Notes for Malcolm Alexander McRae: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Handbook of Texas for Fannin County:
The descendant of a Scotchman settled in Texas in 1856. Malcom A Mcrae (1810-1896), a native of South Carolina, settled ona farm north of Bonham with his wife Mary Whizenhunt Mcrae. Malcom was the son of Hugh P McRae, a scotchman who came to America in 1788. The Town of Mcrae in Georgia is named for this family. Malcom came to texas from Georgia via Arkansas. Malcom and Mary were parents of nine children. Many McRae descendants are buried in the Bruce Cemetery. Mcrae children were A. Riley (1834-1904), was was married to Mary Linch; Hugh J (1832-1886) who married C.M. Swafford; Barbara (1843) who married AH Darnall; Elizabeth(1841) who married a Wileman; Alexander, Franklin T (1847-1900) who was married to Flora McDougal; Malcom Jr (1850-1888_, Mary (b. 1852) who married MA Copeland; and Thursey (1861) who married TC Bishop. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fannin County Folks & Facts:
Malcolm Alexander McRae was born May 15, 1810 in South Carolina, one of five children born to Hugh Bain McRae and Nancy McDuffey. His father was born in Scotland and came to America in the 1770's as a young boy. Hugh Passed away in the 1850's in Carrol County, Georgia. Malcolm's brothers and sister were Daniel, Margaret, William J., and Hugh j. Malcolm went with his parents to North Carolina in 1814 and into the Hiawatha Purchase in 1820. On July 31, 1830 he arrived in Carroll County, Georgia where he was promptly elected constable, serving ten years under a military commission from the governor of the state. On February 21, 1832 he married Mary Magdalene Whisenhunt, widow of John Steward. Her Parents were Adam Whisenhunt and his wife Barby both of whom were bornaround 1770 in North Carolina. Malcolm and Mary had ten children as follows: Hugh James married Cynthia C. Holliday; Adam Riley married Mary F. Lynch; Barbara Adaline married Alfred Darnall (see Darnall histor.); Nancy J. Elizabeth: Alexander Bain married Nancy Briley; Franklin Taylor married Flora McDougal; Malcolm N; Mary Ann married Samuel W. Copeland; Eliza Margaret married Mr Wileman; and Thursey Caroline married E.E. Bishop About 1844 Malcolm and his family moved to Missouri remaining there about three years, whereupon they returned to Georgia. In 1849 approximately 500 people, mostly Whisenhunt's and McRae's, formed a wagon train and headed west. Malcolm settled in Pike County, Arkansas in 1856. It is said that Malcolm walked into the general store at Elwood with a gun over his shoulder and $20,000 in gold. Always a successful man, he purchased 444 acres of land near Elwood where he lived the rest of his life. At one time he owned over 1,000 acres, most of it lying along the Red River on the Texas side. Besides farming, he owned many shares in the Atlantic and Pacific Mining and Tunnel Company of Colorado. During the Civil War while his sons were away serving the Confederacy, he saw to it that all of the women around the area were fed and cared for. While Living in Georgia, Arkansas and Texas, he served as Justice of the peace and it attests to his fairness that no appeal was ever taken from his docket. A generous man, he retired from business affairs in 1880 at the age of 70 and administered his estate, making his heirs happy and prosperous. The Fannin County Community of McRae was named for this McRae family. McRae donated part of his land to the Elwood community for a cemetery and it is here at the old Round Prairie Cemetery that many of the McRae's are buried, including Malcolm himself. His wife preceded him in death in 1877 and he passed away December 8, 18896 at the age of 86. He was of a long lived family, all his grandparents having lived to be over 100 years of age. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More About Malcolm Alexander McRae and Mary Magdaline Whisenhunt: Marriage: February 21, 1832, Carroll, GA.456, 457, 458
Children of Malcolm Alexander McRae and Mary Magdaline Whisenhunt are:
+Adam Riley McRae, b. February 06, 1834, Boswell, Carroll County, Georgia459, 460, d. November 20, 1904, Elwood, Fannin, Texas461.
Malcolm Alexander McRae (b. May 15, 1810, d. December 10, 1896)
Notes for Malcolm Alexander McRae: