Person talk:William Magill (4)

Information on William McGill Family [16 March 2016]

I am an Eakin researcher. I have been tied to Mary Eakin through multiple DNA matches. My research indicates that Mary Eakin was d/o William Eakin of Dumfries, Scotland, mother unknown but most likely first name of her first daughter. She is a first cousin to James Eakin of Augusta County, one of the original settlers. She is also first cousin to James Eakin of Paxtang TWP, PA. I will post the whole family tree for Mary to this site in the near future.

My Eakin clan originated in Holywood, Dumfries-shire, Scotland. In the Dumfries parish records there is a James McGill that maps to a possible father of William McGill. This clan strictly followed the Scottish Naming Convention. Since William's first son's name was "James" then most probably this was his father's first name. William McGill's father's name would not have been Robert.

In Co Down, Ulster, NI, the Eakin families from Dumfries migrated from Scotland Abt 1698-1700 and settled in and around the following towns in County Down: Domare, Domara, Ballynahinch, Drumbo, Hillsborogh, and a couple of other towns just east of Belfast. There are church records from Ballynahinch Presybterian church that shows William McGill as a member of this church at the same time as the Aiken (Aitken) family (1720s-1730). If the McGills came from Dumfries area, then they would have been Covenanters (please become familiar with this branch of Presbyterianism - also called the "Reformed Presbyterians").

My ancestor, Andrew Eakin, s/o James Eakin of Paxtang TWP, was a fur/skin trader who would have traveled down the Great Wagon Road into the Holston River Settlement in VA/TN. Though conjecture, it is not inconceivable that he would have stopped off and visited with his cousins in Augusta County, VA on his many trips.

I see no evidence of William McGill in the early records of Paxtang TWP (Harrisburg) PA, though many of the members of Ballynahinch church settled in Paxtang. The Eakin of Augusta were members of the Drumbo Presbyterian Church prior to migration.You can find records for these churches on Family Search.

Of note, this Eakin/Aiken clan is part of a distinct genetic signature called the "Little Scottish Cluster". Information is available online on this cluster.--EakinKin 22:38, 26 October 2015 (UTC)