American follows McKay roots back to Campbeltown

A WOMAN whose family history extends into Argyll was brought to tears when she found her relative’s birth certificates in Campbeltown. Susan Bandel, maiden name McKay, 69, made a pilgrimage to Kintyre to visit the birthplace of her great-grandfather John McKay, who married Mary McCallum here in August 1853.

The pair lived together on Millknowe Road and had three children before emigrating to Canada. John had worked at one of the whisky distilleries.

They originally moved to Perth, Canada, before the family’s descendents progressed to Hokah, Minnesota and eventually reached South Dakota.

Susan, born in South Dakota but now living in Charlotte, North Carolina, had been to Scotland once before but made her maiden trip to Argyll last week to discover more about her ancestry.

When the birth certificates of her great aunts Barbara and Mary were produced at Campbeltown registry office, the historic link brought her to tears.

She said: ‘It was such an emotional day. I came over specifically for this, to find out more of my history.

‘When I found the birth certificates I couldn’t help crying. I’m going to need a beer and a whisky tonight.’

Susan also visited several McKay gravestones in Kilkerran graveyard, and was ecstatic to find so much of her history over just the course of one day.

She said: ‘It was totally unexpected to find out everything so quickly, especially the graveyard which a couple staying in our B and B told us about.

‘We found lots of our McKays there. What a beautiful place to lie your head, with that view over the harbour and the sea.

‘Everyone’s been so lovely and helpful, from Wendy Beasley at the registry office to Alan Milstead and Ronnie Roberts at the heritage centre.’

Wendy told Susan that the birth records of her family were the oldest she had ever had to source.

Susan’s mother, Lydia Peterson from Germany, married Archie D McKay in 1935 in South Dakota.

She set the ball rolling when undertaking research of the family tree, after finding several old photographs in a family bible which she believed to be of old Campbeltown families.

Susan, a retired English and music teacher, added: ‘I would love to come back and find out more one day.’

A ‘Scottish’ family re-union in Hokah, Minnesota for McKays, McKinleys and McCullons, featuring John, Barbara and Archie McKay.

04_c37susanbandel01 Susan holding her ‘treasured’ birth certificate copies.

Susan enjoyed a whisky or two after her emotional discoveries.

A photograph found in the family Bible which Susan believes to be one of her great-grandfathers, either a McCallum or a McKay.