Rev. David Rice McAnally (Methodist Episcopal), "Family Reminiscences", 1837, Missouri Historical Society, Jefferson Memorial, St. Louis, Missouri
"My great, great grandfather McAnally was kidnapped near the mouth of the Forth in Scotland and brought to America and set down to shift for himself on the American coast.
"His account of this matter was in substance as follows: He was playing with some neighbor boys on the banks of the above mentioned river, when they discovered a large earthen pot filled with money. The father of this boy sent him to his father's who lived at some distance to tell him to come and assist in the division of the money. On his way, he was overtaken by a man on horseback who inquired of him where he was going and upon being informed, proposed that he should ride behind him. Accordingly he mounted, but instead of alighting at his father's he was put on board a vessel just ready to sail for America and was soon after landed near Philadelphia. Here he remained until he came of man's estate when he married a woman by the name of Houston and settled on the Susquehannah River near the mouth of Sweet Arrow Creek in Lancaster County, Penn. He was never able to assign any probable cause for his being kidnapped except that the individual near whose house the treasure was found might possess himself of it entire.
"The only data we have now as to the time of his arrival in America is as follows: The family account says that John, my great grandfather, was born in the 28th year of his father's age, and died in 1796 aged 83. So his father came at 8 years old, he was here 20 years before his son's birth and 103 years before his death. 103 years taken from 1796 leaves 1693 which must have been the year of his arrival.
"On the Susquehannah where he first settled he raised his family consisting of three children: John, Charles and Mary. After his death these children, all of whom had previously married removed to Virginia, then Amherst Co. The daughter, Mary, married Mr. Shannon who after living awhile in Virginia removed to N. Carolina and that is the last authentic account of them I have ever been able to obtain. In 1757 Charles removed his family to Dan River in North Carolina where several of his descendants still remain." (1)
James L. McAnally has attempted to document the 1837 account and has found several references to a Charles McAnally that fits the immigrant's description.
Charles McAnally
m. Miss Houston
1) Mary McAnally
2) John McAnnaly, d. 1793
3) Charles McAnally, b. 11 Sep 1731, d. 7 Aug 1810
(1) Thomas S. McAnally, The McAnallys: Descendants of Hamilton and Winifred (Nashville, Tennessee: T.S. McAnally, 1988).
(2) James L. McAnally, The McAnally Family (Columbia, Tennessee: J.L. McAnally, 1976).