George McKinsey's family might have been in Frederick County, Virginia before Newberry

On my way between Burlington, VT (where I spent time with my daughter, Sarah, and her family) to Richmond (for the National Genealogical Society's 2014 Conference),  I stopped in Frederick County, Virginia to do a bit of research on the possibility that my 5-gr-grandfather, George McKinsey, may have had roots in Frederick County, Virginia.  I had a bit of bad luck with traffic and managed to drive to the Handley library in Winchester, Virginia just in time to find the archives room closed for the day.  However, the main library has a few books of interest and I'll take a look at those until I have to leave.  The Handley library is a treat of itself.  Quite the charming, historical building!

Bruce Locken, Harriet Imrey, and I have been chatting for some time about the possibility that George McKinsey who is in Newberry County, SC during the Revolutionary War may have had ties to Frederick County, Virginia.  For previous blog posts pertaining to this subject go to:

http://marshamoses.blogspot.com/2012/07/mckinney-and-geertsema-map.html

And for more information on George McKinsey and his family go to:

http://marshamoses.blogspot.com/2012/09/george-mckinseys-wife-was-sarah-moore.html

http://marshamoses.blogspot.com/2013/07/loyalists-in-bush-river-area-of-south.html

http://marshamoses.blogspot.com/2012/05/sarah-moore-mckinsey-wife-of-george.html

The first book that I have pulled off the shelf is Pioneers of Old Frederick County by Cecil O'Dell.  One of the questions that I hoped to answer on this trip is:  Who was moving into Frederick County in the 1750's?  From where?  Why?  Why were families moving out of the area to the Carolinas in 1771?

I find that much of Mr. O'Dell's information is about a period of time before George McKinsey is found buying land in the area.  The book is excellent, however, and I will look for a copy.

I know when George McKinsey first bought land in Frederick County from the deed of the sale of his land in 1771 which says:

.....Containing one hundred and ninety four Acres Granted to said George McKenny by Deed from the Hand and Seal of the Right Honorable Thomas Lord Fairfax the 18th Oct 1756.....

 I next pulled   Wilmer Kern's book,  Settlement and Some First Families of Back Creek Valley.   I had wondered if the Fairfax/Hite suit had affected George's decision to move to South Carolina.  Wilmer Kerns says on page 17:  "the Fairfax suit was settled in 1745 when Fairfax won the suit."
Mr. O'Dell had indicated that some of the families who chose to move out of the area did so because of the dispute between Fairfax and Hite in which men were required to repurchase the land on which they lived because of a change in ownership.   That is the men had purchased land from Hite.  When Fairfax won the suit,  they were told that they would need to pay the Fairfax agents.   Many of these families were not interested in repurchasing their land when there was cheap land to be bought in the Carolinas.   George had bought his land from Fairfax, so this would not have been the reason that he moved.

Neither book mentions anyone with name George Kinsey/Kensie/McKinsey/McKensie.  Both books mention John McKensie and William McKenzie.

 For good information about the Fairfax grant, go to:

http://www.virginiaplaces.org/settleland/fairfaxgrant.html