Just who are the parents of Mary "Polly" McKinney?  I haven't a clue.  However, I do believe that James McKinney is Mary's brother.  Both are born in South Carolina and end up in Daviess County, Kentucky.  Mary is born in 1768 and James in 1772, very close in age.  They also appear to live quite close to one another; at least they do in 1830, perhaps not in 1840.  There almost certainly has to be other brothers and sisters but I don't know who they are or where to find them.

Generation No. 1

MARY "POLLY" McKINNEY was born September 13, 1768 in South Carolina and died September 1, 1857 in Daviess County, Kentucky.  She married JOHN WARD, October 2, 1788 in Fayette County, Virginia.  He was born January 20, 1757 in Virginia and died October 10, 1847 in Daviess County, Kentucky.

JAMES McKINNEY was born October 14, 1772 in South Carolina and died 1853 in Daviess County, Kentucky.  He married 1) Unknown.  He married 2) NANCY SULLIVAN DAVIS, April 24, 1813 in Lincoln County, Kentucky, daughter of HENRY SPENCER SULLIVAN and MARY BUCKNER.  She was born November 21, 1783 in Tennessee and died August 13, 1855 in Daviess County, Kentucky.

Notes for JAMES McKINNEY:

Some researchers have RANSOM McKINNEY as a son of JAMES but on census records for 1820 and 1830, there is a male living in the household who is shown as being born between 1794-1802.  This male is thought to be RANSOM.  On the 1840 census, this male has disappeared.  JAMES and NANCY were married in 1813 so that eliminates this male as being a son of this couple.  There are also listings showing POLLY McKINNEY as being a daughter of JAMES and NANCY.  The POLLY I have seen is born about 1800 and since JAMES and NANCY are married in 1813, that eliminates POLLY as being their daughter.  However, JAMES marries NANCY when he is 41 years old so this probably is a second marriage for him.  That being the case, RANSOM and POLLY are probably his children from a previous marriage.

Generation  No. 2

POLLY McKINNEY (JAMES McKINNEY¹) was born September 17, 1801 in Kentucky and died November 6, 1874 in Hancock County, Kentucky.  She married JOHN WESLEY GABBERT, December 14, 1818 in Daviess County, Kentucky, son of JOHN W. GABBERT and JUDAH TULEY.  He was born 1798 in Rockbridge County, Virginia and died 1880 in Hawesville, Hancock County, Kentucky.

SUSAN JANE McKINNEY (JAMES McKINNEY¹) was born 1815 in Kentucky and died unknown.  She married PLEASANT P. FREELS, May 17, 1836 in Daviess County, Kentucky, son of BEVERLY FREELS and SARAH PINKSTON.  He was born 1809 in Tennessee and died March 9, 1860 in Henderson County, Kentucky.

Notes for PLEASANT P. FREELS

On the 1850 census for Daviess County, Kentucky, there are two females in the household whose relationship to PLEASANT is unknown.  EMILY S. FREELS is 13 and SARAH A. FREELS is 28 yrs. old.  PLEASANT isn't old enough to be a father to SARAH and since he has a 13 yr. old son with his wife, EMILY (who is also 13) can't be his daughter.

MARY ANN McKINNEY (JAMES McKINNEY¹) was born February 13, 1818 in Daviess County, Kentucky and died unknown.  She married DANIEL FREELS, February 12, 1835 in Daviess County, Kentucky, son of BEVERLY FREELS and SARAH PINKSTON.  He was born 1811 in Ohio County, Kentucky and died between 1850-1860 in Kentucky.

JAMES HENRY McKINNEY (JAMES McKINNEY¹) was born about 1820 in Daviess County, Kentucky and died unknown.  He married ELIZABETH SMEATHERS, July 16, 1846 in Daviess County, Kentucky, daughter of ASA SMEATHERS and MARY E. DUNCAN.  She was born March 25, 1826 in Daviess County, Kentucky and died February 17, 1857 in Daviess County, Kentucky.

Notes for JAMES HENRY McKINNEY

I haven't found any children listed for JAMES and ELIZABETH.  They were married in 1846 and ELIZABETH died in 1857 so in those 11 years there could have been children.  On the 1860 census for Daviess County, Kentucky, JAMES is shown with a SUSAN (MILLER) living in the household along with SUSAN'S three daughters, EMILY, ANN and MARY.  I believe JAMES married SUSAN after ELIZABETH died.  SUSAN'S husband, whoever he was, died before 1850 as SUSAN is shown living with only her three daughters in 1850.  There are also 5 McKinney children listed in the household in 1860.  Are these children born to JAMES and ELIZABETH?  I thought so until I noticed the youngest was a year old.  If ELIZABETH died in 1857, her youngest child would have to be at least 3 yrs. old in 1860 which would eliminate this child as being hers.  So who are these McKINNEY children?  I've tried to locate the oldest on the 1850 census without luck.  I've also tried to find these children on the 1870 census; again, no luck.  Any thoughts as to who these children belonged to and what happened to them?  They are listed below.

AMANDA MELVINA McKINNEY (JAMES McKINNEY¹) was born January 22, 1821 in Daviess County, Kentucky and died March 13, 1852 in Daviess County, Kentucky.  She married THOMAS B. ANDERSON, son of REUBEN ANDERSON and ELIZABETH BAILEY.  He was born November 18, 1819 in Kentucky and died May 5, 1856.

NANCY EMILY McKINNEY (JAMES McKINNEY¹) was born December 9, 1826 and died unknown.  She married THOMAS JAY DEAN, April 1848 in Daviess County, Kentucky, son of LUTHER DEAN and RUTH BRUNDAGE.  He was born May 22, 1826 in Ontario County, New York and died July 17, 1883 in Grand Lake, Grand County, Colorado.

AMERICA ELIZABETH McKINNEY (JAMES McKINNEY¹) was born November 20, 1829 in Daviess County, Kentucky and died October 6, 1906 in Daviess County, Kentucky.  She married JOHN THOMAS WELLS, October 19, 1848 in Kentucky, son of LITTLEBERRY WELLS and FRANCES "FANNY" MOODY.  He was born about 1819 in Kentucky and died 1880 in Daviess County, Kentucky.