John McKamey was born at Ramelton, County Donegal, (North) Ireland, in 1665. His father was Robert McKamey, a highland Scot, who immigrated to Ireland from the land of Clan Fraser near Inverness. One of John's brothers was Frances Makemie known as the "Father of Presbyterian in America". Another brother was Robert McKemie II. John's wife was Margaret.
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James McKemy
ca. 1715 -1793

Married Anne Wiley, no other information
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David McKamey
born ca. 1751

Though to be correct, no other information

William H. McCamy
ca. 1777 - April 26, 1835

William H. McCamy was born in Virginia and came to Blount county, TN before 1800. It was this William who changed the spelling of the name to McCamy to distinguish himself from the many William McKameys and William McKemys of Augusta and Rockbridge counties, Virginia. His wife was Mary "Polly" Chandler (1781 - June 22, 1840), the daughter of Timothy and Hetty Jane Chandler of Boyd's creek, Sevier county TN. Timothy Chandler was a veteran of the Battle of King's mountain. He and Hetty Jane Chandler are buried at Boyd's Creek Cemetery. William and Polly Chandler McCamy are buried at Logan's Chapel Cemetery at Wildwood in Blount county, TN.

William and Polly had a farm at McCamy's Ford on the Little River in Blount county, TN where they had an inn and stockyard. They had nine children. One of the children, Mary, was burned to death as a child.
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Robert McCamy
February 23, 1808 - June 28, 1871

Robert McCamy was born at McCamy's Ford on Little River in Blount county, TN, February 23 1808. He died in Murray county, GA June 28, 1871. He and his wife are buried in Summerour Chapel Cemetery, near Crandall in Murray county, GA.

Robert McCamy was the third child and third son.

Robert married Martha "Patsy" Julian (January 23, 1807 - October 12, 1880) on March 29, 1827, his brother James Toomey McCamy married Patsy's sister, Sarah. Patsy and Sarah were the twin daughters of George and Rebecca (McKenny) Julian, who had come with their family to Blount county from Rutherford county, NC. George and Rebecca died within weeks of each other with a malady known then as "black tongue"; they are buried in Logan's Chapel cemetery at Wildwood.

Robert McCamy was a large man, seven feet tall, 350 pounds, and he wore a size seventeen shoe. His wife Patsy weighted but 90 pounds. "Robert was afraid of nothing or no one but little Patsy.".

In 1840, after the Cherokee Indians were removed, Robert McCamy and his family moved to former Cherokee lands in Murray county, GA. Robert became Clerk of Court (1848 - 1856 - Source: Murray County Heritage) and his son William Campbell McCamy became Assistant Clerk of Court in Murray county. (Robert McCamy is counted as living in Murray County in the 1840 census records - Source: Murray County Heritage) Note: This farm was in an area known as Fairy and remained in the family until about 1950.

In the 1850 Slave Schedule Robert McCamy is listed as having 6 slaves in the 1860 schedule he is listed as having 7 slaves - Source: Murray County Heritage

Robert was one of the educated men in the new county and was considered a paragon of wisdom by his more rustic neighbors. Many times several of his neighbors would ride up to the house (known as "Sumac") to have "Squire" help to arbitrate a dispute. He would say "Light" (alright), and they would often stay up all night in deliberation. The house "Sumac" was later destroyed to make way for the railroad.

As the Civil War approached, there were considerable difficulties and dangers living in Blount County. It was during these troublesome times that Robert's brother James McCamy and his wife Sarah, Patsy's sister came also to live in Murray County. Another brother, William "Arkansas Bill" McCamy, who had ridden with Sam Houston, and his second wife, Ann Julian McCamy a niece of Patsy and Sarah, eventually came to settle down in Murray County. The three brothers and Jame's wife Sarah are buried at Summerour Chapel Cemetery.

Robert and Martha "Patsy" Julian McCamy had eight children
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William Campbell McCamy
April 21, 1830 - ?

He married Ann Rushton (June 1854), was a banker in Philadelphia, PA and died there. He and Ann had at least two children.
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Mary Jane "Mollie" McCamy
May 30, 1837 - October 22, 1916

Mollie married her teacher, Joseph Henry "Howard" Parker (January 10, 1835 - October 22, 1916) on October 30, 1856. Howard was a graduate of the famed Parkertown Academy and had been recruited by Mollie's father, Robert McCamy and other prominent citizens of Murray County to operate a school for their children. Mollie and Howard had four children.They later moved to Atlanta where they died and are buried in West view Cemetery in Atlanta.(Note: did they both die on the same day or is this an error?)

A grandson Robert Shumate Parker (August 23, 1884 - March 28, 1941) became president of the Federal Reserve Bank, 6th District, Atlanta
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Robert Julian "Col. Bob" McCamy
January 7, 1840 - August 26, 1908

Col. Bob married Louise Chandler of Villa Rica, GA (Note: penciled in on copy "married Dinah Chandler") Col. Bob and Louise lived in Dalton, GA and are buried in West Hill Cemetery. They had six children.
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Samuel Bailey McCamy
October 18 1842 - May 13, 1904

Married Cate Lucas Carter on October 29, 1868. He died at Lindale, GA and is buried at West H ill Cemetery, DAlton, GA. Samuel and Cate McCamy had eleven children. A great grandson is Federal Judge Howell Webster Melton (born December 15, 1923)
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George Alexander McCamy
September 9, 1845 - ca 1865

Died from measles on the way home from the Civil Was. Two nieces were given the middle name George in his honor.
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Rebecca Elizabeth McCamy
July 21, 1848

She was the youngest daughter of Robert and Patsy McCAmy. She married Nelson Harris Wright on September 4, 1869. He was postmaster in the Crandall area for many years. Nelson and Rebecca had six children. She is buried in Summerour Cemetery. For more on her family and children    Click Here.

Franklin "Frank" Welborn McCamy
December 19, 1852 - December 22, 1927

The youngest child of Robert and Patsy McCamy. He married Susan Claudia Griffin on November 8, 1874.They are buried at Summerour Cemetery. They had ten children, Note: the remaining portion of info on Frank and Susan was not included in Malcolm Turners write-up but is from family history. Both families were living in Murray County, GA. at the time of the marriage. There were six girls and four boys, one son died at birth, another son, Frank died when he was about 4 years old, the others lived long lives. We know that in 1890, when Frances was born, they were living in the Peachtree Community in Cherokee County, NC. At this time, the McCamy's had five daughters (Roberta was born later) and schools were poor to nonexistent in this part of NC. In 1886, the Methodist Church had founded Young-Harris College at Young-Harris, GA some twenty or so miles away (probably a very hard days travel over the roads at the time) and at the end of 1890, Frank, Susan and their family moved to Young-Harris so the girls could get an education. Five of the six girls graduated, Mae had some eye problems and did not graduate. Frank, Susan daughters Frances ("Tod") and Roberta were listed in the 1910 census records as living in Polk County, TN on the farm and in the house where Harry Rymer lives in 2010. Frank and and Susan's son John, who never married, built a house for his parents and himself on a small parcel on the northern boundary of the McCamy farm in Murray County, GA. Retiring from farming, Farnk and Susan sold the farm in Polk County, TN to Robert (Bob) and Lena Erwin (their oldest daughter) and moved to Murray County, GA sometime after 1912 and before 1928. Susan lived to be in her nineties and is buried beside Frank at Summerour Cemetery.
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John Julian McCamy
September 22, 1880 - February 28, 1929

Info from verbal family history:
Buried old Summerours cemetery, Crandall GA. John was a businessman, he never married. Some of the companies we believe he was involved in founding are: Kentucky Mine Supply Company, Jellico Grocery Company and Moore-Rogan Dry Goods Company. There may have been others. John was injured when an elevator in which he was riding fell and was in a wheelchair until his death. He built a home for himself and his parents at the northern end of the family farm in Murray County where he, his mother and Aunt Mae were living when he died.

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Howard Augustus McCamy
February 15, 1878 - December 19, 1944

Info from verbal family history:
Howard married Emily Bandy in June, 1905. They had two daughters. Howard spent most of his working life in Middlesboro, KY where he was president of the Citizens Bank, he later owned and managed the Moore-Rogan Dry Goods Company. He also owned the Family farm in Murray County, GA which he lost during the depression. He is buried Middlesboro, KY cemetery
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Lena Leotie McCamy Erwin
1875 - April 8, 1968

Info from verbal family history:
Married. Robert T. Erwin “Bob” around 1900 (exact date not known). Lena and Bob had four children; Julian, Robert Jr, Claudia and Ralph.
Julian, Robert Jr and Ralph each married and had one son, Claudia married Lester Shields, they did not have any children.

During their marriage Lena stayed in the area when Bob went to Denver, Colorado and ran a livery stable for a few years and again when he worked on the west coast of Florida for a period of time. We are unaware of where Lena and her children lived during this time. Lena and Bob later bought the farm from Lena's parents in Polk County, TN. In 1933 they sold the house and portion of the farm (where Harry Rymer lives in 2010) to Lena's sister Frances; at the same time buying and moving into the manse (which was not longer used) from the Shed Presbyterian Church. Later they moved to a nursing home in Maryville, TN where Claudia lived. Lena is buried in a Maryville, TN cemetery
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Martha Rowena “Mattie” McCamy Lewis
December 1, 1882 - March 17, 1969

Info from verbal family history:
Mattie married Albert Lewis, M.D. on July 6, 1904. They lived in Copperhill, TN (Polk County) where Albert was the company doctor for the Tennessee Copper Company for many years. They had four children; Milton who became the Superintendent of the Tennessee Copper Company, George, Dorothy and Jonnie. Milton and Dorothy each had one child, George had more than one, Jonnie never married and had no children. Mattie is buried in Epworth, GA.
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Annie George McCamy Williams
August 12, 1887 - September 5, 1964

Info from verbal family history:
Annie, known as “George”was named in honor of her uncle George who contacted measles and died on his way home from the Civil War.
She married C. P. Williams in June 1911. They had four son; the youngest, Howard - who became a vice president for the New England Life Insurance Company wrote the following which is copied from The Heritage of Polk County Tennessee. George is buried in Four Mile Cemetery, northeast Benton, TN.
Info from The Heritage of Polk County, TN:

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Mary Elizabeth “Mae” McCamy Ayre
June 2, 1885 - May 25, 1976

Info from verbal family history:
Mary Elizabeth “Mae” McCamy married. Vernon Kelly Ayre. Dec 25, 1911. Mae and Vernon had one son Frank who married and had two sons. Frank worked for many years for the TVA. Mae's husband Vernon was in charge of building the "Flume Line". He was attacked and stabbed to death while crossing the "swinging bridge" to get across the Ocoee River. The murderer was never found. As far as we know, Mae lived with her parents after the death of her husband. We know that in the 1920's and early 30's Mae and son Frank (until Frank left home) lived with her parents and brother John in the house John had built in Murray County, GA.

Mae is buried in Fort Hill Cemetery in Cleveland, TN.
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Frances "Tod" Claudia McCamy Rymer
May 9, 1890 - August, 1989

For information on Tod, click on the "Young Frances" or "Married" buttons at the top of the page
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Roberta "Rob" Griffin McCamy Rucker Arrowwood
April 19, 1894 - September 18, 1989

Info from verbal family history:
Rob married Wm. Benjamin "Ben" Rucker in 1916. Ben was into education, he was superintendent of schools in Knoxville, TN schools and was also principal of several schools there. Rob and Ben had one son Ben (Jr?) born about 1925 who was in college when World War II broke out. He became an officer in the army and was killed in December 1944, during the Battle of the Budge. Ben sr. had a brother who's wife died during childbirth, Rob and Ben sr. raised the boy "Creed" Rucker, after becoming an adult he moved to California.

Ben sr. had loaned Rob's brother Howard money to buy the family farm in Murray County. During the depression Howard could not pay and Ben sr. reprocessed the farm. In 1933, Ben sr. decided to move to retire and move to the farm. Rob's sister Frances "Tod" and her husband Albert Rymer had been living and managing the farm since about 1920. After Albert died in 1931 Tod and her seven children continued living and managing the farm. This meant they had to move. Rob, Ben sr. and Ben Jr moved into the house where Tod and her children had been living. Ben sr.  changed the farm from largely row crop farming to raising beef cattle (polled Herefords).

The Ruckers gave land on the southern edge of the farm to the church and a new brick building was built closing down the old Halls Chapel Church. Ben sr. died, after some years Rob married a neighbor Claude Arrowwood. The farm which had been in the family for over a hundred years was sold. Rob and Claude Arrowwood moved to Lakemount, GA where they maintained a "Tourist Court" for several years. (Motel to you younger people)

Rob is buried in Lakemont, GA.
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