Apologies that this is both handwritten and difficult to read. Why any tree programme pretends it need 4-6 pages to show a simple tree is beyond me!
What it shows is 3 generations of descendants from Robert McKee of Poagsburn and Eliza Little. They married in 1846 and both civil and church records exist for this. According to the civil record Robert’s father was a farmer named James McKee.
Rev David Stewart in the 1930s wrote, in rebuttal to Professor McKee’s book, that he knew Robert and that he lived from 1811 until 1895. I will explain below. The death registration of Robert McKee does suggest birth around 1815. He- or another Robert McKee- was appointed to attend a meeting of the Presbytery at Clough on 4th August 1857 according to the session book of what I think is the 1st Boardmills Pres Church.
The same session book refers to Robert McKee serving on the session in 1878 and being appointed to attend the Presbytery on 9th February 1879. He had paid 20 shillings to the stipend for the year 1875/76.
The church records show the baptism of Robert and Eliza’s children. I am listing them here because of the quality of the image above.
Eliza, born 15 May and baptised 15th December 1846
James, born 2nd Feb and baptised 25th Feb 1848
John- no dates given
Isabella, born 9th June and baptised 3rd July 1853
Rebekah Anne, born 1st July and baptised 3rd August 1856
Returning to Rev David Stewart’s remarks, he amended the typed portion of Professor McKee’s book as below:
Robert M’kee of Poagsburn was a son of James M’Kee, oughley, and grandson of Hugh, [changing son to brother]. His dates 1811-1896 and (“I knew him. D Stewart.”) his wife was Eliza Little 1821-1905. Their Dau Isabella (married M’kibbin) 1853-1871. John M’Kee, New York, who erected the peculiar tombstone in Boardmills, was also a son. He died in 1932. Then handwritten “James M’Kee, Poagsburn, also a son, died Mar 1935 aged 88 years. Buried on 2 April
If Robert were indeed son to Linen Hughie then he would be an uncle to James McKee who was the father of Hugh McKee of Carricknaveagh- at best.
What Rev David Stewart does not do is change “grandson” to “son” as would be logical if he were correct and Professor McKee wrong. Also, how are we to explain why the marriage record say that Robert was the son of James McKee?
In either case I cannot find a birth/baptism record for a Robert McKee at any of the Presbyterian churches in the Boardmills/Saintfield area around 1811 or in the Church of Ireland records and thus I cannot tie these later McKees to the earlier ones, unfortunately.
The other side of the diagram shows, or attempts to, the children of a Hugh McKee who married Margaret Graham. If Professor McKee is correct, the two Jameses could be the same person. But it is possible that in fact this James McKee is a different man, descended from David McKee of the Temple.
Their family were:
Isabella born 5th January 1847
Eliza Ann born 17th December 1848
James born 10th August 1851, died unmarried 1937 leaving a detailed will
David born 20th September 1853
Margaret Prentice born 26th May 1858
Joseph born 29th August 1861. The direct ancestor of my wife’s mother.
Jane born 9th August 1864 and who married James McKee, son of Robert and Eliza.
Thus, after a couple of months of strenuous exploring I have a tree for my mother in law’s family back to the 1840s and can demonstrate with certainty that one member of the family married a member of the Poagsburn branch of the family.