The following information has been compiled over the years by members of my family. It has been typed, re-typed and now converted with OCR , it contains many grammar and spelling errors. I have corrected some of the grammar and spelling errors for easier reading but left most of it as written by the original authors. Dear Mrs. Fincher: I will tell you what I can about the McGough family. As you did not enclose the biographical sketch of George Lafayette McGough, I don't know whether it was of my father's brother or uncle. My Aunt Mary McGough Bray wrote a genealogy of my family for me before she died at the age of 88. As she was quite old when she wrote it, some details have been left out. The following is the genealogy of my father, Henry Dawson McGough, and his brother, George Lafayette McGough. Robert McGough came in a boat from Newry County Down, North Ireland. Died in 1778 in North Carolina. He came with father, mother, brothers, and sisters and other members and relatives, 40 in all. Landed in Charleston, South Carolina after four months voyage. John was only ten years old then. They fled from that country because of British oppression and settled in South Carolina. I think in Abbeville District. I know he came from Abbeville to Georgia. John was a soldier in the Revolutionary army. He served under General Gates and General Green. He married Elizabeth Carson. They lived in Wilkes County, now Green County, at White Plains, where they raised their family. He had eight children, the oldest Robert McGough (who was my father's grandfather). Robert was born in 1785. He married Sandal Cabanas in 1810. He served in the wars of 1812 and 1847. He first lived in Jones County, Ga., where John McGough was born. John was my father's father. Robert moved to Monroe County, Ga. and lived there until his death, in 1881 at the age of 96. I only know six names of Robert's children. They were Matilda, John, Mathew, William, Robert, and Lafayette. The other two aunts Mamie neglected to mention. John left home in Forsythe, Ga., in his early teens and came to Columbus, Ga., where he married Mary Elizabeth Dawson. They had nine children. In 1868, he moved to Glennville, Alabama, which is in Russell co., 30 miles south of Columbus. He was born in 1812 and died in 1888. Now, some more of Robert McGough's children may have left home at an early age as his sons John and Lafayette did. Lafayette also came to Columbus but never married. I know that two of my father's first cousins moved to Seattle, Washington after the "Gold Rush" and made a fortune. The last I heard about them, they had lost the fortune, but were still living on their big estate by the kindness of the city of Seattle, in appreciation of all they had done for the city in their better days. They were very old then, so I feel they have since passed on. Their father was one of Robert's children and another son either lived in Louisiana or had relatives there. I don't know where you can find all the names of Robert's children unless my cousin, Mrs. H. L. McGurk, Route S, Box 195, Fort Worth, Texas can give them to you. She is my Aunt Mary McGough Bray's daughter. We pronounce our name "McGoo", there is a family who lives in Birmingham now and could have come from Selma who pronounces theirs as in "cough". They have a large bakery in Birmingham. My brother knows him and he feels we must be related even though the name is pronounced differently. If I can be of any further help to you, please let me know. I would love to have a copy of the biographical sketch of George Lafayette McGough. I am so sorry there was no mention of a James McGough in Aunt Mamie's genealogy but as I said some details are missing. I would be most interested to hear what you find out. The G. L. McGough who was my father's brother never married either. Sincerely, Betty McGough Brady MCGOUGH FAMILY, RESEARCH OBTAINED FROM REV. E. M. SHARP, RETIRED METHODIST PASTOR OF FIRST METHODIST CHURCH ABERDEEN, MISS. 1945 The McGough's definitely came from County Down, Norah Ireland 1771. What their histories prior to coming to America are not known. The family had long settled in County Down in villages along the base of the mountains. This information comes from a very old lady by the name of Mrs. Bridgett McCoy with whom I corresponded in 1950. Her home at the time was Dorsey Mullagrass, Culluhany Post Office, County Armagh, Ireland. She had lived for many years in the area of County Down in which the McGough’s had lived. She states; "I know there was an old race of people named McGough and other people who left Ireland near 200 years ago. Some of them worked in England and their home in Ireland was along the mountains close to Newry. There are some of the descendants still there, but I am the nearest friend, none of the young people seem to know anything about these older people. Our oldest ancestor was Robert McGough; Sr. who with his wife who is traditionally called Matilda Carson McGough, left County Down in company with 40 others, neighbors and kinsmen by the name of Carson and McDowell. They sailed from the seaport of Newry on their way to Charleston, South Carolina. It was the year of 1771. After a stormy voyage that is said to have lasted three months, they finally landed at Charleston, more dead than alive. Some of this information comes from William Nelson, a grandson of John McGough who had lived with his grandfather and had heard him tell of his experiences many times. John McGough was of Green County, Georgia. In 1895, in William Nelson's old age he wrote a letter to a cousin of his describing what his grandfather had told him. He said in part: "You asked me to give you information concerning Grandfather John McGough. He was born in Ireland and came over to America with his father, mother, brothers, and sisters and other family relations, the Carson’s and McDowell's, 40 of them came over in the same ship and landed at Charleston, South Carolina after close to 4 months voyage. Grandfather was only 10 years old then. They fled from Ireland because of British oppression and settled in South Carolina, I think it was in Abbeville District. I know he came from Abbeville to Georgia." Some of the Carson families do seem to have settled first in Abbeville District, South Carolina. One set of them was in what is now Edgefield County, South Carolina. Another family, that of Thomas Carson went on to Wilkes County, Georgia where Thomas died in 1790 leaving a will. It was the grand daughter of Thomas that became the wife of the above John McGough. The McDowell's settled also in Wilkes County as there were McDowell's closely related to the Carson’s and with whom the McGough's seem to have had close relations with. Robert McGough, Sr. however for some reason now unknown to us, pushed his way up into Mecklenburg County, North Carolina where he purchased a tract of land in the Providence Presbyterian Church community, about 10 miles south of Charlotte. There he purchased land from Patrick Jack on Oct. 24,1773. The following deed is on record at Charlotte, N. C. October 24,1773, Patrick Jack of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, and Robert McGough of the same county and Providence, for 60 pounds Proclamation money, conveys a tract of land on both sides of McCalpanes Creek, joining Robert Elliott and Samuel Jack and being where on Patrick Jack now dwells. Containing 150 acres. Witnesses: James Tate Samuel Jack Edward Sharp Patrick Jack This was about the time of the Declaration of Independence, it will be remembered and America from the time of Robert McGough's landing was at war with Great Britain. There was no area in the whole south that was more of a hot bed of rebellion than Meclenburg County and surrounding area. It was at Charlotte that the famous Declaration of Independence was signed before the more famous one was signed in Philadelphia on July the 4th. The first settlers of the Mecklenburg area were almost 100 percent Scotch Irish Presbyterians and strongly opposed to Great Britain. The McGough’s were apparently right at home in the midst. When the Revolutionary War broke out, John McGough, the oldest of three sons of Robert McGough, Sr. enlisted in the Militia and fought first in Pennsylvania and New York and later in the war in South Carolina. During the war, Robert McGough, SR, the father, died in 1778 and left his will, which is recorded at Charlotte. He named his son John, as executor of the will and it was not executed until peace was assured. The will is as follows: I, Robert McGough of North Carolina, Mecklenburg County, being in perfect memory though weak in body, do make this my last will and testament, as follows: I will, and positively order all my lawful debts to be paid, I give to my dear wife for the term of her widowhood this house where I now dwell and 50 acres of land including the improvements and said house and after her death, or marriage, to my sons John and Robert with my other land adjoining said improvements. I will and positively order the rest of my estate shall be equally divided among the rest of my children that is not provided for, to wit: John, Isabella, Robert, William, and Sarah as they come of age, or as my executors shall see proper. I do likewise give and bequeath to my daughter, Mary Sharp, 12 pounds, which her husband John Sharp is indebted to me by promise. I do constitute my kind and loving wife executor and my kind and loving son-in-law John Sharp and John Jack executors of this my last will and testament, in witness where of I have here unto set my hand and seal this 29th day of October 1778. Witnesses: Signed: John McGough Robert McGough John Jack Concerning the people named in the above will of Robert McGough Sr.: Edward Sharp who signed the deed from Patrick Jack to Robert McGough in 1773 was the father of John Sharp who married Mary McGough, oldest child of Robert and Matilda McGough. Edward Sharp is also the ancestor of E. M. Sharp, the writer of these pages. It was through efforts to trace the Sharp family in Mecklenburg that discovered the McGough records there. No mention of the McGough's having lived in Mecklenburg came down from the family of John McGough of Georgia, who is also the ancestor of E. M. Sharp. The Jack family is one well known and traced, but there does not appear to have been any kinship between the Jacks and McGough's. The Jack family had settled in Mecklenburg at an earlier date than the McGough's and had come down from Pennsylvania. Patrick Jack was owner and operator of a noted tavern in Charlotte in the pre4evolutionary days and through the war as well. Descendants of the Jack family moved to Wilkes County, Georgia and lived in Green County also where they continued to be near the McGough's, but there seems to have been no kinship. edited 5-12-2000 ............... eventually they became related. One of my Mother's ancestors on her Mother's (Wiley) side of the family was John Jack of Mecklenburg and, later, Wilkes County. He has been identified both as Patrick Jack's brother and his cousin. I think he was Patrick's cousin, as I found a John Jack in Pennsylvania who stayed there who was identified as Patrick Jack's brother. John's daughter, Ann Jack, married Moses Wiley. They were my Grandmother's grandparents. I have never found out who my John Jack's parents were or their relationship to Patrick Jack. Moses Wiley was drowned in South Carolina. One of his sons was in business in Milledgeville, Georgia before moving to Macon, Georgia, which is the first place I've found his brother, my ancestor, Dr. John B. Wiley, and another brother, Laird Harris Wiley, living.  Carole Scott  4-25-2000 The Elliott family, neighbors of the McGough's, were also neighbors of the Sharps, so the three families were closely associated in the neighborly way. It is very likely that Mary McGough and John ~ were married about 1775. Mary McGough seems to have died around 1778, for early in ~ John Sharp married Eleanor Cunningham, daughter of Roger and Mary Cunningham, also of Mcalpine Creek, Providence Community. James Sharp, a brother of John Sharp, married Margaret Cunningham a sister of Eleanor. James and Margaret Sharp who later moved to Green County, Georgia are ancestors of E. M. Sharp. After the Revolutionary War, the McGough sons, John, Robert, and William all went to Abbeville District, South Carolina and eventually over into what is now Green County, Georgia. John McGough married Elizabeth Carson in Abbevile District in 1782. Robert McGough, Jr. is said to have married a Miss McWhorter of the same county. By 1785, the McGough brothers were obtaining land by grant located in Green County, Georgia. This land was still raw frontier and they were subject to Indian trouble. From time to time, they fled back to the more settled sections of Abbeville District, South Carolina. According to the provisions of the will of Robert McGough, Sr., the whole of the land would go to the two sons, John and Robert. At sometime between 1778 and 1786, John deeded his portion of this land to his brother, Robert. In the year of 1786, Robert sold the entire tract of land. Indicating the mother had probably died or was moving with her sons to South Carolina or Georgia. The following deed of record in Charlotte speaks for itself: December 13, 1786 and the 10th year of American Independence. Robert McGough, Jr. of the state of Georgia, Green County, conveys to William Smith of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina for 80 pounds, that tract of land left to him in his father's Will, Robert McGough, SR, and part by deed from brother, John McGough, on both sides of Mcalpine Creek joining Robert Elliott, and Samuel Jacks land, etc. Witnesses: Josiah Harrison Samuel Benham Robert McGough, Jr. William Cravens Copyright © EDWARD MCGOUGH 2017

McGough - Tarno   FAMILY HISTORY AND GENEALOGY