Thursday, March 27, 2014

James McCarrell and family


James McCarrell (b. 1728, d. 1813) came to Knox County TN in about 1798, where he purchased
150acres of land along the Tennessee River (near where today the University of Tennessee lies) and built a log cabin. He had traveled a long ways from his native Northern Ireland and settling in the Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania as a young man. After the loss of his first wife in mid-life, he remarried to Margaret McKibbens (b. 1758, d. 1819) whom was a daughter of one of his friends and neighbors in Lurgan township. Together, they moved first to Fincastle-Virginia where 11 childern were born to this couple. The family finally moved to Knoxville-Tennessee, where descendants of James McCarrell have preserved his cabin and bible, and whom have taken care of the family cemetery where James and Margaret are laid to rest near the banks of the Tennessee River.


McCarrell Cabin at bottom
In Knoxville, the family would finally make a permanent home. This information is but a short compilation of the history of this family, and how it branched out across the entire Nation in subsequent generations. The information is compiled from many sources from original to internet ones. Please be aware to double check any information that you are interested in, as this small effort is meant to serve as a guide only.


What I know about the legacy of the McCarrell family comes through a sequence of Margarets that have blessed the family with richness and kindness. From my great grandmother Margaret Viola Graham-Blake (granddaughter of Margaret Ann McCarrell-Graham) whom was diagnosed with incurable cancer in 1909 and given but a few months to live, she had many young children and asked that everyone pray that she could live only but to see her young 2 year old son graduate from high school. Her cancer went dormant and she left this life 2 weeks after her youngest son graduated from College in 1932. Her son, my uncle Edgar Blake, went on to establish Missouri Baptist Children’s home, in honor of his mother. He stayed there the rest of his life as its director, until his passing in 1995. I know from learning about this McCarrell family that there have been many other Margarets whom have passed great things on to the family members, one only has to see how many of the grandchildren and great grandchildren of James McCarrell are named Margaret McCarrell to appreciate this.

I am grateful to Margaret Ann McCarrell whom still lives at McCarrell Drive in Knoxville and her brother the late Ray “Jack” McCarrell, whom have so carefully preserved the family bible and information. The bible turned out to be the only information linking our Margaret McCarrell and William Graham back to the family – all other sources were lost. I am equally grateful to my cousin Jaclyn Morgan whom has worked with me through the many years to reconstruct our McCarrell-Graham family history. Let us all remember a simpler time in American History, when our Nation was forming and the family clans were the back bone of our Country. To James McCarrell and Margaret McKibbens, and the legacy they created, we must be grateful. Let us all know that we can always go home again to the Banks of the Tennessee River to remember those simpler times.

Cousin Dwight
Newport, Rhode Island

March 25, 2014

5 comments:

Josie McCamish said...

Thank you for this post. I, too, am a McCarrell descendant--my grandmother was Nannie Elizabeth McCarrell, daughter of James F. McCarrell. Through Margaret McCarrell we have learned much about the early history of the McCarrells in Europe and America.

JOSIE MCCAMISH
BRENTWOOD,TN

Anonymous said...

Would you by chance know if a Harney (Harvey?) McCarrell would be related to this article??? I am trying to trace my family history and am hitting a wall with Harney. All is know is he was born around 1840s in Mississippi. Married a May Edmonton. Had a son named Emmett in 1861. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Kaleb McCarrell
kalebmccarrell@yahoo.com

Becky Gouge said...

Hello, My name is Rebecca Lawson Gouge. My grandmother was Margaret Mccarroll, 1921-1976. She married Carl B. Lawson 1912-1976. They are both buried in Piney Grove Cemeterey in Roane County Tennessee. I have been trying to find informaton about her father Elmer Claude Mccarroll 1901-1975, his wife was Sadie Barley Mccarroll 1907-1977, Elmer and Sadie divorced and he married Blanche Wilson, they are buried in Wilson Cemeterey in Winfield Scott County Tn. I was hoping i could find informaton about Elmer's parents. i have them as James Thomas Mccarroll and EJ Brown. That is all i have about them. Also i have some information about a James Mccarroll from Roane County Tennessee. They called him Fiddlin Jim Mccarrol, he played with a group called The Roane County Rambler's. I have not been able to connect my family to him , but he is a very interesting person. He lived in Loudon County ,TN, Buried in Woodlawn Cemeterey in Loudon co tn. Thank you for the informationyou have and thank you for sharing.

Cthor said...

My 3rd great-grandfather was Thomas Jefferson Graham, the oldest son of Wm & Margaret Ann McCarrell born in TN. He left Jefferson County, MO and moved to Jo Daviess County, Illinois. His oldest son, Charles lived at Warren, ILL and moved just across the border into Wisconsin where my family line continued. T.J. Graham has 12 children by two wives and I have just connected with the family line of his youngest child, Jennie Graham. All so very fascinating!

Cthor said...

My 3rd great-grandfather was Thomas Jefferson Graham, the oldest son of Wm & Margaret Ann McCarrell born in TN. He left Jefferson County, MO and moved to Jo Daviess County, Illinois. His oldest son, Charles lived at Warren, ILL and moved just across the border into Wisconsin where my family line continued. T.J. Graham has 12 children by two wives and I have just connected with the family line of his youngest child, Jennie Graham. All so very fascinating!