William McGehee, of Ardchoille

It would seem that the idea that William Mackgahe born 1618 was a Macgregor is a legend or theory, but has been found to be false. He has therefore been detached from Patrick MacGregor and Marion MacDonald.

"At a Court held for Yorke County 17 November 1658. William Magahee aged about 40 years saith That hee see ye said Browne bring away the cannoe from ye Landing of Mr. Hawthorne & was goeing downe ye Creeke & Mr. Hawthorne calling after him hee put hir in at Francis Spurriers landing & there left hir & further saith not." sign William # Magahee

Arrived in Virginia by 1653; was listed in that year as a headright on a grant of 1,000 acres to William Hoccaday of York County, VA. "Headright" means that his passage to the colony was paid by Hoccaday, who as a result received a set amount additional acres on his land grant for each such immigrant. Most persons who immigrated in this manner repaid their fare by indentured servitude.

In 1658 William MackGahye testified in a court case in York County, giving his age as "about forty."

There is no certain information about William's marriage if any, nor conclusively identifying him as the father of Thomas and William MackGehee (q.v.), but the proximity in time, place, and surname are highly persuasive. ________________ Mary Queen of Scots succeeded to the throne as an infant in 1542, but until her majority the kingdom was ruled by regents of varying worth. When Mary finally arrived from France, she -- a Catholic -- initially accepted the Protestant government but then married the Catholic Lord Darnley. Later Darnley was murdered, and Mary married the Earl of Bothwell. The Scottish nobles turned on her and she abdicated in 1567 and fled to England. There her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, imprisoned her. When English Catholics plotted to replace the Protestant Elizabeth with Mary, Elizabeth had Mary beheaded in 1587 for treason. Mary's son, James, became Scotland's King James VI upon Mary's abdication, and when Elizabeth realized she would die childless (among her nicknames was "the Virgin Queen" -- Virginia was named in her honor) she designated James her heir. Upon Elizabeth 's death in 1603 James became King James I of England and Scotland. It was during 1603 that James, as King of Scotland, issued the Act of Proscription against the MacGregors. This is also the year, according to your FTM info, that Patrick MacGregor of Glenstrae was born. In 1640 James' son Charles I was beset by the Puritan "roundheads" led by Oliver Cromwell in the English Civil War. The roundheads (so named for their unfashionably short hair) defeated the King in 1645, but Charles escaped, made an alliance with royalist Scottish nobles, and renewed the war in 1648. He was again defeated (the roundheads' Scottish allies were known as Covenanters) and was beheaded in 1649. It's possible the English Civil War could have embroiled William Mackgahye, but not Thomas, who was born during it. William, if he was a royalist, might have fled Scotland to avoid execution, or been transported as being too lowly to need hanging (though being transported might have complicated his obtaining land...). After the monarchy was restored in 1660 with the coronation of Charles.

MacGregor clan defeated and property confiscated by Cromwell. To avoid prosecution, it is believed that James changed his name to William MackGahye and moved to the VA colony in 1653.