Churchill *  Foerst  *   Wyman  *   McKindley *  McLean
Wees *  Brandt *  Howard  *  Crans  *  Tjaden  *  Martin Luther

Contact the genealogist         PHOTOS     Last Name Index      Home page

Husband: John McKindley. Born in Scotland in 1746. Died June 3, 1829. Buried in Galway, New York

Wife: Ann McKindley, born in Scotland in 1761. Ann died April 22, 1846 in Galway, New York at age 85.

BACKGROUND: John McKindley came to Galway, New York in 1774 from Scotland with his brother Moses.  The brother did not have any children. The brother, Moses, died on July 1, 1791, at age 39. 

For historical perspective, John and Moses McKindley arrived in Galway just one year before the start of the Revolutionary War.  The preliminary peace treaty with England was signed in Paris in 1782, and the British soldiers left New York City in 1783, a couple of years before John became a father. 

John settled a farm in Galway, in Saratoga County, near the Charlton town line. That home later became known as the "Sanders Homestead" because it was later occupied by Frederick Sanders. That old McKindley home is about a mile north of West Charlton United Presbyterian Church, known locally as the "Scotch Church."  The Scotch Church was first located on land John McKindley had donated.

When John's oldest son, William, died in 1821, John took over as "Grandpa" and helped the widow, Martha McLean, in raising the youngsters left behind.

In 1823, John wrote a Will describing what property he would give his daughters, depending on whether they got married or not.  To read it, click on WILL OF JOHN McK.

CHILDREN 

1. William McKindley. Born November 8, 1786 in Galway, NY. Died 1821. (Our ancestor.) Married Martha McLean. Had four children: John, (1814), Francis (1817), Mary Ann, and William (1820).
2. Peter McKindley, never married, 1788-1871
3. Isabella McKindley, 1792 - 1858. She married Robert Kelly, Sr., 1786-1853. They had three children.
4. Moses McKindley, never married, 1796-1861
5. Ann McKindley, twin of Mary McKindley, never married, 1800-1817
6. Mary McKindley, twin of Ann McKindley, never married, 1800-1877.  The two twin sisters are buried together under a single "twin" headstone in the cemetery in Galway.
7. John McKindley, never married, 1803-1874
8. Lilla McKindley, never married, 1804-1886
9. Jane or June McKindley.  Date of birth unknown, but she must have existed since her father provided for her in his Will.
10. Betsy or Elizabeth McKindley, date of birth unknown, but she must have existed since her father provided for her in his Will.  She was unmarried in 1823 when he wrote the Will. She might be "Elizabeth McKindley Donnan."
11. Margaret Maria McKindley, born 1822.  She died Feb. 25, 1906. She married George Bell, 1818-1901. They had four children, John Bell, born 1857; William Bell, born 1862; Sarah L. Bell, 1851-1854; and Margaret Bell, 1859-1932 (Mrs. Albert Wareham).

Born in Galway, New York in 1822. Died February 25, 1906. Her father was John McKindley, born 1746 in Scotland. Her mother was Ann McKindley.

She married George Bell, who was born in 1818 and died in 1901.

Margaret and George Bell had the following children:

1. "Infant son" born October 28, 1850, died the same day.
2. Sarah L. Bell, born 1851. Died Dec. 16, 1854 at age 2 years, 9 mos.
3. John M. Bell, born 1857, died July 9, 1883
4. Margaret Bell, 1859-1932 (married Rev. Albert Wareham).
5. George, born in March, 1861. Died April 8, 1861, 4 weeks and 5 days.
6. William Bell, born 1862, died Aug. 28, 1887

============ ============

Is Elizabeth McKindley Donnan "Betsy?"  Is she the daughter of John McKindley, who was born in 1746 in Scotland?

In John’s Last Will and Testament, signed in 1823, he says he leaves certain property to his daughter, Betsy. When he wrote the Will, apparently Betsy was not married.

According to the Donnan family history, there was an Alexander Donnan Jr. who was born April 27, 1795 at Galway. He married his first wife, Mary, and had four children. Mary died in 1828.

On March 18, 1829, he married his second wife, "Elizabeth McKindley." She was born July 26, 1797 in Charlton and had six children with Alexander Donnan. She died June 17, 1855, when her youngest child was 15. She was buried in West Carlton.

This makes sense, because when Elizabeth’s older brother John died in 1874, his heirs and next of kin included four people with the last name of Donnan. By that time, Elizabeth had already been dead almost 20 years.

By the time John died in 1874, four people with the last name Donnan were mentioned. Those were probably children of Betsy and Alexander Donnan. Their names are John M. Donnan of Greenfield, N.Y.; Margaret Donnan of Greenfield, N.Y.; William G. Donnan of Independence, Iowa, in Buchanan County; and James B. Donnan, also of Independence, Iowa.

In 1877, when Mary McKindley died (Betsy’s sister, the twin) there were only three Donnan’s mentioned in her will-- John M., William G., and James B.

GO TO McKINDLEY BIOGRAPHIES

GO TO McKINDLEY INDEX

GO TO OVERVIEW