James Mackall, the Pioneer, was born in Scotland in 1630 and came to this country about l655.

There is a legend in the family that (a) James Mackall came to Maryland about l634 or l635 and received a grant of land, but that after staying here for a few years, he became homesick for his beloved Scotland and family and returned to them and that after his death, a few years later, his widow and three sons came to Maryland.

There may be something to this legend, for prior to 1672, there were three Mackall men residing in Maryland (as follows): First, James Mackall of The Cliffs Calvert Co., the progenitor of all the Mackalls recorded in this history. Secondly, George Mackall of Saint Georges Hundreds, Saint Mary's Co. Thirdly, John Mackall, located on the Bay Side in Calvert Co. This John Mackall, in 1672 had a tract of 100 acres called John's Desire surveyed for him and l674 under the will of Alexander Roche he was named executor and residuary legatee, in this instrument he is referred to as John Mackell, this difference in spelling probably does not mean a thing as frequently in old wills the name of father and son will be spelled differently. This is the last time that John Mackall's name appears in any land transactions in Calvert Co, what became of him I am not sure, but think that he moved across the Bay to Dorchester Co, for in 1701 Charles and George Mackeel were witnesses to a will. In 1713 Edmund Mackeel witnessed a will. In 1720 David Mackeel appears, in 1722 it is Elinor Mackall, 1717 it is Clara Mackall, and the last time the name occurs is in 1776 in a will made by Mary Mackall. There are now no living members of this family.

These three men may have been the sons of the homesick Pioneer of l634 or l635 and I believe that they were, but there is nothing in the wills of any of the early Mackalls to lead one to that conclusion. I have copies of the wills of all of the early Mackalls. This may help to strengthen the abovementioned legend of the widow and the three sons of the homesick pioneer. There is now in the possession of Mrs Mamie LaVielle Gray, who is a direct lineal descendent of the Pioneer James Mackall, two wooden dolls. These dolls are supposed to have been brought to this country by the pioneer Mackalls. This would lead one to believe that there was a woman with James and as he had no wife at the time, it could only have been his mother. Mrs Gray at this time (l945) is over eighty years old. They were given to Mrs Gray as a child by her great aunt, Martha Mackall Harris, who was a sister of her Grandmother, Mary Harris LaVielle. Martha Harris lived until a very old age and was known as Aunt Pattie to her relatives and friends.

There was in 165l, according to an entry at the Rolls office, a party who signed himself James Mackally, who was consigned to New England and on April 2nd, l755 there was a will probated at Lebanon Mindham Co, Conn., by a man who signed himself James Mackall (2).  He was very probably the son of the aforesaid James Mackally.  He left a widow, seven sons, two daughters and several grandchildren. They had all been given or were willed farms, all were willed cash, up to as much as 500 Pounds Sterling, with the residue of his estate to be divided share and share alike, all cash bequests were to be paid within a years time, "he was evidently quite wealthy", there has been no trace of any of this family since Revolutionary times and I think that it is very probable that they left the country, going possibly to Nova Scotia, as so many of the New Englanders did, or back to Scotland.  There is nothing to connect this family with James Mackall of the Cliffs.

There are also two other Mackalls in this country as follows, John Mackall, the oldest son of William Mackall of Staffordshire, England, who came to this country in l849 and settled at Bradys Bend Armstrong Co., Pa  He was followed in 1854 by his younger brother Stephen, both of them married in this country and left issue.  Their descendents live in and around Pittsburg, Pa, there is no known relationship between them and our family.