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Facts and Events
| Name |
Samuel McKay |
| Gender |
Male |
| Marriage |
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to Unknown |
From Catherine McCoy received 10/3/2000 by eMail
"Samuel MacKay entered the British army Dec.30th, 1755, as an ensign in
the 62nd (afterward the 60th) Royal American Regiment of Foot, and the
next year embarked for America." [1] This would be during
French/Indian Wars in Quebec. His name appears on British Army half-pay
lists for the 60th until after his death. Most of these regiments were
disbanded in 1763. He was promtoted to Lieutenant in 1756,(then
Captain in 1775).
He would seem to have stayed in Canada, as he subsequently was active
in 1775 when he "set out from Montreal with fifty Canadian volunteers to
occupy the fort at St. John's."[2} There are various references to him
in British, Canadian and American records, and at least twice an
American prisoner during the revolution.. He was active in what was
called the Loyal Volunteers (under Lt. Col.Pfister's until 1777, also
called MacKay's Corps, after Mackay's death in 1779 commanded by Robert
Leake). In 1781 this unit was mostly absorbed into the2nd Battalion of
the King's Royal Regiment of New York. Lists of this regiment
subsequently include two men listed as Captain McKay's sons: Samuel
and John[3].
As you already know, Samuel in Ernesttown is our Samuel, and the
step-son of Lt. Johnson (having married Captain McKay's widow).
Of course the spelling of the surname varies from document to document.
It's Mackay, MacKay, McKay, McCay or more rarely McCoy.
I have yet to send to Britain for the Captain, his sons', and Johnson
army records.
This is do-able apparently, and may contain details we need about origin
(?Scotland), wife's name,....
A lot of this reseach was originally done by Dr.H.C. Burleigh, and his
papers are in the Queen's University Archives here in Kingston. I have
yet to visit there, as I just started into geneology in August and
wanted to know all the references I want to look up.
Here some references for this info. and I'll write more soon.
Love, Cate
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