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Background
Mystery Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
I've been published....sort of
YDNA - MacLeod
Clan MacLeod Project Haplogroups
Clan MacLeod Project/R-L165(S68)
My MacLeods
Earliest Known Ancestors
Angus and Nancy McCutchen MacLeod
Generation 2
Other MacLeods
James MacLeod (Marg Blakely)
Norman MacLeod (Virginia and Ohio)
Walking with Ghosts..........
a website for the descendants of Angus and Nancy McCutchen MacLeod~~
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Norman McLeod
son of Angus and Nancy McCutchen MacLeod
This page is the intellectual property of the web site owner. It may not be re-published on any website, genealogical database, or any other media without the express permission of same. Visitors are welcome to copy this for use in their own records, however, please remember to give credit where credit is due and to use the following sourcing information: !Source: Lori McLeod Wilke; "Walking with ghosts", Research 2000 - 2009
The Interview with Albert John McLeod cr. 1920
"How are our Boykin cousins?"
"Alexander, with his family, left Scotland and traveled to Ireland (or the island?) for a time. They sailed from Ireland (or the island?) to Virginia and a brother, Norman, was born on board ship. They eventually migrated to Robeson, North Carolina where another brother named Daniel was born. Alexander with his wife, a McIntosh, left for Old Camden District in South Carolina. Alexander had two grants of land on Beaverdam Branch.
He had cousins who were Bethunes. Daniel's descendants remain in the area today" (Sumter/Kershaw).
Albert John asked of J. Frank, "How are our Boykin cousins?"
Interview notes provided to Lori McLeod Wilke by Col. Purdy Belvin McLeod Jr., who received them from the late Jay Frank McLeod, the Interviewer of Albert John McLeod. Albert was a great grandson of Angus and Nancy McCutchen McLeod.
YDNA Matches
Galtrigal Branch - the Deduced Ancestral Haplotype of two cousins is a 67-1 match to the Deduced Ancestral Haplotype of our family. Descended from Donald the Faithful Pilot who is credited with helping Bonnie Prince Charlie and Flora MacDonald flee after Culloden, the family occupations are Milling and Fine Carpentry as they are in our own family. Galtrigal is located across the loch from Dunvegan Castle. 95% of the time a Common Ancestor will be found between this Branch and our Family in a generation born about 1700.
Colbost - Norman MacLeod, heriditary Galley Maker (Fine Carpentry) to Dunvegan, born about 1700 in Colbost located near Dunvegan. His descendant is a 67-2 from our family haplotype and a 67 - 1 to the Galtrigal Branch. 95% of the time a Common Ancestor will be found between this Branch and our Family in a generation born about 1700. The descendant tested was born in Scotland.
Norman MacLeod - born before 1775 in Scotland; immigrated to Virginia then to Gallia County Ohio - descendants of this man match our Deduced Ancestral Haplotype on markers 1 - 25 perfectly which is unusual in any one other than close relations; however one of the two descendants tested upgraded to the 67 marker level where his results showed 2 mutations in markers 26 - 37 and 2 mutations in markers 38 - 67. 95% of the time a Common Ancestor will be found between this Branch and our family in a generation born between 1530 AD and 1700 AD. One of his mutations are either unique to his paternal line within the larger related group and another is shared with Colbost above; another mutation is on a volatile marker known to mutate in very recent generations. The testing of other cousins and the upgrading of the cousin who tested only 25 markers could tell us more about this match.
To read more about our YDNA results; see YDNA Page for Angus MacLeod
Scotland - "A brother, Norman, was born on board ship"
Norman's parents, Angus and Nancy McCutchen MacLeod/McLeod, were married around the year 1782 in Scotland. After their first child, Alexander (husband of Sarah McIntosh) was born (cr. 1783) they left Scotland and began their migration into North Carolina. According to the above interview, Norman was born on board the ship which left a port in Ireland(?) and sailed to Virginia.
From various census records and the estimated immigration date, Norman's birth year is assumed to be cr. 1785 (1785 - 1790 in the 1800 Richmond County North Carolina Census). The earliest North Carolina record found for his father to date is an August 1799 voters registration list in Rockingham Township, the county seat of Richmond yet - his brother Daniel was born there cr. 1790 leaving a records gap of nine years.
Angus and Nancy McCutchen MacLeod/McLeod / North Carolina Timeline
Sailed to Virginia cr. 1789 - a brother Norman was born on board the ship
The exact time of immigration is not known, but it can be estimated from what is known of the children of Angus and Nancy (using later census records to determine 1800 age bracket and birth place where possible):
Alexander born cr. 1783 in Scotland
Unknown Female born cr. 1785 (aged 16-26 in 1800 - possibly Margaret)
Unknown Female born cr. 1785 (aged 16-26 in 1800 - possibly Catherine)
Norman born cr. 1789 (aged 10-16 in 1800 - born on board ship)
Daniel born cr 1791 (aged 10-16 in 1800 - born in North Carolina)
Mary aka Polly born cr. 1793 (aged 0-10 in 1800 - born in North Carolina
Betsy born cr. 1795 (aged 0-10 in 1800 - born in North Carolina
Nancy born cr. 1797 (aged 0-10 in 1800 - born in North Carolina)Unfortunately, there have been no census records for Norman past 1800 so we cannot at this time confirm his birth on board the ship to Virignia but using the time line above, it would appear that immigration was by 1789. Since Daniel was born in North Carolina around 1791 according to this timeline (loosely backed up by birth year range in 1800 of 1785-1790 and aged 60 in 1850) - they apparently did not stay long in Virginia before continuing their journey to North Carolina.
To view Virginia Research to date see North Carolina Timeline
North Carolina
Norman would have been around 3 - 5 years of age at the family's arrival in North Carolina. Research in North Carolina is in its earliest stages - although the 1920 interview stated that the family migrated from Virginia to Robeson County in North Carolina, census searches for the entire state have only revealed an Angus McLeod that "fits" our Angus in Richmond County (1800 and 1810 censuses of that county).
It is now believed that a connection with Christopher McKay, whose son John married Norman's sister Mary (aka Polly) led to the naming of Robeson as the county of residence. Christopher McKay and his son John McKay migrated from NC to Kershaw and Sumter Districts of South Caroina cr. 1812 when John is found as a witness on the Horsepen Branch property purchase of Alexander, Norman's eldest brother. Christopher McKay is shown on the 1820 Sumter Census as a close neighbor of Angus McLeod.
Records have been located in Robeson County for the McKays, but none have been found for an Angus McLeod in the correct time frame - however, as stated above, records have been found for Angus in the bordering county of Richmond. It is likely that the McLeods lived on the border of those two counties, as they did in South Carolina. It is quite probable that they lived in the present day Scotland County area (Scotland formed in 1899 from Richmond).
Previous researchers looking for our family in North Carolina primarily focused on the names Alexander, Norman and Daniel McLeod yet those three men were children for most of the family's residence in that state - future searches will concentrate on Angus McLeod in the years between 1790 and 1820 and for Alexander and Norman during the years 1800 - 1812 (Alex was approximately 16 years old in 1800, Norman approximately 14 years old in that year - they would have moved out of the home by the 1810 census as they are not found in that years census in the parents household.) One record in Kershaw South Carolina indicates that Alexander and Norman may have left North Carolina for South Carolina as early as 1810.
South Carolina
Although his elder brother Alexander arrived in South Carolina by November of 1812, and his parents by the census taking of 1820, Norman's life in South Carolina remains a mystery. There are only two records which confirm his existence 1) The 1824 Will of Alexander in which Norman is named as a co-executor with Daniel 2) The March 8 1824 Oath of Administration for Alexander's estate which Norman signed with quite an elegant hand. From his elegant signature, one could assume that Norman was an educated man but no family lore regarding Norman has survived to substantiate this.
Although Alexander's estate file covers the period from March 1824 until February 1835, Norman's signature does not appear again after the Oath of Administration. Therefore, it is uncertain if he actually performed any of the duties of administration or if they were performed exclusively by Daniel.
It is only an assumption that Norman ever actually lived in South Carolina. This assumption is entirely based upon the fact that Alexander named him as a co-executor of his estate and that he was present to swear the Oath of Administration. With the rest of his family present in the same state, it doesn't appear to make sense that Alexander would name a brother who resided out of state to administer his estate; his brother in law John McKay could have served with Daniel as it appears that John and Polly were married by the date of Alexander's death.
Although nothing in the estate file of Alexander McLeod suggests that he owned property in North Carolina that could have explained the naming of Norman as an executor due to the need to have that portion of the estate administrated; research into the North Carolina records of the family should include Wills and Estate Records just to rule out this possibility. The family had spent 20 or more years in that state and it is possible that they did not sell all property acquired during that time prior to their migration into South Carolina.
Sources:
1. Kershaw County Genealogical Archives/Camden Recorded 3/8/1824 in WILL BOOK K page 147 Vol. 2, E- D Will of 1/15/1824
2. Estate File # 1775; Estate of Alexander McLeod, deceased, Executors Daniel McLeod and Norman(d) McLeod, Camden Courthouse, Kershaw, South Carolina accessed and copied by Lori McLeod Wilke June 30 2003
Just who was OUR Norman McLeod?
In my father's writings during the 1990's, he wrote that he felt "Norman was apparently a bounder or a ner' do well' due to his seeming disappearance from the face of the earth. Although no particular piece of family legend can be pointed to in order to explain why my father felt that about Norman, it is entirely possible that he heard such from elder relatives during his childhood. The writings of Donald Ross McLeod Jr. given to Lori McLeod Wilke in Ocotber of 2000
When I first accessed the Estate File of Norman's brother Alexander in 2003, I immediately noticed that Norman's signature was quite elegant, unlike most signatures of the day. It was obvious that the transcriber had taken great pains to show that his signature was different from those of the appraisers, witnesses, and even the probate judge.
This became of even greater interest to me in June of 2006 when I found a copy of a lawsuit (Francis Boykin vs Norman McLeod) in the Sumter Genealogical Society Building. In this lawsuit, great pain was taken to show that Norman McLeod had "proper and fine handwriting" and that this was evident in the Promissary Note that he himself had made out for Francis Boykin. Boykin's grievance stated that he wished the court to put in place a "stay" to stop Norman McLeod from fleeing the state and not paying his debt (to Boykin). Camden District Court of Equity GS-3533 found in the McLeod File at the Sumter Genealogical Society by Lori McLeod Wilke and David Jay Wilke.
Although this may be "flimsy" evidence that our Norman and the Norman in the lawsuit are one and the same - the fact that my father felt instinctively that Norman was what would have been called a "bounder" in those days indicates a need to follow through on that line of research.
In addition, there exists an 1810 lawsuit in the Kershaw Court of Common Pleas called "Alexander McLeod for Norman McLeod vs Jerimiah Simmons" that was linked to our Norman and Alexander in the 1960's by an earlier researcher.
Also of interest is the fact that one researcher states that his family legend includes the information that Norman McLeod, the husband of Elizabeth Lackey, was the son of Angus and Nancy McCutchen McLeod. An 1820 Lawsuit is indexed in a work in the Sumter Genealogy Society Building as "Mary Lackey vs Norman McLeod". Information regarding relationship provided to Lori McLeod Wilke from Mike McLeod 2005 / Index of Cases in the Court of Common Pleas accessed by Lori McLeod Wilke June 2006 in the Sumter Genealogical Society/Lackey, Mary vs. Norman McLeod C 251 Roll 761 1820 - case not yet accessed and copied as of July 2007
UPDATE JUNE 2011 - YDNA EVIDENCE HAS PROVEN THAT A DESCENDANT OF NORMAN AND ELIZABETH LACKEY MCLEOD IS NOT GENETICALLY RELATED TO US WITHIN GENEALOGICAL TIMEFRAMES. OUR NORMAN AND THIS NORMAN DO NOT APPEAR TO BE THE SAME FAMILY.
In fact, there are five additional lawsuits indexed that involve a Norman McLeod:
Hood vs. Norman McLeod A 044 Roll 44 1818
Osprey vs. Norman McLeod A 336 Roll 195 1820
Draugh vs. Norman McLeod A 424 Roll 248 1820
Stafford vs. Norman McLeod C 233 Roll 752 1820
Williams vs. Norman McLeod C 236 Roll 753 1820Census research has indicated the presence of only one Norman McLeod in the 1820 Kershaw Census - this Norman was aged 45 plus, lived alone and was an alien - this is NOT our Norman McLeod (he is too old, IF our Norman were born on board the ship from Scotland to Virginia he would have apparently been considered a citizen of the US), but he may be the Norman of these lawsuits - therefore readers are cautioned to not attach these lawsuits to OUR Norman McLeod until each case has been investigated thoroughly. LMW
Update December 2008 - A research trip in June revealed that the above lawsuits are lost.....a worker at the Sumter County Courthouse remembers last seeing them "in a room" before the move into the building they work out of now......it is to be hoped that those lawsuits are found again one day or that some researcher in the past has already transcribed them and can share them with the rest of us. LMW
Was our Norman married to Elizabeth Lackey?
I initially began to research Elizabeth Lackey McLeod because of the Von Hacke Records in Sumter County South Carolina. Von Hacke stated in his paragraph on Norman McLeod, the proven son of Alexander and Sarah (--?--) McLeod (of Lynches River/Kershaw and Sumter) was married to Elizabeth. However, in that same paragraph Von Hacke stated that Norman was also married to Betsy McLeod, the daughter of Angus and Nancy. From the dates included I knew that he was not married to both women and set about to determine just which he was married to.
In June of 2006, I found several records of Elizabeth which named her as the wife of Norman McLeod - despite this, Elizabeth Lackey McLeod is never found in any census enumeration during her lifetime with a husband of any name. The deeds naming her as the wife of a Norman are no help in identifying which Norman McLeod was her husband. Husbands name verified in those deeds June 2008 by Lori McLeod Wilke
The Will of Margaret McLeod (the sister of Alexander, Daniel and Norman) names her sister Betsy and Betsy's husband as Norman McLeod. Elizabeth Lackey McLeod and Betsy McLeod are two different women.
Betsy and Norman McLeod are found in the Alabama census records of 1840 - 1870 and her Norman's Will is on file in Pike County Alabama -
Elizabeth Lackey McLeod is shown in those same years in South Carolina and her death is recorded in South Carolina -
This then proves that Norman McLeod, son of Alexander and Sarah (--?--) McLeod (of Lynches River/Kershaw and Sumter) was NOT married to Elizabeth Lackey and leaves the identity of who Elizabeth Lackey's Norman McLeod was a mystery.
The existence of the lawsuit ("Mary Lackey vs Norman McLeod") and the fact that I feel there is a possibility that those lawsuits were versus OUR Norman McLeod lends some credence to Mike McLeod's statement of family relationship HOWEVER much more research is needed to prove this.
UPDATE JUNE 2011 - YDNA EVIDENCE HAS PROVEN THAT A DESCENDANT OF NORMAN AND ELIZABETH LACKEY MCLEOD IS NOT GENETICALLY RELATED TO US WITHIN GENEALOGICAL TIMEFRAMES. OUR NORMAN AND THIS NORMAN DO NOT APPEAR TO BE THE SAME FAMILY.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~formyfamily/index.htm
!Source:
Lori
McLeod
Wilke
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