I'm looking for others who have information on Margaret (Galloway??) McCracken and her husband Samuel McCracken, who, with their children, were living in Connoquenessing, Butler Co. in 1860, according to the census of said county. Living with them at the time was an older woman, Elisabeth Aiken, who was possibly Margaret's foster mother. According to Samuel McCracken's obituary (Loda, IL), he was married to Margaret Galo in 1857. I suspect that her maiden name was actually Galloway. There was a Thomas Galloway, an Isaac Galloway, and a Mrs. Galloway living in Connoquenessing township, according to the 1874 map of Butler Co.

There's a story in our family about a prairie fire that killed either Samuel's or Margaret's parents, and that a minister's wife, Mrs. Aiken, raised the children afterwards. Since Samuel McCracken came from Ireland as an adult, I believe Margaret was the child raised by Mrs. Aiken; and if she was a Galloway, then her Galloway siblings probably were also. Mrs. Aiken was living with Margaret and Samuel in 1870 in Loda, IL. She does not appear in the 1880 census, and may have died in Loda between 1870 and 1880. I'd appreciate any information on a minister named Aiken from Butler Co., PA (name spelled variously as Aiken, Aikin, Akin, Ekin)

This is an update to my prior query... I have found out from the 1850 census of East Connoquenessing Twp. that a Margaret Gile (age 23) was living with Robert Aiken (age 60) and his wife Elizabeth (age 58). I am now convinced that this is the Margaret who married Samuel McCracken in 1857, and that Mr. and Mrs. Aiken were her foster parents. I also found that there was a James McGile living nearby in 1850, and also several people named McGill and Gill. In 1860 in Connoquenessing Twp., Margaret and Samuel McCracken had a 2-year-old son named Robert Aiken McCracken, named in honor of Mr. Aiken. Elizabeth Aiken was living with them, but not Mr. Aiken (apparently deceased between 1850 - 1860).

Does anyone know if the Gile, Gill, McGill and McGile families are really all one and the same? Are these just various preferred spellings of the same surname?? I would like to know who Margaret's birth parents were. I now know from her death record that she was born 15 May 1826 in Harrisville, Mercer Twp., Butler Co., PA. Anyone researching these families in Butler Co.?

I don't know if the Gill/Gile names are the same family. It is possible since enumerators tended to write names as they sounded and spelling varied from one census to another. As for the James McGill you found in Connoquenessing Twp. and the Harrisville McGills, they are my line and the name is McGill in all census that I have seen. Except for James moving from and back to Harrisville for a few years, most stayed put.

If anyone is in search of a Florence McGill I found a photo of her at a flea market the other day and bought it. The back reads; Florence McGill, family of Grandmother McCracken. I haven't scanned it yet but will if anyone requests it. It was taken by Cope & Day from Norristown, PA. This is not my family so I have no further information other than what was already shared. I posted it here since both surnames are mentioned.