Other Events and Attributes:

• Immigratn: Abt 1743
• Residence: 3 Sep 1767, Paxton, Worcester, MA
• Note: Abt 1771, Charlemont, Franklin, MA

Notes:

Immigratn:
"James MacKennan appears to have been the American ancestor of the Northern branch of the Kennan family. Little is known of him, except that he married at Rutland, Mass., May 25, 1744, Margaret Smith, of the town of Holden. The Kennans were all of Scotch descent, and were Protestants, and some of them, or perhaps most of them, were driven out of Scotland with thousands of others by religious persecution, and fled into the North of Ireland where many Scotch refugees located, mostly in the province of Ulster. This class of Scotch emigrants filled up that province after it had been emptied of its half barbarous native inhabitants. They there founded Londonderry, which soon became famous as the home of Scotch Presbyterians. A century later more than three thousand of the decendants of those refugees emigrated to America. The first boat landed at Boston on the 4th of August, 1718. Many of them located in Worcester County.."

Residence:
The town of Paxton was set off from Rutland on this date.

Note:
The James Kennon family moved to Charlemont, MA where they owned a farm of 51 acres, the southern border being formed by the Deerfield River.

James married Margaret SMITH on 31 May 1744 in Holden, Worcester, MA. Margaret (daughter of James SMITH and Margaret UNKNOWN) was born about 1717 in SCOTLAND. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Land: 13 Apr 1781, Charlemont, Franklin, MA
• Land: 5 Apr 1785

Notes:

Land:
Margaret Kennan (widow) and Andrew Kennan, yeoman, convey, in consideration of 400 Pounds Sterling to George Kennan, Gentleman, 158 acres of land on the bank of Deerfield River, Charlemot.

Land:
George Kennan, of Charlemont, Gentleman, in consideration of 100 Pounds Sterling, conveys to Margaret Kennan, of Charlemont, certain lands therein described and the deed recites that "said Margaret takes this for her third in a certain farm formerly owned by James Kennan, "my honored father" and Warren Booth.

Notes:

Married:
Apr. 13, 1744, James McKennan of Rutland entered his intention of marriage with Margaret Smith of Holden.

May 25th 1744, Then gave certificate that J. McKennan and Margaret Smith have been published in order to marriage as the law directs.

May 31, 1744 Arrangements had to be made for a 2nd preacher as the 1st was killed by Nipmuc Indians

Note: Thomas Lathrop Kennan in his book "Genealogy of the Kennan Family" states that James and Margaret had 4 sons and 4 daughters, all of whom eventually married and yet lists nine children (6 sons and 3 daughters).

Other Events and Attributes:

• Immigratn: Abt 1718, Ulster, IRELAND

James married Margaret UNKNOWN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Immigratn: Abt 1718, Ulster, IRELAND

Notes:

Birth:
The "lawful son and heir" of James Kennan was one John of that name. He was born, we must assume, somewhere around 1670. He, too, seems to have had a prominent place in the Dumfries community, occupying at some point the position of bailie. And he seems to have had a number of sons, the first of whom, another James, dutifully named after his grandfather, was born in 1693, the remaining births stringing along until 1709. Is it permissible to suspect that this second James was the father of a third one who, born somewhere around the years 1715-1720, emigrated to New England and became the first of the American Kennans?"