The McGehee FamilyA Resource page for all McGehee Descendants as well as variants McGhee, McGee, MeGehee, etc
For many years, Thomas Mackgehee was called the "immigrant," and identified as James MacGregor, son of Patrick MacGregor and Marian McDonald of Auchatrichaton. Believed to have come to America when Clan MacGregor was outlawed following Cromwell's defeat of the Scots, he supposedly changed his name to Thomas MackGehee in an attempt to hide his identity from the Crown. However quite a number of researchers today think that Thomas was actually the son of the immigrant, William MackGahey, not the immigrant himself. Recent material suggests that a William MackGahey had sons William and Thomas in Virginia by 1653:
1. His son Thomas is the Thomas mentioned above. Researchers believe his wife was Ann Baytop. This has been called into question recently. Thomas died in St. John's Parish, King William County, VA sometime after 27 July 1727 when his will was written.
2. His son William is known as William, "The Quaker". William lived in the part of King William County, VA that became Hanover County in 1720. In St. Paul's Processioning, this William McGehee appears to disappear after 1743. He would have been 66-76 years of age.
In addition to the immigrant now being identified as William MackGahey instead of Thomas MackGehee, recent DNA studies have not found a connection between McGehee descendants or McGregors. More evidence against the James MacGregor theory is included in a link in the table below.
Thomas owned land in several Virginia counties according to Dorothy Helmer. She said that, "Thomas MackGehee owned land in New Kent Co, as early as 1689, when it is recorded in St. Peter's Vestry, p. 20, that he 'marked the bounds of his land'." Several years later, on 28 October 1702, Thomas petitioned for 256 acres in Pamunkey Neck on the west side of Nicatywance Swamp, in King William Co. This patent was granted for transporting six persons into the Colony. However, this land grant was not confirmed until 10 November 1713, according to English Duplicates of lost Virginia Records. Less than a year after his above petition, Thomas bought 110 acres from Wiliam Glover, recorded 20 September 1703, King William County. This land was farther up the Nicatywance Swamp, which is now called Harrison Creek. According to Helmer, these acres had been granted to James Johnson on 1 April 1702, then sold to William Glover. Glover, in turn sold them to Thomas MackGehee. The Quit Rent Rolls of 1704 for King William County list "Thomas MackGehee 250 acres."
The children of Thomas MackGehee were: William, Anna, Diannah, Abraham, Edward, Mary, Samuel, Jacob and Sarah.
The McGehee name has been pronounced many different ways: Mc-Ga-hee, Mc-Ge-hee, and Mc-Gee among them. Stark Young, in his famous and rare book So Red the Rose (about the McGehees of the 19th century in Mississippi, particularly in and around Natchez) quotes Lucy as saying "McGehee rhymes with McFee."
SOME SOURCES USEFUL TO THIS RESEARCH:
Frost, E. C. and M., DeJarnette and Allied Families in America (1699-1954), pp. 54-56
Gilmer, G. R., First Settlers of Upper Georgia, pp. 130-131.
Grider, E. C. W., McGehee Descendants
Johnson, Elizabeth McGehee, Our McGehee, A History of One Branch of the McGehee Family from 1659 to the Present
Sims, A. N., Frances Morgan, An Early Virginia Burgess and Some of His Descendants, pp. 78-80.
All changes and additions are welcome. I will do my best to get your information online as soon as possible. However, please be advised that I am working full time now and don't have a lot of genealogy time except during the summer. Thank you for your patience.
Please e-mail me:
MCGEHEE QUERY/DATA BOARD
Post your queries and data here:
MCGEE DNA STUDY
Dean McGee is heading a DNA Study for the surname McGee and variations, including McGehee and McGhee. You may find information about this study here:
THE MCGEHEES AND SO RED THE ROSE
Thank you to Vinson Miller who has contributed scans from a copy of this book owned by his wife's grandfather, Glover Bedford. Included are scans of the front cover flyleaf, back cover, and author inscription. Vinson has also contributed a letter about the McGehee's used for models in this book. Thank you Vinson!
MCGEHEE RESOURCE PAGES
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