McKeithans of NC and SC
The McKeithans/McKethans of NC and SC

My particular line of McKeithans can be traced back as far as Gilbert McKeithan who was born before 1733, place unknown, and died after Jan., 1803 probably in Brunswick Co, NC where he was residing at this time.

Another line of McKeithans that probably relates in some unproven way to Gilbert's family can be traced back to Donald McKeithan who was born before 1689 and died after 1753 probably in Bladen Co. He and four other unidentified members of his family were transported from Scotland to the Cape Fear region in 1739 by Dugald McNeil. Donald's children can be proven by the 1750 Bladen Co will of his son, Dugald McKeithan.

Still a third set of McKeithans beginning with a Dugald McKeithan left records in South Carolina well before Donald's family arrived in Cape Fear. There are indications that this line also may connect with the other two McKeithan lines. I suspect that Gilbert McKeithan was a grandson of this Dugald McKeithan. I also suspect that Donald McKeithan of NC was a brother to Dugald McKeithan of SC.

My purpose here is simply to make available the known records (at least known to me) so that others will be able to use them in the future if more information becomes available to prove a connection.

Donald McKeithan (whose given name was sometimes recorded as Daniel, as I understand it because of the Scottish pronunciation making the two names interchangeable) left his earliest records in the New Hanover/Brunswick Co area. In later years he appears to have moved into Bladen Co to the vicinity of Brown Marsh Swamp. He was a tailor by trade, as were several of his sons, and had a shop in the town of Old Brunswick. This McKeithan connection to Old Brunswick may be of great importance.

Because I simply don't have the time to rewrite my old research to incorporate the new findings, I will simply have to provide this older file and create a new file which includes what I have discovered since. Hopefully anyone who is truly interested in working with these records will be able to combine the information in the two files and tie the loose ends together.

More information about the descendants of Donald McKeithan of NC may be found on Alice Mason's webpage. Alice descends from Donald's son James McKethan of Cumberland Co, NC.