It is my goal to provide bits and pieces of history and facts regarding our McGill ancestors, in hopes that we can help each other in our research, and share our facts in order to make this a more complete history.
The following information was extracted from History of the Family of James C. McGill, by Rev. Ted N. McGill, Limited Edition, No.1. I made several attempts to contact him by phone and by mail to his last known address in Elizabethtown, KY, but had no success. I do not know what became of him. Ted N. McGill states in his McGill notebook that this history of the James McGill family was given to him by John Michael McGill of Edinburgh, Scotland in 1971, and as far as he knows is the only known copy of any history of this McGill family in either Scotland or America. Ted N. McGill made copies of this McGill manuscript, which included information of his own as well and gave it to family members/descendants. John Michael McGill died in Edinburg in 1975.
The Gaelic surname McGill, one of the most ancient in that language, is composed of two prefixes, namely, ‘Mac’ meaning ‘the son of’ and ‘Gille’ shortened to ‘Gill’ -- ‘the servant of’ . Both were in use long before the Christian era. During the early stages of Christianity and in medieval times, the majority of the inhabitants of Scotland and in Ireland used as their personal name the prefix ‘Gille’ in conjunction with the name of a saint in order to show their fervour to the church. When the various tribes in Scotland formed the clan system in approximately the 11th-12th century the majority dropped the ‘Gille’, but retained the ‘Mac’, for instance - MacGillecalum - ‘the son of the servant of St. Columba’ became MacCalum. This applies to many Scottish names used today. Only the chiefs of the clans retained the full ancient name as their patronymic and continued to do so.
The spelling of the first prefix has always varied greatly. There are instances of it being
spelled M’, Mc, Mac and Mak in one ancient deed or charter. There are nearly thirty variations
of spelling of the surname McGill, MacGill, Makgill, Magill, MacGille, MacGyle, MacGyll, Mac
an’Ghaill, MacGeil, MacGhill, MacGall, MacIghail, etc.
The earliest record of the name as it sounds today is mentioned by P. McKerlie in his book on
Galloway. He noted that in the parish of Balcreggan there is a supposed site of a church
called Kirkmagill adjoining Kirkmagill Farm. The church is presumed to have been called after
a Celtic saint named Maguill who lived in the year about 685 A.D.
There are several theories as to the origin of the McGill surname. Once source states that
the name is derived from the Gaelic Mac an’Ghoill - “son of the stranger or lowlander. Sir
Thomas Innes of Learney, Lord Lyon King of Arms stated that The MacGill is an Independant family
or clan whose pedigree IS RECORDED IN THE PUBLIC REGISTER OF GENEALOGIES, and claim descent at
a very remote period (which is reasonably probable and consistant with their antecedants) from
the Celtic Lords of Galloway. They have nothing to do with other clans.”
According to Sir Donald Makgill, There is sound documentary proof that the McGills are
descended from Gilbert or Gille fil bueth (Gille MacBueth), Lord of Gillesland who was the
fourth son of Bueth McGill, Lord of Galloway in the middle of the eleventh century.
Various distortions of the name have in time lead to the various spellings of today.
One of the most famous of the name who emigrated to the American Colonies when in his
‘teens, and eventually made his way to Canada, was another James McGill who founded McGill
University in Montreal. He was born in a cottage Oct. 1744, and was the first son of a family
of eight children.
This manuscript ends on page fifteen, after naming several sources and miscellaneous
information.
From Ted N. McGill’s writings, the following information was extracted about the history and descendants of JAMES McGILL (1755-1834):
"JAMES McGILL (ca. 1755-1834), was born in Scotland. He came to America when young and settled in
Pennsylvania. He married SARAH BRASHEARS on Dec. 20, 1775 in Washington County, Pennsylvania.
He entered the Continental Army in 1776, in July, as a Private from Westmoreland County. He served in the
8th Pennsylvania Regiment, where he was eventually a Sergeant. He served under the following officers: Col.
Enos McCoy, Col. Daniel Broadhead, Lt. Col. George Wilson, Lt. Col. Stephen Bayard, Company Captain John Clarke,
and a Captain Montgomery.
In his period of service, James fought in the battles of Brunswick, Boundbrook, Edge Hill,
Brandywine (8 Sept. 1777, where he was wounded by a musket ball in the arm; George
Washington commanded this battle, and Lafayette was wounded there as well), the massacre at Paoli (20 Sept. 1777),
and at Germantown near Philadelphia (4 Oct. 1777). He reinlisted under Col. Josiah Harmer and Captain Ziegler, and
served with them either one year or eighteen months in the Northwest Army in western waters as a militia-man.
He was present at the defeat of Gen. Arthur St. Clair on 4 Nov. 1791, by the Indians Blue Jacket, Little Turtle and the
renegade Simon Girty.
It is family tradition that James McGill was given a grant of land in Kentucky for his war
services. The Census of 1790 for Kentucky mentions both a James and a John McGill in Fayette County, which then
included present-day Northern Kentucky.
The land farmed by the McGills is said to have been part of a large tract of land owned
originally by Simon Kenton on the present Pendleton-Bracken Co. line at Lenoxburg. There
was a Presbyterian Church in Bracken County as early as 1796, and families of Scots and Irish background settled
there.
James McGill is listed as a resident of Bracken County in the Census of 1810. On June 1,
1818, he first applied for a pension under an act of Congress providing for veterans, and on
March 18, 1819, John C. Calhoun, Secretary of War under President Monroe, and later
Vice-President under John Q. Adams and Andrew Jackson, signed his pension application,
granting him $8.00 per month for his war services. (The National Archives in Washington has available a photocopy of his pension application and related documents).
James McGill again appplied for assistance on Aug. 9, 1820, as a resident of Bracken Co. in a document addressed to Thomas Metcalf in the House of Respresentatives. He declared:
I have neither real or personal property except my necessary cloathing (sic) for myself and family, and a bed and bedding. I am by profession a farmer, but from great exposure in my youthful days I find my constitution tho’ originally a good one, destroyed, and that old age is rendering me unfit for labor, notwithstanding, I do what I can by tilling a small piece of poor land, upon which I settled not knowing the owner, nor do I know how soon I may be disposessed. My wife lives with me and is fifty-eight years of age, tolerable healthy for her age and considering she has been the mother of twelve children. I have a son by the name of Samuel aged fourteen living with me, of good health, also William aged twelve years, good health, also Anthony aged 9 years, good health, also Israel, seven years, very much subject to convulsive fits, weakly constitution & body. The two oldest can procure their own support, the third is at present an expense, the fourth will always be an expense, if he continues afflected as he is now.
Evidently neither James, nor Sarah his wife, nor their children James Jr. and Sarah Earles, could write their own names, because all documents signed in regard to James’ pension are signed with an X.
Sometime between 1820-1828, James and Sarah McGill moved over the county border into Pendleton Co. About 1825 their house burned, and in the fire was lost, in addition to their possessions, the family Bible with the family record in it. In 1828, James and Sarah removed to Jefferson Co., Indiana, where “age and infirmity” caused them to desire to be with their children there. On Aug. 13, 1829, James applied to have his pension transferred to Indiana. Later they appear as living in Washington Co., Indiana, where it is possible that James was related in some way to a Robert Magill and another Revolutionary War soldier named William McGill, who had died there in 1820. James drew his pension at Corydon, which explains why the Pennsylvania Archives list him as a resident of Harrison County.
On Sept. 20, 1834, James McGill died in Pendleton Co., Kentucky. There is no substantiation for the conjecture that he was buried in the old cemetery at Livonia, Indiana, in grave 3, row 7, lot 6, section 1. It is most likely that he was buried on the family farm in Kentucky. On Dec. 19, 1835, his estate was settled through the sale of his goods in Bracken Co. Court. His estate consisted of his household goods, one brood mare valued at $49.18 3/4, and bedding. His widow took the mare for $10.00, and the household goods, and his son Israel took the bed and bedding for $3.00. The bill of sale was approved by the Court at its February term in 1837. Thus he left
no will.
Sarah McGill remained living with her son Thomas after this, as confirmed in a pension paper of Jan. 1838. Her effort to secure pension money due her. She was to receive $80.00 per year, and is described in one petition as old and frail and soon must go the way of the erth (sic). If she receives any benefit what is done must be done quickly. But Sarah was still living, this time with her son Israel, in 1850. The last letter in her pension file is dated 1854, and thus she lived to be past 90 years of age. Her origins are obscure - one record says she was born in France, another in Virginia, another in Pennsylvania. It is most likely that she was born about 1760 in the part of Pennsylvania disputed by Virginia, and that she was of French Hugenot family. She was a member of the Christian Church."
JAMES McGILL was born cir. 1755 in Scotland. He married on 20 Dec. 1775 in Washington Co., PA to SARAH BRASHEARS (born cir. 1760 in PA?; died cir 1850 in KY). Their known children were:
1. Daniel McGill (b. 1782/3 in PA).
2. James McGill, Jr. (b. PA or KY); married 1st (Unknown) had issue; married 2nd to Hannah Stephens (Stevens) on 31 Aug. 1819 in Jefferson Co., Indiana. Known children were: William Advertise Flarindas McGill, b. 1816; Milton McGill, married Emma Ryker, Jefferson Co., Indiana; and Samuel McGill.
3. Thomas B. McGill, (born in Bracken Co., Kentucky about 1798;
died March 1886), married ZILPHA UTTER in Bracken Co. She was Pennsylvania Dutch
in ancestry and her family probably first settled on the Ohio side of the Ohio River,
where the name is mentioned. She had been born in Pennsylvania, and died about 1831.
To this marriage were born: William; Joseph and Sarah “Sally” McGill.
Thomas B. McGill married secondly to JANE CARNEY, on 10 July 1834.
Jane was Irish in background, and lived only about two years after their marriage.
No children are known of their marriage.
On 15 Aug. 1855, Thomas married a third time to ELIZA PETERS.
She was born about 1840, the daughter of John Peters, who came from Pennsylvania.
They had ten children, one of whom was supposedly my great-grandfather Charles Albert McGill,
born March 4, 1872; died 11 Feb. 1968 in Jackson, Tennessee.
HOWEVER, Information on this census seems to point AWAY FROM Thomas B. McGILL (1798-1886) being the father of Charles Albert McGill and his siblings... The census shown below indicates their father was Wm. b. 1842... but he was very young to have had a daughter (Elizabeth) b. 1856 (when he was only 14 years old?). Also it seems unlikely (but not impossible) that Thomas B. McGill was still having children at the age of 74 & older...? Also, I did not find any McGILLs his age living in the 1880 KY census. I think it's likely that the will, found by Ted McGILL, dated March 16, 1886 and probated on April 5, 1886, was perhaps someone other than Thomas B. McGILL b. 1798...? There were "two" Charles A. McGILL's found in KY during the 1800's and they were my ancestor Charles Albert McGILL (b. March 1872) - shown in census below as son of Wm.; the other Charles A. McGILL being located in the 1880 Greenup Co. KY census (Page 114B) at the age of 40 (born in INDIANA), married to Mary Ann McGILL (age 33, born in KY).
This is the only census which would seem to match my ancestor Charles Albert McGILL b. 1872, KY:
1880 Pendleton Co., KY census:
Census Place: Pendleton, Kentucky
Source: National Archives Film T9-0438 - Page 513C
Relation, Sex, Marr, Race, Age, Birthplace
William MC GILL, Self, M, Widowed, age 38, b. KY; Fa: KY, Mo: KY
Elizebeath MC GILL, (Daughter), Female, Single, White, age 24, b.KY, Occ: Housekeeper Fa: KY, Mo: KY
John MC GILL, Son, M, W, 19, KY, Occ: Farm Laborer, Fa: KY, Mo: KY
Catherine MC GILL, Dau, F, W, 18, KY, Fa: KY, Mo: KY
Jane MC GILL, Dau, F, S, W, 10, KY, Fa: KY, Mo: KY
Albert MC GILL, Son, M, S, W, 8, KY, Fa: KY, Mo: KY
George MC GILL, Son, M, S, W, 6, KY, Fa: KY, Mo: KY
Residing next door was:
1880 Census: Pendleton, Kentucky
Source: National Archives Film T9-0438 - Page 512B
Robert MC GILL, white, male, age 80, born in KY, Occ: Farmer, Fa: PA, Mo: PA
***I would 'guess' that this would be the father of Wm. McGILL shown above, and grandfather to the
McGILL children listed with Wm. McGILL...
4. Samuel McGill, Sr. , b. 1804/06, Bracken Co., KY, married 12 June 1823 to ELIZABETH EARLES, (b. 1804) dau. of John Earles Sr. and Margaret. Samuel lived at August, KY. Kept a tavern at Foster’s Landing. Samuel and Elizabeth McGill had twelve children.
5. William McGill, b. 1808, Bracken Co., KY. He married 1 Nov. 1828 to INDIANA? WINNIFRED GARDINER. He was living in Washington Co., Indiana in 1822 and died there abt. 1833 (during a plague or epidemic). They had one known child: Charles Henry McGill (born 15 Oct. 1829).
6. Anthony Wayne McGill, born 15 Sept. 1810, in Bracken Co., Kentucky; died 20 Jan. 1890. He married on 3 May 1832, Bracken Co. to MARY JANE BAXTER, dau. of John Baxter. Anthony and Jane McGill had eleven children.
7. Israel S. McGill, b. 1812/14, married 27 Dec. 1839 to AMERICA SHARPE b. 1811. As stated in his father’s war record, Israel was subject to convlusive fits as a young person. Little more is known of him.
8. Sarah Ann McGill, born abt. 1798 in Kentucky, married on 17 Jan. 1818 in Harrison Co., KY to William Earles, the son of John Earles, Sr. and Margaret. John’s father was Sir Thomas Earl, who came to Maryland from England before the Revolution. William Earles died by 1836, and Sarah Ann (McGill) Earles married a second time in 1841 to William DeCamp (some records say VanCamp). She married thirdly to a Mr. Dillon. Sarah died at the home of her son, Anthony W. Earle , at Remington, Jasper Co., Indiana. She was 102 years old, making the year about 1880.
(James and Sarah McGill had four other children, whose names are unknown. One quite
possibly was):
9. John McGill, whose name appears in land records in Washington Co., Indiana, in 1817, and in Census records in Fountain Co., Indiana in 1830.
10. Unknown.
11. Unknown.
12. Unknown.
1. Dr. James Macgill born 7-27-1731 Maryland died 10-20-1756 Joppa Maryland (unmarried) 2. Thomas MacGill born 4-30-1733 (and his descendents) 3. John MacGill born 6-2-1735 (and his descendents) 4. Sarah MacGill born 11-5-1737 ( and her descendents) 5. Elanor MacGill born 3-20-1739 6. Margaret Ann MacGill born 3-19-1741 (and her descendents) 7. Patrick MacGill born 10-8-1744 8. Ann MacGill born 8-31-1746 9. Mary "Mollie" MacGill born 3-25-1749 10. Caroline MacGill born 4-7-1753 11. Elizabeth MacGill born 7-16-1755 Mary's descendants are under 3. John MacGill. The book is 262 pages long is well researched. In the opening it traces Rev. James Macgill's family back to 1537. It does show a coat of arms and is very similar in the historical documentation of the McGill name to yours.
If anyone is able to connect to our McGill descendants, Mary will be happy to look up any information you need and email what it has. They are also from Edinburgh and have several pages about Galloway. I imagine a copy of the book is in the library in Washington DC since he was living there at the time it was published. The book has a blue and gold cover.
Also, this site covers the Mary McGILL-WALKER descendants: Walker/DeBoard homepage
If anyone has any information, additions, or corrections on this family, that I have not included up to this point, please contact me and I will add the information!
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This page was last updated on 31 December 2005.
