A gentleman who resides in Prince Edwards Island, in the Dominion of Canada, recently inquired concerning the Scottish settlers 
in this region, their names, places of residence in Scotland, etc., and I have thought a reply to my Scotch friend in Canada might 
interest the general readers of your paper. To enumerate all the persons whom I recollect as coming from Scotland would make my letter 
too long, and I will only mention a few.
	Neill McNeill came from Jura some time before 1800. He had a guardian the Duke or Argyle, to whom he was related, and becoming 
dissatisfied, came to Cumberland county and located there. He died, I think, in 1856. John McDonald (carpenter) came from Skye and 
settled in Moore county, and subsequently in Cumberland county, where he died at a great age. He was for thirty-five years the 
Superintendant of Rockfish Sunday School in Cumberland.  Sandy (Alexander) and George Campbell came from Islay in the early part of 
the present century, as did Alexander McArthur, now living north of Fayetteville. My grandfather, Wm. McMillan, came from the vicinity 
of Edinboro. He came to America after the battle of Culloden, perhaps later than 1750, and located near Elizabethtown, in Bladen county.-
Many of the McMillans located there with Clarks, Buie's, Bulletines and many others. The original colony settled in Bladen at the 
solicitation of Governor Gabriel Johnston, who was a native of Scotland, and who built a palace four miles north of Elizabethtown, on 
the Cape Fear.  Many Scotch people came to this region before Culloden was lost, perhaps as early as 1714, as that date was recently 
found in an old building on Person Street in Fayetteville. Alexander Graham came from Jura in the year 1781. He came during the close 
of the American War of Independence, and arrived at Charleston on the 19th day of April, and settled soon afterwards west of Fayetteville.
	My Canadian friend makes allusion to Alexander Holm who went to Cross Creek during the last century. If this name is the same the 
Holmes family East of Fayetteville is descended therefrom.
	A large  number of the early immigrants came from various localities in Argyleshire. James Black and brothers, Archibald and Neill, 
came from Jura after the battle of Culloden, and settled in Cumberland county. Duncan Sinclair and family came from Talbert, in Kintyre, 
in 1804, and settled in Robeson.
	It has been noticed that few places bear Scotch names, Campbellton (so named after Campbellton in Scotlant), Cameron's Hill, and a 
few other places being exceptions. It is remarkable that the fugitives from Culloden named for the Duke of Cumberland, who treated the 
Highlanders with inhuman cruelty after the battle of Culloden.
	Among the early settlers was Roderick McRae, who came from Inverness-shire, and located in the county of Chatham, on Deep River. He 
married a Miss Burke, who made an effort to effect the release of Gov. Burke, in 1781, while he was being carried a prisoner to Wilmington, 
by Col. David Fanning. Roderick McRae subsequently lived in Cumberland. His son Colin McRae, died in 1865 at the great age of 95 years. 
Among the grandsons were General Alexander McRae and Col. John McRae, who were prominent citizens of Wilmington. General Wm. McRae, Major 
Henry C. McRae, Major Robert Burns McRae, of the Confederate Army, Lieut. Archibald McRae, of the U.S. Navy, were prominent among the great 
grandsons of Roderick McRae.
	Jura, Islay, Kentyre and Skye furnished most of the early settlers here. I knew many who came from the Lowlands. One of my neighbors 
long ago was a Mrs. Mary McArn, who came from the town of Ayr; she knew the poet Burns and was intimatedly acquainted with Gilbert Burns, 
the brother of the poet. Mrs. McArn was a woman of literary taste and lived to a good old age, and finally went to reside in Georgetown, 
S.C., with an only son, living there.
	One by one the old Scotch people are passing away and the rising generation know little and cares but little, I fear, whether their 
ancestors came from Scotland or England. This fact is to be regretted.
	All my early acquaintances in Fayetteville have passed away-and but few remain that lived there in my young days. Angus Finalyson, 
who lived about 20 miles West of Fayetteville, lived over 102 years. James Monk, who lived and died in Moore county, lived over 100 years, 
according to record obtained from the parish register in Scotland. Rev. John McIntyre died in Robeson at the age of 102 years. He was a 
native of Scotland and became a minister after reaching that which is considered old age with most of men.

 Return to McRae Cemetery
 What's New in Cumberland
 Cumberland County Homepage

©Copyright June 27, 2016
Last up-dated August 31, 2022