General Notes

REFN: 23731
[lillief.ged]
Notes for WILLIAM MACKEACHEY: from Larry Keahey site
Williams time of death is only an estimate, due to his wife, Margaret Ma
cK eachey, had received a land grant in the year of 1780. During th
is ti me in our history this met Margaret would have to be widowed to app
ly in h er own right. This land was given to their son James MacKeachey w
ho so ld it in 1823 after he moved to Mississippi .
William MacKeachey held a land patent, dated 22 January 1773, in Anson C
ou nty, North Carolina. He lived in that part of Anson which was cut o
ff s ix years later into Richmond County, with the County seat at Rockingh
am. T he MacKeachey property was on the boundary of what is now Moore a
nd Richmo nd counties, in fact the line of demarcation was the Lumber Riv
er (call ed by some the Little Pee Dee) separating the plantation of Samu
el Jacks on from the MacKeachey farm. It has already been noted that Willi
am MacKea chey was appointed to appraise the inventory of the estate of Sa
muel Jacks on in 1772.
There is a strong likelihood that there were Dawkins kin whose connec
ti on we cannot explain. There was a Deed in 1811 in Richmond Coun
ty of Jo hn MacKeachey, Esq. to Jane (widow of George Dawkins) for 1
00 A on Drowni ng Creek, witnessed by Samuel and Willam MacKeachey. Minut
es of the Cou rt show that James MacKeachey took oath that Jane Dawkins, w
idow, could ho ld title to the land, and the Deed was registered. Dawki
ns descendants a nd Mrs. Edna Hurley of Biscoe, North Carolina has Bible r
ecords reveali ng that their immigrant ancestor was Jesse Dawkins, born17
92 in Scotlan d, and wife, Euphemia (called "Effy"), born 1790 in Scotlan
d. They had 4 k nown children: Sarah, John, George who = Jane; and Willi
am Keahey Dawkin s. It is thought that Euphemia was a Keahey for that na
me has persist ed in the family as a given name. We also know that the na
me Euphemia is u sed it in the Keahey family. With only these fact
s, it is impossible to s ay where the kinship began. Both Jesse and Euphem
ia Dawkins were a generat ion younger than William MacKeachey's boys. Th
is may aid in future resear ch as a valuable clue in tracing the MacKeach
ey ancestry as a constellati on of names is easier to prove than on name s
tanding alone.
At this point we need to discuss another Keahey connection. In the boo
k, E arly Families Of Richmond County North Carolina, page 93, we find th
at t he McDonald family of Graham Bridge Road was written up by Polly McDo
na ld Cobb. We quote, "Daniel McDonald was born in 1763 in Isle of Skye, S
cot land. He was seven years old when he came to America with his fathe
r, Jam es McDonald, who had to take the Tory oath. They settled on Drowni
ng Cre ek where Richmond and Moore Counties join, five miles west of Pineh
urst, n ear present day McDonald Chapel, near which is the McDonald fami
ly Cemete ry with graves dating back to the 1700's. In 1780, at age 17, Da
niel enlis ted under General Nathaiel Green and took part in the Batt
le of Guilford C ourthouse."
"After the Revolution, he returned home to find the home place occupi
ed ." His father, having been bound by the Tory oath, probably had his la
nd c onfiscated. Daniel went to Richmond County to work for William Keahe
y, a nd after William died Daniel married his widow, Margeret. She appea
rs in 1 790 Census as a widow; she seems to have married later that year.
"Daniel entered land and built a house of which the original struc
tu re is still in use with additions and improvements made over the year
s. Th is house, built before 1800, located on Graham Bridge Road, four mil
es N. E. of Rockingham, just above Graham Bridge, overlooking Hitchcock Cr
eek (L edbetter Lake). Two rooms of the house are the original log constru
ction t hat Daniel built. It was remodeled and new roof added in 1816."
In 1810 Daniel bought 150 acres adjoining his wife's son, John Keahe
y. De ed speaks of it bein