McKeough

The earliest known record of these McKeough’s in North America is the enlistment of Timothy McKeough with the 2^nd Regiment of Connecticut on March 28, 1757 coincidental with the enlistment of fellow Irishman Timothy Hierlihy, beginning a lifelong friendship. Timothy Hierlihy is regarded by many as the founder of Antigonish. Sergeant Timothy McKeough appears on the payroll of subsequent campaigns in the 1760’s under the command of Colonel Timothy Hierlihy. Following the concessions from Spain after the Seven Years War, Colonel Hierlihy was granted 3,000 acres of land by the British Crown in 1776 at Port Manchee on the Mississippi River. Before Colonel Hierlihy could take possession of this land, the United States War of Independence broke out and Colonel Hierlihy was again pressed into service. Ownership of this land on the Mississippi River transferred to John McKeough, a brother of Timothy, who developed a very prosperous plantation near what is today known as Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

This John McKeough, a devout Roman Catholic, died on October 30, 1803 at Bayou Manchac, Louisiana leaving generous bequests to cripples, unfortunates and charitable causes. His last will and testament provides the most definitive account of the relationship between the early McKeough settlors in Nova Scotia. He gave and bequeath unto nephew John McKeough, son of Daniel McKeough, the sum of three hundred dollars. He gave and bequeath the residue and remainder of his estate to his dearly beloved brother Timothy McKeough and to his son John McKeough, both of Nova Scotia.`

Timothy McKeough married Abigail Brown at Christ Church, Middletown  on May 29,1758.  Eight children were born to this couple including John who was born   in 1767. This John McKeough married Ruth Godfrey in 1799 and died in Guysborough in 1838

Following the United States War of Independence, the McKeough’s like many other loyalists felt unwelcome in their homeland. John McKeough and his uncle Timothy McKeough came to the Town Point area of Antigonish around  1789 and they were granted land in Lakeville by King George III. This land transaction was facilitated by their good friend Colonel Timothy Hierlihy.

John married Isabel MacDonald, daughter of Donald, who was from Arisaig, around 1795 in Morristown, Antigonish.  John made the move to Little Tracadie (now Linwood) in 1799 to occupy 550 acres of land acquired from Claude and Jean-Baptiste Coste, Among other reasons for this move, there was a Catholic priest serving Tracadie and surrounding area. It seems his father John Timothy followed his son John to Little Tracadie and the Morristown land was sold to Isabella’s father, Allan MacDonald.

John and Isabel had eight children all born in Linwood except for their oldest daughter, Catherine. These McKeough’s are the progenitors of virtually all of the McKeough’s who originate in Antigonish County. John McKeough died February 16^th, 1825 in Linwood. He has a headstone on the Crispo land in Havre Boucher on a site formerly occupied by St. Mary’s Chapel. It reads “In memory of John McKeough who departed this life Feb 16, 1825 aged 64. He was born in Middletown, Conn.”