My GGrandfather Alexander McKee came to the United States from County Down Ireland between his birth in 1842 and my finding him listed in the United States Federal Census in 1860. He was in Allegheny City (Pittsburgh) Pennsylvania in 1860. He served in the Civil War in two different regiments and married Katherine Hess upon his return to Allegheny City. They had the following children, Eva Florance B1867 D1905, William H. B1869 D1877, Mary Catherine B 1872 D 1916, Edman B 1874 D 1875, Alexander Jr. B 1876 D 1898, Sarah Cornelia B 1879, D 1946, George William B 1880 D 1945, William B 1888 D 1888, Lawrence William B 1889, D 1955. Alexander and Katherine were married by a Presbyterian Minister. Katherine was raised Evangelica Lutheran. When Alexander died in 1913 his wife Katherine (who was Illiterate) informed the Physican that Alexander's parents were James McKee and Mary Cratwin (Creighton). Alexander's claim to being born in County Down is stated in his Civil War Pension Applications. He was empoyed in the Cotton Mills in Allegheny City. I have never found a ships record for his or his parents arrival from Ireland. I have never found a record of his parents in the United States or Ireland. Oral history from a grandaughter who Katherine Hess McKee lived with after Alexander's death was that he was from Banbridge County Down, Ireland. Any help finding a baptismal record or record of the Marriage of his parents would be greatly appreciated. I am aware of the limitations of the govenment registrations of those items in Ireland and know that any info would have to be gleaned from church records from that general area. I have also studied the known printed McKee genealogies with out finding any connection.
George William McKee
George
Monday 17th Jun 2019, 07:48PMMessage Board Replies
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Miram, I am very appreciatie of your efforts. Yes you have the correct Alexander in the 1910 Census. I will take another look at the James and Mary in Allegheny in 1860. If I can find a Presbyterian Church record for Alexander or his parents transfering from a County Down parish I think I would be able to at least make a dent in my brick wall. Since I have not been able to tie Alexander to parents, I have not been able to identify any siblings. From 1860 until his death in 1913 with the exception of his two enlistments in the Union Army in 1862-63 and 1864-65 he lived in Allegheny City. I have not found him in any Church records. Found some of his children in a missionary Presbyterian Church located near the 16th street bridge but no other family members. I have been searching for Alexanders family since 1954 when I was a teenager. I live within 2 miles of all the places he lived in Allegheny City. With the exception of my 14 years in the US Army I have always lived on the Northside of Pittsburgh PA. I am very interested in the Mary Creighton you found. She is of the age to have been Alexander's mother. He was purported to have been born in Banbridge. Which means to me he could have been born anywhere within several miles of Banbridge. George McKee
George
Tuesday 18th Jun 2019, 07:47PM -
Banbridge Church of Ireland has records from 1802 onwards and Banbridge Non Subscribing Presbyterian church from 1756 onwards. The Church of Ireland’s records are on the rootsireland site. I did not find his baptism there so, if he comes from Banbridge, he was probably Presbyterian in Ireland (and that’s born out by his apparent family denomination in the US). Those Banbridge Presbyterian records are not on-line anywhere so far as I can tell. However there is a copy in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast and if you can get a researcher to go there to look them up you could search that way.
Alexander and James McKee are very common names in Co Down and care needs to be taken to ensure you identify the right one. (For example there were 21 Alexander McKees in the 1901 census of Co. Down. It would have been just as common in the 1840s, possibly more so).
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Friday 21st Jun 2019, 12:15PM