MCCAMEY Family

From: North Mountain Shadows and London Road History by Harry E. Foreman, 1952 [BOK 147]

MCCAMEY This important early family name is so variously spelled that it is imperative to know some of the different spellings to correctly appreciate the McCamey roll in early Letterkenny, Hamilton and Saint Thomas Townships. Following are some of the spellings on various deeds and muster rolls: McCamey, McCamish, McCormish, McKeamy, McKemie and others.

Some of the oldest McKeamy land was down Rocky Springs a short distance. Two of the present farms, the first two outside of Letterkenny Depot, on the Lawyer Road, were McCamey lands. These farms are the present Frank Sandoe and Arthur Grove farms. They were included in the widow McCamey, (Margaret) warrant of 1766 but of course were occupied as early as the seventeen thirties. McCameys are mentioned on old draughts prior to 1750.

A warrant to some of this land was not secured until 1785 in the name of Robert and John McCamey, presumably children of the widow McCamey.

Frederick Shirk had this land resurveyed in 1822. Abraham Eby, as administrator of Shirk, sold the Sandoe land to John Hunsecker in 1851. The Frey land or at least part of it was originally Beard land. The Hunseckers burnt bricks on the present Sandoe farm.

Abraham Reif owned the Arthur Grove land in 182. John Sprecher lived at this place for many years. It passed to George Sprecher in 1853. Some of the original logs of the old log church at Rocky Spring are in the present buildings. They were in the old Sprecher house on the opposite side of the road and some of the best logs were used for the third time in the present Grove house.

The oldest McCamey house at the Sandoe place was on the opposite side of Rocky Spring from the present buildings and faced the road connecting the Lawyer and Keefer Roads.

Samuel McCamish owned land before 1750 on Dennis Creek between the Eaton land at Frey's Mill and the Louden Road. The Henly Heckman farms (John Grove and S. C. Miller) were early McCamish land. Some of the George Kessel land was McCamish land. George Kessel bought from Michael Heckman heirs.

William McCamish sold this land to Benjamin and Joseph Ramsey. William Ramsey and Thomas Ramsey owned neighboring land and William must have owned some of the McCamish land.

John and Joseph McKeamy bought land from John Devoar (Divor) in 1775 which lay on Wilson Run and stretched almost to Dennis Creek. This land was one of the original Joseph Armstrong warrants of 1752, which was surveyed in 1762. Armstrong sold to Joseph Divor in 1770.

This warrant for 226 acres is in the present Elmer Wingert and Charles Wingert farms.

One of the first mills on Wilson Run was built by the McKeamys. Joseph McKemie operated this mill for many years.

(In 1837 Joseph A. McKeamy of Washington County, Pennsylvania, was selling or releasing to Jacob Weaver of Greene Township 145 acres which was part of a larger tract of 226 acres to Joseph Armstrong 1762--James Armstrong to Joseph McKeamy to Isaac Eaton in right of Joseph Allison McKeamy.)

Isaac Eaton sold land whose title has been invested in Fred Haulman. This land passed from Joseph McKeamy to John Eaton and was located near Frey's Mill and the Charles Wingert farm. John, Joseph and Samuel McCamish were on the 1751 tax lists. William, James and John McCamish were with Captain Joseph Armstrong in 1755. (Frances McCamey served under Captain Potter in 1757 and 1758).

Joseph McCamey died in 1794. His widow married James Warden.

Robert Stockton was married to Mary McKeamy.

The name is spelled McCamish on Armstrong's Roll n 1755 and on the Hamilton taxlist of 1751. Some writers have carelessly confused the McCalmont and McCamish names because they never studied this deserving McCamey or McKemie family.

Legend

MCCAMEY Family