MacRae Family Page
Welcome to The MacRae Family Page, which furnishes historical detail beyond the site index, exploring twelve generations of MacRaes going back to Maurice of Clunes MacRath, born in Ireland. ca. 1280.
6. Mary Ann MacRae (Graham)-- The mother of Kate Graham Boone, Mary Ann was born Feb. 25, 1823 in Henry, TN and died Oct. 26, 1878 (or 1873) in Big Sandy (Benton Co.), TN. Her parents were Alexander MacRae (McRae or McCray) and Jane McLeod. Mary Ann first married Joseph C. Melton in Benton Co. in 1839 and had three children by this first husband before he died in 1844: Amanda Jane Brumager, Matthew Melton, John Wesley Melton. After this, she married widower Robert Marshall Graham on Oct. 14, 1846 in Benton Co. TN (Tennessee, Marriage Records, 1780-2002) who had two children by his first wife, Mary Alsup: Susanna Margarette and John Burwell Graham. Mary Ann gave birth to six further children before her death at age fifty-five on Oct. 26, 1878: Mary Elizabeth "Lizzy" (1848-1935), Nancy Catherine (1853-1920) married Jack Daniel Boone, Thomas E. Newton Graham (b.1856, TN), Daniel Jackson (1850-1935), Martha Ann "Mattie" (1859-1885) and Clinton.
7. Alexander MacRae-- The father of Mary Ann and Elizabeth McRae, each of who married Robert Graham of Benton Co, TN. Alexander was born either in 1786 or 1790 in North Carolina and died in 1877 in Big Sandy, Benton Co. TN. (According to researcher Hulan Brewer, Alexander died Oct.26, 1878.) His parents are Farquhar & Catherine MacRae of Anson, NC. According to the historian, Goodspeed, Alexander was born in North Carolina in 1786 and came to Tennessee as a young man around the beginning of the nineteenth century, "locating on the river near where Point Mason now is, and later removed to Sugar Creek (Benton Co.) where he reared his family of two children by his first wife..." Alexander's parents lived in Anson Co. NC during Alex's youth and the 1810 Anson Co. census shows an Alexander McRae, age 16-25, along with a female (presumably his wife) of the same age and no children. (As there are 9 Alexander McRaes in the neighboring counties of Anson and Richmond, NC, we cannot be sure this is our Alex McRae.) The date of Alex's first marriage is not known but if our Alex married by 1810 (at age 20-24), and is the male of this couple in the 1810 Anson Co. census, the census indicates that he and his wife were age 16-24 (born between 1786-1794). Alexander's first wife was Jane McLeod, the mother of Mary Ann (b. Feb. 23, 1823 in Henry Co.) and Elizabeth Jane (b.1825). According to the late Humphreys Co. researcher, Hulan Brewer, Jane was born Dec. 9, 1799 in Benton Co. and had two children before her death. (Benton Co was formed out of Humphreys Co in 1835.) However, Brewer's date and place of Jane's birth has not been verified by other supporting records. Given the date of her first child in 1823, she must have been born before 1807. Alex McRae and Jane McLeod's second daughter, Elizabeth Greer (Graham), stated in the 1880 census that both of her parents were born in North Carolina.
After his move to Tennessee, Alexander first appears in the 1828 tax records of Henry Co. TN and then in the 1830 Humphreys Co. census (out of which Benton Co. was formed),and appears in the Benton Co census in 1840. (It is possible that he is indicated as a male 26-45, living with John L MacRae--who may possibly be his relative--in the 1820 Dickson Co. TN census). In the late 1840’s Alex progressively bought hundreds of acres of land and helped to develop the Sugar Creek area of Benton Co. (Note: There is another individual named Alexander McRae in Maury Co. TN during this period who should not be confused with Alex McRae of Benton Co. TN.)
Jane, Alexander's first wife, probably died between 1826 and 1829. The first census on which Alexander McRae appears (1830, Humphreys Co. TN) shows a no wife and a 50-60 female & two small girls, 5-15--Alex is 40-44 at the time). No children are reported between 1826 and 1832. By 1833 Alexander had moved to Big Sandy and remarried and began having ten more children. Alex's second wife was Lavinia (Lavina) Rumbly. Goodspeed’s history says she was from West Tennessee, but the 1850 and 1860 Benton Co. census shows Lavinia to be from Georgia and born in 1810. The children of this second marriage were (ages as of 1850 census ): Eliza Jane 17, John L. 15, Martha 13, William 9, Alexander Collins (Jr.) 7, Sarah 6, Esther 5, Daniel 2. Alex’s second wife seems to have died before 1870 (She is said to be buried at McRae’s Chapel, now called Sugar Hill, land that was donated to the county in 1870 by their son, Alexander C. McRae Jr.) The 1870 census shows a 40 year old Catherine in Alex’s household as well as his grown daughter Elizabeth Greer, who will later marry her sister’s widower, Robert M. Graham. The graves of Alexander and his wives are not identified for certain. In nearby Carrol Co., TN there is a grave of Alexander McRae and a Christopher McRae, both with no dates (It is perhaps worth noting that there was a Mary McRae in [only] the 1840 Carrol Co. census), and at McRae’s Chapel, there is a grave of a Lavina McRae (1780-1877)--however these dates do not seem to completely fit Alexander’s wife named Lavinia. However, the censuses do not seem to show any other Alexander or Lavina McRaes during this period in West TN to whom this grave might belong.
For a discussion of the possible parents of Jane McLeod, Alexander McRae's first wife, please scroll to the bottom of the page.
8. Farquhar MacRae – The father of Alexander MacRae, was born ca. 1748-1750 in Scotland and migrated to America in the 1780's, where he settled first in Richmond Co, NC, then in Anson Co. NC, where he died between 1830 (when he appears on the Anson Co. NC census) and prior to the land dispersal per his will on January 16, 1834. (I am advised that the Scottish pronunciation of his name is “Farkar.”) He married Catherine Campbell (1765-ca.1840) who was born in Perth, Scotland. She came to America with Farquhar in the 1780s and had at 7 known children prior to Farquhar's death in 1834. She does not appear with any of her children on the 1840 census, so she may have died before it was taken. However, there is an unidentified female, age 50-59, living with Alexander MacRae (whose first wife had just died) in the 1830 Humphreys Co. TN census and it is tempting to think this is his mother, Catherine. (Records show that the land Faquhar and Catherine lived in Anson Co. NC was sold in 1834 after his death, making it likely that Catherine left North Carolina to be with family in another state.) It is possible that Farquhar is buried in the old Anson, NC cemetery, but unverifiable as the cemetery does not have full records of all the graves there.
Ancestry.com shows many DNA matches, not only to Farquhar and his siblings but to Catherine and her brother Finley Campbell (1775-1827). Reportedly there is a 1760 Scottish birth record identifying Catherine's parents as John Campbell (who was living in Richmond Co. NC in the 1790’s), and Jannet Stewart (about 1750-1777). John Campbell was born in 1745 in Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland. He married Jannet on Jan. 17, 1766. There is also a Scottish birth record for their youngest son, Finley Campbell (Nov.14,1775) showing John and Jannet Stewart Campbell as his parents. Sometime after Jannet died in Scotland in 1777, John came to America (there is a ship record of a John Campbell debarking in South Carolina in 1796, but also a 1790 listing of a John Campbell in Richmond Co. NC). By the 1800 census, John was in Fayetteville, Cumberland Co., NC. He died Dec. 13, 1804 in Anson Co. NC. (His parents are unknown. Ancestry.com shows a John Campbell who was born in 1739 in Scotland and died in Pennsylvania in 1789, the son of William Campbell and Elizabeth Gibson, but this is not my John Campbell who died in Anson Co, NC in 1804.)
Farquhar's will shows him as having 7 children: Alexander (b.ca. 1786-90), John Campbell MacRae (ca.1795-1862), Archibald C. (ca.1798-1836), Hugh (1802-1862), Margaret (b.ca.1810), Elizabeth, and Daniel (d. before 1834). An Anson County, NC deed, dated Jan. 16, 1834, states that the property formerly lived on by Farguhard McRae, deceased, is being sold to Henry Haney by Farquhar’s consort (widow), Catherine McRae and her children, including: John C. McRae, Archibald McRae, Alexander McRae, Hugh McRae, Margaret McRae, Elizabeth McRae, all heirs of Farguhard McRae, deceased, as well as Daniel McRae, a deceased heir. All of the above McRaes except Alexander (who was in Tennessee) and Daniel, appear as signatories for the deed. After Farquhar’s death, many of their children left North Carolina and settled in Mississippi, his oldest son Alexander having gone early on to Tennessee and lived to a ripe old age, according to an old family letter dated May 26,1889. This correspondance, which is presently the only known hard evidence connecting Farquhar’s son, Alexander MacRae, with Alexander MacRae of Benton Co. TN, father of Mary Ann MacRae, was written to Hugh McKenzie McRae (who was then living in Texas) by his father, John Cornelius McRae, a confirmed grandson of this same Farquhar MacRae, who was then living in Anson Co. NC, at age 63. In the letter, which discusses genealogical connections in the family, John mentions that his "uncle Alex [MacRae] went to tenasee (sic) and lived to be a very old man. He died sometime since the war" while "uncle John, uncle Hugh, aunt Betsy, aunt Margaret all went to Mississippi in [1832?]." Other evidence further confirms that Farquhar’s son Alexander, was listed in Farquhar’s will, and that he was not present as a signatory in NC for the reading of the will in 1834 (presumably because he had moved to Tennessee by that time). Matching very closely, Alexander of Benton Co. TN, who is known to have been born between 1786-1790 in North Carolina, first appears in 1828 as a Benton Co. TN land owner, and dies there ca.1877-78, near age ninety, living until after the (civil) war, facts that agree completely with the above letter.
There is no other Alexander MacRae, with unidentified parents, in the Tennessee censuses who is recorded as living there from the 1830s to the 1870’s, just as Farquhar’s son, Alexander, is said to have done. Several of the same names from Farquhar’s family also appear in the family of Alexander MacRae of Benton Co.: Elizabeth, Catherine, Anne, John, Daniel and Alexander Collins. Therefore, in the absence of any other unidentified candidates in Tennessee who are listed over these many decades, it is almost certain that they are one and the same person. While it is established that Farquhar settled in Anson Co. NC, he does not appear as a head of a household in the 1790 Anson Co. census (where the only listed McRae is a Daniel McRae). However there is a Farquhar McRae listed in the 1790 census living across the Pee Dee river in Richmond County with just a wife and no children. This may indicate that Alexander was born in 1790 after the census was taken. (Farquhar appears in Anson Co. NC from 1794-99, briefly in Chesterfield Co, SC in the 1800 census and then back to Anson Co. from 1801 until his death in 1834.) The fact that Farquhar's second born son is named John Campbell McRae matches the Scottish convention of naming the second born son after the maternal grandfather. The evidence for the connection between the Alexander McRae and the Campbells of Anson County NC is strengthened further by records showing that Alexander's uncle, Finley Campbell (the brother of Farquhar MacRae's wife, Kate Campbell), had moved with his wife from Anson Co. NC to Humphreys Co. TN. by the time of the 1820 census. Although Finley had died by 1829, the 1830 census shows Finley's widow, Christian Campbell, in nearby Henderson Co. TN. By the 1840 census, she has joined the other MacRaes in Layfayette Co, MS, moving next door to her nephew, John Campbell MacRae.
Other MacRaes in early Tennessee : Tennessee censuses show one Alexander MacRae in Davidson Co. in 1820 but he disappears after that. In the next census of 1830, there is again one Alexander MacRae, this time in Benton Co. (no Alexander MacRae having been there in 1820). There is also an Alexander MacRae, son of Duncan MacRae (1769-1837) and Rhoda Young of Scotland, then of Fayettesville, NC, who moved to Duck River, TN and died in 1820, who cannot be either Alexander MacRae of Benton Co. but might possibly be the same Alexander on the 1820 census in Davidson Co.. Another Alexander MacRae is shown in the early Maury Co. TN census records of that era. This is Alexander MacRae, son of Donald (d.1789) and Ann MacRae (d.1781) who were born in Strathglassshire of Ross in Scotland. This Alexander was born in Scotland in 1766, married Rachel Helton, then moved to Orange Co. NC and finally to Maury Co. TN, where he married Mary Moody in 1824, and died in 1843. Among his heirs who lived on in Maury Co. TN were sons named Duncan (b.1808), Farquhar (1808-1854), and Alexander (1811-1866). There is another family of MacRaes in early middle TN (whom I suspect are also related closely to Alexander of Benton Co.), living in Stewart Co. and Dickson Co. TN. from around 1808 until the 1820’s. They are a pair of brothers named Duncan MacRae (b. before 1787 and married Elizabeth Vinson in Davidson Co. in 1810) of Stewart Co. and John L. MacRae (ca.1790-94-ca.1840’s-married "Dollie" Dorothea Stone and died in Franklin Alabama) of Dickson Co, who are thought to be the sons of Duncan MacRae Sr. of Camden Road in Anson Co. NC. who married Mary McLeod, then Edith (Martin?). This John L. MacRae, who owned land in Humphreys Co. TN at the same time as our Alexander did, is shown in the 1820 Dickson Co. Tennessee census as residing with another unidentified man near his age (2 males, one 19-26 and one 26-45) at a time when Alexander is not identified by name in the Tennessee census but is likely there in Tennessee . In this census listing, it is possible that John L. (b.1784) is the 26 year old and Alexander (b.1786-1790) is the 19-26 year old in that household--perhaps they are cousins. (We know that Alexander named one of his children John L.) It is possible that our Alexander appears in the 1810 Anson Co. NC, prior to moving to Tennessee , for, among several listed Alexander MacRaes in Anson Co, there is one who is 16-25 with only a woman of the same age group in his household (his wife presumably) who might be our Alexander and Jane. Unfortunately, there are 3 Faquhars and even more Alexander MacRaes listed in Anson Co. in the censuses of the early 1800s, making positive identifications difficult. Thus, given all the evidence, there is little doubt that Alexander MacRae of Benton Co. TN is the son of Farquhar MacRae of Anson Co. as described above.
We would like to thank Bruce MacRae for sharing some of his research that helped establish this connection, as well as Larry Cates who has also contributed valuable information on the Tennessee and North Carolina MacRaes. We should note that there is still some debate as to whether this Farquhar is the same Farquhar, son of Alexander MacRae of Aryugun (or Ardintoul) "who came to America," mentioned on p.134 of Rev. Alexander MacRae's 1899 History of the Clan MacRae with Genealogies. The evidence suggesting that it is the correct Farquhar is that the date of birth for the two Farquhars matches well and the family names of many of the siblings of the Farquhar mentioned in History of the Clan MacRae are identical with the names of the children of Farquhar MacRae of Anson County, NC.: Alexander, Archibald, John, Anne and Margaret. Also the less common first name Hugh is noted in both families. The only name missing among the children is the name of mother Isabel (and it is possible that an infant who died could have borne that name.) Also, there is no other known candidate in the Carolinas with such exact family names matches who is thought to be this Farquhar MacRae who "went to America." In Larry Cates' 2020 book on the McRaes, entitled Kith and Kin in Carolina, he offers some noteworthy evidence to the contrary (on p.382), although it is from a significantly later date and contains a number of questionable elements. In a family letter written in 1916 by Penelope Jane Jones (a great-granddaughter of Farquhar MacRae of Anson County, NC., through his son, Archibald MacRae) she wrote that she had heard that her great-grandfather Farquhar was part of a large family who all came over with him to America. This, of course, does not agree with known information about Farquhar MacRae's siblings recorded in the History of the Clan MacRae, who are all documented as staying in Scotland. Were this letter's assertion found to be accurate, it would mean we must look for some other parents of Farquhar of Anson Co.--unfortunately there are no other likely candidates at this point, given the fragmentary data we have from the period. Jane's letter mentions a different set of siblings for Farquhar, including Roderick, Finley/Phillip, Alexander and an older sister named Mary. She says Mary stayed in Scotland, but the brothers came to America. She states that there were further siblings but she couldn't remember them (suggesting that she did not have any accurate written list, but was relying on memory of unconfirmed information that someone had once told her--nor did her source know the names of Farquhar's parents).
If accurate, this letter would suggest that Farquhar and his son Alexander of Benton Co, TN. belong to a different branch of the MacRae clan than that of the Farquhar MacRae who "went to America," cited in the History of the Clan MacRae However, it would appear that the Roderick, Alexander and Finley MacRae Jane refers to are children of Donald and Anne (Cameron) MacRae of Fayettsville, NC, whose son Alexander moved to Maury Co. TN, as mentioned above.) The letter's accuracy is rather weak due to the modern date of the letter, the lack of any historical documents or Bibles cited concerning Farquhar's generation, and a few alleged relationships in the letter that are appear to be at least partially inaccurate. There is also not as close a matching of family names according to her list of siblings. If Donald and Ann MacRae are identified as the parents of the Roderick, Alexander and Finley MacRae mentioned in the letter, there is a conflict in that they are already documented as having had a child named Farquhar who died early and is definitely not our Farquhar McRae of Anson Co. NC. Perhaps they could have later given another son the same name and that record has been lost, or perhaps the siblings described in the letter are the children of some other MacRaes. In summary, Jane's 1916 report (which Cates agrees is problematic and provably inaccurate in several assertions) and its list of Farquhar's alleged siblings doesn't lead us to any clear alternative identification of parents for our Farquhar of Anson,. Co. NC.
Larry Cates' book also cites a letter by Farquhar's grandson, John C. McRae, in which he reports that Farquhar's father (unnamed) died during a 1772 ocean voyage from Scotland to America, and that he was accompanied on the ship by a 7 sons and a brother named Anguish (whom he says subsequently moved on to Jamaica). However many of these details are doubtful, particularly the theme of 7 or 9 brothers whose father dies at sea during the voyage to America which, with variations, is told of other McRae and MacLeod lines. In another version of the story, contained in the Anson County Heritage Book and set in 1770, the dying father is named Ian McRae, and he is accompanied by a daughter named Margaret and 7 sons, one of whom later marries Kate Campbell in Anson Co. On p.384 of Cate's book, he quotes a letter written by a Donald McRae (1745-1830) of Prince Edward Island to his cousin, Archibald, who is the brother of the Farquhar mentioned in the History of the Clan MacRae, the one who "went to America." Donald wrote that he had received a letter from Archibald's brother, Farquhar, indicating that he was staying in Montreal, Canada. If this identification is correct, it would indicate that this Farquhar, the son of Alexander MacRae of Aryugun who is mentioned in the History of the Clan MacRae, was not Farquhar of Anson Co. NC, since he moved instead to Canada. As one can see, there is a lot of conflicting and uncertain evidence to weigh; hopefully, at some point, further evidence will be uncovered which will clarify these relationships.
Clues from autosomal DNA: The McRae line tends to quite endogamous, meaning that members of the McRae clan tended to frequently intermarry with other McRaes, as well as McLeod, McKenzies, etc. The result is that one finds many DNA matches to various McRaes and McLeods relations but it is difficult to make use of the DNA matches to distinguish any clear line of ancestry. That said, if Alexander MacRae of Aryugun is ruled out as the father of Farquhar of Anson Co. NC, the most likely alternative is the line that extends from Rev.Faquhar of Inverinate (1580-1590) down through John Ian Breac McRae (1614–1696) to Donald "Daniel" (the tailor) McRae of Strathglass, Scotland (about 1742–1789; whose wife is Ann Cameron) and his brothers, Colin McRae (of Hamer's Creek and Dry Creek in Montgomery Co., NC; about 1750-after 1830) and Duncan McRae (1733-1820). My Farquhar (b.1750) could be a brother, cousin or son somewhere within this family. Or alternatively he might be a brother or son to John or Duncan through the line of Ian Charrich McRae. I show a lot of McRae DNA matches that point in this direction but nothing clear enough to go beyond speculation.
9. Alexander MacRae of Aryugun --Given the caviats listed above and the fragmentary nature of the records of the period, it could still be possible that the father of Farquhar MacRae of Anson Co. was the Alexander MacRae cited on p.134 of the History of the Clan MacRae whose son, Farquhar, "went to America." Therefore we are listing what is known of that line.
Alexander was born ca.1690 in the Kintail region of Scotland and died there ca.1790. He was appointed local factor of Kintail and lived at Aryugun (orArdintoul). He had one child by a first marriage to a daughter of Fraser of Guisachan, who left Alexander and subsequently died. Around 1743, he married Isabel (or Isabella). Some sources name her as Isabel MacRae, daughter of Alexander MacRae of Strathglass, others identify her as Isabel MacGilchrist, daughter of Alexander MacGilchrist. The couple had seven children, as follows: Archibald (ca.1744-ca.1830), Alexander (ca.1746-ca.1820), Farquhar (born ca.1748-1750), John (ca.1749-ca.1820), Anne (ca.1751-ca.1820), Margaret (ca.1753-ca.1823) and Mary (d.1823).
10. Hugh MacRae -- The father of Alexander MacRae, Hugh was born in Kintail, Scotland ca.1664 and died in that area ca.1730. He married Margaret MacLeod of Swordlan, daughter of Angus MacLeod (ca.1694-ca.1746), whose ancestry goes back many generations to Harold I the Black, King of Iceland (ca.840-933 AD), son of Halfdan the Black Gudrodsson, King of Norway (d.ca.860). Their marriage is documented in The MacLeods of Arnisdale. The couple had ten children beginning with Alexander (ca.1690-ca.1790), Roderick (ca.1692-ca.1790), Finlay (ca.1722-ca.1795), Duncan (b.ca.1723), Barbara (ca.1724-ca.1800), Jane (b.ca.1725), Donald (ca.1726-ca.1800), Mary (ca.1727-ca.1795), Farquhar (b.ca.1730), John of Strathglass (ca.1730-ca.1800).
11. Alexander of Inverinate MacRae -- The father of Hugh MacRae, Alexander was born ca. 1612 in Rosshire, Kintail, Scotland and died in that area in ca.1685. As Chamberlain of Kintail, he was the last custodian of the castle at Eilean Donan which was destroyed not long after the battle of Culloden, but was rebuilt many years later. He first married Margaret MacKenzie of Redcastle ca.1612 and had four children prior to her death. In 1650 he remarried Mary MacKenzie of Dochmaluag Strathpeffer, daughter of Alexander MacKenzie (fouth laird of Dochmaluag) and Margaret Munro, Mary being the mother of Hugh MacRae. (This MacKenzie family can be traced to the Royal Houses of Stuart and Plantagenet). Alexander and Mary had nine children (listed in The History of the Clan MacRae by Alexander MacRae): Alexander “Alister Og” of Achyark (b.ca.1652), Donald (ca.1654-ca.1719), Christopher (b.ca.1656), Farquhar (ca.1658-ca.1730), Murdock (b.ca.1660), Allan (b.ca.1662), Hugh (ca.1664-ca.1730), Isabel (b.ca.1666), and Margaret (b.ca.1668).
12. Rev. Farquhar (of Inverinate) MacRae -- The Father of Alexander MacRae,Farquhar was born in 1580-1590 in Eilean Donan Castle, Rosshire, Scotland and died in Jan. 1662 in Kintail, Rosshire, Scotland. He married Christine (of Park) McCullough on Dec, 1, 1611. Christina, daughter of Macculloch Of Park, Strathpeffer, was born about 1590 in Strathpeffer, Rosshire, Scotland. They had ten known children: Alexander (ca.1612-ca.1685), Rev. John of Dingwall (ca.1613-1673), Isabelle (b.ca.1616 or 1621), Isabelle (b.ca.1616 or 1621), Donald (ca.1615/18-ca.1681), Miles (b.ca.1616 or 1620), Murdock (ca.1617/22-ca.1700), Helen (b.ca.1624), Christopher (b.ca.1619 or 1626), Thomas (b.ca.1620 or 1628), and John "Ian Breac" (ca.1618 or 1630-before 1696). Farquhar 's parents were Christopher 'MacGonnachie' MacRae and Isabella Murchison, who was the daughter of either John "McMhurchaidh Dhaibb" Murchison (Priest of Kintail , who became Constable of Eilean Donan in 1565) or of Murdoch Murchison (also Constable of Eilean Donan and Vicar of Kintail, probably John's son). Farquhar was simultaneously the Constable of Eilean Donan Castle (1618-1651), the Chamberlain of Kintail and the Vicar of Kintail. He had a reputation as a great preacher, but because he chose to live and preach in the more remote highland areas, he did not become as well-known as he might have in the populated cities in the South. He was educated at Perth where he became proficient in Latin. From there he proceeded to Edinburgh University where he studied classics, philosophy and religion, excelling his fellow students to the point that he was chosen in 1603 to succeed his professor , James Reid, as a Regent at the University. However, Kenneth, Lord Kintail, greatly desired to have him instead as headmaster of the famous Fortrose Grammar School in the North of Scotland, a post which Farquhar accepted for 15 months while preparing for admission to Holy Orders, which would allow him to preach the Gospel, which he greatly desired to do. In 1608, he was appointed Vicar of Gairloch, an office which he held for ten years, during which he ministered to the English-speaking ironworkers of the region. During that period, Rev. Farquhar lived in Ardlair (near Letterewe) and became a close companion of the learned lawyer and scientist, Sir George Hay, who later moved south and was appointed High Chancellor of Scotland and Earl of Kinnoull.. (There is a prominent rock still pointed out in Ardlair called the "Minister's stone" where Rev. Farquhar was famous for preaching, both in English and in Gaelic.) Farquhar went on to become the Vicar of Kintail and Constable of Eilean Donan, succeeding in the post his elderly uncle (some say it was his grandfather), Rev. Murdock Murchison, who died in 1618. (The Island is named after Saint Donan, a religious hermit who lived on there in the sixth to seventh century.)
On the Island of Lews, Rev. Farquhar succeeded in winning over a largely pagan population to Christianity and to the services of the Reverend's ruler, Kenneth, Lord of Kintail, who died in 1611. One tradition has it that so many people came to be baptized by Rev. Farquhar that he was obliged to sprinkle water on parts of the crowd at random with a heather besom, rather than baptizing each one individually. It was Lord Kenneth's son and successor, Colin, Earl of Seaford, who sanctioned Farquhar's appointments as vicar and constable, placing him at Eilean Donan Castle where the Rev. lived in "an opulent and flourishing condition, much given to hospitality and charity," often hosting great banquets for the Earl and hundreds of his men. After Earl Colin's death in 1633, Colin's brother and successor, Earl George also bestowed upon Rev. Farquhar the wadset rights to lands in Aryugan, Dornie, Inig, and Drumbuie, which he bequeathed to his son Rev. John of Dingwall MacRae, adding to the lands which were already in the family. Rev. Farquhar was also given charge of educating Earl George's son and heir, Kenneth. Later , around the early 1630's, a complaint was sent to the Bishop of Ross, Patrick Lindesay, accusing the prosperous reverend of having become too worldly and neglecting his ministerial duties. As a result, Rev. Farquhar was called upon to preach before the Bishop at the next provincial Assembly of the Diocese, which he did with great eloquence. The Bishop was so impressed with the sermon (given on "Ye are the salt of the earth," a text upon which, by coincidence, the Bishop had based his sermon the previous day) that he dismissed the charges as groundless and received the esteemed preacher into special favor. In 1651 (just after the defeat of Charles II at Dunbar) after a 33 year residence at Eilean Donan, Rev. Farquhar left the island (apparently under pressure from the late Earl George's brother, Simon MacKenzie of Lockslin) saying "he was well pleased to be rid of the Island, because it was a bad habitation for a man of his age and corpulency." When General Monk's army visited Kintail in 1654, they took away 360 of his cattle. But when Charles II was restored in 1660, Rev. Farquhar refused to ask for compensation, being so loyal to the House of Stuart that he considered the King's restoration to the throne sufficient compensation for any loss he had suffered in the Royalist cause. He died that same year in Rosshire, Kintail, Scotland and was buried with his ancestors in Kilduich in Kintail.
13. Christopher 'MacGonnachie' MacRae -- The father of Farquhar MacRae, Christopher was born in ca.1537/52 and died ca.1615 in Kintail, Rosshire Scotland. He married Isabella Murchison (b.ca 1556), daughter of Rev. John "McMhurchaidh Dhaibb" Murchison (John, "son of Black Murdoch"), Priest of Kintail and Constable of Eilean Donan (who died in 1618). They had four known children besides Farquhar: Duncan "Donnacha MacGillechriosd" (1578-1560), John (ca.1582-ca.1650), Finley (b.ca.1584), Maurice (ca.1586-ca.1660) Christopher was the Constable of Eilean Donan Castle during the period around 1580s. He is said to have been "prudent and solid in counsel and advice, bold, forward and daring when need required, yet remarkably merciful during the bloody war 'twixt MacKenzie and Glengarry." Besides being a bold and stout warrior, Christopher was an enterprising businessman, the first in his part of the country to send cattle to sell in the markets of the South. While he profited handsomely from such trade he was prone to spend it lavishly when he traveled to Inverness or Fortrose, wining and dining all his acquaintances at the local inns before his homeward departures. He was a close friend of Sir Donald MacDonald of Sleat (also known as Donald Gorm Mor, grandson of Donald Gorm, whom his father had slain at the battle at Eilean Donan), who was married to the sister of their chief, Kenneth, Lord of Kintail.
13. Duncan 'Donnacha MacGillechrisod'' MacRae -- The father of Christopher 'MacGonnachie' MacRae, was born in ca.1502 and died ca.1560 in Kintail, Rosshire Scotland. He was a prominet man in the affairs of Kintail and gained great renown for himself by killing Donald Gorm MacDonald of Sleat at the seige of Eilean Donan castle in 1539. This occurred after Donald Gorm devastated the lands of McLeod of Dunvegan and laid waste to the district of Kinlochewe, killing, among others, Duncan's uncle Miles, the son of Finley MacRae. A retaliatory raid was made against Donald Gorm after which he invaded Kintail and headed for the weakly garrisoned castle at Eilean Donan. Duncan happened to be in the area when the castle sounded the alarm that they were about to be attacked, and rushed there to join the two men defending the castle. They briefly held off and killed a number of attacking MacDonalds, protected by the strong fortress walls until the Constable of Eilean Donan was killed. The outnumbered Duncan, left to defend the castle now with only the watchman, and having but one arrow left, held on to it until an opportunity presented itself to shoot directly at his enemy, Donald Gorm. He managed to shoot him in the lower leg with his barbed arrow, just as the MacDonalds began to scale the walls. The attackers stopped at once and bore their chief away to a nearby reef. When the chief impatiently wrenched the barbed arrow from his extremity, it fatally ripped an artery causing him to die within a few hours. Afterwards, Duncan hoped, as a result of his brave deed, to succeed the Constable of Eilean Donan, but he was considered too rash, and was passed over in favor of John MacMhurchaidh Dubh (John, son of Black Murdoch), the priest of Kintail. Offended by this treatment, Duncan and his newly wed wife left Kintail and traveled to the country of Lord Lovat, where he was kindly received and given lands in Culigeron, in Strathglass. In 1557, he accepted an invitation to move back to his beloved Kintail, where he received the quarter of land of Inverinate and Dorisduan. At Invernate, a romantic spot on the north shore of Loch Duich, he passed the rest of his days, as did his descendents after him for two centuries. He married the widow of John Dubh Matheson, the constable of Eilean Donan who had been killed there by Donald Gorm's men in 1539. She was the daughter (name unknown) of Duncan Ban of Glenmoriston and had formerly been married to Sir Dougal MacKenzie. She and Duncan had at least two sons together, Christopher and John MacRae (ca.1539-ca.1620), as well as a daughter (of unknown name). Duncan's father was Christopher 'Gillechriosd' MacRae; his mother's name is unknown.
15. Christopher 'Gillechriosd' MacRae -- The father of Duncan 'MacGillechriosd' MacRae, Christopher was born ca.1485 and died after 1539 in Kintail, Scotland. He was appointed Constable of Eilean Donan Castle around 1511 and held the office with trustworthiness and success until 1538, shortly before Donald Gorm's invasion of Kintail. He married (wife's name unknown) and had four known children besides Duncan: Christopher Beg (b.ca.1500), Farquhar of Torlysich (ca.1504-ca.1550), Finley Dubh (ca.1506-ca.1550), John (ca.1508-ca.1555), and Donald (ca.1510-ca.1560). His father was Finley MacRae; his mother's name is unknown.
16. Finley MacRae -- The father of Christopher 'Gillechriosd' MacRae, was born in Kintail, Scotland ca.1466 and died after ca.1490. He married an unknown wife before ca.1485 and had four children: Christopher (ca.1485-after 1539), John 'Ian Mor nan Cas' (b.ca.1486), Gilpatrick (b.ca.1488), and Miles 'Maolmuire' (ca.1490-before 1539; killed at Kinlochewe). His father was Christopher MacRae; his mother's name is unknown.
17. Christopher MacRae--The father of MacRae, Christopher was the first of the MacRaes born in Kintail (ca.1350). He married an unknown wife sometime before ca.1350 and had one known son, named Finley or Fionnla Dubh 'MacGillechriosd' MacRae. Christopher died ca.1410. His father was Fionnla Mor Nan Gad of Clunes MacRath; his mother's name is unknown.
18. Fionnla Dubh 'MacGillechriosd' MacRae -- The father of Christopher MacRae, Fionnla Dubh 'MacGillechriosd' (Black Finley, son of Christopher) is the reputed founder of the Clan MacRae of Kintail, Scotland. He was born in Kintail ca.1380, married a unknown wife and had two sons: Christopher (ca.1440-after 1472) and John (ca.1442-after ca.1420), who took holy orders, married and became a priest of Kintail. Finley is known to have functioned as counselor to the young prince Alexander (Alister Ionraic), son of Murdo MacKenzie, fifth chief of Kintail (d.1416), and helped the prince free the land from the influence of Alexander's oppressive relatives, a friendship which helped bring power and influence to the House of Kintail. Finley died ca. 1427. His father was Christopher MacRae; his mother's name is unknown.
19. Christopher MacRae -- The father of Finley MacRae, Christopher was the first of the MacRaes born in Kintail (ca.1350). He married an unknown wife sometime before ca.1350 and had one known son, named Finley or Fionnla Dubh 'MacGillechriosd' MacRae.Christopher died ca.1410. His father was Fionnla Mor Nan Gad of Clunes MacRath; his mother's name is unknown.
20. Fionnla Mor Nan Gad of Clunes MacRath -- The father of Christopher MacRae, Finley (Fionnla) was the fourth son of Maurice of Clunes MacRath, who had emigrated to Scotland from Ireland. Finley was born, probably in Ireland ca.1318 and died in Scotland sometime after 1350. As an adult he moved from his home in Clunes to Kintail, in western Ross, Scotland where he joined his older brother John ("Ian Charrich") who had earlier been forced to move away from the rest of his family in Clunes after killing a man of Lovat descent who had insulted his aged father, Maurice. Finley married before ca. 1350 to an unknown wife and had only one known child, whom he named Christopher MacRae (ca.1350-ca.1410).
21. Maurice of Clunes MacRath -- The father of Finley (Fionnla) Mor Gad MacRath, (pronounced McCra in Gaelic) was born ca. 1280 in Ireland.and died ca.1350 in Scotland. He married an unknown wife before ca.1315 and had four known children: Duncan of Clunes (b.ca.1315), Christopher of Clunes (b.ca.1316), Finley (Fionnla Mor Nan Gad) of Clunes MacRath (ca.1318-after 1350), John 'Ian Charrach' of Clunes (Fidgety or Restless John). Sometime during the first half of the 14th century, Maurice and his family moved from Ireland to Scotland, settling on the lands of Lord Lovat of Clunes (nor far from Inverness). The tradition as told by Ella MacRae-Gilstrap is that Maurice MacRath and two others left Ireland as the result of a quarrel after too much celebration at a wedding feast, and came to Lovat country in Scotland, arriving just as a would-be assassin was about to attack Bissett, Lord of Lovat. Having just fled from trouble caused by becoming involved in an argument, the two others declined to intervene. But MacRath killed the assassin and the grateful Bissett invited MacRath to settle on his estates at Lovat, where the MacRath family remained for some time, also developing a deep friendship with the Frasers who inherited the Lordship of the lands. Maurice was chief forester for the Lovats, and it was his responsibility to assign starting positions in the forest to the hunters when great hunts were held. On one such occasion, the illegitimate son of the Earl of Lovat objected to his assigned position, and became abusive to Maurice (by then an old man). One of Maurice's sons, John (Ian) of Clunes, came to his father's defense, fought, and slew Lovat's son. After this, John fled Clunes, settling in the Kintail region, where he gained favor with the MacKenzie clan, beginning a close association of the two families that would last for centuries. Maurice stayed behind (as apparently did several of his sons) and died in Clunes. His parents are unknown.
About the MacRaes and the MacLeods: The MacRae (McRae) ancestorswere from the Kintail district of West Central Scotland, and were originally of Pictish origin. They were the Constables of the castle Eilean Donan on Loch Duich, on behalf of the MacKenzies, to whom they were loyal supporters, and became known as MacKenzie’s "Coat-of-Mail." The name first appeared in print in 448 A.D. in The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters when 'Macraith the Wise' was mentioned as being a member of the household of St. Patrick. In Scotland, King Gregory (875-900) was known as Gregory the Macrath. The earlier form of the name, MacRath, was pronouncedMcCra in Gaelic.The MacLeod ancestors, according to popular tradition, were descended from the Norwegian King Olaf the Black, father of Leod; but there is equally strong reason to believe that at least the male line belonged to the ancient Celtic inhabitants of the country. In the time of David II they possessed Glenelg and slightly later came to possess Dunvegan castle (on Skye) through marriage to a daughter of MacRaild, the heiress of a Norwegian chief. The MacLeod chiefs also owned the Isles of Lewis and Harris, Skye and almost half of the Hebradies.
Who were the parents of Jane McLeod? Here we look at possible parents for Alexander McRae's first wife, the mother of Mary Ann and Elizabeth McRae, Jane McLeod. Two of the most promising candidates for Jane McLeod MacRae's father are Alexander McLeod and Roderick McLeod, who both are listed in the 1820 Humphreys Co. TN census, the county in which Alexander McRae first appears in the 1830 Tennessee census and where Jane McLeod may have been raised. While Tennessee records are scarce during the period of 1797-1819, there is documentation (and proximity) associating Roderick and Alexander with our line of McRaes and Campbells, and each has a daughter Jane's age and is old enough to be her father, according to the 1820 Humphreys Co. TN census.
While little is known with certainty about Alexander and Roderick McLeod, one line of genealogical research (provided by Tom M. Sloan) suggests that Alexander and Roderick were brothers and sons of Duncan McLeod (1739-1770) of Kintail, Scotland. According to this source, the children of Duncan McLeod (all born in Scotland) were as follows: Angus (b.ca.1762), Alexander (b.1762), Roderick (b. 1764), Christine (b.1768), Norman (b.1771), and Mary. While this list appears reasonable and the birth dates and filial relationships (per DNA and proximity) tend to fit with some of the other evidence, I have not been able to locate any documents that would verify the accuracy of this family group list.
Some of it is associated with a story about Duncan McLeod and his family who immigrated from Kintail, Scotland to North Carolina in 1770 and Duncan died at sea “off the coast of Madagasco.” During the voyage, the ship’s captain had became fond of Duncan’s 5 year old son, Angus, and when the rest of the family was put ashore to bury the father, the captain sailed off with Angus, leaving a note assuring the family that Angus would be well raised and provided for and that another ship would be by to get them in a few days. Years later, the family, having settled in North Carolina, heard that Angus had become a millionaire in Cuba but they never saw him again. The story continues with the details that Roderick was orphaned at age 7, grew up in North Carolina and became a subordinate musician in the Revolutionary War. He is said to have fathered three children: Alexander (b.1782), Solomon (b. ca.1784) and George (b.1786). A somewhat similar death at sea story (first published in a 1890 book by Rev. J.A.W.Thomas) was told about a McRae ancestor named Ian (John) who immigrated from Scotland to North Carolina with his large family of nine sons and two daughters around 1780 and died at sea. (The McRae version of this “nine sons” story is recounted and analyzed in volume 2, p.79, of Larry Cates’ book, Kith and Kin in Carolina: Notes on the Early McRaes in the Southeastern United States.)
One further tradition about Roderick McLeod (who may or may not be the same Roderick McLeod who had residence in Humphreys Co. TN in the 1820s) comes from a grave inscription for a Roderick McLeod who died in Yazoo, MS in 1844. According to an online biographical profile (from the McLeod Cemetery in Yazoo, MS), Roderick was born in Scotland in 1764, raised in North Carolina and died in Mississippi Oct. 13, 1844. Alexander McLeod (b.1808), a later son of this Roderick, had the inscription placed near the marker. Find-a-grave contains a photo of the old moss-covered grave of Roderick McLeod in Mechanicsburg, Yazoo Co, MS. Either the tombstone or possibly a more readable plaque near it is said to state: "Sacred to the memory of Roderick McLeod, Born in Scotland, 1764, raised from boyhood in North Carolina, and died Oct. 13,1844--aged 80 years--Erected by his affectionate son, A.McLeod." This younger Alexander McLeod (1809–1868) was married to Virginia, per a further inscription. While a son of Roderick would presumably know some of these facts about his father, it could still be a different Roderick. When I first discover these clues, I endeavored to incorporate them in my own analysis, but later decided to more skeptically reappraise the evidence, focusing only on what I could find in verifiable documents, which I discuss below.
As there is no birth record for Jane McLeod, we cannot be certain whether she was born in North Carolina or Humphreys Co. TN. When I traveled to Benton Co. TN, I located a report created by the county's late genealogist, Hulan Brewer, which stated that Jane McLeod was born on Dec.9, 1799 in Benton Co. TN (Benton Co. was formed out of Humphreys Co.TN in 1835), however, no supporting evidence was cited for this birthdate and place. Conversely, Jane's second daughter, Elizabeth, states in the 1880 census that her mother was born in North Carolina. From the birth year of Jane's first child, 1823, we can surmise that she was born no later than 1807. Because Tennessee has no census for 1800 or 1810, the 1820 census may be the only census on which she is indicated before she married and left home. Her husband, Alexander McRae, does not appear in Tennessee records until the tax list of 1828 in Henry Co. TN (which borders Humphreys Co.). There is no marriage record for them, but since their first child, Mary Ann, was born in 1823, it is likely that Alexaander came to Tennessee by about 1821 if not before, and the couple married around 1822 in Tennessee (as most marriages of this period were followed by a childbirth within a year of the marriage--Middle Tennessee marriage records went mostly unrecorded until the late 1830s). Therefore, there is a strong possibility that Jane might appear as an unmarried female, aged 16-25, in a McLeod household in Humphreys Co. (or surrounding Tennessee counties) in the 1820 census; and indeed both Roderick and Alexander McLeod, the only two McLeods who appear in the 1820 Humphreys Co. census, show an unidentified female of Jane's age, one of which may well be Jane.
When we look at North Carolina to try to locate Roderick and Alexander McLeod in earlier censuses, we find a number of individuals with these names, as well as many McRaes, particularly in the area of Anson, Cumberland and Richmond Counties. But due to extensive McRae research by other McRae researchers, we have land and tax documents which indicate family connections between Alex McRae's and Jane McLeod's families in Anson Co. NC, which continue in Humphreys Co. TN. These McRaes and McLeods intermarried frequently, sold each other land, and some may have moved together from North Carolina to middle Tennessee. The pertinent evidence is cited in a timeline below.
1. A 1794 Anson Co. NC land deal by John Campbell (maternal grandfather of Alex McRae) is witnessed by Roderick McLeod & Farquhar Campbell (John's son).
2. A 1795 Anson Co. NC land deal by Farquhar McRae (Alex McRae's father) is witnessed by Finley & John Campbell
3. An 1804 Anson Co. NC land deal in which Farquhar & Finley Campbell (Alex McRae's maternal uncle) sell land to Roderick McLeod
4. An 1806 Anson Co. NC grave yard deed (indenture) between Roderick McLeod and the McRaes,
McLeods, Campbells and others--witnessed by John Lee, Alex McLeod and Finley Campbell.
5. John C. McRae of Anson Co., grandson of Farquhar McRae, in an 1889 letter, mentions Uncle Alex, moving to Tennessee
1800 Anson Co. NC census:
Roderick McLeod: 1 M & F 26-44; (born 1766-74); 1 M under 10, 1 F under 10 (Jane?)
Alex McLeod: 1 M & F 26-44; (born 1766-74); 1 M under 10, 1 M 10-15, 1 M 16-25, 1 F under 10 (Jane?)
Farquhar McRae: 1 M & F 26-44; (born 1766-74); no children, 1 slave
1810 Anson Co. NC census (only 2 McLeods in Anson Co. in 1810):
Roderick McLeod (45 or over; born before 1766); 3 M under 10, 1 M 10-15; 3 F under 10,
1 F 10-15 (Jane?), 1 F (Wife?) 26-44 (born 1764-1786).
Norman McLeod (45 or over; born before 1766); etc. Roderick's brother? Norman did not move permanently to Tennessee, however in 1822 he does appear as a co-witness with Roderick McLeod in Stewart Co. TN on a land purchase by Christopher Buchanon. (Stewart. Deed Books April 1823–April 1826, December 1829–November 1832, Nov on FamilySearch)
Tennessee:
Alexander McLeod is a witness in Humphreys Co. TN in 1810 (reconstructed census-he is the only McLeod known to be in Tennessee before 1820)
1809 Stewart Co. TN military land grant to Alexander McLeod on Woolf Creek of Richland Creek
Angus McLeod is a witness in Stewart Co. on Sept 19, 1811 with Daniel Buchanan, son in law of John Graham. (Mary Ann McRae is the daughter-in-law of John Graham.) An Angus McLeod (b. 1762) is thought to be a possible brother of Roderick and Alexander McLeod.
Sept. 1814 Stewart Co. TN land purchase by Roderick McLeod
1820 Humphreys Co. TN: (Jane married ca. 1822 so was probably still living with her parents in 1820)
Roderick McLeod (45 or over; born before 1776) 1 M under 10, 2 M 10-15, 3 M 16-25 ; Wife: 45 or over;
born before 1776; 1 F under 10, 2 F 10-15, 1 F 16-25 (Jane?)
Alexander McLeod 45 or over; born before 1776; 1 M 10-15, 3 M 16-25; Wife: 26-44; born 1776-1794;
1 F 10-15, 1 F 16-25 (Jane?)
(A Solomon McCloud paid taxes in Humphreys Co. in the 1820s)
Finley Campbell (1775-ca.1828), brother of Catherine Campbell (wife of Faruqhar MacRae) moved to Humphreys Co. TN near Alexander and Roderick McLeod and appears on the 1820 census,
1830 Humphreys TN census Alexander McRae, age 30-39, no wife, 50-60 female, & two small girls, age 5-15 (Mary Ann & Elizabeth)
Commentary: It appears that Alexander and Roderick McLeod may have first come to Stewart Co. TN, then moved to neighboring Humpheys Co. by 1810. Alexander McLeod has granted land in Tennessee in 1809 and appears on Humphreys Co. tax records by 1810. Roderick appears on the Humphreys Co. tax records in 1814. Thus, Jane was probably brought to Tennessee as a child from Anson Co. NC., perhaps at the same time Finley Campbell also came to the area. Alex McRae might have also traveled to Tennessee prior to 1820, as his relative, John L. McRae, appears in the 1820 Dickson Co. TN census (which borders Humphreys Co.) with an unidentified male in his household of the right age to be Alex McRae. This would most cogently account for the relationship and marriage of Jane McLeod and Alex McRae in Humphreys Co. prior to the birth of their first child in 1823. Alexander McRae appears in the Benton Co. TN census in 1840 with an unidentified older female who may be his mother, Catherine Campbell, since her husband, Farquhar McRae, died in 1832 in North Carolina, and Catherine's whereabouts is otherwise unaccounted for after his death.
Conclusion: The evidence compellingly suggests that Alexander McLeod and Roderick McLeod of Humphreys Co. are the two most likely candidates to be the father of Jane McLeod, due to the evidence of the 1820 Humphreys Co. census (both show a female of Jane's age) and demonstrated family connections between the McLeods of Humphreys Co. TN/Anson Co. NC, and the family of Jane's husband, Alexander McRae, and his mother's brother, Finley Campbell. It is less certain whether Alexander and Roderick McLeod are brothers and sons of Duncan McRae who died at sea, but this remains a reasonable working hypothesis. That both Roderick and Alexander McLeod are both over 45 in the 1820 census also fits with Tom Sloan's birthdates for them of 1764 and 1762, respectively.
The last record of Alexander McLeod in Tennessee after the 1820 census is a 1839 land deed in Benton Co. TN. (The 1839 deed was reported by another researcher but I haven't been able to verify the documentation.) There is also a 1838 record of a 37-acre parcel of land in Haywood County, TN being sold to Alexander McLeod of Washington Co. MS, by Josiah Little of Haywood Co. TN, and it is land that Roderick McLeod had previously owned. (Deeds: Haywood. Deeds 1836–1838 on FamilySearch) The last record of middle Tennessee residence I have found for Roderick McLeod is an 1826 Humphreys Co. TN land transaction. There is also an Aug. 5, 1829 land grant to Roderick McLeod in Stewart Co. TN, however this is probably a younger Roderick since a "Roderick McLoud" appears in the 1830 Stewart Co. census in which the oldest person in the household is between 20-49 years of age. (This might be a son of Roderick Sr.?) Yet another Roderick McLeod, age 70-79, appears in the 1840 census in Haywood Co. in West Tennessee, along with a 60-70 year old female, presumably his wife. Since being age 70-79 in the 1840 census is consistent with a 1764 date of birth, we must consider the possibility that this could be our Roderick McLeod and his wife. The only evidence I have found that might to link the Roderick McLeod who lived in Humphreys Co. with the Roderick McLeod of Mississippi who had a further son named Alexander (b. 1809) and a younger wife named Nancy, and was buried in Yazoo, MS in 1844. That link is the 1838 land deed in Haywood Co. TN which stated that Roderick McLeod had previously owned this land and it was subsequently bought by Alexander McLeod, who lived in Washington Co. MS. (Washington Co. MS and Yazoo Co.MS are relatively close, about 80-90 miles, but Haywood Co. TN is about 300 miles from Washington Co. MS.)
On Ancestry.com, I show a number of DNA matches to various children of Duncan McLeod (who tend to conform to the birth list presented earlier from researcher, Tom Sloan), especially Duncan's daughter, Christian McLeod, who married Finlay "Phillip" McRae and Duncan's youngest son, Norman Calhoun McLeod of NC, who married Mary McRae, the daughter of Finlay "Phillip" McRae and Christian McLeod. Unfortunately, numerous endogamous marriages between the McLeod and McRae families render it difficult to assess the value of any McLeod DNA matches and distinguish them from McRae DNA matches. The Directory of Scots in the Carolinas 1680-1830 list shows a Roderick McLeod, age 69, in a household with a 60 year old named Margaret and a 28 year old named Nancy. (The year of the census isn't specified but the ones around it are for 1812.) If this is our Roderick McLeod then his first wife may be named Margaret.
More on Duncan McRae: According to the same research which has Duncan dying at sea and his son, Angus, going to Cuba, we are given further information on the McLeod family and their immigration from Scotland to North Carolina. The father, Duncan McLeod, was born in 1739 in Kintail, Ross-shire, Scotland. He had seven sons and two daughters with Margaret Black (1731-1805) between 1756 and 1789. (There is another Margaret Black who married James Felix McGuire and had many McGuire children during this same time period who shouldn't be confused with Margaret Black McLeod.) The names of Duncan and Margaret's children were: William, Angus, Alexander, Roderick, Christian, Mary, Norman, John (and James?). Duncan embarked from Glasgow in 1770 with his children, wife and sister, Jeanette; he died at sea and was buried in Wilmington, South Carolina at the age of 31. Duncan's parents are thought to be: John (Alexander) McLeod (born on October 18, 1717, in Glendale, Inverness-shire, Scotland), and Jane Hunter (1714-1770). John's parents are thought to be Alexander Samuel MacLeod (1690–1772) and Christina MacLennan (1690–1750) of Scotland. These earlier ancestors have not been proven, but are included for completeness.