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Author
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Topic: I want to know about my heritage
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beprice
Member
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posted 02-16-2002 11:56 AM
  
My madien name is McKinney. I have been told that my family originated in Scotland on the isle of Ary. I have also been told that my family was a family of dignataries (sp?) I am wanting to find as much information as I can as a gift for my grandfather for Christmas this year. Please if you know any thing about my family please let me know. I would love to know about my clan. |
Gordon
unregistered
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posted 02-16-2002 05:03 PM
McKinney is probably a corrupted form of MacKenna, which family originated in Galloway, in the south west of Scotland. There are indeed a 'parcel' of McKinneys on the Isle of Arran, but whether or not they were dignitaries is dependant upon what you mean by the term. Individuals certainly held scattered parcels of land, and there are some instances of one form of the name or other as charter witnesses, but since this was often a role passed to vassal families by their Lord, (occasioned by their chance or deliberate presence when the thing was being signed) and this is a common feature in most family name histories, it is therefore fairly unremarkable. It may be that your reference is to some specific character or branch of the family unlikely to appear in a name source book. I have no reference to the family having owned a castle or large territories, nor have I heard of the Isle of Ary. ------------------
'Demeure par la verite'
Visit; Gordon's Scottish Castles Resource Page
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Peter
Member
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posted 02-18-2002 03:29 PM
Hi Beprice,
as Gordon suggested, a little more detail is needed on your name to narrow it down.
McKinney is quite a strong name around Glasgow. But the spelling Mckenny can also be found in Peebles & Campbeltown. McKinney also crops up in Dunbarton.
Though perhaps you best lead could be a one John Cullen McKinney sited in 1650 on the Isle of Skye. So this is maybe your island ?
There are also several family sites dedicated to the name .. have you tried one of them ? |
Gordon
unregistered
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posted 02-18-2002 04:58 PM
To expand a little on what Peter said about Glasgow, most Scottish, and Irish surnames are pretty common around here, basically because during the Highland Clearances and the Irish Potato Blight, many families found themselves either without a means of support or food. Glasgow was the nearest metropolis which offered housing and work as it's industries expanded, and for some was a more attractive alternative than emmigration to America. However for most surnames it is not the point of origin, simply a step along the road, or a harbour of departure.------------------
'Demeure par la verite'
Visit; Gordon's Scottish Castles Resource Page
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