Adam McKee Biography
ADAM McKEE of Abbeville County, SC, the ancester of the Jefferson County, MO pioneer McKEEs [as well as JOHN's Mississippi/Texas branch], is believed to have been born in Northern Ireland during the 1830s . We discussed Adam in conjunction with his father, Archibald McKee, in the prioor segment of this narrative and can be pretty sure that Adam came to America with his parents (or at least with his father) when he was between five and ten years old...
ADAM was the first-mentioned and presumably oldest son of ARCHIBALD McKEE.and we can document that Archibald was in SC by 1740. As discussed in the prior segment Archibald died 3 Oct 1776 in Fredericks Parish of Craven County, SC and we have clear evidence showing that "our" Adam (who married Jean Dixon and named his oldest daughter Grissel) was indeed the son of Archibald McKee of Williamsburgh/Craven County.
N5-565 -- Adam McKee,
son and heir at law to Archibald McKee,
late of Williamsburgh, Craven County, planter, deceased for 2/3/6 sterling to
John Boyd of Williamsburgh, tract of land formerly run and laid out to Archibald
McKee deceased on the north branch of Black River commonly called Broad Swamp in
the Township of Williamsburgh Signed
by Adam McKee and Jean McKee.(seal) Witnesses were Grisal McKee & William Brown.
The transaction was proved 20 Nov 1785 and recorded 25 Jan 1786 This was
taken from SC Deed Abstracts 1783-1788 at the SC Archives
We do not know exactly when Adam was born. Census records merely indicate that his birth was prior to 1755. If Adam was the oldest son reflected by the will of Archibald McKee, he would have been born before 1733 since Joseph (listed second) was born in 1733. While we presume Adam was born before his parents came to America there is some possibility that Archibald's arrival was earlier than can be documented so Adam could have been born in South Carolina. However this is extremely doubtful and it is safe to assume that Adam McKee was born in County Down, Northern Ireland..
The above family chart lists children primarily of Adam & Jean in the order they were mentioned in his will but also considering sex/ages of children shown on the 1800 census ("MERGRET" was the first child mentioned but since she was deceased no presumption that she was oldest necessarily applies). We will get back to the children a bit later.
Backing up and re-evaluating what we know:
1) ADAM McKEE was born before his brother JOSEPH, but likely
during the 1730s.
2) He would have been under age 10 when ARCHIBALD came to SC and Joseph
was even younger.
3) More parish baptism/marriage records begin to show up for
N.Ireland but none for Adam or Joseph.
4) Joseph remained in Williamsburgh & was executor of Archibald's
will; on Joseph's own will he mentions the children of Adam, his deceased
brother.
5) A wave of Scotch Irish immigrants during the 1760s claimed land but we
don't find ADAM on extant lists. Almost
certainly he would have claimed the land grant if entitled to it.
6) In 1773 (when Michael was still very young) JOHN DIXON deeded his
grant to ADAM & JEAN.
7) ADAM & JOSEPH were both named on ARCHIBALD's will in 1776.
8) The 1785 property record signed by Adam and Jean with Grisal McKee as
a witness, as menttioned earlier establishes that Adam McKee was the son and
heir at law to Archibald McKee, late of Williamsburgh, Craven County
It didn't say "of Abbeville" but the Adam/Jean/Grisal
combination is conclusive.
9) Abbeville, and more specifically "Booneville", was the
location where SC officials encouraged settlement ca.1762 and Adam served in the
militia there during the Revolution..
The only scenario which doesn't fall apart at the seams is that ADAM left Kingstree for the "frontier" in the SC highlands where he met and married JANE/JEAN DIXON, settled down and began raising a family.