Millikin-McHago

Perhaps today's blog is not much more than an opportunity to print the above portion of an early 19th Century map of County Antrim, but it is the portion which has some small significance for the history of our clan. It was sent to me by a correspondent who believes he is descended from the marriage on 20 May 1713 of James Millikin and Helen McHago in Carnmoney Presbyterian Church. So of special interest is the name on the map of Millikinhill near Ballyclare which we may presume was named for the Millikin-McHago family who stayed in the area and farmed there. I have explained in earlier blogs why I think the name McHago is a variant of either McIlhago or McElhago, a very early clan name.

We do not know the name of Helen's parents, though it is possible that we may know that of a sibling or cousin. Helen was probably born in 1692 and a James McHago about 1699. They may both have been born in Ayrshire, Scotland. James was probably from Dalmellington and on 1 May 1745 married a Jean Booll in nearby Kells, Kirkcudbright. It is from James that the version of our clan name, McHago (or McHaggo) could have descnded. We have no certain vital record until the birth of another James, a hundred years later in Ireland, though we can find a Samuel born about 1750 who could be of the same line. We know of him because he witnessed a Quaker Will in New York City on 18 Sep 1777 (proved 18 April 1780). The reference to this can be found on the olivetreegenealogy website.

The Millikin line is a very interesting one, including another Samuel who was killed at the Battle of Antrim Hill in 1798 when he was a member of the Society of United Irishmen. It is interesting to speculate whether he might have fought alongside Andrew McIlhagga from Island Magee, the only one member of our clan known to have been also a member of the United Irishmen. The Millikin line is much more complete than that of McHago, though the McHago line probably does continue through two offspring of James and Margaret who were I think the parents of Ellen (b. 1827) who married Charles Johnson in Virginia, and John (b. 1828) who married Ann Rieley in Virginia (7 Sep 1850).

We know of a further five McHagos, all of whom could have been the offspring of John and Ann, namely Ellen (b. 1850) who married the German C. Frederick Augustine and had a son James on 13 Feb 1877 in Wisconsin, Tom born 1853 in New Jersey, Kate born about 1855 who married Frank Ladham and had a son Thomas (b. 27. Dec) in Vermont, also in 1877, Edward born 1859 and ?Baba in 1865. A 'final' McHago, Michael, appears a generation later on an 1892 Passenger List out of the United Kingdom.