McKay

I've hit a brick wall in my genealogy. I was hoping that maybe someone might be able to help me.

My gr-gr-gr grandfather is Alexander P. McKay. He was born 13-Jan-1819 in Scotland and died 26-Dec-1885 in Rhode Island, USA.

His grave is shown here [www.findagrave.com]. His monument has a prominently displayed 'Of Renfrewshire' just below his name.

He was married twice. His second wife, Grace Nicholson Little was also born in Scotland, but they were married in 1859 in Providence, Rhode Island.

I have very limited information about his first wife. I know that her first name was Margaret. The Margaret shown in the FindAGrave memorial linked to Alexander should be my gr-gr-gr grandmother. The timing of her death does allow for Alexander's marriage to Grace (although it is only about 4 months, so I wonder if Grace was a close friend or maybe a sister of Margarets?) Margaret's cemetery is about 2 miles away from Alexander's, so that seems to further reinforce the possibility. The 1850 Census for Fitchburg, Massachusetts show an Alexander and Margaret McKay living there. He's 30 and she's 27 and both were born in Scotland. No children yet (my gr-gr grandmother wasn't born until 1851).

Of Alexander's ancestry, I know little. I believe Alexander had a brother named Robert McKay. He is buried in the same plot as Alexander. Tracking through Census records of the time, I'm positive that Robert is a relative. One example is that in 1905 (RI State Census), Robert is living in a house in Providence, RI. The 1900 Federal Census shows the family living in that house to be Alexander's grandson. Also, in the 1910 Census, he is living with Grace Stafford (Alexander's widowed daughter) and is listed as her uncle. Robert McKay was born 23-Sep-1827 in Scotland and died 01-Jan-1914 in Cranston, RI. Robert appears to have come to the US in 1844. He may have had a wife named Ellen. However, if he did, she likely died before 1905 as the 1905 RI and 1910 US Census don't show her. He must have had a wife for sure because the 1910 census shows him to be widowed. I'm having trouble spotting him in any earlier census.

Another possible family member is Letita McKay. In the same cemetery as Alexander's plot (my understanding is that Letita is buried right next to the whole McKay plot area), there is a headstone that reads Letitia, Wife of Alexander McKay of Renfrewshire, Scotland. Died Jan 22 1879 Aged 88 Years' Then at the bottom is a line: 'Erected by her son R. M.' The R could be a B...but either could mean Robert or Bob McKay. Due to her age, I believe that she is not Alexander's wife, but instead his mother. But I have no concrete proof of her even existing. I'm having trouble even finding her on any US Census form, so I wonder if she came to the US between 1870 and 1879.

There is another possible family member. In the 1860 Census, Alexander is living in Warwick, RI with his wife Grace and 3 of his daughters. There is also a Mary Hamilton and her newborn son John living with them. Mary was born about 1833 in Scotland and John was born in 1860 in RI. My presumption is that Mary is a widow, but the 1860 Census isn't detailed enough.

As for Alexander's children...he appears to have had all daughters.
Elizabeth 'Lizzie' Lindsay McKay 1851-1917 (my gr-gr-grandmother). She first married Walter Whipple and later George Wood.
Agnes Jane McKay 1855-1878 who married George Hamilton
Caroline McKay 1856-1857 - No proof for sure that this was Alexander's daughter, but if Margaret is his wife, than Caroline is his daughter.
Mary E. McKay 1858-1900 married Samuel Miner.

After he married Grace, he had two more daughters.
Grace B. McKay 1862-1929 married Christopher Rhodes Stafford
Carrie H. McKay 1864-1878 Having a daughter named Carrie may be circumstantial evidence that Caroline McKay was in fact his daughter.

Grace, Carrie, Mary, Mary's husband, and Mary's three children are all buried in this same McKay plot. Elizabeth is buried with her second husband in Providence (The Elizabeth Wood I tracked down there seems to be a good bet to be her since one of her children was George McKay Wood).

At this point, trying to get myself back into Scotland to match him up is hard. I don't even know if he married Margaret in the US or in Scotland. I don't even know her maiden name.

Here's a quickie timelime for Alexander

1819 Born in Scotland
1843 Might have come over to the US. This was the year his brother did
1850 Living in Fitchburg, Massachusetts with wife Margaret
1851 Daughter Elizabeth born
1855 Daughter Agnes born
1856 Daughter Caroline born
1856 Daughter Caroline died
1858 Daughter Mary born
1859 Wife Margaret died - Remarried to Grace
1860 Living in Warwick, Rhode Island
1870 Living in Providence, Rhode Island
1873 Daughter Elizabeth marries George Whipple
1875 Grandson Walter Alexander Whipple born - Son-in-law George Whipple dies
1878 Daughters Agnes and Carrie died
1879 Letita McKay died (I believe this is his mother)
1880 Living in Warwick, Rhode Island
1885 Living in Warwick, Rhode Island - Died the day after Christmas.


It has taken me quite a bit of research to put all these pieces together. There was very little documentation coming from my Whipple side of the family. I'm not sure why. I've been trying to reach out to some of the other branches of this part of the McKay family, and haven't had any luck.

Sorry if this was too long, but it seemed a lot of information to try to pass along. Any and all help would be appreciated.

My apologies if you have already searched the official Scottish records for Alexander, but if not, then the official government website address is below.

www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

If you cannot find his birth in the Parish Records, then perhaps you could check the Scottish census records (same website). The census took place every ten years and are very detailed. You are fortune to have an exact date of birth, a middle initial and a County (Renfrewshire), all of which should help you narrow down the search considerably. Good luck!