Wemyss

Helen MacKinnen. Origin: Loyalist.

Helen MacKinnen (or MacKinnon) was the widow of Charles MacKinnen of East Florida, who died about 1780. She received a grant of 700 acres in the Wemyss area of Long Island on 7 March 1789. It is bounded by the land of John Duncan, Samuel MacKinnen, by the sea, and by vacant land. Although the section of the grant that identified the number of years (2 or 10) her quit rent is to be waived was inadvertently left blank, the land grant does clearly state that she was a Loyalist. It is likely that Samuel McKinen was her son.

Note: On the Tatnall map, her surname is McKenen. On the Lands and Surveys map, her last name is spelled MacKinen. On her land grant, it is spelled MacKinnen, and other family members’ surnames were spelled McKinnon or MacKinnon; spelling was still fungible.

Reference: Siebert, Grant