The McWilliam, Parkhill, and Simpson Family Papers

Image from the McWilliam, Parkhill, and Simpson Family Papers in the collections of the Schenectady County Historical Society.  

This blog entry is written by Library Volunteer Jason Thomas.

A new addition to the Schenectady County Historical Society's holdings is the McWilliam, Parkhill, and Simpson Family Papers, 1790-2006. The family papers contain photographs, correspondence, financial records, legal documents, and genealogical resources including family bibles and detailed family histories. The bulk of the material is dated between the 1880s and 1910 and represents material collected by Hawley Bell McWilliam, Sr. The only documents in the collection that date post-1950 are family histories.

Image from the McWilliam, Parkhill, and Simpson Family Papers in the collections of the Schenectady County Historical Society. 

The family story begins when George McWilliam (1749-1812) left the Parish of Whitman in the Shire of Galloway, Scotland, and arrived in America in 1774 with several other Scottish Families. George McWilliam settled on a 114 acre farm in the Charlton-Galway area of New York. He married Mary Millory (1772-1840) and had a son, Robert A. McWilliam (1804-1883). Robert married Jane Ann Wemple, a descendant of the Dutch Wemple family who were a founding family of Schenectady, in 1828. Robert and Jane McWilliam had six children: Mydert Wemple McWilliam (1829-1910); Margaret M. (1831-1837); Elizabeth A. (1833-1888); John McWilliam (1837-1850); Margaret M. (1841-1881); and George McWilliam (1844-?).  Mydert lived on the farm for much of his life but never held active ownership of it as his parents lived until the 1880s. Mydert married Mary E. Bell (?-?) in 1856. Mydert and Mary had two children: Jennie A (1858-?) and Hawley Bell McWilliam (1863-1918). Hawley took over ownership of the farm after the death of his grandfather Robert. He married Alberta Parkhill Simpson (1868-1954) in 1890. Hawley and Alberta had five children: Jennie Louella (1890-); Alberta Cornelia (1892-); Robert S (1894-1894); Hawley Bell Jr. (1907-1967); and Mary Elizabeth (1909-).  Hawley Bell McWilliam Jr. married Florence Young (?-?). The marriage did not result in any children and the McWilliam family name died out with Hawley’s death in 1967. The family farm was sold in 1968.

Click here for a complete finding aid for the McWilliam, Parkhill, and Simpson Family Papers.