McGee McKee dna w/Young connection
My Family Tree dna result shows an interesting connection between the McKee and McGee families.
At the 37 marker, exact match level, I have only two people.They both appear to have the same level of kinship to me.My kit number is 171920.
1.James Gerard McKee
2.Robert Saunders McGee
I have a paper trail to my kinship with Robert Saunders McGee. It is as follows:
Unk Macghee who was the father of at least 5 brothers that migrated to American from approximately 1745 to 1765. The first records I have found of them are in 1758 when several were in the area of Augusta County, Virginia.
James, John, David, William and Robert McGee.We know from court transcripts in a dispute with James Young over Williams’s estate in 1824 that they left a sister, Jane Mcghee (Young) in Ireland.Jane Mcghee was married to Charles Young in Donagheady Parish near Strabane, County Tyrone in 1755.She may have been related to George Macghee who was a prominent pharmacist in Strabane, more to follow on him.
My lineage traces to James McGee, my 5th great grandfather, born about 1735 died 1818 in Kentucky.He left a will and it was probated.I have a copy and can trace my 4th great grandfather David McGee to James. David, born in Ireland about 1765, died in Morgan Co, Mo, in 1836. He left a will and it was probated. I have a copy and can trace my 3d great grandfather Robert McGee to David.I believe David was born in Ireland due to the fact in the 1880 census in St Clair Co, Missouri, both his son Robert, then age 74, and his daughter Diana, age 84 stated their father was born in Ireland.They would have both been adults, in their 30’s, when their father David died in 1836 and they were adults when their grandfather James died in 1818.They would have had first hand knowledge of where their father was born.
David’s (my 4th great grandfather) son Robert, my 3d great grandfather was born in Kentucky about 1804 and died in Missouri in abt.1888.He had at least 6 children.His son David, born 1829 in Missouri, died 1881 in Texas and was my 2d great grandfather.
Robert, my 3d great grandfather, had another son named Robert, born in Missouri in 1838 and died in Oregon in 1912.This Robert, who was a brother to my 2d great grandfather David born 1829, was Robert Saunders McGee’s 2d great grandfather.Therefore both Robert Saunders McGee and I can trace our common ancestor to Robert McGee born 1806. This explains why we have a 37/0 marker dna match.
This makes my 37/0 marker match to James Gerard McKee very interesting.
I have a copy of a will written in 1741 by George Macghee, County Tyrone, NI.In that will he leaves part of his considerable fortune to some interesting people. George’s genealogy can be traced to Sir John Macghee, died 1617, and buried in Leckpatrick Cemetery near Strabane, County Tyrone.Sir John Macghee is documented to be from Balmaghie, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland.George had two sons Patrick and George (jr), daughter Harrold and grandson John.In his will George ask to be buried “in the place of my ancestors” Leckpatrick Cemetery.The following is verbiage from that will:
1.Therefore first I order that in case of a marriage to be solemnized or intended to be solemnized between James McKee and Margaret Buchanan (illeg) of (Ballycolman?) who is to bring a portion of fifty pounds along with her shall commence in November 1742
2.I have already provided a farm in Glenfinn for John McKee and gave him stock to put upon the same.I further order to each child he has with his present wife, Margaret McKee, may have two pounds each to be paid by my executors according to their prudence to paid from the …of said quarry.
3.Poor widow Oquin shall have 20 shillings per year out of the profits of my quarry.It is a part of 12 pounds per year.
According to the Family Tree dna site I have exact dna matches to three people purported to be from Strabane.They are named Kee, Quinn and Guin.I have a close dna match to a McKee in Kirkcudbright, Scotland.
On page 417 of a book titled, The Book of McKee’s written in 1959 by Raymond W. McKee he cites a land lease in Donagheady Parish dated1733 made by John and James Kee (McKie) and Rev. George Macghee of Strabane.I believe this lease was with John and James McKee mentioned in George’s will of 1741.Reverend George Macghee was the son of George Macghee esq., Apothecary of Strabane.Rev. George Macghee was ordained in 1724 and served in the Derry and Strabane areas until his death in 1769.
I realize I am opening myself up to scrutiny by going out on a limb with a theory that is yet unproven but I would like to generate conversation and hopefully encourage others to assist my cousins Bill, Ken McGee and I in this area of research concerning our McGee/McKee name connection.
Jerry McGee