The Tenative Chain of McKinseys

The farthest back proven ancestor in the McKinsey line is Charles William "Chas" McKinsey, Sr. who was born Nov. 1926 in Kentucky maybe. The year is known and month is from a census record (though not proven) and the states vary from census to census, but Kentucky and Virginia are the most common places mentioned. 

Charles is known and his children and wife are known and her parents are known and recorded well enough for my liking so far. But Charles Sr. is of less certain parentage. He is agreed by all who have connection to him to be the son of Douglas McKinsey and Elizabeth (Palmer) McKinsey, but no records have I found to PROVE this relationship. I have records of Charles in photographs and letters and family pedigrees and trees of both good and questionable quality, but no known death place or certificate for Charles only his grave marker in Oklahoma (where the family moved to and it is not certain that he died there and not somewhere else. For such a thing has happened before where an ancestor died in one state but was buried in another closer to family even in long past generations).

Charles William McKinsey, Sr b. 1824 d. 1901 is assumed to be the son of Douglas and Elizabeth (Palmer) McKinsey. The only evidence of such a couple is their marriage license. While census records do show proof of Charles mother being named Elizabeth (she is living with him in one census and another with her brother and her maiden name proven to be Palmer). However nothing of the presumed father 'Douglas' in the census nor any other place save perhaps a tax list. No will of either Charles nor this Douglas have been found as yet either. 

Charles did have a son named John Douglas and it is possible that his assumed father Douglas went by another name for nothing comes up when searching for a Douglas McKinsey (of any spelling) in Virginia where he was known to live nor in Kentucky or other places the later generations lived. It is thought that if the link is true and his is Charles' father that he died during the Civil War or soon after it for he does not seem to appear in the later censuses and Charles' mother is a presumably a widow living with her grown son and later her brother and his family.

Douglas is assumed to be the son of Charles McKinsey and Elizabeth Isabel (Jett) McKinsey who are known by Charles and maybe Douglas being on a tax list and Charles and Isabel's marriage license.

Charles of Virginia as I will call him to differate him from his assumed grandson is also one of few records. There is a Charles McKinsey born in Virginia in 1772 the son of Scottish immigrants Benjamin and Agnes (Broadfoot) McKinsey and it is further thought that Benjamin may be the son of William and Mary (McIntosh) McKinsey of Scotland but again this is all assumed for this was the only Benjamin who turned up in the searches of the right age to be the same as was father to Charles b 1772.

Charles b. 1772 might be the same who married Isabel Jett, but it is not proven.

Charles of Virginia whether he be the same as Charles 1772 or not might be father of Douglas and Douglas might be father of Charles Wm Sr. but naught has been PROVEN other than the mother of Charles was named Elizabeth and her maiden name was likely Palmer and this could be the same as married Douglas - yet beyond that it is all guesses and 'this fits' without PROOF.