In search of my McCreary-Magee-McGee Codd/Code Ancestors
in Lanark County, Ontario, Canada
JAMES McGEE c. 1802 -1883-8
What do we know about JAMES McGEE?
JAMES McGEE was born in Ireland by various accounts some time between 1799 and 1803 and came to Lanark County in 1820 or before - William at the same time.
Facts
1. JAMES McGEE was granted Lanark Twp. Con. 11 Lot 1E on September 19th 1820. (William McGee was granted Con. 11 Lot 1W on September 17th 1820.)
http://www.granniesgenealogygarden.com/Granny1/settler3.html
I have assumed until recently that JAMES McGEE and WILLIAM McGEE (1795-1865) were brothers - but JAMES consistently spelled his name McGee (with a few exceptions - see below) and WILLIAM consistently spelled his name MAGEE.
2. JAMES McGEE was married to ELIZABETH WARREN Mon. May 24th 1824 (Elizabeth's tombstone is in St. John's Anglican Cemetery just down the road from Boyd's. It reads Elizabeth Warren first wife of James McGee who died Feb. 28, 1861 aged 67 yrs Native of Co. Carlow Ireland).
3. Baptism of a John McGee "adopted" son of James McGee and his wife Oct. 24, 1831. (Reel H1809 Page 3 #34 Mississippi Circuit Records.) In the absence of other records of a John McGee in this time period in Lanark County, I believe this John McGee to have been John Lowe Magee/McGee b. 1826 and orphanned (probably from a Lowe family, who was eventually a member of the household of William Magee (b. 1813) and his wife Eliza Dezell who married in 1834. John went on to marry Alice Magee, their daughter.) For more on their family click HERE.
4. Thomas Warren (brother to the above ELIZABETH ) married Margaret MAGEE April 1825 (Page 5, Vol. 45 Anglican Church Archives.) Witnesses: James MAGEE and Andrew Caswell.
Two baptismal records from the ACA record the births of children of Thomas Warren and wife Margaret MAGEE.
5. Men of Upper Canada Militia Rolls lists Jas. McGee aged 28 in 1828 or 1829 when the roll was completed shown in the 2nd Regiment Lanark Militia.
6. Margaret McGee age 19 dau. of James McGee and Elizabeth Warren married 11-11-1864 to William Argue. (Page 5 index 45 - the Anglican Archives Ottawa.
7. Elizabeth Warren died in 1861. Elizabeth Warren's stone is in St. John's Anglican just down the road from Boyd's Methodist Cemetery reads Elizabeth Warren first wife of James McGee who died Feb. 28, 1861 aged 67. Native of Co. Carlow Ireland.
8. In the Bathurst District Marriages MS 248 reel 9 is recorded the marriage of James McGee aged 59 of Lanark to Mary Bredin on 01-07-1862. His parents are recorded as William McGee and Elizabeth McGee.
9. JAMES McGEE's death occurred October 6 1883 (or 1888) at the home of Joseph Campbell McCreary (whose mother was Elizabeth McGee* 1783-1871).
10. James buried Boyd's Methodist Cemetery (Boyd's Settlement) in the McCreary plot.
* Elizabeth McGee McCreery already had a brother James McGee 1782-1864 in Ireland (father of Thomas D'arcy McGee) - so this James was not her brother - making it likely that James' father William was Elizabeth's brother, and that James was a first cousin of Joseph McCreary.
I would welcome more information on James McGee.
Comment: The viewer will notice that the signatures on the two marriage certificates are the signatures of the same person - making it likely that JAMES and MARGARET were brother and sister. You will also notice that JAMES clearly signs his name JAMES MAGEE - not McGee.
Click here to return to MAIN GENEALOGY PAGE
