The McKagues are believed to have originally come from Islands of Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides, or in another version from Skye in the Inner Hebrides, and to have later moved to Ireland. One tradition is that the McKagues were on the losing side of the Rebellion of 1745 in Scotland. There were some McKagues of various spellings in colonial America as early as 1746.
Three families of McKagues are known to have come to Canada at about the same time. First are the McKagues from County Cavan, Ireland (the McKagues in this tree). The family of Andrew McKague from County Armagh, Ireland moved to Durham County, Ontario in the 1830s and later to Bruce County, Ontario. Another family of McKagues from County Monaghan, Ireland moved to York County, Ontario in the 19th century.
It is believed that most people in Ontario with the name McKague are descended either from the Bruce County family or the McKagues of Cherry Hill. It is unknown if these families that came from adjacent counties in Ireland were related to each other. |