Annie Willson Bonner‘s mother was Catherine McKinlay—she descended from Finlay McKinlay, a Scot who lived in the early 1600s. Finlay had 4 sons who started a farm called the Anie in Callendar parish in northern Scotland. These photos show some of the original walls from our ancestral farmhouse that are still standing almost 400 years later.
Parts of the original structure Photos by Kathryn Parchelo
400 year old walls from the original farmhouse
A grandson of Finlay, John McKinlay (1679-1732), had 3 sons. We are descended from his first son, also named John. The third son, James the Trooper, went to Ireland with the army of King William III, and remained there. His descendants eventually came to America, and include the 25th President of the United States, James McKinley, to whom we are related.
Our McKinlay ancestors remained on the Anie until Duncan McKinlay immigrated to Canada with his brother Ewen in the 1830s.
Catharine McKinlay was born in Ridgetown in 1846, and married Daniel Gilman Willson in 1869.
In a chapel near the Anie, St. Bride’s Chapel, several McKinlay’s are interred.
Callander Scotland
Burial site of several McKinlay’s
This is a map showing the stones over the respective graves, followed by a list of the individuals interred, from local records:
“Callander – St Bride’s Chapel
National Grid Reference NN 585099. On west side of road just south of Loch Lubnaig
Sketch plan indicating position of the stones.
1 (Upright stone) Jas McKinlay tacksman Inverchagernie 4.2.1825 aged 65, erected by his wife Elenora Cameron, Also his son Peter 4.6:1828 31 (west side of stone bears a gaelic inscription)
2 (Flat Stone) John McKinlay 13.8.1732 aged 52, Eliz Ferguson; 1750
3 Flat Stone) 1766 J Mc C W; Jas McKinlay, His wife Chr Wright, His son John 2.1.1765 13 months
4 (Flat Stone) J Mc : _(-789), (J Mc) John McKinlay in Ardullary 20.9.1711 – 4.1789 aged 78
The site of this chapel is in Callandar parish
For other McKinlays farmers in Anie (a farm close to the burial ground, across the road) see no 76 p 105 ante (Peter) and testaments.p 92 ante (Donald, Finlay & John, 1680, 1662 & 1656).
The Stirling Antiguary iii 1904, article by Robt McLaren, says four sons of a Finlay McKinlay settled at Annie, of whom a grandson John in Annie born circa 1645 had three sons:
- Donald born 1669
- James “the trooper”
- John born 1679.
- “The trooper” went to Ireland then to America and was an ancestor of president McKinley
- John born 1679 died 1732 and is referred to in inscription 2 above
- His descendant John who died in 1812 was the last McKinley in Annie
- Catherine, daughter of the last John, was wife of Robert McLaren, the next tenant of Annie
- Catherine’s mother, four brothers and two sisters emigrated to the USA, where their descendants were still scattered about in 1904.
- Five of Robert McLaren’s sons went to America – one a farmer in Michigan, the others farmers in Ontario.”
The lineage from John McKinlay born 1679 to the Willson family follows:
John McKinlay (1679-1732) m. Elizabeth Ferguson (?-1750)
Their son John McKinlay (1720-1812) m. Katherine Buchanan (1724-1809) on 25 Feb 1747 in Callander, Scotland
Their son James McKinlay (1756-1825) m. Elenora Cameron (1768-1859) on 19 Aug 1792 in Fortingall, Perth, Scotland
Their son Duncan McKinlay (1799-1882) m. Anne Leslie McLean (1815-1882) on 9 Oct 1839 in Kent, Ontario, Canada. Duncan had emigrated from Scotland to Canada in the early 1830’s.
Their daughter Catharine McKinlay (1846-1923) m. Daniel Gilman Willson (1841-1909) on 3 Nov 1869 in Kent, Ontario, Canada
Follow to the biography of Daniel Gilman Willson for the lineage from this point.
© 2013 W. Mullins
Photos show the present-day farmhouse built by the walls of the original structure:
Photos by Kathryn Parchelo