McPhail Family Website

This website is a record of an ongoing journey rather than a finished work. Genealogy is never truly complete. Each discovery often leads to new questions, and every answer invites further research. As a result, this site will continue to evolve. I will revise and update it as new information comes to light, as records are reinterpreted, and as additional sources become available.

Every entry on this website is supported by documented research. Out of respect for copyright and source restrictions, I do not publish the full body of supporting material online. However, I am always willing to share sources and research details privately with others who have a genuine interest in this work.

You are welcome to explore and use the information presented here. If you find something helpful, I am glad it has served its purpose. At the same time, genealogy depends on accuracy and collaboration. If you notice an error, have additional information, or can offer a different interpretation of the records, I encourage you to contact me by email. Corrections and contributions are always appreciated.

Where possible, I have aimed to present information clearly and responsibly. In some cases, records conflict or are incomplete. When that happens, I have made decisions based on the best available evidence, and I note uncertainties where they exist. Future research may confirm or change these conclusions.

Finally, this website respects the privacy of living individuals. Information about living persons is limited or omitted where appropriate.

This site reflects both a personal interest and a broader effort to preserve family history. I hope it is useful to others and that, over time, it continues to improve through shared knowledge and careful research.

The histories appear in families, listed below. Some people are common to some or all families, and are appropriately duplicated.

Select a family name from below.

Baker

Chisholm

Hutchinson

McPhail

Sutherland

Tracy



Family name spellings can be touchy subjects. There is family folklore that, when my great grandfather Alexander Bede McPhail passed away in 1925, my great uncle Thomas (Alexander's eldest son) commissioned the headstone to read MacPhail (with 'Mac'), contrary to the spelling Alexander used in his own name. My grandfather, Donald, was so incensed by Thomas' unforgivable slight that the two brothers never spoke until Thomas' death in 1974. I have endeavoured to remain faithful to the individual family names throughout these histories, but sometimes the records are misleading or contradictory.

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Much of what appears here is through of the careful and dedicated work of many others. Historians, archivists, family researchers, and fellow genealogists have preserved and shared records over many years. I am deeply indebted to their efforts. This site builds on that shared foundation of knowledge.

I would like to acknowledge the following resources and the dedication and efforts of the people behind them:

• The 1806 Voyage of the Spencer: A search for the Scottish Origins of James Hector Munn, Hector John Munn, 2014
• Boys Flying Kites and Other Cautionary Tales, Donald McPhail, (undated)
• The History of the Argyle Shore, Prince Edward Island, Argyle Shore Women's Institute, 2009
• The Iron Man: The Works of Frank Fulton, Shirley Fulton, 2002
• The Isle of Mull: A Short Guide to the Island, Norah Turner and Audrey Finlay (undated)
• Keeping in Touch: A History and Genealogy of Samuel Hutchinson and his Family, Bev Millar, 1982
• The Mc/MacPhails of Argyle Shore, PEI, John Collins, 2003
• The MacPhail Family in Mull, Argyll, Scotland, John M. Collins, 1996
• A Record of Donald Chisholm and his Descendants, Susan D. Chisholm and Jane Chisholm Thompson (undated)
• The Sutherlands & Westchester, Nova Scotia, C.H. Sutherland, 1986