Gilbert (McKechnie) MacKechney (1812 - 1877)

Born 21 Oct 1812 in Perth, Perthshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 17 Mar 1877 at age 64 in Sabine, Texas, United States

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Biography

Gilbert (McKechnie) MacKechney was born in Scotland.

Gilbert was baptised November 2, 1812 in Perth, Perthshire, Scotland. He was the son of John MacKechaney and Mary Steed.^[1]

Lower Canada (Quebec) Records

• Record Date: 23 Oct. 1830

Name: Gilbert McKechney

Record Place: Québec (Quebec City), Québec (Quebec), Canada

Notary: Scott, William Fisher

Record Type: Bail (Lease)

Record Description: Lease

Participants: The Officers of Ordinance to Gilbert McKechney and John McKechney

• Record Date: 24 Oct 1831

Name: Gilbert McKechney

Record Place: Québec, Québec, Canada

Notary: Scott, William Fisher

Record Type: Bail (Lease)

Record Description: Lease

Participants: The Officers of Ordinance to Gilbert McKechney and John McKechney

Gilbert was in Quebec, British North America (Upper Canada) in 1833 as he signed his name for his brother-in-law Sgt Thomas Cartwright's early death.

In August of 1834 from Louisiana, Gilbert wrote a letter to his mother, Mrs McKechney of Quebec City. (Many years later in 1867 he wrote a note on the last page of that very letter stating that she had died on December 25, 1834.)

In October 1834, Gilbert received a letter from John Bell, his sister Elizabeth's husband and in the letter his brother-in-law referred to Gilbert's uncle William, a Master in the Royal Navy, as dying about 1834. (see Research Notes below)

By the 1840 Census, he was in Louisiana^[2]and by 1850 in Sabine county, Texas along with his brother John.

By the 1850 Census he was in Sabine County Texas and the Slave Schedule for that Census shows that Gilbert owned 5 slaves:^[3]

Age 30 --- Female, black, Gilbert MacKechay Sabine, Sabine, Texas

Age 10 --- Male, mulatto, Gilbert MacKechay Sabine, Sabine, Texas

Age 8 ---- Male, black, Gilbert MacKechay Sabine, Sabine, Texas

Age 4 ---- Male, mulatto, Gilbert MacKechay Sabine, Sabine, Texas

Age 1 ---- Female, mulatto, Gilbert MacKechay Sabine, Sabine, Texas

In the 1860 Census in Milam Texas, he is listed as G MacKechney age 40 and the value of his real estate was $10,000.00 and value of his personal estate was $30,000.00.^[4]

Gilbert was a postmaster in Milam during the Confederacy, the date of his appointment being December 5, 1863 and he was replaced on July 23, 1864.

In the 1870 Census, he was in Hemphill, Sabine county, Texas.^[5]

Gilbert died March 17, 1877 in Sabine county, Texas and was buried in San Augustine City Cemetery in San Augustine, San Augustine county, Texas.^[6]

• U.S. Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791-199

Name: Gilbert McKechney

Birth Place: Scotland

Court District: Louisiana

Year of Arrival: 1834

Date of Action: 2 Dec 1840

• New Orleans Passenger List - 1852

Name: G McKechney, MERCHANT

Arrival Date: 23 Aug 1852

Age: 29

Port of Departure: New York, New York and Havana, Cuba

Ship Name: Empire City

Port of Arrival: New York, New York

National Archives' Series Number: M259_36

Research Notes

1) -- In October 1834, Gilbert received a letter from John Bell, his sister Elizabeth's husband and in the letter his brother-in-law referred to Gilbert's uncle William, a Master in the Royal Navy, as dying about 1834.

Indeed, William Steed died as the result of an injury received when sailing a ship in a storm. He was buried June 28, 1830 at St Mary, Portsea, Hampshire, England.

2) -- Are the following Military Records for the same or a different Gilbert McKechnie?

• Pay list of Lt John Burns Detachment of the Volunteers of the Regiment, of Gore Militia, Esquesing.

Name: Pvt Gilbert McKechnie

List Date: 11 Dec 1837 (for pay from Dec 7-10)

Piece Title: Gore Cavalry, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Glengarry Militia, Gore Volunteers, Esquesing.^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ "Church of Scotland: Old Parish Registers - Births and baptisms" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ : accessed 2 Mar 2022), Gilbert MacKichney, parent(s): John MacKichney and Mary Steed, 2 Nov 1812, Perth; citing Parish Number 387, Reference Number: 00 015.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHTM-NVS), G Mckechney, Natchitoches, Louisiana, United States; citing p. 138, NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration), roll 127; FHL microfilm 9,689.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXLG-9DY), Sabine county, Sabine, Texas, United States; citing family 32, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.)
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXFV-5WM : 12 December 2017), G Mac Kechney, 1860.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXGC-DQV), G Mackechary, 1870.
6. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #25767338
7. ↑ War Office 13 (MG13 WO13), vol. 3682, microfilms B-3162 to B-3164.'

• "Sabine County, TX, The First One Hundred and Fifty Years, 1836-1986), by Robert Cecil McDaniel