Robert McKinley (1762 - 1834)

Born 1762 in Pennsylvania [uncertain]

Husband of Sarah (Cowan) McKinley — married 10 Dec 1793 in Sumner, Tennessee, United States

Descendants

Died 19 Jan 1834 at about age 72 in Jackson, Tennessee, United States

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Biography

Robert McKinley is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A135226.

Robert was born about 1762. One source that is considered a starting point for identifying Robert is the DAR database, which places his birthplace as Pennsylvania. His father according to most researchers was William McKinley; however, the match from speculative sourcing on FamilySearch suggests the William McKinley (1743-29 May 1815) was buried in Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.

Other research has established that Robert who died in Jackson County Tennessee was a contemporary of a different Robert McKinley of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, so the North Carolina connection is a dubious one, without proofs to connect the generations. Therefore, until an actual link to Robert's father can be established, his parent, James (shown without sources to be of North Carolina), has been marked as uncertain; and, as neither a James nor a William McKinley have been proven as the father of Robert, an effort should be made to link this generation.^[1]

On 10 Dec 1793, Robert McKinley married Sally Cowan in Sumner County, Tennessee.^[2]

In the 1830 census, he was living in Jackson County, Tennessee.^[3] The enumerations that occurred adjacent to Robert McKinley were likely his sons Matthew, Joseph (Josiah), and James McKinley. Projected age range validation is pending. The file does show that Robert's apparent wife was still alive in 1830. It also provides some insight into the enslaved persons and free people of color (two) who were a part of the McKinley household.^[3] Children named in the will were:

1. James McKinley^[4][3]
2. Josiah McKinley^[4] aka Joseph^[3]
3. Matthew McKinley^[4][3]

Slaves

Per the US Black Heritage: Heritage Exchange Portal standards and practices, additional information is being added to enhance the accessibility of ancestral links by naming those persons associated with the profile who were treated as slaves.

1830 Census: Records 6 slaves (persons of color) including: 1 female age 36-55, 4 children under 10, and 1 age 10-24.^[3] This lends weight to the research of others (including the below will that names 6 children who are treated as slaves that the household included a woman named Priss who was the apparent mother of the five aforementioned enslaved children (Enumerators were instructed to only count person born by 1 June 1830; thus it is possible an infant was born between June 2nd and 5th when will was written).

Of note is that these persons who appear to be children of Robert were considered and treated as slaves (see the will), when determinations of the status of children often was on the basis of the father. Based upon the 1830 census tallies, it appears that only six persons were enslaved in the household, but how this balances out is unknown and difficult to determine without further information. However, Robert wrote his will 5 Jun 1830, and the census was that same year.

1. Ned^[4]
2. Dick^[4]
3. Cinda^[4]
4. Hannah^[4]
5. Lewis^[4]
6. Milly^[4]

The Last Will and testament of Robert McKinley

IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN, I Robert McKinley of Jackson County the State of Tennessee, being of sound mind and memory (for which I thank God) and calling to mind the uncertainty of human life and knowing that it is appointed once for all men to die, and being desirous to dispose of such worldly substance as it hath pleased God to bless me with, do hereby make my last will and testament, in the manner and form following, that is to say:

1st. I desire that after my death I shall be decently buried and all my just debts be paid out of the proceeds of any part of my parishable property.

2nd. After the payment of my debts and funeral expenses, I give my loving wife Sally McKinley, all the houses, plantation lands, and stock of every description, whereon I now live, and to have my Negro (sic) woman, Priss all her children during her natural life, and, should she have more stock of any kind than she may need, she shall be at liberty to give it to either of my three sons hereinafter named, by valuation so as to make them equal in all such property so given away, and at her death, my wish and will is that my Negro woman, Priss shall be set free and that she may live with either of my children that she makes choice of.

3rd. My wish and will is that my six Negro children of Priss. Ned, Dick, Cinda, Hannah, Lewis, and Milly be divided between my two sons James and Josiah in this manner, To wit: I desire that my son, James shall have the first two choices and my son Josiah the next two and the balance equally divided between them.

4th. My wish and will is that at the death of my wife, that my son Mathew McKinley have the tract of land and plantation whereon I now live and no other part but my property, as he has already received a liberal part of my property from me.

5th. My wish and will is that should my Negro woman, Priss have any more children that my son Mathew have the first and if there should be any more I wish that all of them to be equally divided between my three sons, and my will is that should Priss have any children after she is free or after my death, it or they shall also be slaves and be equally divided among my sons before mentioned, as I do not wish for some of her children free and the balance slaves.

6th. My wish and request of my beloved children is these Negros above mentioned shall be kept, if possible, in my family among my own children and never be sold to strangers or anybody else.

7th. My wish and will is that all my household goods and kitchen furniture and farming implements shall belong to my wife during her natural life and at her death equally divided among my three sons.

Dated, June 5, 1830 (signed) Robert McKinley^[4]

Robert McKinley died 19 January 1834.^[5]

Research Notes

• The DAR Records indicate that he was born in Pennsylvania. Others say North Carolina; however, at the same time that Robert McKinley was living in Tennessee, a Robert McKinley with a different spouse, but similar age, was living in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. These two men appear to have at least some of their history conflated. This volume might have some overlap with the present McKinley line, but that is unknown. For certain, a different Robert McKinley has records on FamilySearch that clearly establish him with a different wife and different history. Marler, Kathleen. Residents of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, 1762-1790.
• Additional detail from the 1830 US Census, Jackson, Tennessee, pages 147-148.^[3]
  • row11 Mathew McKinley - Males: 1 under 5, 1 age 20-29; Females: 1 age 20-29; Male Slaves: 1 under 10; Female Slaves: 2 under 10, 2 age 10-24; Total 8.
  • row 12 Robert McKinley - Males: 0 under 5 (1 was crossed out); 1 age 60-69; females: 1 age 60-69; Male Slaves 1 under 10, 1 age 10-24; Female Slaves: 3 under 10, 1 age 36-55; Total 8.
  • row 13 Joseph McKinley - Males: 2 under 5, 1 age 20-29; Females: 1 under 5, 1 age 20-29; no slaves; Total 5.
  • row 14 James McKinley - Males: 1 age 10-14, 1 age 30-39; Females: 3 under 5, 2 age 5-9, 1 age 30-39; Males Slaves: 2 under 10, 1 age 24-34; Female Slaves: 1 age 10-24, 1 age 24-34; Total 13.
• In the 1840 Census, Jackson, Tennessee, only two McKinley's are enumerated, pages 312-313.^[6]
  • row 2 James McKinley has 1 female slave aged 55-100 (he had 5 in 1830);
  • row 5 Mathew McKinley has 5 slaves between the ages of 1 and 35 (he had 5 in 1830);
• Broken link: familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/b/u/r/William-Alvin-Burke-California/GENE3-0001.html

Sources

1. ↑ See Robert McKinley's profile on FamilySearch Record: G6WZ-TG2, although his supposed father, William McKinley (born 10 Aug 1743), is unsourced and a linking source has not yet emerged to establish paternity.
2. ↑ "Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950," database with images, FamilySearch: 10 Mar 2021, Robert Mc Kinley and Sally Cowan, 10 Dec 1793; citing Sumner, Tennessee, United States, Marriage, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville and county clerk offices from various counties; FHL microfilm 467,485.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6} "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch: 20 Feb 2021, Robert Mckinley, Jackson, Tennessee, United States; citing 147, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington DC: National Archives and Records Administration), roll 177; FHL microfilm 24,535.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9} Reproduced from Descendants of Robert McKinley on Genealogy.com User Home Page/Genealogy Report. Note, however, that this same document has been placed on Robert McKinley's FamilySearch page. Two researchers are named as "sources."
5. ↑ "United States Revolutionary War Pension Payment Ledgers, 1818-1872," database with images, FamilySearch: accessed 30 Aug 2022, Robert Mc Kinley, 4 Sep 1833; citing Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee, United States, NARA microfilm publication T718 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1962), roll 10; FHL microfilm 1,319,390.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHYL-KJR : 10 June 2022), Matthew C McKinley, Jackson, Tennessee, United States; citing p. 312, NARA microfilm publication , (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll ; FHL microfilm

Acknowledgments

• A family tree that included Robert McKinley was handed down to David (Broughton) Lawrence.