Person:John McPheadris (1)

[courtesy of Mr Harold Mcpheeters]

There is probably a connection to the Sea Captain, Archibald Mcphaedris who came to Boston about 1709, but its not clear.

The Maine McPheters family (from my research) descended from a John McPheters (whose name appears in many variant spellings) who first came to theshores of the Colonies as a seaman in the British Royal Navy around 1725. He later (Fall 1729) returned with his wife and some family on a shipthat (according to legend) was headed from Northern Ireland (Belfast) to the Pennsylvania Colony where several other Presbyterian Scots-Irishsettlers had gone and found refuge from difficulties with the Church of England. A few other young McPheeters families had already gone there inthe early 1720s and settled in the "Irish Settlement" in the areas of Lancaster and Chester Counties of the Pennsylvania Colony.

But this ship was blown off course in a storm and landed late in the fall in the harbor of the Kennebec River Estuary of what is now the State ofMaine, but was then the Massachusetts Bay Colony. As the party and crew debated whether to go on to seek Pennsylvania or make camp there for theWinter, a British Man '0 War appeared with a Ca pt. David Dunbar, who explained that he was Surveyor for the King to seek sturdy pine masts forBritish Navy ships and for which he had been promised a Colony of his own. He urged the colonists to remain there and be the first residents of hisnew Colony. I found a copy of a petition dated in late 1729 from those colonists, including John McPheters, to Ca pt. Dunbar asking him to makehaste to get the official declaration of his "Colony of Georgia" so they could be clearing their lands and getting ready to plant crops when Springarrived. (This surprised me since this Colony of Georgia, where I live, was not created until 1733). But apparently, Capt. Dunbar was mistaken orthe Admiralty snookered him out of his Colony. In any case, the colonists decided to remain there and set up cabins on Arrowsic Island in KennebecRiver estuary. John and Isabella (Stinson) McPheters raised ten children there.

According to the Scotch-irish list, there is this comment which may be relevant

The McPhedris family came from Millnagowan: Gilbert was living there in 1613. In 1618 he leased about 200 acres which he left to his wife Margaret Cathcart when he died and then his son WIlliam. In the Hearth Money rolls for 1669 Archibald McPhedris was the owner of a large home with 3 hearths. For this period it was a very large house.

New: 6/15

There is a known McPhedris family in exactly this area around Coleraine, which is fortunately discussed in a little detail by Rev T H Mullin and J E Mullin in "The Kirk and Parish of Ballyrashane since the Scottish Settlement", published in 1957. I am lucky enough to have a copy at the moment on loan from Trinity College, Dublin. The main references to McPhedris in the book is here (I include the whole discussion since the book is very difficult to obtain):

"Another family with even closer connections to the parish, but which has not survived the passage of the years is the McPhedris family which came from Millnagowan. Gilbert McPhedris of Millnagowan was living in Carnglass as early as March, 1613 and in 1618 he obtained a lease of lands of Carnglassmore and Carnglassberg containing 140 acres and of Ballyvalgar (Ballywatt) containing 60 acres. Gilbert died in 1631 [I have found his Inquisition in Latin, he died 30 Sept 1631 dd], leaving a life interest to his wife Margaret Cathcart, and then willing it to his son, William, who at that time was over 21 and married. The rent paid by William to the Earl of Antrim was 24 GBP. In the hearth money rolls for 1669, Archibald McPhedrisis the owner of a house in Carnglass with three hearts, a large one for the period. There was a forge at this time in Carnglass, owned by Hector McNeil, occupations important to the community tgending to gather around the big house in the district. Archibald McPhedris was obviously the occupier of the estate as according to the Rowan account book of 1676, he was in arrears with his rent on Carnglass to the Earl of Antrim.... Another McPhedris family lived in Loughgiel; but in the absence of any Wills or other evidence, it is impossible to prove any connection between them" (Mullin, pp 15-16)

Later (p 65) "At this period the McPhedris family make their last appearances in the district. In the lease already mentioned, Daniel Mecan took over lands in Kirkstown formerly in the possession of Captain John McPhedris. Aboutthe same date part of Ballyvelton possessed by William McPhedris passed to Hugh Moore of Ballyholme. As there is a reference in 1712 to Captain McPhedris and his father, it is likely that the head of the family at this period was William McPhedris who is mentioned in the Route minutes, and that Capt. John McPhedris was his son. The name McPhedris now disappears... A Gilbert McFedrick represented Ballymoney at the Synod in 1710 and Robert William Daniel and Archibald McPhedrix were heads of families in Ballymoney 1751-1758."

I note that there are several Mcfadrish that appear in Scotland ca 1700.

See: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/Scotch-Irish/2001-08/0997664779

This is a tree constructed from a variety of sources; some original work on New England, otherwise using NEHGS and other "respectable" sources. Medieval is from genealogics.org, (used as a check on) ancestry.com, and a few amendments from medieval genealogy -- soc.genealogy.medieval

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Ancestry.com. Maine Court Records, 1696-1854. (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2003.Original data - York County Court of Common Pleas (1696-1760), Kennebec County Supreme Court (1799-1854), and Washington County District Court (1839-46). Index obtained from Maine Depar).

   Residence date: Residence place: Georgetown _APID: 1,6888::48877

   http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=mainecourt1690&h=48877&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Filby, P. William, ed. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s. (Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Research, 2006)
   Place: Boston, Massachusetts; Year: 1718; Page Number: .

   Arrival date: 1718 Arrival place: Boston, Massachusetts _APID: 1,7486::696256

   http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=pili354&h=696256&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt

3.   Ancestry.com. Public Member Trees: (Note: not considered a reliable primary source)
   Ancestry Family Trees.

   http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=25763682&pid=2611