There is quite alot of speculation that has to be endured when we attempt to trace our family name into Ireland. My goal is to pass along some of the concrete items from the older generation that was published with some reference, as we genealogists must have. I have passed through some writings that surely have some bonifide reference- and some that just speculate. That time period of pre 1700 is really tough. If you are lucky enough to have this, or prior; consider yourself in the minority. My last link, likely born around 1760 shows up in Donegal. There were some births and some marriages - but indications really do show that this place was another stop in a long list of moves these McKees made. I really look to link this bunch in Donegal with the land of McKee in Antrim or Down.

The following from Thurston Kee- referencing history of some McKees in Ireland etc.

To suggest that the immediate ancestors of the Kees in Ireland spelled their name McKee or MacKee, Mackay, McKey, McKay, McGhie, Maghee, etc, etc., is probably a rather large assumption. Especially is this so in the days when the spelling was largely a matter of sound.

However, my own personal view is that this is probably so, and I feel that we are more likely to be talking about our progenitors and their relatives when we are looking at those who spelled their names McKee and MacKee than when we stray further afield.

Quite a number of years ago, I corresponded with a Mr Lanier McKee who was an attorney in New York. He sent me for my perusal a privately published volumne entitled “The McKees of Virginia and Kentucky which had been compiled many years ago by a Mr. George W. McKee. (I would like to obtain a copy of this, if someone now reading this can help. KM)

I found this book particularly interesting because these McKees came originally from Scotland to Ireland, and then from County Down in Ireland to the United States.

The following is a summary which the author made as to the origin of the McKees generally. “I sum up generally the origin and history of the McKees follows: 1st. They were of Irish, or Celtic origin and the main body of them went into Scotland in the 12th century to assist William the Lion in driving the Danish pirates from Caithness and the north generally. 2nd A few of them probably joined William the Conqueror when the latter, prepatory to his descent upon the Sussex coat of England invited to his standard professional soldiers, freelances, adventurers and cut throats from all parts of Europe. 3rd Tradition says that from the earliest dawn of Reformation they have been Protestants. Early in the 16th century, owing to the civil feuds of Scotland, their native land for centuries, they emigrated back to Ireland; thence after a brief sojourn to France. There they remained until the massacre of the Huguenots on St Bartholemews day, August 24th, 1572 being firm adherents of the Protestant faith they experienced the utmost of fury of the enemies of that day. But few of them were left to tell the tale of horror. The few fled to the north of Ireland, and again in 1641, under the reign of Charles 1st, the most infamous of the Stuarts, and in 1688 under James the 2nd, the most pusillanimous, they again experience the fury of persecution on account of their religion. It is said that some of those who escaped the maccacre of St. Bartholemews Day, fled to Holland and marched into Ireland later with the forces of Prince William of Orange. 4th. In 1738 when a large migration of Scotch-Irish Presbyterians to Pennsylvania and the valley of Virginia took place, some brothers McKee, variously estimated from five to ten or eleven sons of one who had borne a part in the defense of Derry, arrived in America, and first settled near Lancaster, Pa. There they seperated some settling near Wheeling, W.Va and Pittsburgh, Pa and some going to the far West...

While we haven’t time in this account to trace these McKees in any detail, they are very interesting to us because of an amazing similarity in their Christian names and for this reason we should perhaps look only at the original generation which came to America.

The founder of this branch was a McKee who took part in the defense of Derry against the forces of King James the Second in 1689 and he is daid to have had a large family of sons variously estimated at five to ten or eleven.

One of these sons was ROBERT MCKEE, a native of County Down, who was born in 1692 and went to America with Agnes, his wife in 1738. He settled in Rockbridge County, Kentucky, and died in 1744.

Another son was JOHN MCKEE, who was born in County Down in 1707 who settled in Virginia and who died in 1792.

A third was WILLIAM MCKEE, who also settled in Virginia.

These are the three branches dealt with in the work we have mentioned. In order to follow the names for another generation, ROBERT MCKEE had two sons, John McKee and Colonel William McKee. John McKee was twice married and had a large family, viz, Mariam McKee, Mary McKee, William McKee, John McKee, James Logan McKee, Robert McKee, John McKee, William McKee, David McKee and John McKee. The third brother WILLIAM MCKEE had a son James McKee. (I cant help but notice that there are duplications in the names of Johns kids, like three times there is a John listed. I am only copying what I am reading KM) In passing we should remark on the number of very distinguished McKees to be found amongst their descendants in America. In addition to the information gleaned from this work we also had the Genealogical Office make a search as to existing records relating to the McKees and MacKees in Ireland and they gave us many references.

However to simply list these many references is not of much use or interest to us. Some however, are least interesting:

Analecta Hibernica, Vols. I-IV

Vol VIII Ulster Plantation Papers p 20. Sir Patrick McKee, Kt, undertaker of the small proportion of Cargy in the precinct of Boylaghe in the county of Donegal hath before us taken the oath of supremacy and sued forth warrants of possesions assignation for and licence of Deputation, at camp near Ardmaghe 9 Sept 1610. p 229 Sir Patrick McKee, Cargie, assigned 1000 acres. Vol XV Donraile Papers. p 357 1683-84 Rental of William Conynghams estate, Co. Londonderry, Townlands of Ballydrom, Tamagh, and two Ballydawyeas-tennants names John McKee (inter alia).

There was a branch of the family at Donaghedee and Templepatrick, in the County of Down which I feel is very interesting because of the similarity in names in their branch and some of the Kees.

From the limited information given by the Genealogical Office it is difficult to compile a pedigree but some progress along this line is possible. There was a WILLIAM MCKEE who was born in about 1655 and who died November 7th, 1733 aged 78 years. He is buried at Templepatrick, Co. Down. In the same generation was another WILLIAM MCKEE, who was born about 1666, and who died June 14th 1743 aged 77 years He is also buried at Templepatrick. THE later William McKee had a son ALEXANDER MCKEE, who was born in 1692 and who died Jan 31st 1748 aged 56 years and is buried Templepatrick. There was also a ROBERT MCKEE, of Sloanstown, who was born about 1694 and was probably a brother of Alexander. This Robert McKee died January 31st 1782 aged 88 years and is buried Templepatrick. This Robert McKee of Sloanstown had a son William McKee who was born in 1761 and who died May 26th 1787 aged 26 years and is buried Templepatrick. We also find buried at Templepatrick a certain WILLIAM MCKEE of Ballyhaskin, who was born in 1694 and wh died May 23, 1785 at aged 91 years. He was probably the brother of DAVID MCKEE of Ballyhasken, who was born in 1701 and who died Aug 16 1788 aged 87 years He is buried at Templepatrick. I rather imagine that these were all sons of WILLIAM MCKIE Who was buried at Templepatrick and who died November 7th, 1733 AGED 78 YEARS. The next generation after WILLIAM, DAVID AND JOHN was a JOHN MCKEE who was born in 1727 and who died Sept 5 1790 aged 63 and was buried at Donaghee, Co. Down with two of his children. The next generation was JAMES MCKEE, who was sometimes called of Ballyfrines and, apparently sometimes of Whitechurch. He was born in 1760 and died Oct 6th 1784 , aged 24 years and is buried at Templepatrick. This James McKee of Ballyfrines had a son, Daniel Mckee, who was born in 1767 and died Oct 14, 1783 aged 16 years and a daughter Agnes McKee who was born in 1762 and who died March 30, 1790 afed 28 years both buried Templepatrick. In the next generation we find an ISABELLA MCKEE the wife of one Bitcon, who was born 1786 and who died Aug 22nd 1855 aged 69 years and is buried at Donaghadee. Of the same generation was JOHN MCKEE, who was born in 1796 and who died Sept 4 1798 aged 2 and is buried at Templepatrick. In the next Generation is HUGH MCKEE of Templepatrick who was born in 1811 died March 1st 1872 aged 61 year s and buried at Donaghadee. In the same generation was MARY MCKEE the wife of John Fullerton. She was born in 1812 and died in 1890 78 years.