My earliest arriving ancestor in North America apparently was William McMechen, born 1688 in Karnmoney (or Carnmoney), Antrim, Ireland. His father was James McMechen (1660-?) who remained in Ireland. William apparently emigrated from Ireland to Mill Creek, New Castle, Delaware. His sons Joseph b. 1695, James b. 1704 and Andrew b. 1706 apparently accompanied him. A son, William was born 1715 in Delaware, so the family had to have arrived there prior to 1715, perhaps as early as 1710. William Sr. and Andrew were buying and selling land in Delaware by 1726. >From New Castle, Delaware, branches of the family spread directly to Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama, and across the southern States to Texas and beyond. The senior William was married to Jannet Claypoole (1676-1734). I have the date of marriage as 1704, which, if true, means her birth place was not Delaware, as recorded in the Ancestry.com Family Trees I have seen, and she may have accompanied him from Ireland. Another discrepancy is that the "son" Joseph, was born in 1695, prior to that marriage date, at a time when Jannet would have been 19 years old and the senior William only 7 years old if his birth date is correct. Perhaps Joseph was a brother, not a son? I would be curious to know in what ship or ships members of this family may have arrived in Delaware from Ireland. The names are William, Joseph, James, and Andrew McMechen, and possibly Jannet Claypoole McMechen This family surname has been spelled variously as McMechen, McMakin, McMickin, McMicken, McMeekin, McMican, McMackin, Makin et. al. over the past several hundred years. William H. McMicken