I have come to learn the only constant in life is change. Last winters plan to get a travel trailer and travel for research fell aside to the extremely bad NY weather which about forces one to leave for the entire winter, or not at all and 2 week trips to research an item or location were impossible. And damn high NY taxes don’t help.
In February I closed on a 4 bedroom, 2 bath ranch house on 32 acres just outside of West Point, MS (an hour south of Tupelo, north of Starkvile). A 1965 house in need of renovation, the work there adding to my having to prepare and list the NY house and move my stuff. So for most of 2019 I will be away from my genealogy research.
It appears I have most of the information available online that I can get, nothing new to report since the last post. No new DNA connections either. Once settled I still intend to do the research backwards so It’ll be TX first, then OK, maybe CA (dad lived there before WWII), TN, VA, and then back to the landing here – PA. The central location in MS should allow me to travel with ease, 12 hours to Dallas, about the same to Greene, TN.
Mississippi was originally inhabited by the Choctaw Nation, one of the 5 Civilized Tribes. The Natchez Trace was used by General Andrew Jackson, who was closely connected to our Hays ancestors in TN, during the War of 1812 and the state capitol, Jackson, is named for him. It is now a 444 mile recreational Parkway run by the National Park Service which I am certain to explore once settled in the new digs.
I am still stuck at William Hays and if the line connects to John or his brother Patrick Hays. The 1805 Greene County Free Inhabitants Tax List has a Robert Hayes, 2 James Hayes, Joseph Hayes, and David Hayes (most likely “Hays”, misspelled by the Sheriff taking the poll). The Elder Mountain Bethel Presbyterian Church formed in 1792 in Greene County had a Nicholas Hays listed as a founder. These leads to be added to others requiring attention to to find the link to the original settlers John and Patrick.
I suspect Patrick arrived first as he had property in PA and then both he and John “self imported” in VA. But this is mere speculation. From my readings it appears the “Scotch Irish”, as they were called by others, were looked down on by the English settlements. Having been a generation removed from Scotland they did not consider themselves Scots, nor did they consider themselves Irish. More to come on that topic.
I continue my reading of historical books where time permits and look to be settled and in to research by the end of 2019.