Updated 12-03-2020
A Hay, a Hay, a Hay! Serva Jugum (keep the yoke). I’ll let you link to the information and explore your Clan roots.
Clan Hay American Branch, or Clan Hay International (Scotland), or Clan Hay on Wikipedia.
American Hays: My focus on Americanman.org is my personal Hays line and also the American Hays. The American Hays migrated from Ulster Ireland in the early 1700’s. There is some indications that they were part of the Defense of Londonderry (not researched by me yet) and being Presbyterians were put upon by both the official church (Episcopal Church of England and Ireland) and also by Irish Catholics (which Anglicans considered lower than Presbyterians). Many Hays landed in Philadelphia and migrated to the middle of Pennsylvania (then the western front bordering Indian lands) and both John Hays and Patrick Hays (my DNA link to common ancestors) Settled in Old Augusta, Virginia .
I suspect that the Hays migrated to Ulster from the Scottish lowland (border areas) as branches of Clan Hay are found there (general research only). From Ulster the Hays were part of the mass migration from Northern Ireland to America, often called “Scotch-Irish” and which I refer to as Ulstermen to keep Presbyterian Hays distinct from other “Scotch-Irish”. Several sources report mass migrations of Presbyterians from Ulster in 1729. We relate has an (unverified by me) break down of Hays groups landing in America. Given the commonalities we can suspect a common ancestry, which DNA should show as more and more current Hays sample DNA.
The Hays landed in Philadelphia and migrated into the PA interior, with many settling in Derry, PA (Patrick Hays owned land there) then many migrating south into the Shenandoah Valley in VA, present day Interstate 81 generally shows the migration route. The Hays in America settled on what was then the edge of America which actually was just a series of settlements by ocean and river, with little inland incursion. Settlement was encouraged to provide a buffer in between an initially settled area and the Indians. The settlement at Derry (1730’s) was the official western edge of PA with a vast wilderness controlled by multitude of Indian Tribes and tribal confederations. Journey on the forbidden path which includes the journal of a John Hays written in 1760 gives an accurate description of the Ulstermen, travel to America, and the interaction between settler and various Indian tribes.
Old Augusta, VA was an example of the buffer settlements as the Governor of Williamsburg, VA explored the country in 1716. Settlement of Old Augusta (then part of Orange County) started in the 1720’s with people migrating south from PA without official recognition to settle the area. There were two grants of land, one the Borden Grant and the other the Beverly Grant designed to lure settlers with land offerings. Here we have an official record of land claims for original settlers in the name of John and Patrick Hays in the Orange County Court record.
Patrick Hays of Derry, PA is NOT the same person as Patrick Hays who settled on the Borden Grant the same day as John Hays. The Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County Pennsylvania, 1986 p.114 (available on archive.org, Patrick appears as “Hay”, “Hays” and “Hayes” in this one book so search for all 3 names when doing research) lists the “Hayes of Derry” (including Patrick’s children) and comparing this to the Chalkley’s entry of self importation for John Hays and Patrick Hays we see that Patrick (PA) children listed are different than Patrick (VA) children. I am working on the timelines and the DNA information and it is likely that PA Hays and the VA Hays are blood relations. I’ll post more in a blog when I gain more information. Many sources show both Patrick (PA) and Patrick (VA) as the same person.
The Hays settlers fought many battles and skirmishes with various Indian Tribes before, during, and after the French and Indian War (1756-63) which was the American’s part of the 7 Years War (often called World War 0) which was primarily between England and France as primary combatants but included all European Nations and the territories they controlled. The 1759 and 1783 Massacres at Kerr’s Creek saw Hays lost in the 2nd. This war was important as it realigned control of North America; Canada was ceded from France to the English as was Florida and French Louisiana (the future Louisiana Purchase), the Mississippi River and new Orleans was ceded to Spain although travel on the Mississippi was supposed to be open to all nations.
With all of North America east of the Mississippi under British Control they issued a proclamation to prevent settlement for 2 years beyond the crest of the Appalachian Mountains, reserved for the Indians and settlement to be controlled from England. English control of the actions of the colonists and colonies in the Americas, regulation of religious affairs and the “official” religion was still controlled by England, added to the discontent between colonist and the homeland. And then there was the taxes.
During the American Revolution (1765-1783) most Hays fought on the side of the colonials serving in official state militias and the Continental Army. Both the PA Hays and the VA Hays are recorded on the muster rolls. Many of our Greene County, Tennessee Hays served at the Battle of Kings Mountain, considered a vital turning point in the Revolutionary War. The well known story of Mollie “Pitcher” at the Battle of Monmouth is actually about Molly Hays, carrying pitchers of water to cool the cannons and assuage thirst, whose husband was a cannoneer who fell in battle and his post filled by her. I’ll add links to stories and service as I come across them.
Settlement of Tennessee started during the revolution (1799) which put the settlers in direct contact with the Indian tribes aligned with the British. The advance-guard of western civilization by James R. Gilmore (aka James Roberts) tells of the constant conflict which continued for about 20 years and in Chapter XI we get the story of “Granny Hays (mother of Col. Robert Hays) engaged in battle with the Indians. Then part of North Carolina that state paid it’s militia during the war with a promise of land (bounty warrants).
The 1788 Map of Tennessee shows the two initial areas settled with Hays in both areas. I highly suspect the Hays in both areas related coming from the VA John and Patrick Hays. The Hays also migrated to Kentucky with the initial Boone settlement (A Capt. William Hays marrying Daniel Boone’s daughter Susannah) but relationship with the Tennessee Hays is suspected but not researched by me.
The Hayes (Hay/Hays) research project compares 187 sets of DNA. The matches show John Hays (VA) and Patrick Hayes (PA) related, see Patrick (PA) related to John (VA) related to Patrick (VA)????. There are no DNA tests showing the original settlers of TN and KY., Col. Robert Hays, Nathaniel Hays, and Samuel Hays were original settlers in Cumberland (Nashville) and William Hays (married a Boone) as examples. Hopefully over time more Hays’ get their DNA tested through Family Tree DNA and the relations can be studied.
Haysborough (established 1784, also Haysboro) and Hays Station (established 1781, located in present day Nashville) are NOT the same location. Hays Station was established by Nathanial Hays and Samuel Hays. Haysboro was established by Col. Robert Hays who (1786) married Jane Donelson, sister to Rachel Donelson, wife of Andrew Jackson. Samuel Jackson Hays was born to Robert and Jane (1804). Samuel Hays was killed by Indians in 1793 near Hays Station and “100 paces from the Donelson’s”. I suspect the Hays Station land was sold to Andrew Jackson and is the site of Jackson’s hermitage and no longer existed early in TN history as it thereafter Jackson’s Hermitage. I’ll expound on the relationship between the middle TN, Cumberland Settlement (Nashville) Hays, the east TN, Watauga Settlement Hays, Kentucky/Ohio Hays settlers and their relationship to the Yadkin Valley in NC Hays, Shenandoah Valley in VA Hays, PA Hays, and their link to the Ulster Scots in a future blog after more research and investigation. see Patrick (PA) related to John (VA) related to Patrick (VA)????
In 1783 there was a massacre at Hays Station on Stoners Creek (trib to the Cumberland River in Present Nashville) where there were 100 casualties with 30 killed or captured at the hands of the Creek Indians. (Not to be confused with the Hayes Station South Carolina Revolutionary War massacre, unknown relationship to our VA Hays).
Further research reveals that A Samuel Hays was killed by Indians at Hays Station but that he was alone at the time of the incident and within 100 yards of the Donelson Residence. My research so far has NOT revealed a “Massacre at Hays Station” as indicated on other sites although both the Cumberland and Watauga Settlements were under almost constant Indian attacks for over 20 years. Given the duration and the record reviewed so far it is quite possible that the Hays Station lost 30 killed and 70 taken prisoner over the duration of the conflict. If anyone has a source (other than individual family trees) it would be appreciated.
When America won the war America expansion across the Cumberland continued and the Hays were on the front edge. Many Hays pioneers moved from VA to Greene County, TN (east of present Knoxville) around the long fork of Lick Creek and land records show my ancestor William Hays obtaining land there, One unverified source states cousins Maj. John Hays, Samuel and William settled there. The other area of settlement of Hays was in the area of Nashville with land obtained by John Hays and Haysboro settled by Col. Robert Hays. Nathaniel, Hugh, and Samuel Hays obtained property near there which was sold to Andrew Jackson and is now the site of the Jackson Hermitage. Nathaniel and Hugh sold all, Hugh reportedly being in Greene, TN when he did.
The Pioneer Hays were linked with Andrew Jackson in many ways. When Jackson was orphaned he lived with a Hays family and later orphaned Hays lived with the Jackson family. He and many Hays fought side by side in the battles, War of 1812 and Creek Indian Wars, which formed the American frontier. The Battle of New Orleans list Nicholas, David, James and 3 William Hays’, suspected to be the TN Hays. A Col Robert Hays married a sister of Jacksons wife (Donelson’s, another pioneering family). Here the Hays records of the two areas are mixed as fathers and uncles named sons and cousins the same and the name records are hard to determine. I’ll post more specific information when I come across it.
My Hays line stayed in Greene County, TN as farmers for 3 generations; William, son George, son William Alexander. George’s generation would have seen the Indian Removal Act of 1930 which relates to my Hays line as Robert Alexander Hays, son of William Alexander will move to Chickasaw Territory (present day Oklahoma) and his children are born there. William A. might have participated in the Civil War (1861-1865) as he was 27 years old, I have not researched that yet. Tennessee did have soldiers on both sides during the war, an example being the Hays generals on opposing sides. These, and other notable Hays I come across which branch from my line and the Tennessee Hays will be listed in American Hays in History.
William Alexander Hays married Mary Ellen Wilcox in Collin Texas in 1881. They moved to a rented farm on Township 7, Chicasaw Nation, present day Burneyville, Love, OK. At the time the land was held in common for all the tribe and all their children were born on the Indian Reservation. Their connection to the Chicasaw is unknown but it is possible that Mary Ellen had either kith or kin related to them which I discuss in The Question of Indian Blood.
Robert Alexander died at 42 leaving Mary Ellen with with 8 children from 2 to 17 in OK in 1890. In 1910 she’s in Hickory, Love, Ok with Thomas Jefferson Hays at 18, 3 girls 12-16. By 1920 Thomas Jefferson Hays is married to Ruth Price and they live in Justice Precincts 5, Cooke, TX (Borders Love, OK) on a rented farm with their 1 year old child, Mary Ellen (60) and his sister Lula (23).
As the head of household and wage earner Thomas Jefferson Hays was exempted from the WWI (1914-18) draft. Ruth Price’ brothers Jessie and Ollie did serve during WWI. After the birth of his fifth child Thomas Jefferson Hays also dies early at 33. Ruth Hays is widowed with 5 children aged 7, 5, 3, 2, and under 1 . This while the nation heads into the great depression (1929-39) and the area was headed into the dust bowl (1930-39).
James H. (Hank) Hays was sent to live with his Uncles Jessie and Ollie Price on their farm in the 1930’s. Ruth was remarried “Peters” but by 1940 was widowed again. In 1941 James H. Hays (16) moved to California. Due to the economic times and tractors and other farm implements and practices replacing farm laborers many “Oakies” migrated to California in search of work.
It was there in 1943 that James H. Hays (18) was inducted into WWII and sent into combat for 2 years in the Asian Theatre. After the war, and a five month break in service, he reenlisted in the US Army serving in the Korean War (1950-53) and the Vietnam War (1955-75). He was stationed in New York State when he married, had 4 children, retiring from service in 1974.
I was born at Ft. Niagara, NY and we moved to Schenectady, NY in 1961. Other than a brief stint in the US Army (1976-79) I have lived in NY, recently retiring as a Lieutenant with the NYS Environmental Conservation Police after a 35 year law enforcement career. I have no male sons, but the line continues in my Nephew and Grand Nephews residing in NY.
Thus the line has migrated all the way west across America then all the way back east. I’ll be retiring to Mississippi to be near my brother, and thus the migration continues.