Editor’s note: This is part of a weekly series marking the 121st anniversary of Niles native William McKinley’s U.S. presidency.

This is the first of two columns I plan to write on the family history of President William McKinley.

So much can be learned about President McKinley, his values and his beliefs, from reading about his ancestors. We will look at his father’s lineage.

William McKinley’s forebears were from Perthshire in the county of Perth in the central part of Scotland. The McKinley name means “son of Finlay.”

The clan MacKinlay, as the family was known in Perthshire, were farmers and devout Presbyterians. There are still MacKinlay relatives of the president living in Perthshire today.

James “The Trooper” MacKinlay, the great-great-great-great grandfather of the president, was born in Scotland on January 2, 1670. James served as a Standard Bearer in the army of William of Orange. He distinguished himself in the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland on July 1, 1690. James was given the name “The Trooper” because of his heroism in the Battle of the Boyne.

James stayed in Ireland after the war. He received land near Devrock, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, for his military service. James was a farmer for the rest of his life.

James married Rachael Niven. Rachael was born in County Antrim in 1672. James and Rachael MacKinlay had five sons. David, the second oldest son, is the great-great-great grandfather of the president. Rachael died in 1750 and James died in 1760 in County Antrim. Both are buried in Ballymoney, Northern Ireland.

Joseph Butler donated household and farm implements from this MacKinlay ancestral homestead to the McKinley Birthplace Museum in Niles. Visitors can view these heirlooms, along with a painting, a drawing and a postcard of the ancestral homestead, at the museum.

David “The Weaver” McKinley was born in County Antrim in 1705. David married Esther Wilson, who was also born in 1705 in County Antrim.

David and Esther had five children. Their oldest son, John, is the great-great grandfather of William McKinley. David and Esther joined the great migration of the Scots-Irish to the American Colonies in 1740. David probably emigrated because he was not going to inherit the family farm, which customarily went to the eldest son. David was the first of the family to use the last name spelling of “McKinley.”

David first settled in Octorara Settlement in Lancaster County, Pa. He was a servant employed as a weaver.

David received a William Penn Land Grant for 50 acres in Chaceford Township in York County, Pa. David expanded his land holdings to 316 acres in his lifetime that he farmed. David was known as “The Weaver” because of the skills he developed while in Lancaster County. David was the first McKinley to hold political office, being elected a township trustee in 1750.

David died Sept. 20, 1760. Esther died Sept. 1, 1789. Both are buried at the Old Guinston Presbyterian Churchyard.

John “The Wagonmaster” McKinley was born in 1728 in Northern Ireland. John married Rachael Stewart, who was born in 1732. John and Rachael had six children, including David McKinley, who is the great-grandfather of William McKinley.

John served in the Revolutionary War. He worked as a farmer, blacksmith, weaver, distiller and transporter. He was known as “The Wagonmaster” because of the number of horses and wagons he owned.

John died in 1779 during the Revolutionary War. Rachael died in 1782. Patrick Finan of Cortland is the retired former library director of the McKinley Memorial Library in Niles.