Home at Hays Hermitage

Last site update 12-02-2020

The Story of Hays, American Men.  Born, married, children, died…there is so much more to life than that.  Each individual is a story unto themselves, both impacting history and being impacted by history.  I am first an (amateur) historian, then a genealogist.  The Hays, and the interrelated families by marriage, have been a part of America, its expansion and development from colonist to pioneers settlers to westward expansion farmers to present times.  Many Hays are noted in American History but more importantly, most notable historical moments included participating Hays.  It is my hope that this web site tells the story of those Hays, including my genetic line of Hays, and our historical participation in becoming American Men.

PHOTO’s: The 3 men photo is a composite of (l to r) James H. Hays (son), Thomas Jefferson Hays (father), Wyan Hays (son). “Cotton Wagon” is an unidentified photo of the Hays Clan possibly in the 1930’s in OK (Price Farm) and has been professionally restored by The Photo Restoration Center.  

How to use this site:  I have included a menu at the top for easy linking to topics.  There is also a page list menu at the bottom for each page so you can go direct to a person.

Wit and Wisdom is my blog.  You’ll have to excuse the little remembrance posts about my youth, etc. but this site is also for my close kin (especially my alienated daughters).  A list of recent posts (wit and wisdom blogs) appears on the right for easy access.  You can comment on the blogs and if you wish to receive notice by e-mail of new blogs sign up by clicking the “notify me of new posts by email” under the comments section.  You can also receive follow up comments to a specific post by clicking that button which should allow discussion of a person of common interest to multiple genealogist.

Additionally, you can also use the search box on the right to look up topics.

I have included names related by marriage and DNA to the Hays line on the right to answer the question of why another surname is interested in the Hays and also to show the maternal lines and recognize them, past and future.  Email if you wish a name to be added (or removed) from the site.

You can also go to the pages Jims Paternal Line or Jims Maternal Line to see the list in order.  These links will open in new tabs on your browser if you want multiple person open next to each other for comparison purposes.

Common DNA and a common surname easily surpasses the Preponderance of Evidence standard for a common ancestor.

The name list on the right and the family tree above should help you identify where the common DNA originates.  For example, an H. Thompson identified as a  a 4th-6th cousin (Ancestry.com) emailed to ask where I thought the match came from.  His tree showed connection to the Walkers and mine has Hariett A.N. Walker married to William Alexander 4 generations removed from me (my Great-Great Grandmother).

Types of DNA tests:

atDNA – Autosomal DNA which uses both paternal and maternal lines (this is the Cousin list on Ancestry.com).  It matches you generally to your ancestral roots.

MtDNA – is the DNA line which follows DNA from you ONLY transferred from your mother and her mother (maternal grandmother) and her mother (maternal great grand mother).  For example from me on my tree Nickel, Hatje, Hamdorf, Freude.

Y-DNA – in the DNA which is only passed on you paternal line You, father Grandfather and follows your surname (family name).

Ancestry.com uses the percentage of shared Autosomal DNA to estimate the number of shared ancestry events.  So a 4-6th cousin has 4 to 6 generation events removed from our common ancestor.  If H. Thomas was directly related to Hariett Walker he would have a “Hays” in his line (and he didn’t show one) so the most likely common ancestor is the father (Walker) of Hariett or an uncle (Walker) which is 4-6 generation events removed from each of us and Walker is the common name.

DNA Percentage in common from you (100%).  By percentage, then by relationship to you.

  • 50% Parent (1), Sibling, Child.
  • 25% Grandparent (2), Uncle/Aunt, Niece/Nephew, Grandchild.
  • 12.5% Great Grand Parent (3), Great Aunt/Uncle, 1st Cousin, Great Niece/Nephew.
  • 6.25% 1st Cousin once removed (1st cousins or Great Aunt/Uncles kid).
  • 3.125% 2nd Cousin (in line from great grandparent), 1st Cousin twice removed.
  • 1.563% 2nd Cousin once removed (2nd Cousin’s kid).
  • Each generation removed divide by half.
  1.                                                                                                                       Gr. Grand Parent 12.5%.
  2.                                                                       Grand Parent 25%                 Gr. Aunt/Uncle 12.5%
  3.                           Parent 50%                    Uncle/Aunt 25%                1st Cousin 1 rem 6.25%.
  4. Self    100%    Sibling 50%                  1st Cousin 12.5%                    2nd Cousin 3.125%
  5. Child  50%    Nie/Neph 25%   1st Cousin 1R 6.25%              2nd Cousin 1R 1.563%
  6. Grand 25%   Gr. nie/neph 12.5%     1st Cousin 2R  3.125%       2nd Cousin 2R 0.781%

Note there is no telling which percentage of DNA you get from your parent line.  If Dad is 1/2 German and 1/2 Irish you might get 50-50 German-Irish or 75-25 German-Irish which is why you and your siblings look different.

Genetic contribution by generation removed. Mathematically at 10 generations ancestrally in both directions you have 1024 possible contributors to your DNA and possibly contribute your DNA to 1024 people.  It is a multiple of 2 which grows exponentially each generation.  So unless your ancestors stayed in one place for many generations with no introduction of DNA from outside a small group each person is very diverse.

Generation removed from you-possible contributors

  1. – 2
  2. – 4
  3. – 8
  4. – 16
  5. – 32
  6. – 64
  7. – 128
  8. – 256
  9. – 512
  10. – 1024

As the site develops I’ll look to add more information on siblings, children, and their spouses for each generation.  If you DNA match as a distant cousin and don’t see a common name listed just use the search engine which should bring up any references to it.  if still nothing, send me an email and I’ll see what I can find.

Common terms and abbreviations.  “Scotch-Irish” is a common term for those who migrated from Northern Ireland to the Americas.  I use “Ulster Scot” for Scottish Presbyterians, and Ulstermen for any Protestant (English, French, Irish), who came to America in the early 1700’s to distinguish them from other Irish catholics from Northern Ireland and immigrants from other countries.  “Clan Hay” is the Scottish Clan (including branches) in Scotland.  “Clan Hay AB” is the American Branch of Clan Hay.   I use “Indian”   for the indigenous populations (American Indian, Native Americans) already here in America or incorporated into a tribe (on Tribal lands or reservations) and where known use the current common name for the tribe.  “American” refers to those born in the United States Colony and then Country) and “America” refers to the United States within the recognized boundaries at that time.  References to country of origin by name are as we currently define them unless otherwise noted (the U.S.-America the exception).

P=Paternal, M=Maternal, 0 is me, 1 is parent, 2 grandparent, 3 great grand parent.  Hence P1 is my father and M1 is my mother.  P2 is my grandfather and my paternal grandmother will appear on that page also, P3 great grand father and mother, etc.  M2 is my maternal grand mother and my maternal grand father will be on that page also.  I’ll add an “a” page anytime I look at a maternal line off the paternal tree or paternal off maternal line so the web page stay in time order with the family tree.

For comments or questions contact Jim Hays at jimhays@americanman.org for genealogy information regarding the American Hays.  Questions (Historical Facts and genealogy) will be posted on the Questions – want to know page and those with an answer to a question are encouraged to send an email.