Clara C Mitchell's middle name was in fact Clarissa. It's unknown if McKeithan/McKethan was ever actually a part of her name. The Mitchell family records give her birth date as Dec. 29, 1821. The Woodward family records (which she probably kept since her husband did not read or write) give her birth date as Dec. 29, 1825. According to her earliest censuses, 1821 is probably correct and she pulled the same trick that many other women have pulled and tried to make herself appear younger than she really was.

The father of William Mitchell's wife who is still known only as Miss McKeithan has been proven to be Alexander McKeithan by a Brunswick Co deed which sells the property inherited by his heirs including William Mitchell (in right of his deceased wife).

The stepmother who was the cause of Clara moving out was not Elizabeth Anne McDonald but the wife before her, Esther Newell, William Mitchell's fourth wife. (The other Miss Newell was apparently William Mitchell's first wife. She has not been identified and her kinship to Esther Newell has not been established.) The marriage to Esther Newell was recorded in the Raleigh Register issue 11/20/1827. A Blanks family lived near the Mitchells in Wilmington at this time where they ran a ferry. I now believe that Clara may have gone to live with this Blanks family for a while since she later named a daughter Delia Blanks Woodward. I have found no indication of a Blanks/McKeithan marriage and I don't believe Clara descended from the Blanks family. But the fact that she named a daughter to honor them makes it obvious that the Blanks held a very special place in her heart for some reason.

Clara's grandfather, the father of Alexander McKeithan, was undoubtedly Gilbert McKeithan. There is no will or similar document as absolute proof, but a land grant and a later deed for the same land prove that land granted to Gilbert McKeithan was later in the possession of Alexander McKeithan who sold it. The description of the land is word-for-word the same, but the later deed states the land was granted to Alexander rather than to Gilbert. There is no record of the transfer of the land from Gilbert to Alexander, but the transfer occurred prior to Gilbert's death. Therefore, it could not have been inherited. Gilbert must have assigned the land to Alexander, but the record of this was lost. There are no records of a will or the distribution of the estate of Gilbert McKeithan which leads me to believe that he provided for his children prior to his death and there was essentially no estate left to divide. Moses McKeithan who lived very near Alexander and appeared on many of Alexander's records can be proven as a son of Gilbert McKeithan. There is a deed from Gilbert to Moses' son James Gilbert McKeithan which refers him as a grandson. There is also a deed from Gilbert to Moses who was referred to as his son. Gilbert retained the right to use the land during his lifetime. Alexander named a son Moses, and Moses named a son Alexander.

Ann Mitchell Horne stated in Descendants of Jeremiah Mitchell and Allied Families:
"There is no proof that Dougal was the father of Gilbert McKeithan, but the preponderance of the evidence indicates that he was."
I agree that Gilbert almost certainly descended from Dougal/Dugald McKeithan of SC, but I don't believe he was his son, but rather his grandson. Mrs. Horne was not aware of another record which specifically stated that Dugald McKeithan's only child was Thomas McKeithan. Therefore, if Gilbert descended from this line, he must have been the son of Thomas, not Dugald. It is not even possible that a daughter might have produced an illegitimate son since the record states "only child".

Clara did not descend from the James McKethan line of Cumberland Co as best I can determine in spite of the Woodward's close connection with descendants of that line. But I do believe she was a cousin in some way. I have seen no evidence that Gilbert McKeithan descends from any of Donald McKeithan's other children. At this time, I suspect Gilbert descended from the SC McKeithans which traces back to Dugald McKeithan.  I also suspect that Donald McKeithan of NC and Dugald McKeithan of SC were probably brothers. THIS IS NOT PROVEN - only hypothesis - but there is strong circumstantial evidence that points in that direction.

William Mitchell owned land in Wilmington very near (possibly adjoining) the land known as Hilton. It was while he was living here that Clara's mother, Miss McKeithan, died. I have never found any connection between the McKeithans/Mitchells and the Hill family who lived at Hilton, but I believe Clara's mother was buried either at Hilton or on the Mitchell property very near Hilton. When Clara was visiting her son William Joseph Woodward in Wilmington, she requested that he drive her out to "Cemetery Hilton". Certainly there was someone buried there that she cared about.

One of Alexander McKeithan's sons was named Hargrove McKeithan. For that reason, I suspect that Clara's maternal grandmother, the first wife of Alexander McKeithan, was a Hargrove, possibly a daughter or sister of Samuel Hargrove who lived nearby in Brunswick Co. but later moved to Kentucky. Alexander McKeithan named one son Samuel McKeithan and another Hargrove McKeithan. Gilbert McKeithan's wife, Sarah Milliken, was sister to Benajmin Milliken I b 1727/28. According to Ann Mitchell Horne in Descendants of Jeremiah Mitchell and Allied Families, Benjamin's second wife was Elizabeth "Betsy" Hargrove. The 1782 Brunswick Co. Minutes of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions reports that Samuel Hargrove proved a deed from Levi Swaine to Benja Milligan for land on the Waccamaw River. In 1796, Alexander McKeithan, Samuel Hargvove, Benjamin Millikan and John Milliken were appointed together for jury duty.

Isabella ???, widow of Alexander McKeithan, could not have been Clara's grandmother since Isabella was still living in 1830 and Clara's grandmother died before Clara's mother died. Clara's mother was deceased by 1827. Clara's mother, Miss McKeithan/Mrs William Mitchell, showed Clara the grave of her own mother at St. Philip's Church as well as the graves of other ancestors.  Therefore, we know that Alexander's wife and the mother of Miss McKethan died before Miss McKeithan, and Isabella who was still living after Miss McKeithan died must have been Alexander's second wife. Isabella may have been the mother of some of his later children, but she was not the mother of Miss McKeithan or any children born before her.

According to Clara's granddaughter, Emma Marie Woodward MacMillan in A Goodly Heritage:
"We would walk to St. Philips Church. Grandmother would show us the graves of her ancestors and tell us how the inhabitants of this town left and her family went into South Carolina. Today those slabs are all gone, taken away by vandals."

Emma's sister Nellie also remembered something about family connections in SC or Southport but her memory seemed more vague about it. If Clara's family had lived in Old Brunswick for some time as Emma remembered the story, then moved to SC, which part of her family was involved? When did this move occur? Whose graves were at St. Philip's? Or was the story reversed and the family moved to Old Brunswick from SC?

Ann Mitchell Horne cites good evidence that the Millikens tracing back to Moses Milliken came to SC from Kittery, Maine with Rev. William Screven. There are some indications that his wife Mary Murrell may have been the daughter of John Murrell son of William Murrell with Barbados connections. However, there were also Morrells in Kittery, Maine. Deborah Byrd's webpage on Dissenters cites a Murrell family that sounds very much like it might be ours. No sources are given on this page, but when I requested her sources, she stated:

The material comes from the 1743 will of Jonathan Murrell and an article in The South Carolina Historical Magazine, Vol LVIII, 1957, p. 34 "Wappetaw Congregational Church", Petrona Royal McIver

I do not yet have a copy of the will or the article.

Mrs. Horne also suggests that the McKeithans of SC might have been the remnants of Scottish settlers who were left at Charleston by Lord Cardross in 1686. However, there seem to be no McKeithan records in SC until 1725.

Gilbert McKeithan married Sarah Milliken in 1763 in Prince Fredericks, Winyaw, SC. This is very near the location where the Dugald McKeithan of SC had once lived. It is also the same area where another different Dugald McKeithan, son of Donald McKeithan of NC, owned land at his death. To add more interest, Gilbert left one record in New Hanover Co in 1753 which associates him with the Donald McKeithan family of NC 10 years prior to his marriage in SC. So either Gilbert was originally from NC and moved to SC for a number of years before returning to NC, or he was originally from SC and visited NC briefly in 1753 prior to his marriage in SC, then eventually moved to NC later.

I now believe that Gilbert McKeithan was probably the son of Thomas McKeithan and Deborah ???, who was later the wife of James McRee. Thomas McKeithan was the son of Dugald McKeithan of SC. I also believe that Donald McKeithan of NC and Dugald McKeithan of SC were probably brothers. THIS IS NOT PROVEN, but there was certainly association between the NC McKeithans and the SC McKeithans.

Records:

JUNE 10, 1741. William DRY JR of Brunswick, New Hanover Co. merchant to Donald MCKICHAN of same, taylor. 5 shillings. 1/4 A or 1/2 lott on Cape Fear River Lot #120...Wm. DRY JR whom my father Wm. DRY dec'd purchased by deed May 6, 1735. Wit: Jno. MARSHALL, Richard HILLIER New Hanover NC DBK A/B P. 439-440

JAN 19, 1743. James SMALLWOOD of Wilmington, Gent to Donal MCKICHEN of Brunswick, taylor. 325 lbs. Part of a lot in Town of Wilmington #3 in town plan containing 65' front on Market St bounded to the westward by James PURRINGTON & Eastwardly by Dr. Benj. BURLEIGH running back 66' to Mr. NORTON line which sd lot was purchased by Mary GALLANT from Michl. HIGGINS & reg. in New Hanover Co. Book A folio 302 and by sd Jas. SMALLWOOD from sd Mary GALLANT & also in Bk B folio 276..Wit: John GOODALE, John STOCKLEY New Hanover NC DBK C P.17

MAY 2, 1746. Donald MCKICHIAN of Bladen taylor to Alex. MCKICHAN taylor both of New Hanover Co. 5 lb.s 1/4 A of land with good dwelling house kitchen & garden beside...in Brunswick on Cape Fear River...dist. in Plan of sd Town of Brunswick being # 120 which I first purchased by Edward JONES from Co. Maurice MOORE Jan 13, 1730 and by Edward JONES sold to Richd. RICE bricklayer from whom Capt. William DRY dec'd purchased 6 ___ 1735 and sd land after deceased of sd. Capt. William DRY falling to his son William DRY merchant of Brunswick from whom sd land again was purchased by aforesd Donald June 10, 1741 Book B folio 305..Wit: John CAMPBELL, Duncan MCCOALSKEY New Hanover Co NC DBK C P.121

The above records are all for Donald McKeithan who arrived in NC in 1739.

Perhaps this is why Lee stated that Donald McKeithan, tailor, was an early inhabitant of Old Brunswick and Alexander McKeithan, tailor, was a later inhabitant. Donald sold his home in Old Brunswick to Alexander and apparently moved to Bladen Co. Although Alexander came into possession of this property, I don't know that he ever lived in Old Brunswick. Clearly, Donald McKeithan moved to Bladen Co. some time between 1743 and 1746.

MAY 13, 1752 Donald MCKEITHAN of Bladen Co. & Alexr. MCKEITHAN of Wilmington New Hanover Co., planter. 44 lbs...part of a lot of land in Town of Wilmington cont.66' front on Market St. bounded to the W by part of sd lott in possession of Mary PURINGTON & to the E by part of sd lott from the property of Dr. Benj. BURLEIGH & running back 66' to Mr. NORTON'S line which sd lott was purchased by Mary GALLET from Michael HIGGINS & is reg in New Hanover Co BK A folio 3_2 & by James SMALLWOOD from sd Mary GALLANS and is reg. in BK B 276 folio and by Donald MCKEITHAN from sd SMALLWOOD & is reg. in BK C folio 114..Wit: Hugh MCBRIDE, Joseph JONES New Hanover NC DBK D P. 17

New Hanover Co Deeds, Vol D: OCT 2, 1753 William NORTON & Jacob NORTON both of Bladen Co planters to Alexander MCKEITHAN of Town of Wilmington, taylor..40 lbs..in Town of Wilmington on E side of Second St bounding on Mary PUDDINGTONS lot on S side of Market St N 13 bet Market St & Dock St...Wit: Gilbert MCKEITHAN, Jno X MCLAREN P.330

Alexander McKeithan of the above record was the son of Donald McKeithan of NC. Note that Gilbert McKeithan was a witness. This was 10 years prior to Gilbert's marriage to Sarah Milliken in SC in 1763. This record also proves that the SC McKeithans and the NC McKeithans were acquainted with each other and close enough to witness deeds for each other. Perhaps this is why Clara's family is thought to have moved from Old Brunswick to SC at some time. Clearly Gilbert was in the Wilmington/Old Brunswick area in 1753 but in Winyah, SC in 1763.

FEB 7, 1753 Arthur SHEPARD of Wilmington, printer & painter & Julian his wife to Alexander MCKEITHAN of Wilmington, taylor..whereas Caleb GRAINGER & Mary his wife by indenture bearing date Aug 4, 1750 conveyed unto William BIRNIE the former husband of sd Julian SHEPHARD part of a lot of land in Town of Wilmington..beg E corner of Second St opposite to a lot then in possession of Mary PURINGTON thence up Market St. 84'...& whereas the sd Wm. BIRNIE soon after decd having before his death made & published his last will & testament in writing bearing date Sept 28, 1752 & thereby gave & devised the sd parcel of land unto sd Julian his wife & her heirs & assigns & sd Julian having since intermarried with sd Arthur SHEPHARD...80 lbs..Wit: Edwd. BUNTING, Thos. NEWTON New Hanover NC DBK C P.18-19

Bladen Co 9/26/1753 Alexander McKeithen 145a in Bladen Co on the NE sd of the NW River of Cape Fear including the place where Daniel McKeithen now lives below Cranston plantation joining the river below the improvements.  (White Lake was once known as Cranston's Lake. The name Donald was frequently recorded as Daniel.)

Bladen Co 11/17/1753. Alexander McKeithan 640a in Bladen Co on NE sd of NW River between Hugh Campbell and Loset(?) McNeill joining the mouth of a gulley, the upper corner of Lascetts Land & the river.

The Wilmington Town Book by Donald R Lennon & Ida Brooks Kellam:
4/29/1754 (defaulters on street) Alexr McKeithan 16 Excused his family being moved out of Town before the working
David David 1 Excused being in the Prison bounds

APRIL 8, 1755 Alexr. MACKEITHAN of Bladen Co. planter to Alexr. MACKDENGALL of Wilmington merchant..whereas David DAVID did by his bonds or obligation bear date March 25, 1753 does stand bound to Alexr. MACKEITHAN in the penal sum of 210 lbs. 9 shillings 2 pence..Wit: Richard HELLIER, John ROE New Hanover NC DBK D P.174

From the above records, it appears that Alexander left Wilmington and moved to Bladen Co between 1753-1754. It also appears that Alexander's father Donald McKeithan was living on Alexander's land.

MARCH 14, 1760 Alexr. MCKEITHAN of Bladen planter to Alexr. MCALLISTER of Cumberland Co. Esq. 40 lbs..Town of Wilmington on E side of Second St bound on PURRINGTONS lot on S side of Market St..Wit: Feguard CAMPBELL, Duncan MCNEILL. New Hanover NC  DBK D P.431

From Colonial Records of SC Series I. The Journal of the Commons House Assembly:
Saturday the 10th day of February, 1749/50
......A Petition of James McRee and Deborah, his Wife, lately called Deborah McKerthen, Widow of Thomas McKerthen, Son and only Child of Dougle McKerthen, late of Craven County, deceased, to this House, was presented to the House, and the same was received and read, setting forth That on the seventh Day of March, in the Year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and forty-five, four Negro Men belonging to the Estate of the said Dougle McKerthen were tried and convicted of the Murder of their Master, the said Dougle Mack Kerthen, for which Offence they were sentenced to Death, as appears by the sentence to the said Petition annexed......That the Petitioner's late Husband Deborah being the only Child of the said Dougle McKerthen, and she, as Administratrix, the said Petitioner is therefore the only Person injured by the offence, and after the Death of the said Dougle McKerthen, her said Husband's Father, she was the Owner of the said Slaves.....

Colonial Records of SC p 78, headed Commons Journal, 23 April, 1750-51
May 1750:
To James Akin esqr. for a Negro executed two hundred pounds
To James McRee for two Slaves executed three hundred pounds
various others in list also for executed slaves.

From History of Williamsburg by William Willis Boddie, p24,25,62:
...These people settled along Black River from the point where it turns abruptly Northward, just after entering Georgetown County from Williamsburg County, and along the present Williamsburg-Georgetown County line to the Pee Dee River. This settlement was called Winyaw, and this was the first part of the present County of Williamsburg that was inhabited by white people. Some of these people lived there in 1710. They organized Prince Frederick's Church in 1713.
     Reverend William Screven and his Congregation of Dissenters from the Church of England were the first permanent settlers in the Winyaw section. They were granted a large part of the territory on both sides of that section of Black River flowing through ancient Winyaw. While Mr. Screven was a militant Antipaedo-Baptist, many of the Dissenters who came with him were of the Presbyterian faith.
     The names of some of these Baptist and Presbyterian Dissenters who settled in Winyaw along Black River and Black Mingo from 1700 to 1736 were: Reverend William Screven......Dugal MacKeithan....William McFarland....David McIver...

Hank McKeithan sent me this fantastic record from Rambles in the Pee Dee Basin, South Carolina by H. T. Cook, p13:
In 1725, Alexander French, agent of John Bayly, disposed of tracts to Thomas Peacock, John White on the Black, Dougal McKichen near Black Mingo, Richard Wigg, and J. P. Summerhoff.

The New Hanover Co. Court Minutes of Sept. 27, 1740 recorded the assignment of a patent of 640 acres in Bladen Co. from James Innes to Donald and Duncan McKieham (sic) and William McFarline.

JAN 6, 1740 Donald MCKICHAN, taylor & Wm. MCFARLINE Smith of Bladen to Archibald MCKISACKS. P.452 New Hanover Co. Deed Book B

Will of William MCFARLAND blacksmith...my dear fiends Jn. MCCAUSIEN,
Danl MCRICHANE, Fras. VEALE to be my Executors...my dear father be sole heir
of all my estate whatsoever..Wit: Will. WIGGINS, Morgan MORGAN, Alexr. MCRICKAN.
Proved         June 26, 1744 P.20  New Hanover Co. Deed Book C

(I would like to see the original will if possible. I believe the names here have been misspelled and/or misinterpreted and in fact should be Daniel McKeithan and Alexander McKeithan -or some variant spelling of McKeithan. If there was a father still living, what was his name? Could there have been an elder William McFarland?)

On the 25th day of May, 1745, Thomas McKeithen, John McIver, David Allen, Nathaniel Drew, and John McCants were appointed commissioners for cutting and clearing the lakes and water courses in the swamp at the head of Black Mingo Creek from the plantation of Colonel Anthony White to the mouth of Heathley's run and to make the stream navigable for flats and canoes....

From Remember Our Melvins and Kin by Lionel Dane Melvin p 224:
Alexander McKay's land records and those of his children with those of Iver McKay that it is reasonable to assume that they were related. Alexander settled in Cumberland County which adjoined Bladen. In 1740 New Hanover records, "John McKay died in 1739" on his land which was in the vicinity of Mr. John McIver and Deborah McKeithan in Bladen and left his estate to Alexander McKay to defray the expense of transporting from Ireland his sisters, Jean and Margaret, in 1771 Margaret McKay of Cumberland sold to John McKay of Cumberland 150 acres on the N.W. River....

From Rambles in the Pee Dee Basin, South Carolina by H T Cook p45:
During that year, 1732 over fifty persons got warrants for land within about 15 miles of the church, situated not far above the mouth of Lane's Creek, both sides of the river, Elisha Screven (son of Rev. William Screven),
....his son-in-law.....Dougal McKichen.... John Campbell .... Henry Durant....Dougal McKichen was an uneducated man who could not sign his name, but he managed by the help of certain merchants to secure a good landed property and to improve it. He lived 18 miles from town in a newly weatherboarded house in good repair, one story 28x18, 6 room, 5 fire places and a "peaatch" front. He moved to North Carolina.

(Note: This Dougal McKichen whose home is described here was not the Dugald from SC who was killed by his slaves. Instead, he was the son of Donald McKeithan of NC. His 1750 Bladen Co will mentions land in SC which was to be sold. I have heard that this information about the home and property comes from a newspaper advertisement for the sale of the SC property after Dugald's death in Bladen Co, NC. I do not have a copy of the newspaper ad. The Dugald who obtained the warrant in 1732 was certainly Dugald of SC. Again this indicates that Dugald McKeithan, son of Donald McKeithan who was transported to NC in 1739, must have been known to Dugald McKeithan and Thomas McKeithan of SC.)

Thomas McKeithan's widow Deborah had married James McRee by February 1749/50 according to the records given above.

From email sent to me by Lisa Jensen, a McRee researcher:
Looking through some Bladen Co Deed abstracts that I pulled off the Genweb site, the McKeithen family of Bladen County did interact with the McRees. Alexander McKeithen served as a witness to a land transaction of William McRee in 1757.  William McRee (a brother to James) and Donald McKeithan were witnesses in 1772 to a transaction between Duncan McKeithan and Peter Broads.  The original McRee homesite was in Duplin County near Keenansville. The home served as the first courthouse in the 1750's.  When William (the father of the clan) died, his son, Samuel inherited the property.  One history I read said that most of that property was in Sampson County.  I have never even looked in Sampson County since my Samuel McRee ended up in Bladen County.  His son William moved to Mississippi and there starts the bulk of my research.  I have never run across any document except William McRee's will that mentions James McRee.  If you look for him, try Sampson County or other neighboring counties.  He was given money instead of land for his inheritance.  He probably bought land somewhere in the area.

Also from email sent to me by Lisa Jensen whose McRee line can be found at http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/4510/fam00581.htm:
William McRee came over to North Carolina apparently from Ireland in 1736. In 1739 he was appointed Justice of the Peace in New Hanover County as you noted.  His family is only put together based on his will of March 13, 1751 in Duplin County.  He has sons John (not in the province at the time will was written), James, William, Robert, Samuel, Sarah wife of John Smith, Alice wife of James Williams, and Susannah.

Still more email from Lisa Jensen:
I do have a note on my paper from an email I received about 6 months ago of a James and Ann McRee who appear as executors or witnesses between 1753 and 1776 on several documents in Prince Frederick's Parish, Craven County, South Carolina.

Was Ann ever used as a nickname for Deborah? Was Ann a later wife? Had Deborah died? If so, was there any land from the McKeithan family that might have passed on to any possible children of Thomas McKeithan and Deborah?

(These McKeithans were all descendants of Donald McKeithan of NC. This establishes that James McRee's father and brother had contact with the Donald McKeithan descendants in Bladen Co.)

From Colonial Records p 447
At a Council at Newbern the 28th February 1739 [1740]
.........Ordered that a new Commission of the peace issue for New Hanover County directed to Nath Rice Robt Halton Eleazr Allen Math Rowan Edwd Moseley Roger Moore James Murray James Innes Edwd Hyrne Corns Harnet Saml Woodward Maurice Moore John Swann Jno Davis Wm Dry John Porter Richard Eagles William McRee William Faris Robt Walker and Thomas Clark Esqrs hereby constituting and appointing them Justice of the Peace for and within the said County.

This establishes that William McRee, father of James McRee, was a Justice of the Peace for New Hanover Co in 1739/40 when Donald McKeithan of NC arrived and settled in the New Hanover/Old Brunswick area. Many of the names given here are people who were associated with Old Brunswick or who lived at Old Brunswick. There is also a New Hanover deed 9/21/1741 for the sale of land on Woodward Chase Creek by William McRee.

On Feb. 22, 1757, John Lyon and wife Mildred of New Hanover Co. sold 640 acres in Bladen Co. on the SW side of the Northwest River adjoining Lee's Bluff to William McRee. The deed was witnessed by Alexander McAlister and Alexander McKeithan.

Alexander McKeithan was son of Donald McKeithan of NC. This record must have been William McRee, Jr., brother of James McRee, since William McRee Sr. was deceased by this time. So not only were the McKeithans of SC and the McKeithans of NC well known to each other, the McKeithans of NC and the McRees were also associated. Gilbert McKeithan had witnessed a deed for this same Alexander McKeithan in New Hanover Co in 1753, just four years before this deed.

From Citizens and Immigrants - South Carolina, 1768 by Mary Bondurant Warren
Monday, September 26, 1768
..........George Smith, Junior, James Akin and Thomas Akin will sell tracts of land belonging to the late James Akin's estate, 300 acres bounding E on Waccamaw River, W on Elias Foissine, deceased, NE on Joseph La Bruce, 3 miles from George-Town.
500 acres on S side of Waccamaw River opposite the above land, granted 1735.
1850 acres in three tracts in Kingston Township on Waccamaw River joining Mr Nesbitt, Mr. Thomas Blyth,
647 acres in Craven County bounding W on land formerly Capt. Brockingtons, E on Mr Nesmith's, N on Mr. Gibbs, S on Mr. McKicken
1450 in Craven County on Sampitt River near George-Town 550 acres in St. Thomas Parish, Berkley County, bounded by lands of late Gov. Sir Nathaniel Johnson, N on land of late Capt. Thomas Akin.
100 acres within Williamsburg Township bounded by land of James Akin.
490 acres in Black Mingo Swamp joining Mr McKeithan, Capt. Brockington, Mr Nesmith, Mr Futhy.
Inauire [Inquire?] of Mr. Josiah Smith, Junior, merchant in Charles Town of the above in St. Thomas' Parish.

Was this Mr McKeithan the same as Gilbert McKeithan? Surely he was. We know Gilbert was married in Winyaw in 1763. I know of no other McKeithans who left records in this area in the 1760's. Dugald McKeithan of SC and his only child Thomas had both died years before. It would seem that Gilbert remained in SC after his marriage in 1763 as he did not appear in NC records again until 1774 when he appeared concerning land in the Brown Marsh area of Bladen Co which had once been in the possession of a Daniel McKeithan. Was this Daniel AKA Donald McKeithan or one of his descendants? Dugald McKeithan of SC had also lived on the Black Mingo River (Swamp). There is a record of him acquiring land on the Black Mingo as early as 1725. His only son Thomas McKeithan can be associated with the Black Mingo area in 1745. How did Mr [Gilbert?] McKeithan in the 1768 records acquire his land on the Black Mingo? Was this inherited land? I feel confident it was although I have no deeds or estate records to prove it.

Compare the following records that were sent to me by Donna Witt:

LDS film, "South Carolina Royal Grants, 1732 - 1735, book AA?
p. 388 Dugald McKichan, recorded 25 April 1735. 94 ac in Craven Co. - butting & bonding: SW Mr. Eveleigh's; SE Mr. Somerhoif's; NE Mr. Nesmith's; NW Dugald McKichan.
P. 458 Dugald McKeechan, recorded 22 May 1735, 316 ac in Craven Co., SE of Mr. Somerhoff.
p.269 Dugall McKeckan, 200ac, recorded 10 April 1736, Craven Co, NE & NW John Summerhoef; SW Elizabeth Stenley?; SE & part NE John White.

We already know that Dougal McKeithan had acquired land on the Black Mingo as early as 1725. John White and J. P. Summerhoff acquired land in the same area from the same person at the same time. We see the same neighbors in the above 1735/36 records with the addition of a Mr Nesmith. A Mr Nesmith was again mentioned as owning adjoining land on the Black Mingo near Mr McKeithan and Capt Brockington in the 1768 records. Surely this was the same land that can be associated with Dougald McKeithan as early as 1725.

According to Nesmith research, two sons of John Nesmith, born 09 Mar 1669/70 in Earlshaugh Estate, Edinburgh, Scotland; died 1747 in [1720] Nesmith, Craven, South Carolina, married into the Brockington family. John Nesmith, born 1701 in Freehold, Monmouth, New Jersey; died 1743 in Nesmith, Craven County, South Carolina; married Sarah Brockington 1723 in Craven County, South Carolina. Thomas Nesmith, born Abt. 1703 in Freehold, Monmouth County, New Jersey; died 1786 in Mt Pleasant Township, Pennsylvania-probably; married (1) Sarah Brockington; married (2) Dorcas Tabitha Foster Abt. 1731 in Freehold, Monmouth, New Jersey.

Nesmith is shown on a modern map in the NE part of Williamsburg Co on SC Hwy 512.

The Scriven family can also be associated with the Brockington family.

The description of the land and neighbors agrees so perfectly that I personally believe this is strong evidence that Dugald McKeithan's land in SC descended through his only child Thomas McKeithan and wife Deborah to their apparent son named Gilbert McKeithan who was surely the Mr McKeithan who had possession of the land by 1768.

Feb 7, 1774 Bladen Co:  Dougald McDuffee of Bladen Co to Dougald Blue of same. Land on Brown Marsh Swamp, 306 acres, 18 or 20 already assigned to Duncan McKeithan excepted, part of 612 acres granted to James Walton/Wathan?, conveyed to Richard Quince,  to John McCauslin, to Daniel McKeithan, to Hugh Rae and from Hugh Rae to Dougald McDuffee. Wit Wm McNutt/McNull, Alexander Shaw, Gilbr. McKeithan.

Again this associates Gilbert McKeithan with the family of Donald McKeithan of NC.

We know Gilbert could not have been the son of Dougald McKeithan of SC since the record clearly states that Thomas McKeithan was his only child. Therefore, if Gilbert descended from the SC line, he must have been the son of Thomas McKeithan and Deborah. The 1750 Bladen Co, NC will of Dougald McKeithan names his father as Donald and also names many siblings and their children. Gilbert was not mentioned in this will, so he surely was not a son of Donald McKeithan. We know Gilbert married in SC, moved to NC from SC, and was not the son of Donald McKeithan of NC, so he must descend from the SC McKeithans.

Cornelia Alice "Nellie" Woodward Rose stated:
"Some how I got the idea that Grandma's people [meaning Alexander McKeithan's family or Alexander's wife's family] lived in Southport or SC but I don't know."

Nellie also remembered her grandmother Clara Clarissa Mitchell taking her to St Philip's Church in Old Brunswick and showing her the graves of her ancestors including the grave of her mother's mother, the first Mrs. Alexander McKeithan. Donald McKeithan of NC lived and worked in Old Brunswick as a tailor shortly after arriving in Cape Fear, but Gilbert was not descended from Donald. Why was Mrs. Alexander McKeithan buried at St Philip's Church? Did she have family who had been buried there before her?

I personally am of the belief that Gilbert McKeithan was the son of Thomas McKeithan (and wife Deborah) who was the son of Dougald McKeithan who was some kin, possibly brother or even uncle, to Donald McKeithan who arrived in NC in 1739 - at least 14 years after records indicate Dougald was already in SC. We know Donald could not have been a son of Dougald since the SC record clearly states that Thomas was Dougald's only child. Gilbert witnessed a deed in 1753, so he was probably born by 1733 in SC since we know Dougald (and probably son Thomas) were in SC by 1725.

I would very much like to see someone pick up what I have done and continue this work to establish the proof for this line. I understand there are more records in SC for Gilbert and Dougald that I have not obtained. I have heard there is an inventory for the estate of Dougald McKeithan. I have heard there are records that prove that Gilbert was a schoolmaster and wrote with a beautiful flowing hand. I suspect these are SC records. This certainly doesn't agree with the descendants of Donald McKeithan who could barely sign their names. There may be more McRee records in NC or SC that I have not found. Perhaps in those records will be found the proof that we need.