McKen History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe original Gaelic form of McKen was Mac Cionaoith. Early Origins of the McKen familyThe surname McKen was first found in County Monaghan (Irish: Muineachán) located in the Northern part of the Republic of Ireland in the province of Ulster, at Truagh where they were known as the Lords of Truagh. Early History of the McKen familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our McKen research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1544 is included under the topic Early McKen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. McKen Spelling VariationsIrish names were rarely spelled consistently in the Middle Ages. Spelling variations of the name McKen dating from that time include MacKenna, MacKennagh, MacKenney, MacKenny, MacKinna, MacKinnie and many more. Early Notables of the McKen familyMore information is included under the topic Early McKen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
To escape the religious and political discrimination they experienced primarily at the hands of the English, thousands of Irish left their homeland in the 19th century. These migrants typically settled in communities throughout the East Coast of North America, but also joined the wagon trains moving out to the Midwest. Ironically, when the American War of Independence began, many Irish settlers took the side of England, and at the war's conclusion moved north to Canada. These United Empire Loyalists, were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Other Irish immigrants settled in Newfoundland, the Ottawa Valley, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, however, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America and Australia. Many of those numbers, however, did not live through the long sea passage. These Irish settlers to North America were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name McKen or a variant listed above, including: McKen Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
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