chester Co. PA by 1721. He is listed on the tax list for that location and purchased his first piece of land in 1723 with cash. I can not find any evidence that he had been a land owner in NJ. This record stated he had come from Freehold, NJ.

We know his second wife Mary was a Quaker and present at least by 1725 and died by 1730 for Robert's last wife Margaret also a member of Nottingham MM witness his children marriage records.

I now think Robert's last son and child MOSES was born in Chester Co. PA after 1721 and his mother was Robert's second wife.

In Robert's will he does instruct Moses to look after his wife (not named) with food stuff and firewood. Since Moses' first born Isaac born 1750, if he was Margaret's son he would have been in late teens early twenty to have fathered Isaac.

I am posting what records I have found surrounding our various Mackay families on my tree on Ancestry.

From marriage with Ann BROWN

1. Mary MacKay born 1705 Freehold, NJ m. 14 Apr 1725 Nottingham MM to George Robinson, d. c1797 Brandywine, DE. It is her marriage record gives evidence of Robert's second wife Mary

2. Robert Mackay Jr. born 1708 NJ m-1 Patience Jobe, m-2 Mercy Borden, d. 1796 Frederick Co. VA. I have posted a lot of information on his time line on Ancestry

3. Margaret Mackay born 1710 NJ m.11 Mar 1730/1 Joshua Jobe her marriage record gives evidence of her step-mother Margaret and stated her mother was Ann Brown.

4. James Mackay born 1711 NJ m. Mary Chester, d. 1797 Shenandoah Co. VA. His marriage ended his membership with Society of Friends

5. Zachariah Mackay born 1714 NJ m-1...........? died 1767 m-2 Lydia........? last marriage disowned by Hopewell, d. TN

6. Hannah Mackay born 1715 NJ m. 19 Dec 1734 George Hollingsworth, d. c1755 VA

7. Leah Mackay born 1716 NJ m-1 Wm. Taylor, m-2 Jeremiah Odell m-3 Ephraim Leeth. She would leave the Society of Friends.

8. Elizabeth Mackay born 1719 NJ m-1 c1739 Hopewell Friends disowned her & Abraham Job, m-2 Thomas Bragg removed to TN with brother Zachariah Mackay


From marriage with Mary............?

9. Moses Mackay born c1726 Chester Co. PA m. c1748 VA Mary Jobe mentioned in Hopewell Friend , d. 1777 VA.


I do not know where else to look for more original records surrounding the various family groups. But Family Tree DNA kits for researcher who descend from Moses they are showing matches with these other, but not with my line of Robert Jr. I am showing matches with lines: Margaret, James, Zachariah, Hannah and Elizabeth.

Hope more will turn up in the future

With this info. it looks like I'll have to revise the listing I have of Robert's children on the website.

What other records are in need to be updated? If I remember correctly there was new info. posted on our Sowers family.

I have posted all kinds of original documents on my tree found on Ancestry. Ancestry has the State of VA Death Records on line, so each and every one of our family members who died in VA starting about 1919 their record I have linked to their profile page. Not to mention census records, which in the past I read on film and ran off paper copies. All that spending of time and money in the past.

Each person on your Ancestry Tree has a profile page, which has "Time Line" you can place on that part of their tree all the different kinds of events in their lives. I post for my direct line of Mackay all the information I now have at hand and any future items I find will just add it.

With our Mckay, Sowers, Branson, Lehew, Mitchell, Johnston and Brownley (could be others) because of their intermarriage I am trying to put in all the interaction between those families.

Each person has "Life Story" section where you can record whatever you want to share. Others have placed pictures, coat of arms, documents all kind of stuff etc etc.....

They have the PA Death Records on line, which help me solve my thirty year mystery as to the names of my Grandfather W.E. Shipp siblings who had been born and died before 1910 census. Other family members I have also found their death records in this location.

"Find a Grave" all those entries are on line through Ancestry. Some "helpful" people have linked incorrect information on this cite, but the researcher still must decide what is correct and what is not.

They have some of the Quaker MM Books on line, so all that information I have linked to the various profiles. Some of their films are L.D.S. film so researchers can go to their on line listing of films to see what have been not placed on line through Ancestry.

Some of the wills for the various state are also on line.

For some reason NC land deed records L.D.S. has on line, but not on Ancestry, so I have to record the information by hand to my Ancestry Tree.

Ancestry has what I call "History Pieces" by location and time period which occurred at the time one of your family members were living the "green leaf" those events and I have linked to my tree.

I am placing all my various DNA matches by family group.

Lots and lots to do.

My address for my tree

trees.Ancestry.com/tree/44894133/family

I get the "World" so I pay about $25 per month, about $10 a month for just US records.

If you add in the "free" records on L.D.S. site on line I have tons of items to look at and file with the correct family. Most of the time I now spend at the L.D.S. library is helping others filling in their pedigree charts with the available records. Most people really do not want to spend the time really reading film, they want all of it on line and indexed or better just copy others trees !!

Ancestry does offer a free 14 day membership. You will get hooked and sign up. This is, of course, part of their plan.
If you are interested in VA records, they have on line birth, marriage and death records. Their membership charge of a year would cover the cost if you went the old way of sending off for these records from various courthouses.

They offer PA death records, which solved my Shipp Family Mystery of the siblings of my Grandfather Walter Eugene Shipp. If you try to get the people at the court house in Philadelphia, PA to answer your letters--LOTS OF LUCK !! They just take your money and never hear from them again.

My tree on ancestry

trees.Ancestry.com./tree/44894133/family

I am linking to all my family groups as fast as I can all these paper documentation couple with DNA matches on Family Tree DNA, Ancestry and 23 & Me.

My focus has been on Shipp, Ball, Edwards, Mackay/McKay, Sowers, Kerfoot, Branson, Lehew, Hampton, Rust, Morris, Hollingsworth etc...But I have lots of family groups I need to place my cousins on my tree.