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The Descendants of John Mckay and Janet Anderson
Generation No. 1
1. JOHN3 MCKAY (HUGH2, DONALD1??) was born January 20, 1812 in Nova Scotia (?), and died in PEI. He married JANET ANDERSON.
More About JOHN MCKAY:
Occupation: 1861, Farmer -- Listed on Robert Neil's Marriage Certificate
Children of JOHN MCKAY and JANET ANDERSON are:
2. i. ROBERT NEIL4 MCKAY, b. Abt. 1832, Murray Harbor South, Prince Edward Island, Canada; d. Bet. 1875 - 1877, At Sea, Bay of Fundy.
3. ii. HUGH MCKAY, b. June 03, 1843, Murray Harbor South, Prince Edward Island, Canada; d. July 29, 1888, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts.
Generation No. 2
2. ROBERT NEIL4 MCKAY (JOHN3, HUGH2, DONALD1) was born Abt. 1832 in Murray Harbor South, Prince Edward Island, Canada, and died Bet. 1875 - 1877 in At Sea, Bay of Fundy. He married (1) ELIZA ARMSTRONG1,2, daughter of JOHN ARMSTRONG and CATHERINE. She was born in Ireland3,4. He married (2) MARGARET ARMSTRONG5,6 May 13, 1861 in Liverpool, Lancaster, England, daughter of JOHN ARMSTRONG and CATHERINE. She was born April 01, 1845 in Ireland7,8, and died October 14, 1880 in Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts9,10,11.
Notes for ROBERT NEIL MCKAY:
The following is a transcription from a typed page describing the ancestry and life of Robert Neil McKay titled "Record of Janet Anderson McKay Blodin" (DG - oldest daughter of RN and Eliza Anderson McKay):
"Neil McKay: Son of Janet Anderson and John McKay of Murray Harbor South, Prince Edward Island
"The name McKay goes back to the fifteenth century � Donald of Tain, Rosshire, Scotland founder of the McKay family in North America settled in Shelburne Nova Scotia after the American Revolution was over. He was an officer in the Scottish regiment and fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Had five children. Eldest son , Hugh, married Anne McPherson and had 16 sons and daughters. Second child was Donald McKay (of clipper ship fame) and the older brother of John McKay. John McKay was also the owner of ship yards but managed his farms mostly. (note: I have not been able to establish the link between John McKay of PEI and his parents of NS. The only evidence I have is this transcription. � DG)
Neil McKay (son of John) sailed as a mate on a passenger steamer between Queenstown, Ireland and Liverpool, England. He met Eliza Armstrong as she was being sent to her uncle, a bishop in Liverpool (JLG's investigation could not find any reference to a Bishop named Anderson in the Liverpool area so this portion is in doubt -- DG), and upon landing persuaded her to marry him. John Armstrong, on learning of the marriage, went to Liverpool and took his daughter home to Ireland where he kept her for over a year until Neil went for her and forced her to choose between them. She returned to England with him and a year later their daughter, Janet Anderson McKay, was born. They also had two other children who died when very young. After his wife died, leaving one child, Janet, he married his wife's sister who had been living with them for some time but since their marriage was not legal in English Courts (JLG looked this law up -- it does exist � although she speculates that RN just wanted to 'return home') their children could not inherit property. They later moved to Gloucester, Massachusetts (see notes for Eliza Anderson for a description of their years in Gloucester) and a number of years later he was drowned in the Bay of Fundy while on a trip from Newfoundland to Boston. At the time he was an agent for the Whalen Company (Listings were found in the 1877 and 1878 Salem, Massachusetts City Directory for this company, located at Derby Warf, the company has no other references in later editions -- DG) and bought cargoes of fish, etc. for them in Newfoundland. It was while he was returning with a large sum of money and valuable papers that he was washed overboard during a heavy storm. The captain of the steamer on which Neil McKay was a passenger was later tried for murder of another man in Charlotte Town, Prince Edward Island and during the trial one of the crew (of the steamer -- DG) accused him of breaking the log line to which Neil McKay was clinging when washed overboard, causing his death. He claimed that the captain rifled his trunk and took all the valuables he found. They never recovered the body."
More About ROBERT NEIL MCKAY:
Cause of Death: Lost at Sea
Census: July 05, 1870, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts
Occupation: July 05, 1870, Listed on US Census as a Fisherman
Residence: 1861, St.Howard Street, Liverpool, England
Notes for MARGARET ARMSTRONG:
According to Julia Leavitt Gaithewaite (Pearl Harvey, Eliza McKay, Margaret Armstrong) in a letter to Sarah Harvey Greenwood, the family of Neil McKay immigrated from Liverpool England to Boston in 1868. JLG speculates that one of their reasons that caused the McKay family to immigrate to the US was an English Law that disinherited children of persons who married the siblings of their deceased spouses. JLG found a passenger list for the ship Melita the National Archives in Washington D.C.. The Melita sailed from Liverpool, England on August 18,1868. In the list the following was found:
Age
Margaret McKay 26
Jenet 12
Eliza 6
Henrietta (not clear)
Neal(sp) 2
JLG could not find any reference to Neil McKay in the passenger list. Either he worked as a member of the crew or he found another ship to cross on.
The family then moved to Gloucester, Massachusetts. In the 1870 US Census -- enumerated on July 5,1870 -- the McKay Family is listed. The census shows two additions to the family: Margaret and Rebecca.
Name Age Occupation Birth Place
McKay, Neil 38 Fisherman PEI Margaret 27 House Keeper Ireland
Jeannette 14 England
Eliza C. 7 England
Henrietta 5 England
Robert 3 England
Margaret 1 Massachusetts
Rebecca 2/12 (2 months) Massachusetts
Address: Central Street
According to the birth records of the Town of Gloucester, Margaret was born on August 27,1868. This means that her mother, Margaret, endured the trip across the Atlantic during her last month of pregnancy.
It was probably some time after this, but before the middle of 1877(see below and the Notes for RN) that Neil Died at sea.
According to the Town of Gloucester Vital Statistics (vol. 2 pg 80) the death record for Hugh McKay -- Neil�s brother-- states that he was the widower of Margaret Armstrong. This agrees with the information contained in JLG's letter. The birth of Isabella McKay, daughter of "Hugh and Maggie Armstrong" was also recorded as occurring on August 2,1877. This places Neil�s death as occurring during the mid 1870's.
Other information that places the death at this time comes from the City Directories for Gloucester.
The 1870-71 edition Lists the following:
McKay, Neil boards at Central Street near Rogers. (Note: There are actually two Neil McKays listed. This listing agrees with the address given in the 1870 US Census).
1873 Edition:
McKay, R.N. Fisherman, House on Rockport Road
Boarding with R.N. are:
McKay, Hugh Blacksmith (RN's brother, who after RN's death married Margaret)
McKay, John J. Fisherman (This is the first reference to John J. I am presuming that he is a relative...brother?)
1875 Edition:
McKay, R.N. Fisherman, Rockport Road. (No boarders listed.)
1877 Edition:
McKay, Margaret Widow, Rockport Road cor. Webster.
McKay, R.N. Fisherman, Rockport Road cor. Webster.
Boarder:
McKay, Hugh Blacksmith
I am puzzled. RN and Margaret are listed in this edition. Could the RN listed be their son, RN jr.? I don't think so. RN jr. would have been only 10 or 11 at this time, I know that boys started work at very young ages at this time, but the directory appears to list only men and women 'of age'. So, this being said, this places the death of RN sometime right about the time that the directory was being put together. I am not sure exactly when but my best guess makes this sometime late 1876 to early 1877.
The last directory that lists RN or Margaret is 1879.
McKay, Margaret, Widow, Green near Border.
Boarders:
McKay, Hugh: Blacksmith
McKay, John J.: Fisherman
More About MARGARET ARMSTRONG:
Immigration: August 15, 1868, Sailed from Liverpool to Boston on Melita12,13
Child of ROBERT MCKAY and ELIZA ARMSTRONG is:
i. JANET ANDERSON5 MCKAY, b. 1856.
Children of ROBERT MCKAY and MARGARET ARMSTRONG are:
ii. ELIZA CATHERINE5 MCKAY, b. 1863, Liverpool, Lancashire, England; d. September 16, 1918, Ipswich, Massachusetts14; m. CHARLES W. HARVEY, December 18, 1888, Ipswich,Massachusetts15; b. November 1862, Deer Isle, Hancock, Maine16; d. March 07, 1919, Ipswich, Massachusetts17.
More About ELIZA CATHERINE MCKAY:
Cause of Death: Diabetes Mellitus
Christening: June 04, 1863, St.Nicholas Church, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Immigration: August 1869, From England with Parents18
Occupation: 1888, Seaming Machine Operative
Residence: 1888, Ipswich, Massachusetts
More About CHARLES W. HARVEY:
Address: 1919, 5 Summer Street19
Cause of Death: Carcinoma of Rectum
Occupation: 1910, Carpenter20
Residence: 1888, Hamilton, Massachusetts21
iii. HENRIETTA MCKAY, b. Abt. 1865.
More About HENRIETTA MCKAY:
Christening: May 25, 1867, Saint Peter, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
iv. ROBERT NEIL MCKAY, b. 1866.
v. MARGARET HUGH MCKAY22, b. August 27, 1868, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts; d. September 27, 1870, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts.
More About MARGARET HUGH MCKAY:
Burial: Oak Grove Cemetery, Gloucester, Massachusetts23
Cause of Death: Croup24
vi. REBECCA MCKAY25, b. April 1870, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts.
vii. HUGH MCKAY26, b. February 03, 1872, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts; d. October 13, 1872, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts27.
More About HUGH MCKAY:
Burial: Oak Grove Cemetery, Gloucester, Massachusetts
Cause of Death: Acute hydroencephales
viii. BABY BOY MCKAY28, b. May 11, 1873, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts; d. May 11, 1873, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts.
More About BABY BOY MCKAY:
Cause of Death: Still born
ix. JOHN I. MCKAY, b. April 25, 1874, Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts29.
3. HUGH4 MCKAY (JOHN3, HUGH2, DONALD1) was born June 03, 1843 in Muarray Harbor South, Prince Edward Island, Canada, and died July 29, 1888 in Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts30. He married MARGARET ARMSTRONG31,32, daughter of JOHN ARMSTRONG and CATHERINE. She was born April 01, 1845 in Ireland33,34, and died October 14, 1880 in Gloucester,Essex,Massachusetts35,36,37.
More About HUGH MCKAY:
Burial: Clark's Yard, Gloucester, Massachusetts
Cause of Death: Accidentally Drowned38
Occupation: Blacksmith
Residence: July 29, 1888, 9 Green Street, Gloucester, Massachusetts
Child of HUGH MCKAY and MARGARET ARMSTRONG is:
i. ISABELLA5 MCKAY, b. August 02, 187741.
Endnotes
9. Town Of Gloucester, Town of Gloucester, Massachusetts Vital Records, Volume 1, Page 80.
14. Ipswich Historical Society, Ipswich, Massachusetts, Vital Records, 1850-1906:Deaths, (1999), 62.
15. Ipswich Historical Society, Ipswich, Massachusetts, Vital Records, 1850-1906:Marriages, (1999), 34.
16. Ipswich Historical Society, Ipswich, Massachusetts, Vital Records, 1850-1906:Deaths, (1999), 60.
17. Ipswich Historical Society, Ipswich, Massachusetts, Vital Records, 1850-1906:Deaths, (1999), 62.
18. U.S. Government, 1900 U.S. Census.
19. Ipswich Historical Society, Ipswich, Massachusetts, Vital Records, 1850-1906:Deaths, (1999), 62.
20. U.S Government, 1910 Census.
21. Ipswich Historical Society, Ipswich, Massachusetts, Vital Records, 1850-1906:Marriages, (1999), 34.
22. Town of Gloucester, Massachusetts Vital Records, Births, 1851-68, Book 10.
23. Town Of Gloucester, Town of Gloucester, Massachusetts Vital Records, 1864-73 Book 11.
24. Town of Gloucester, Massachusetts Vital Records, Deaths, 1864-73, Book 11.
25. 1870 US Census.
26. Town of Gloucester, Massachusetts Vital Records, 1869-73,, Book 11.
27. Town of Gloucester, Massachusetts Vital Records, Deaths, 1864-73, Book 11.
28. Town of Gloucester, Massachusetts Vital Records, Deaths, 1864-73, Book 11.
29. Town of Gloucester, Massachusetts Vital Records, Births 1874-83.
30. Town Of Gloucester, Town of Gloucester, Massachusetts Vital Records, Volume 2 page 80.
35. Town Of Gloucester, Town of Gloucester, Massachusetts Vital Records, Volume 1, Page 80.
38. Town Of Gloucester, Town of Gloucester, Massachusetts Vital Records, Volume 2,page 80.
41. Town of Gloucester, Massachusetts Vital Records, Births 1874-83.