Wit and Wisdom

A Patrick Hays Tree by Mary Sheffield Wolz

This web site is starting to show up on searches for Patrick Hays and one of the interesting parts of doing the site is the extended cousins that I get to correspond with. Mary’s brother had found the site and emailed me and when I asked about their tree he forwarded these Family Group sheets with notes which I post, graciously provided by Mary Sheffield Wolz. The line is Patrick 1705-1790, Samuel 1728-1805, James 1758-1830, Samuel 1786-1874, James S. 1822-1860, Samuel E. 1855-1933, James T. 1879-1965 (Mary’s grandfather). Thanks to Mary for sharing and hopefully helping out a fellow Hays relative in their search for their roots.

Patrick Hays 1705-1790

Samuel Hays b. 1728 Dauphin, PA d. 1805 Bowling Green, KY. m. Elizabeth Priscilla Bradford b. Augusta, VA d 1810 Bowling Green, KY. Family Group chart missing in email.

James Hays 1758-1830
Samuel Hays 1786-1874
James Samuel Hays 1822-1860
Samuel Elgin Hays
James Thomas Hays 1879-1965

Cousins updates (2) and an unrelated to (Patrick Hays-PA but with Hays ancestors) contact

1. Hey Bro, we’re cousins.

A close family friend (so close we call each other Brother) contacted me with the news that we are cousins (by marriage).  It turns out his wife was doing genealogical research and was reviewing 5th to 8th cousins on Ancestry.com when she came across my photo (Ancestry offers autosomal DNA and matches members with their possible cousins).  We shared a 4th Great Grandfather on my fathers maternal line, Joseph Price 1769-1834.  I’m sure I’ll be introduced as “BroCus” at any gatherings as an opening to discussing genealogy research in the family.  It’s a small world after all.

This got me to thinking about how American was I?  So I went back to my own family tree using the maternal name that married into my Hays line following their paternal lines.  Peoples trees on Ancestry trace my Grandmothers Price line back to Daniel Price born 1725 in Henrico, VA. Price is a welsh name and is the 91st most common name (out of 100) in the US (2020).  Great Grandmother Mary Ellen Wilcox married Alexander Hays in TX and her line traces back to George Wilcox born 1718 in VA.  Wilcox is Scottish or English in origin, from medieval English.  By the time America was settled most surnames had been Anglicised (even Irish and Scottish Gaelic names). 

My 2nd Great Grandmother Harriet Atwood Walker married William A. Hays in Greene, TN and her line traces back to Thomas Walker born 1650 in Westmoreland, VA. Walker, like Wilcox is the Anglicised form from Scotland or England. 3rd Great Grandmother Sarah W. Rodgers (b. 1808) married George Hays in Greene, TN and her line goes back to one generation to Robert Rodgers with no information available.  Rodgers is also Anglicised English or Scottish, this spelling variation more common in Scotland.  4th Great Grandmother Abigail Cravens married William Hays in either Rockbridge, VA or Greene, TN. It traces back to Robert Cravens born 1733 in Lewes, Sussex Co., DE.  Cravens is of English origin.  From William A. Hays back my Hays line were Presbyterian and appear to be active in church so it is safe to assume the spouses were also Presbyterian and most likely their families Presbyterian migrants from Ulster, Scotland, or England settling in proximity to my hays line (eventually).

You can follow our diaspora of Hays pioneers as Ancestry has an interactive map based on the census which shows in 1840 NY, PA, OH, and TN led the country with between 114-226 Hays family names with OH 1st which had 226 Hays’ which was 14% of us in the US. The name shows in all the settled areas of the U.S. that time.  By 1920 PA, OH, IN, IL, MO, KY, TN, GA, AL, MS, AR, OK, and TX all had between 301-600 Hays families but every state in the U.S. had Hays families in it.  There were 600 Hays families in #1 KY, 7% of all the recorded Hays in the country.  States around this cluster and CA, OR, and WA came in second 101-300, the midwest and New England coming in last at 1-100.  The 2010 census has “Hays” name ranked at 1021 with 34,191 records (Smith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, and Brown are the top 5) and out of each 100,000 people we are 11.59% of the population. Hayes is in 127th place and Hay ranks 2005 and it is unknown how many of these are Ulster Scot Presbyterian with a changed spelling (See Hays spellings).  

Fair use from Ancestry.com, Hays diaspora 1840 in the U.S.A.

It was my father who broke the line of Hays men marrying women with pre-Revolutionary War Colonial roots.  But this was understandable as it was his generation which finalized the Hays’ generational moves west when he landed in CA with the other “Oakies” in the 1930’s.  Like many other Hays’ he ran out of land to continue migrating west.  (although service in the Pacific theatre in WWII, Korea [war and after], and Vietnam leave the possibility the DNA continued to migrate west?). Military service brought him back east to NY where he married my mother, a 3rd generation German immigrant to this state on her paternal line, 2nd on her maternal her mother arriving as a baby, settling in VT and upstate NY.  Some of his children and grand children stayed in NY and as is the custom in America now some moved about the country following adventure, a spouse, or work. 

Note on name as ancestry alone. The 2010 census shows about 70% of U.S.A. “Hayes” identifying as White – non hispanic, 85% of Hay, and 91% of Hays ruling out many as immigrants from Scotland to Ulster to America excepting acknowledged intermarriage. Also the spelling of Hays was historically phonetic, especially in those who could not write (pre-Presbyterian education in the peasant class in Great Britain prior to 1600 and in rural America west of the Mississippi – both my Grandfather and Great Grandfather for example) and so they made their mark and another spelled based upon how it sounded. proper genealogy research requires name matching (including similar spelling), DNA, religion, and other historical records matching. Don’t cheap out, do the research.

2. Chickasaw Nation

RS contacted me after finding the AmericanMan web site.  His mother was a Hays and he traced her line back to Patrick Hays in PA and he’s actually been to the gravesite in Derry, PA (on my bucket list).  He’s a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation (fathers side) and also a member of the Love County Historical Society and so I got a lot of information on Burneyville, Love, OK. which is where my Great Grandfather, Robert Alexander Hays migrated to with his wife Mary. Robert Alexander is buried in the Burneyville Cemetery.  I have no information on why they migrated to Chickasaw Territory to farm. The 1900 census shows Township 7, Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory with Mary as the head of household with 8 children, widowed the year prior. I addressed the question of Indian ancestry but will need to do site investigations to see why the couple, he from Green, TN and she from Equality, Miller, MO. and who were married in TX, settled in OK. 

The 1910 census shows Mary as head of household with my Grandfather, Thomas Jefferson Hays 18, and 3 younger sisters in Hickory, Love, OK. By 1920 my Grandfather was listed as head of household, married with a one year old child and Mary and his sister, Lula R. 24 residing in Justice Precinct 5 Cooke, TX. Thomas J. had children born in order; Illinois Bend, Montague, TX; Plainview , Hale, TX, Illinois Bend, Montague, TX; Plainview, Hale, TX; and Cyril, OK, the last being my father who was a baby when his father died.   The 1930 census shows my fathers family in Olton, Lamb, TX and in 1940 he was in Plainview, TX again but some time in between he lived with his uncle Jess Price in Chandler, Commanche, OK.  

RS advised that the Burneyville Cemetery is quite large but Burneyville itself is almost a ghost town.  The Love County Historical Society is in the Pioneer Museum in Marietta, OK (Love County seat).  It’s run by volunteers so hopefully it’s still open when the lockdowns are lifted as I would greatly like to visit it and do research.  His parents met in TX so the connection of Hays to Burneyville was of interest to him.  I’ll check and see if he has his Hays family tree and if he’ll share it and approves its posting on this site.

Calgary, Canada

MT in Calgary, Canada contacted me after reviewing AmericanMan.org.  He’s an R1a (our Hays are R1B) but he has many Hays in his lineage and was wondering if I came across any R1a Hays’ in my searches for the name which I haven’t.  R1 split into R1a and R1b around the last ice age.  My Hays line is R1b1a2 with the R-M269 marker which is the most common marker from Europe and dominated in the Yamnaya Culture 3500 BCE.  It also includes R-M343 which migrated from Kazakstan across Unkraine, Romania, the Italian Alps and into France. The R1 (R-M420) migrated from Kazakstan into Russia and then Belarus.  The Hay and Hayes DNA Projects reveals not only R1’s with a Hay derived name but many others, although the bulk of Hays’, over 75% of the 275 in the Hay project, appear to be R1b and most of them with the R-M269 marker. 

Note: We concurred that the education of people in North America is greatly lacking. Not only are American’s taught virtually NOTHING about Canadian History and Canadians taught virtually NOTHING about U.S History, neither country properly teaches their own history which we discovered in our genealogy research. I’ll add to this the history of Mexico and the U.S. I suggest everyone get on internetrchive.com and download history books, now public domain and many digitalized or available for a digitalized free borrow from a library from written in the time you are researching or shortly thereafter. And remember to send them a tax deductible donation as they are in INVALUABLE resource to truth and history.

Cousin news – a family tree from a direct descendant of Patrick Hays (PA)

I received an email from cousin JBH (1024th, 10 generations removed) and subsequently he sent me a copy of his tree going back to Patrick Hays of Derry, Dauphin County PA.   Both he and I have had the Big-Y test done at Family Tree DNA and at 10 generations have about an 80% chance of a common ancestor which I believe to be the father (?1) or grandfather (?0) of Patrick Hays of Derry, PA which is a direct ancestor of JBH.  While not in my direct line I copy 5 generations of it below as he has written it as it may contain information useful to another.  My comments are in italics, underlined numbers refer to that persons number in bold when listed as a parent. The number in the name is the generation removed from Patrick Hays (PA). I left off generations 6 to 8 assuming that information is readily available but you can email me with any questions you have on them and I’ll get back to you.

Generation No. 1

1. ? HAYS – (In Ulster for unknown number of generations, originally from Scotland, most likely the lowlands in the southwest of the country).

Generation No. 2

Children of ? Hays

2. i. PATRICK HAYS B. 1705 Donegal, Ireland d. January 31, 1790 Derry Two., Dauphin Co. PA

ii. HUGH HAYS

iii. WILLIAM HAYS

iv. JAMES HAYS

(This is consistent with the Biographical Encyclopedia of dauphin County, PA)

2.  PATRICK HAYS 2 (?1) was born 1705 in Donegal Ireland, and died January 31, 1790 in Derry Two., Dauphin Co., PA.  He married JEAN MCKNIGHT, daughter of Alexander McKnight and Jean.

Notes-Patrick was thought to have come from Ireland in 1728 with his brothers (Consistent with the Biographical Encyclopedia) , although their names are quoted differently in a few sources.  Most say Hugh, James, and William.  Others change James with David. It has been postulated they came from Fannet Parish, Donegal County, Ireland (a Presbyterian parish located near Derry (Londonderry). He was known to own land on on the Beverly Manor in Augusta Co., VA which he deeded to sons William and Samuel in May 1750.  He is buried in Old Derry Graveyard (now Hershey, PA).  On 10 Jan 1737 he was warrantee to 300 acres and owned 600 acres in Derry Township, PA.  Also of note a Patrick Hays was known to own land in Lincoln Co., KY in the 1780’s.  On 28 Sep 1786 a James, Hugh (son of Patrick Sr.?) and Patrick sign a petition to make Logan’s Station a town (Stanford), KY.

Augusta County Deed Book #23-page 123 – 19th Oct 1779. Patrick Hays, brother of Hugh Hays, deceased, late of Lancaster Co., PA to James Buchanan, all his interest in estate of Hugh, deceased, in PA, or his daughter Margaret (deceased?).

Augusta County Deed Book #23-Page 124- 19th Oct 1779. Hugh Hays, of Augusta, son of Patrick Hays and nephew of Hugh Hays, late of Lancaster Co., PA deceased to James Buchanan. Similar as above.

(These two deed entries somehow link the Augusta/Rockbridge Co. VA Hayses (ie John Coffee Hays) to Patrick of PA.  (for my discussion on the relations of Patrick (PA), John (VA), and Patrick (VA) click on this link)

Jean McKnight’s father came to Lancaster County by 1722, landed at New Castle, Delaware from Scotland.  An Elder in Donegal Presbytery in 1734.  Buried with wife in Old Donegal Churchyard.

Children of Patrick Hays and Jean McKnight are:

i. ELEANOR 3 HAYS b 1735, Dauphin Co., PA; d. Big Springs, Cumberland Co., PA m. PATRICK CAMPBELL,  February 06, 1755, Old Paxton Church.

ii. JEAN HAYS b. 1739 Dauphin Co., PA m. WILLIAM SCOTT, October 31, 1765, Old Paxton Church.

iii. PATRICK HAYS b. 1734 Dauphin County, PA; d. 1812 Lycoming Co., PA; m. NANCY MCCALISTER, 1763.

3. iv. SAMUEL HAYS, SR.. b. 1741, Dauphin Co., PA; d. 1805 Bowling Green, KY.

4. v. DAVID HAYS b February 2, 1733 Dauphin Co., PA; d. July 26, 1809, Middle SPrings, Franklin Co., PA.

5. vi. ROBERT HAYS, B. February 02, 1733, Dauphin Co., PA; d. June 06, 1809 Cumberland Co., PA.

6. vii. WILLIAM HAYS, b 1742, Dauphin Co., PA; d. August 26, 1804 near Mercersburg, Franklin Co., PA.

Generation No. 3

3. SAMUEL 3 HAYS, SR. (PATRICK 2, ?1) was born 1741 in Dauphin Co., PA and died 1805 in Bowling Green, KY. He married ELIZABETH BRADFORD.

Notes-Samuel Hays (1734-1805) was born in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania to Patrick Hays and Jean McKnight.  He married Elizabeth Bradford before 1765 in Augusta County, Virginia, and they late moved to Warren County, Kentucky. Ancestry, descendants and relatives lived in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Texas, and elsewhere.

JSH advised by email and I post here for review: I have always rejected the notion that Elizabeth Bradford is the wife of OUR Samuel Hays. Re; Elizabeth Braford/Bradford w/o Samuel Hays.  From the Chalkley’s Chronicles, Vol. III, p.183-4: 12-17-1787 Samuel Braford’s will – Wife; Ann. Daughters; Mary Braford (unmarried), Ann, Rachel and Elizabeth. Sons: John, James, Hugh and Samuel. Grandson; Samuel Hays, son of dau. Elizabeth, infant. If he should die an infant then legacy goes to sister Elizabeth Christian. Executor: Patrick Christian, son-in-law of Augusta Co. & Samuel Miller, son-in-law of Rockingham Co. Teste: Wm. Shields, Samuel Hunter, Peter Frazer Proved: 21 April 1789 Administration: John & James Bransford. Chalkley’s Chronicles, Vol. III, p.186: 4-28-1790 Samuel Brauford’s estate appraised by John Sterling, James Shields and Samuel Hays.

JSH Note: By 1780 Samuel & Elizabeth Hays were well established in Rutherford Co., NC. According to William Hays’ statement in his pension application his family moved to Rutherford Co., NC after their house burned in Augusta Co., VA while he was still a boy. It is doubtful that if Samuel Hays had married Elizabeth Bradford and moved to Rutherford Co., NC that he would have been appraising the estate of his father-in-law in Virginia some 10 years later. To be an appraiser of an estate you must be a resident of that county in which the estate lies. The will also infers that Elizabeth (Bradford) Hays has only one child, Samuel, by an unknown Hays and is now married to Patrick Christian by whom she has one daughter, Elizabeth. The Samuel Hays listed as an appraiser is probably a brother of her now deceased husband. In fact, I feel this proves that our Elizabeth is not the daughter of Samuel Bradford. What do you think?

Recorded information from Joseph Hays: This narrative begins with Samuel Hays, son of Patrick Hays and Jean McKnight Hays, a Scottish-Irish pioneer, of the Shenandoah Valley region. Little is know about Samuel except that he married Elizabeth Bradford and raised his family in Augusta County, Virginia.

From the Augusta records we find a Samuel Hays in 1753 with 100 acres on the James River in the Borden Tract.  In 1763, Samuel and his wife Elizabeth sold this land to William Thompson and moved onto 215 acres in the Beverly Manor that belonged to his father Patrick Hays of Derry Two., Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  In 1769 Patrick deeded this land to Samuel and the remaining 259 acres of a 474 acre patent to Samuels brother William Hays (Chalkley, Vol. 3, pages 316, 368, 416, 488).

It is known that Samuel by 1779 had moved to Rutherford County, North Carolina, after their homestead burned in Virginia. Samuel remained here until 1798 when he and his family moved to Warren County, Kentucky.  Only three of his children are known: James, William, Samuel, Jr.

Samuel Hays, Sr., died in 1805 by witness the proven will of his in the Warren County Courthouse.  He is thought to be buried in the graveyard on his son’s Williams place now on the North side on the Barren River at Ben Thompson Ford (Hays Ford).

September 18, 1763-Samuel Hays and Elizabeth to William Thompson 45, 100 acres in a line of Borden’s great tract near the land of John Edminston. Augusta County, Virginia,  Deed Book, Page 407.

Children of Samuel and Elizabeth Bradford are

7. i. JAMES 4 HAYS, b. 1758 Augusta, VA; d 1830 Montgomery Co., Missouri.

ii SAMUEL HAYS, JR., b. unknown; m. Violet Gillion, 1801

8. iii. WILLIAM HAYS, SR., b. March 10, 1761 Augusta, VA; d. September 25, 1851 Warren Co., KY.

4. DAVID 3 HAYS (Patrick 2, ?1) was born in 1731 in Dauphin Co., PA, and died July 26, 1809 in Middle Springs, Franklin Co., PA He married MARTHA WILSON.

Children of David Hays and Martha Wilson are:

i WILSON 4 HAYS m. MARY CULBERTSON.

ii. PATRICK HAYS, m. ELIZABETH GALBRAITH.

iii. ROBERT HAYS m. MARY MCCUNE.

iv. MARY HAYS, m. STEPHEN CULBERTSON.

v. JANE HAYS, m. HUGH HAMILTO, March 15, 1804.

vi. DAVID HAYS.

vii. JAMES HAYS

viii. THOMAS HAYS.

5. ROBERT 3 HAYS (Patrick 2, ? 1) was born February 02, 1733 in Dauphin County, PA, and died June 06, 1809 in Cumberland County., PA.  He married MARGARET WRAY March 25, 1762 in Old Paxton Church. 

Notes-He was a Ranger in the French and Indian Wars and a Lt. in the Revolutionary War.

Children of Robert Hays and Margaret Wray are:

i. JEAN 4 HAYS, b. 1763 Dauphin Co., PA; d. 1817.

ii. JOHN HAYS, b. 1765 m. Margaret Gray.

9. iii. PATRICK HAYS, b. 1767 Dauphin Co., PA; d. July 28, 1857 Oakville, Cumberland Co., PA.

iv. MARGARET HAYS, b 1769 Dauphin Co., PA.

v. ROBERT HAYS, b. 1771 Dauphin Co., PA. m JEAN HAYS.

vi. DAVID HAYS, b. 1773, Dauphin Co., PA; d. October 08, 1796.

vii. SAMUEL HAYS, b. 1775.

viii. JAMES HAYS, b. 1777 Dauphin Co., PA; d. 1778 Dauphin Co., PA.

ix. WILLIAM HAYS, b. 1779, Dauphin Co., PA.

x. SOLOMON HAYS, b. 1781 Dauphin County, PA.

xi. JOSEPH HAYS, b. 1783.

6. WILLIAM 3 HAYS (Patrick 2, ?1) wsa born 1742 in Dauphin Co., PA and died August 26, 1804 in near Mercersburg, Franklin Co., PA.  He married JEAN TAYLOR October 06, 1767 in Old Paxton Church, Harrisburg, PA.

Notes-Soon after his marriage to Jean Taylor – a direct line from both the house of Scots and the Crown of England, he moved with Samuel to near present day Staunton, Augusta Co., VA.  He lived there until 1777 when he moved to Franklin County (then Cumberland), PA just 15 miles from the maryland border.  he lived on 200 acres near Peters Township just a few miles northwest of Mercersburg.  His farm adjoined President James Buchanan.  He enlisted in the Colonial Army under Capt. Wm. Huston, Cumberland Co.  This later became the 6th and 11th Battalions under Archibald McAlister, a relative by marriage.  His wife was the mid-wife of the area and on 23 April 1791 she brought into this world the 15th President of the U.S., James Buchanan.  He died with his wife during the Cholera Epidemic of Franklin County.  They are buried in the Church Hill Cemetery 2.5 miles east of Mercersburg.  James Buchanan, the father of the President, wrote William’s will.

Children of William Hays and Jean Taylor are:

10. i. SAMUEL 4 HAYS, b. 1768, Augusta Co., VA; d. April 5, 1835 Franklin Co., PA.

11. ii. PATRICK HAYS, b. 1770 Augusta Co., VA; d. September 06, 1823 Franklin Co., PA.

iii. DAVID HAYS, b. 1772 Augusta Co., Va.

iv. NANCY HAYS, b. 1774 Augusta Co., VA.

v. JEAN HAYS, b. 1776 Augusta Co., VA.

vi. ELEANOR HAYS, b. November 21, 1779, Franklin Co., PA m. ? CUMMINGS, 1801.

vii. MARY HAYS, b. 1781, Franklin Co., PA; d. 1792 Franklin Co., PA.

viii. MARTHA HAYS, b. Abt. 1787, Franklin Co., PA; m. JAMES BOYD, April 12, 1821.

ix. ESTHER HAYS, b. May 24, 1789, Mercersburg, PA.

Generation No. 4

7. JAMES HAYS (Samual 3, Patrick 2, ?1) was born 1758 in Augusta Co., VA and died 1830 in Montgomery Co., Missouri.  He married (1) REBECCA HENDRICK May 10, 1784 in Lincoln, KY, daughter of John Hendrick and Elizabeth.  He married (2) SARAH KNOWLES SMITH 1820.

Notes-James Hays, son of Samuel Hays, Sr. was born in Augusta County, Virginia,, Date unknown. Here he lived until the family moved to Rutherford County, North Carolina.  James moved to Davidson County, Tennessee (now Sumner County) by 1783 where he ended a land preemption right of 640 acres on the East Fork of Station Camp Creek.  Oddly enough this is just across the Cumberland River from Col. Robert Hays, Harmon Hays, and by 1804-The Hermitage.  James appears on the 1790 census for Lincoln County, KY. 1800 list a James, Hugh, John, and William on the Lincoln County tax list and James on the Warren County, KY tax list.  James also appears on the 1820 census for Warren County and in 1830 on the Montgomery Co., Missouri along with a John and Samuel in the Upper Loutre Township.

May 10, 1784 James married Rebecca Hendrick in Lincoln County, KY (this county includes lands just north of the Tennessee state line and south of the Green River).  There is little doubt that this is the same James Hays that is mentioned by General William Hall in his eyewitness account of the attack on Greenfield Fort in Sumner County, Tennessee, on April 28, 1793 by 260 Indians.  General Hall relates, “I told (Wm) Neely, who with Hays and joined us, to take a chance at his (Indian)…, He mounted the fence and deliberately looking about him, Hays, who was read for him, took cool aim, and shooting him through the armpits, he fell over backwards upon a hill of corn, quite dead, the blood spurting out a foot on each side of him… .”  James Hays was cited to Secretary Daniel Smith as “a young man (who) behaved with great bravery for which he deserves th notice of his countrymen.”

James had 6 children born in Tennessee before moving to Warren County, Kentucky, by 1798.  This year, 1798, was the arrival date of James’ father and brothers from North Carolina.  James was the father of ten children, 7 boys and 3 girls by his wife Rebecca before she died sometime after 1810.

James remarried in 1820 to Mrs. Sarah (Knowles) Smith and in 1830 they along with five of their children and their respective families moved to Montgomery County, Missouri.  Some of his children returned to Kentucky, but James and his wife Sarah no doubt died and were buried in Missouri.

Either his or his fathers prayer book containing all the family information was last seen with Marshall Hays.  Marshall’s daughter, Bitsy Gross, does not recall finding it after Marshall’s death.

Children of James Hays and Rebecca Hendrick are;

12. i. JOHN 5 HAYS, b. 1785 Lincoln Co., KY; d. unknown.

13. ii. SAMUEL HAYS, b. Abt 1787, Sumner Co., TN; d. June 07, 1874 Warren Co., KY.

iii. JEREMIAH HAYS, b. Abt 1788, Sumner Co., TN; d. unknown; m. MARTHA DOYLE, 1808.

iv. DAVID HAYS, b. Abt 1794 Sumner Co., TN; d. Bef 1824; m. RACHEL BURGHER.

v. JAMES HAYS, JR., b. Abt. 1796, Sumner Co., TN; m. REBECCA ADAIR, 1817.

14. vi. ELIZABETH HAYS, b. 1797 Sumner Co., TN; d. 1871.

15. vii. WILLIAM HAYS, b. 1799 Warren Co., KY; d. 1881.

viii. FRANCES HAYS, b. 1802 Warren Co., KY; m. JEREMIAH THOMAS, 1820.

ix. EVALINE HAYS b. 1805 Warren Co., KY; m. JEREMIAH THOMAS, 1820.

16. x. ANDREW B. R. HAYS, b. Abt 1810, Warren Co., KY.

8.  WILLIAM 4 HAYS, SR. (Samuel 3, Patrick 2, ?1) ws born on March 10, 1761 in Augusta Co., VA and died September 25, 1851 in Warren Co., KY.  He married (1) FRANCES ANN CHITWOOD 1786, daughter of James Chitwood.  He married (2) ELIZABETH GREATHOUSE 1805. He married (3) NANCY HAYNES 1841.

Children of William Hays and Frances Chitwood are:

17. i. JOHN 5 HAYS, b. 1787 Rutherford Co., NC; d 1821

ii. SAMUEL HAYS, b. Abt 1789, Rutherford Co., NC m. Sarah Hays 1817.

18. iii. JAMES CHITWOOD HAYS, b. Abt. 1790 Rutherford Co., NC; d. 1833

19. iv. WILLIAM HAYS, JR. b. Abt 1792 Rutherford Co., NC; d 1824.

20. v. SHADRACK HAYS, b. Abt 1794 Rutherford Co., NC; d 1843.

21. vi. MOSES HAYS, b. Abt 1796 Rutherford Co., NC; d. 1843.

22. vii. DANIEL HAYS, b. 1799 Rutherford Co., NC; d. 1862 Warren Co., KY.

9. PATRICK 4 HAYS (Robert 3, Patrick 2, ? 1) was born in 1767 in Dauphin Co., PA and died July 28, 1857 in Oakville, Cumberland Co., PA.  He married MARGARET MICKEY January 10, 1810.

Notes-Moved to Cumberland County, PA about 1820.

Children of Patrick Hays and Margaret Mickey are;

i. ISAMIAH 5 HAYS, m. ALEXANDER W. STERRITT.

ii. ROBERT MICKEY HAYS, b. May 25, 1813, Dauphin Co., PA; d. March 04, 1888, Newville, Cumberland Co., PA.

iii. MARGARET HAYS

iv. MARY ANN HAYS.

v. LUCETTA HAYS

vi. JANE HAYS.

10. SAMUEL 4 HAYS (William 3, Patrick 2, ? 1) was bron in 1768 in Augusta Co., VA and died April 05, 1835 in Franklin Co., PA.  He married MARY A LEIDY 1810.

Children of Samuel Hays and Mary Leidy are:

i. WILLIAM 5 HAYS, b. March 23, 1811 Franklin Co., PA; d. September 21, 1896 New Harrison, OH; m. SUSAN BARRICK, April 18, 1833 Louden, PA.

ii. JANE HAYS, b. July 30, 1812 Franklin Co., PA.

iii. GEORGE HAYS, b. July 30, 1814 Franklin Co., PA.

24. iv. ELEANOR HAYS, b. February 5, 1816 Franklin Co., PA; d. June 27, 1877 near Greenville, OH.

v. MARY ANN HAYS, b. January 26, 1817, Franklin Co., PA.

vi. SAMUEL HAYS, b. November 08, 1818 Franklin Co., PA; d. October 25, 1854 Darke Co., OH.

vii. REBECCA HAYS, b. January 10, 1821 Franklin Co., PA.

viii. CATHERINE HAYS, b. September 28, 1823 Franklin Co., PA.

ix. CHARLES G. HAYS, b. December 14, 1824 Franklin Co., PA; d. April 10, 1898; m. SARAH M. ADAMS October 26, 1848, Piqua, OH.

25. x. DANIEL S. HAYS, b. September 11, 1826 Franklin Co., PA; d. April 11, 1904 Grand Island, NE.

xi. ROBERT HAYS, b. April 15, 1828 Franklin Co., PA.

xii. JOHN HAYS, b. March 18, 1833 Franklin Co., PA; d. March 10, 1893 Greenville, OH; m. (1) ELIZABETH A. (2) ELIZABETH LYSER September 16, 1875.

xiii. MARGARET E. HAYS, b. March 31, 1835 Franklin Co., PA; d. December 17, 1921 Covington, Miami Co., OH.

11. PATRICK 4 HAYS, (William 3, Patrick 2, ? 1) Wass  born in 1770 in Augusta Co., VA and died September 06, 1823 in Franklin Co., PA.  He married AGNES NANCY CUMMINS 1805 in Franklin Co., PA.

Notes-Capt. Patrick of War of 1812, Commander of Mercersburg Company.

Child of Patrick Hays and Agnes Cummins is;

i. JANE LOUISE 5 HAYS

Generation No. 5

12 JOHN 5 HAYS (James 4, Samuel 3, Patrick 2, ? 1) was born 1785 in Lincoln Co., KY and died unknown. He married MARY HENDRICK 1801.

The child of John Hays and Mary Hendrick is;

i. JANE LOUISE 5 HAYS.

13 SAMUEL HAYS (James 4, Samuel 3, Patrick 2, ?1) was born Abt 1787 in Sumner Co., TN and died June 07, 1874 in Warren Co., KY. He married (1) CHARLOTTA MANNEN March 08, 1812 in Warren Co., KY, daughter of William Mannen and Patience Phillips.  He married (2) SALLIE LARK 1861.

Notes-Buried on Trent Hays Farm on US 68 in Sunnyside, KY.  This was his homestead.  The house is now gone but a small graveyard is still there.

Children of Samuel Hays and Charlotta Mannen are;

i. HANNAH 6 HAYS, b. January 11, 1813, Warren Co., KY.

ii. ELLENDER HAYS, b. February 17, 1815 Warren Co., KY; d. May 8, 1874; m. JOHN TYGRET, JR. 1837.

iii. ELIZABETH HAYS, b. October 17, 1818 Warren Co., KY; d. May 01, 1867; m. DANIEL W. HAYS, 1841.

iv. DAVID C. HAYS, b. October 10, 1820 Warren Co., KY; m. MARTHA A. ROBINSON, 1849.

27. v. JAMES SAMUEL HAYS, b. May 10, 1822 Bowling Green, KY; d. August 27, 1860, Marlin, TX.

28. vi. ASA MANNEN HAYS, b. December 14, 1823 Warren Co., KY; d. May 29, 1898.

vii. LILLIE HAYS, b. January 06, 1826 Warren Co., KY; d. August 1841.

14. ELIZABETH HAYS (James 4, Samuel 3, Patrick 2, ? 1) was born in 1797 in Sumner Co., TN and died 1871.  She married JOHN THOMAS 1812.

Children of Elizabeth Hays and John Thomas are;

i. KATHERINE THOMAS, b. 1813; m. JOSEPH PRICE GILMORE 1832.

ii. REBECCA THOMAS, b. 1816; m. LEWIS W. POTTER, JR. 1837.

iii. JEREMIAH THOMAS, b. 1817.

iv. HENRY THOMAS, b. 1829; d. 1847; m. SARAH PHILLIPS 1840.

v. ELVINA THOMAS, b. 1822; d. 1909; m. WILLIAM C. THOMAS.

vi. JOHN S. THOMAS, b. 1824; d. 1909; m. MARTHA PATILLO.

vii. SAMUEL THOMAS, b. 1826; m. DORORTHEA C. EDWARDS 1856.

viii. SAMUEL THOMAS, b. 1829; m. (1) REBECCA HAYS 1858 (2) ANGELINA HERDON 1867 (3) FRANCES LUCAS 1880.

ix. JESSE W. THOMAS, b. 1833; d. 1920; m. (1) MARY MANNEN (2) PARADIE HAYNES.

15. WILLIAM 5 HAYS (James 4, Samuel 3, Patrick 2, ? 1) wsa born 1799 in Warren Co., KY and died 1881. He married NANCY LYNN 1821.

Children of William Hays and Nancy Lynn are;

i. REBECCA A. 6 HAYS, m. JOHN C. THOMAS 1840.

ii. MARTHA L.A. HAYS, b. 1825; d. 1895; m. RICHARD G. POTTER.

iii. ELIZABETH A. HAYS, m. THOMAS L. THORTON, 1846.

iv. JAMES EDWARD HAYS, b. 1829; m. EMALINE G. MORRIS 1850.

v. MARY JANE HAYS, b. 1830; d. 1914; m. JOHN EDLEY 1856.

vi. FRANCIES ANN HAYS, b. 1833; d. 1884.

vii. WILLIAM JEFFERSON HAYS, b. 1836; m. C.E. TYGRET 1875.

viii. HENRY M. HAYS, b. 1838; d. 1912; m. (1) JUDITH KEITH 1861 (2) ERMINE SMITH 1900 (3) CHLOE BAILEY 1905.

ix. NANCY ANN HAYS b. 1840; d. 1856.

x. MARGARET J. HAYS, b. 1842; d. 1855.

16. ANDREW B. R. 5 HAYS (William 4, Samuel 3, Patrick 2, ?1) was born Abt 1810 in Warren Co., KY.  He married (1) JULIA LOWE 1834 (2) NANCY LOWE 1844

Children of Andrew Hays and Julia Lowe are;

i. WILLIAM PRIOR 6 HAYS, b. 1836; m. CORNELIA GOTT 1870.

ii. JOSEPH JULIAN HAYS, b. 1842; d. 1934; m. (1) SARAH J. LARK 1865 (2) NANCY WHITE 1880.

iii. NANCY HAYS.

17. JOHN 5 HAYS (William 4, Samuel 3, Patrick 2, ?1) was born in 1787 Rutherford Co., NC and died 1821.  He married SUSANNAH SNOW 1809.

Children of John Hays and Susannah Snow are:

i. ? 6 HAYS, b. 1810; m. JOHN CLASPIL.

ii. JAMES B. HAYS, b. 1817; m. NANCY BRIDGES 1838.

iii. MARTHA A. HAYS, b 1821; m. ANDREW J. LONG 1851.

18. JAMES CHITWOOD 5 HAYS (William 4, Samuel 3, Patrick 2, ?1) was boRn Abt 1790 in Rutherford Co., NC and died 1833.  He married (1) MARY LORTON 1812 (2) LYDIA WRIGHT 1828.

Children of James Hays and Mary Lorton are;

i. FRANCES 6 HAYS, m. THOMAS GILMORE 1834.

ii. MARY HAYS m. ? MCCOY.

iii. WILLIAM HARRISON HAYS, b. Abt 1818; m. MARY GRINSTEAD 1842.

iv. MARGARET HAYS m. JOHN S. WADDELL.

v. JESTRIGHT HAYS.

vi. SUSANNAH HAYS, b. 1823; m. JOHN S. WADDELL 1845. 

19. WILLIAM 5 HAYS, JR. (William 4, Samuel 3, Patrick 2, ?1) was born Abt. 1792 in Rutherford Co., NC and died 1824.  He married NANCY NEWPORT 1815.

Children of William Hays and Nancy Newport are:

i. REED NEWPORT 5 HAYS, m. MATILDA ADAIR, 1837.

ii. PLEASANT CHITWOOD HAYS, b. 1820; d. 1885; m. ELIZABETH ANN HENDRICKS, 1842.

iii. DANIEL W. HAYS, b. 1822; d. 1880; m. ELIZABETH HAYS 1841.

20. SHADRACK 5 HAYS (William 4, Saumeul 3, Patrick 2, ?1) was born Abt 1794 in Rutherford Co., NC and died 1843. He married (1) SARAH OSBORN, (2) ELIZABETH NEWPORT, 1823.

Children of Shamrock Hays and Elizabeth Newport are;

i. WILLIAM F. 6 HAYS b. 1824; m. MARY LUCINDA.

ii. KEZIAH P. HAYS b. 1826.

iii. NANCY HAYS b. 1828; m. JAMES LOWERY 1845.

iv. LURANNA C. HAYS, b. 1830.

v. JOHN W. HAYS b. 1832.

vi. JOSEPH ERVAN HAYS b. 1834; m. SARAH PARADINE GOOD, 1855.

vii. SOLOMAN PORTER HAYS, b. 1836.

viii. DANIEL CALVIN HAYS b. 1838; m. RACHEL E. HAYS 1861.

x. ELIZABETH FRANCES HAYS b. 1842.

21.  MOSES 5 HAYS (William 4, Samuel 3, Patrick 2, ?1) was born Abt. 1796 in Rutherford Co. NC and died 1843. He married (1) CANDA, (2) ELIZABETH DAVIS 1822.

Children of Moses 5 Hays and Canda are:

i. SHADRACK 5 HAYS b. 1819

ii. FRANCES HAYS b. 1819.

Children of Moses Hays and Elizabeth Davis are:

i. NANCY 6 HAYS b. 1826; m. MATTHEW PHILLIPS 1849.

ii. MARY HAYS b. 1828.

iii. WILLIAM HAYS b. 1830.

22. DANIEL 5 HAYS (William 4, Samuel 3, Patrick 2, ?1) was born 1799 in Rutherford Co., NC and died 1862 in Warren Co., KY. He married REBECCA ANN MANNEN 1829.

Notes-Daniel Hays was a very wealthy man who owned over 3000 acres on the Barren River and over 30 slaves at his death.  Unfortunately the loss of his slaves and the robbery told below left his widow without much except land.

Court cases prove that after Daniels death a group of masked robbers robbed the family homestead out on Hays Crossing (Ben Thompson’s Ford) south of Bowling Green on the Barren River.  Ten’s of thousands were taken (a great sum in the 1860’s) from the widow, however the clever Hayses hid a great sum under the baby and told the robbers the baby had the measles.  The robbers were brought to trial and acquitted because nobody could see their faces, although people knew who did it.  Afterward the Hays shot up the robbers house and were brought to trial and acquitted also.

Children of Daniel Hays and Rebecca Mannen are:

i. WILLIAM HARDY 6 HAYS b. 1829; d. 1871.

ii. ELIZABETH FRANCES RAY HAYS b. 1832; d. 1870; m. JOSEPH ROBERSON 1850.

iii. NANCY CAROLINE HAYS b. 1834; d. 1890; m. (1) EDMUND WHITE (2) WILLIAM RENICK 1850.

iv. MARIAH EMALINE T. HAYS b. 1837; d. 1922; m. MATHEW J. MOTLEY 1854.

v. JOHN HENRY HARRISON HAYS b. 1840; d. 1890; m. FANNIE LORNE.

vi. REBECCA DANIEL HAYS b. 1842; d. 1866; m. SAMUEL THOMAS 1858.

29. vii. ASA THOMAS MANNEN HAYS b. 1845; d. 1901.

viii. DANIEL JAMES HAYS b. 1848; d. 1871.

ix. ELIJAH HISE HAYS b. 1851; d. 1895; m. MARIAH ADDIE GREER 1871.

x. MARY ALLIE HAYS b. 1853; d. 1937; m. WILLIAM GARRISON 1870.

xi. CHARLOTTE MANNEN HAYS b. 1857; d. 1938; m. HARMON SMITH HUNT 1880.

30. xii. FRANKLIN PIERCE HAYS b. 1860 Warren Co., KY; d. 1941 Warren Co., KY.

23. ROBERT MICKEY 5 HAYS (Patrick 4, Robert 3, Patrick 2, ?1) was born May 25, 1813 in Dauphin Co., PA and died March 04, 1888 in Newville, Cumberland Co., PA.  He married HANNAH SHARPE daughter of John Sharpe and Jane McCune.

Children of Robert Hays and Hannah Sharpe are;

i. MARGARET 6 HAYS, d. before 1905; m. SAMUEL I. IRVINE.

31. ii. JOHN SHARPE HAYS, b. August 06, 1842 Newville, Cumberland Co., PA; d. March 29, 1877 Newville, Cumberland Co., PA.

32. iii. EDWIN R. HAYS b. May 10, 1846.

iv. JANE HAYS.

24. ELEANOR 5 HAYS (Samuel 4, William 3, Patrick 2, ?1) was born February 05, 1816 in Franklin Co., PA and died June 27, 1887 near Greenville, OH. She married DAVID BISHOP April 21, 1836.

Children of Eleanor Hays and David Bishop are:

i. MARY JANE 6 BISHOP b. December 12, 1837 Frederick Co., MD; d Abt. 1852 Darke Co., OH.

ii. DAVID BISHOP b. April 09, 1839 Frederick Co., MD; d. April 26, 1845 Enroute to OH.

iii. WILLIAM HARRISON BISHOP b. January 15, 1841 Frederick Co., MD; d. May 12, 1845 Enroute to OH.

iv. MARGARET ANN BISHOP b. March 19, 1842 Frederick Co., MD; d. May 07, 1845 Enroute to OH.

v. SAMUEL BISHOP b. October 28, 1843 Frederick Co., MD; d. March 04, 1911 Darke Co., OH; m. NANCY FRANCES DIVELY February 12, 1875.

vi. WILLIAM BISHOP b. November 22, 1845; d. December 29, 1846.

vii. HARRIET BISHOP b. September 24, 1848; d. October 04, 1932.

33. viii. JOSEPH BISHOP b. September 24, 1848 Darke Co., OH; d. June 05, 1827 Miami Co., OH.

34. ix. NANCY BELLE BISHOP b. February 24, 1851; d. March 1922 Darke Co., OH.

35. x. SARAH ANN BISHOP b. March 18, 1853; d. March 12, 1938.

25. DANIEL S. 5 HAYS (Samuel 4, William 3, Patrick 2, ?1) was born September 11, 1826 in Franklin Co., PA and died April 11, 1904 in Grand Island, NE. He married SUSANAH WORLEY in Covington, Miami Co., OH.

Children of Daniel Hays and Susanah Worley is:

i. HENRY 6 HAYS.

26. MARGARET E. 5 HAYS (Samuel 4, William 3, Patrick 2, ?1) was born March 31, 1835 in Franklin Co., PA and died December 17, 1921 in Covington, Miami Co., OH. She married BEN HOLLOPETER July 21, 1864.

Children of Margaret Hays and Ben Hollopeter are:

i. REBECCAH 6 HOLLOPETER b. Abt 1859.

ii. GEORGE WASHINGTON HOLLOPETER b. March 11, 1866.

iii. MARTHA ELIZABETH HOLLOPETER b. October 31, 1867; m. ? ORR.

iv. ELMER ELLIS ELSWORTH HOLLOPETER b. September 11, 1869.

v. MARY MARIAH HOLLOPETER b. Abt 1871; m. ? SWIGART.

vi. MATTIE HOLLOPETER b. Abt 1873.

vii. CATHERINE BELLE HOLLOPETER b. October 18, 1873.

viii. MARY L. HOLLOPETER b. October 18, 1873.

ix. MARTHA E. HOLLOPETER b. Abt 1874.

Generation No. 6

27. JAMES SAMUEL 6 HAYS (Samuel 5, James 4, Samuel 3, Patrick 2, ?1) was born May 10, 1822 in Bowling Green, KY and died August 27, 1860 in Marlin, TX.  He married FRANCES ALLEN, daughter of ? Allen and ? Knight.

Generation 6 is 3 generations from JBH.  For further information on this line or to contact JBH email me at jh@americanman.org and I’ll forward it to him. 

Scotch, Scot, and Scots: a whiskey, a man, and a language.

Years back when my initial investigation into my Hays history revealed the name was of Scottish origin and related to Clan Hay (http://www.clanhay.org) I got a kilt in the proper Clan Hay tartan, picked up a CD of Highland Celtic folk songs, and headed off to the local highland games.  But DNA testing and my genealogical research over these past few years revealed there are two regions in Scotland, Highland and Lowland with the line running south-west, the exact boundary not clearly defined.  In addition to cultural differences in each of these a distinct language was spoken with Scottish Gaelic spoken in the highlands and Scots spoken in the lowlands.

Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language.  The peoples first migrating into Ireland, Scotland, and England after the last ice age were Celtic speakers which descended from Proto-Celtic in Western Europe and the Iberian Peninsula.  Today these include Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic, Manx, Welsh, Breton, and Cornish. Scots is a branch of Teutonic (Proto-Germanic) languages, a branch of the Old English language with Old English being brought into the isles by germanic tribes, Angles and Saxons.  Old English split into Scots and English.  Today they include English, Lowland Scots, and Ulster Scots. 

Picts in the highlands spoke a Celtic tongue which differed from the language of the Gaelic Kingdom of Dalriada which covered the western seaboard of Scotland and Northeast Ireland.  In the 9th century they combined in the north of Scotland, then called Alba.  “Scot” and “Scotland” is derived from latin (Scoti), initially applied to all Gauls but by the 11th century it was used only for the Gaelic speakers in the highlands. Eventually Scot was applied to the all people in the Country.  So, ironically, the name of the language, Scots, comes from the Romans describing Gaelic Highlanders speaking Gaelic.

In the 5th and 6th century germanic tribes, Angles, and Saxons, began arriving on the east coast of Scotland and England speaking Old English (Angle ish).  The land controlled by them was known as Northumbria (east coast of Northern England and Southern Scotland).  Over the centuries, as Clans and Kings pushed each other around over time, Old English and Scots diverged and by the 12th century split into English in present day England and Scots in present day lowland Scotland, with Scots-Gaelic spoken in the highlands.  

References to differences between Scots (non-Gaeilic speakers) and Wild Scots (Gaels) appear in the mid 13th century with Scots referenced in written records after 1350.  John Barbours poem The Brus about about Robert the Bruce was in Scots and written in 1375. More frequent Scots written records start to appear in the late 1300’s and early 1400’s and in 1492 King James I of Scotland wrote The Kingis Quair (The Kings Book) in Scots.  Records of Scotlands Parliament are now being kept in Scots.

In 1456 Gilbert Hay’s The Buke of the Law of Armys is the earliest dated work to be translated from another language into Scots, in this instance French.  In 1901 The Scottish Text Society published Gilbert of the Haye’s Prose Manuscript (AD1456) Volume I. The Buke of the Law of Armys or Buke of Battles.  The Introduction informs us there is a folio in a Library at Abbotsford which contains the earliest dated literary prose in the Scottish Language.  Made in 1456, in Roslin Castle, at the command of the Earl of Orkney and Caithness, Chancellor of Scotland, by Sir Gilbert Haye, knight, late chamberlain to the King of France.

Sir Gilbert Haye, the Translator (Introduction pg. xxiii) is described as a poet rather than a prose writer.  While much about him is speculation, such as his lineage may be from Sir William Hay of Locharet.  Records at St. Andrews dated 1418 have a Gilbert’s Hay receiving a Bachelor in Decrees and in 1419 Gilbertus de Haya signing up for a Master of Arts degree.  He is referenced as both a Knight and Priest and spent 24 years in France in service to the King there, possibly serving with the Scots Guard.  Those interested in Hay history may enjoy the 119 page Introduction which speaks of Gilbert Hay, the manuscript, and the people involved.    

From the Buke of the Law of Armys in Scots Language

In the mid 16th century Standard English began to predominate the other languages as it was the language of trade and business and most printed materials in Great Britain were in English.  An example is the Geneva Bible which was translated into English and published in Scotland in 1579 and a law was passed in Scotland requiring every household of sufficient means to buy a copy.  Presbyterian Ministers quoting from it would then translate into Scots for their audience.  When in 1603 King James VI of Scotland became James I of England he addressed the English Parliament, “Hath not God first united these two Kingdomes both in Language, Religion, and similitude of maners?”. And in 1604 the Church of Scotland, the Kirk, noted the Authorized King James version of the bible, which was in English, was the official book. 

In 1609 Scottish Planters offered land in Ulster came from the western lowlands of Scotland where Scots was the common tongue and migrations from the lowlands was encouraged to help alleviate border problems.  Many more Scots left the lowlands for Ulster during the 1600’s due to religious and economic persecution adding to the Scots speakers in Ulster.  Today the language is referred to as Ulster-Scots, which many consider a dialect of Scots. 

The Ulster Scots Language Society says Ulster Scots was being spoken in the Americas in the early 1700’s, settlers speaking “their ain mother tongue”.   There are many references found in literature of the time regarding the “rough English” of the Ulster Scots in America which I suspect was Scots or at a minimum a heavy Scots influence on the English used at the time.  

John Hays Diary and Journal of 1760 of his expedition into Indian Country in PA transcribed from writing in his own hand in 1760 provides a clue that those Ulster Scots in who received an education did so in English as his writing, although with misspelling and grammar mistakes common to the time, appears to be English.  He was reportedly born in Northern Ireland but brought to America when he was 2 so his formal education would be in the states.  It is most likely that Ulster Scots and Scots in Scotland could switch back and forth between speaking Scots and English, often combining the two, at least well enough for their “rough English” to be understood. Those educated to read and write were in English as the available written works of the time were in English, the primary book being the bible.

But just as Old English from Europe evolved into Scots in Scotland and then into Ulster-Scots in Northern Ireland, it appears that in America it was absorbed into American English as were terms and phrases from British English, Indian languages, French, German, Spanish, and other immigrants.  As an example, Schenectady, NY (where I grew up). The name is from a Mohawk Indian term “Schau-naugh-ta-da” meaning “beyond the pines” and pronounced Ska-nect-ta-dee by the original dutch settlers in the 1660’s. Across the Mohawk River the lone non-Dutch original settler, a Scot named Alexander Lindsey Glen, named his patent (land grant) “Scotia” after his homeland and the Village of Scotia in the Town of Glenville exists to this day.

Although I could find not specific reference in writings of the time some claim the term “Red Neck” originated in the Ulster Scots in America as Covenanters, lowland Scot Presbyterians, wore a red neckerchief. This is quite possible as the pioneers militias when in battle had no uniforms and to distinguish your side from the other it was common to wear an identifying piece of cloth on clothes or hat to prevent friendly fire incidents. It isn’t a far stretch of the imagination to believe a term used for the Scot and Ulster Scot Presbyterians would follow them to America.

Studies show that generally first generation immigrants to America use their own language at home, the first generation born here will be somewhat conversational in the old language but not able to read and write it, and the third generation can neither speak or understand the mother tongue having taken up the local language. Early American pioneers most assuredly combined words and phrases from other languages as they developed the common tongue in America.

As Scots was a spoken language and English the written language we have no record of how long Scots was used in America.  Most likely the less educated, the pioneers and settlers, used it longer than those next to or within English settlements.  Many believe that the unique dialect in the Appalachian Mountains traces back to Scots but there is no direct proof of this.  But what we today call English in America is certainly different than English in Great Britain, Australia, Scotland, etc.  And even in America the language changes from north to south and east to west. 

But we can still find reference to the old Scots tongue in America when poets gather at Robbie Burn readings and on New Years Eve when we sing Auld Lang Syne in Scots (here mixed with a highland influence), or here with Scots and English subtitles for comparison. 

Interestingly, in “The Scots: A Genetic Journey” Alistair Moffat writes that there is a DNA marker which correlates to the Scots who spoke Gaelic.  S145 is a variant of the M269 marker and it appears in 48% of Welshmen and only 15% in neighboring England.  In Scotland it’s in 31% of men in Glasgow and the southwest dropping to 22% in Edinburg.   My DNA downstream of M269 lacks the marker, consistent with the presumed history of my Hays coming to Scotland from Normandy with no connection to the highlands.  As DNA research progresses we may be able to further accurately trace our ancestries where no paper trail exists.

A good video of the Scots Language and differences from English, The Scot’s Language, can be found here.  The Scots Language Center contains much information on the Scots Language.  The Ulster-Scots Language Society has information on their Scots language, as does the Ulster-Scot Academy.   And for differences in American English versus UK English the video, How are Biritsh English and American English different, is here.

I close wishing you Lang may yer lum reek! (May you live long and stay well.)

Patrick (PA) related to John (VA) related to Patrick (VA)????

Just as we almost all go back to a common ancestor in Africa 60,000 years ago I am beginning to wonder if there is common Hays ancestor of the Ulster Scot Presbyterian Hays’ who migrated first to Pennsylvania, then VA and ultimately TN and KY when the Cumberland Gap opened.  Naming patterns common the Ulster Scots are used here also to assume relation.  The 1st born male was usually named for the Paternal Grandfather, 2nd for the Maternal Grandfather, 3rd & 4th after an uncle.  The name of a child who died in infancy was often used again in the same family.  “Nephew” in written records refers to Grandsons and it wasn’t until around the Revolutionary war that we begin to see middle names used and the addition of a Sr or Jr. and “Grandson” used. 

FamilyTreeDNA offers Y-DNA tests with 12, 25, 37, 67, 111 markers, and Big Y-700 (which doesn’t give you a probability for relationships (more later).  I recently received my “Big Y-700” test results back and the listed most common ancestor for those I match with are both Patrick Hays of PA and John Hays of VA, assuming their posted family trees are correct.  The Big y test showed a close match with JBH who identified Patrick Hays (PA) as the Earliest Known Ancestor (EKN) and we have a common Y-DNA Haplogroup of R-FT115175.  The 111 test shows a JSH (R-M269) with a genetic distance of 5 related to Patrick Hays and JBH again with a genetic distance of 6. The 67 marker shows JSH at a genetic distance of 3, EGH (R-M269) with a genetic distance of 3 and the EKA as John Hays, 1752 Rockbridge, VA.  (initials of people used to politely mask identities).

As I understand it (remember I am an amateur!, go to https://isogg.org, International Society of Genetic Genealogy for more), the Genetic Distance is the number of differences in a tested marker, Short Tandem Repeat (STR) and the test number is the number of markers tested.  The Big Y looks at 700 STR’s and also tests Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP, “snips”) which help identify paternal lineages 10-20 generations back.  For example, there are 15 markers between me and my closest match, JSH (R-M269) as I took a larger test.  Again ISOGG and FTDNA have much more information on these (and other DNA) topics.

The records (Chalkley) show a John Hays (wife Rebecca) and children self importing to Rockbridge, VA in 1740 and on the same day a Patrick Hays (wife Frances) with children.  John Hays also has grown sons who arrived in VA the same time as he did.  Many sites suspect these two are brothers which is incorrect (IMHO).  The Bibliographic Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, PA (Encyclopedia) show that a Patrick Hays (wife Jean) arrived in Derry PA with his brother Hugh, William, and James.  Patrick (PA) and Patrick (VA) having different wives and children names obviously aren’t the same person.  So what is the relationship between the three and can my DNA test help?

Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, PA

Patrick (PA) was born in 1705 in County Donnegal, Ireland and came to PA in 1728 with his brothers.  It is quite possible that other Hays’ came at the same time, remember, it was not uncommon for nearly the entire Church memberships or villages to leave for the Americas at the same time on the same ship, or perhaps they came shortly after with Patrick (PA) as as a stopping off point.  Beverly Manor (1736) and the Borden Grant (1739) hadn’t been open to settlement yet.  It also appears that Patrick (PA), John (VA) and Patrick (VA) were men of some means as they paid their passage (most came over indentured, more on that in a later blog) and could afford to purchase land.  PA offered 50 acres to each man under the headlight system but much of the available good farm land was taken and more expensive to buy.  The Borden Grant offered 100 acres for self importers (you had to put up a cabin and settle) and each 100 acres for a shilling.     

Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, PA

By my calculations I estimate that John (VA) and Patrick (PA) are 8 generation from me (possibly 9).  My closest match at 111 markers, JSH shows Patrick (PA) as EKA and the comparison chart estimates that there is a 76.48% probability and at 67 markers a 85.82% probability.  EGH who has John (VA) as her EKA also has a 67 marker 85.82% probability.   MBH at 67 shows a 51.48% probability and at 111 a 61.51% probability at 8 generations.  I’m not sure why the percentages move like they do and I’ll need to do more research on that.  The fact that my closest match JBH has a lower probability leads me to believe that my line does not go through John (VA) or Patrick (PA) Hays and might go through Patrick (VA) or another Hays related to him.  At 10 generations JSH is at (111) 89.48 and (67) 93.34, JBH is (111) 79.93% and (67) 69.62, and EGH (67) is 93.34.  At 12 generation EGH is (67) 97.09%, JSH is (111) 95.74%, and JBH (111) is 90.67%.     

Using the name patterns common to Ulster Scots I see that Patrick (PA) has Brothers Hugh, William, and James and his son’s are (in birth order) David, Robert, William, Samuel, and Patrick.  Patrick (VA) has sons named William and Samuel.  John (VA) has sons Andrew, Charles, John, and James (deceased by 1750) with Grandsons named James and John, Jr.  This indicates to me that Patrick (VA) is the nephew of Patrick (PA) with no indication if Hugh, William, or James is his father.  John (VA) and Patrick (PA) are not brothers and the lack of a common name in their family trees indicates that their relationship is further than their Grandfathers.  

 Patrick (PA) and John (VA) sit 8 generations from me, their Grandfathers 10 but it is at 12 generations that probabilities go above 90% for all connected to me on Family Tree DNA.  So going back to 12 generations from me to 1650 if A Hays had 4 sons (1675) and each of them had 4 sons (1700) which includes the about year that John (VA) and Patrick (PA) were born the two of them would have 64 cousins.  And given the fact that the Ulster Scots in northern Ireland stayed among themselves due to their Presbyterian religion and that they came over to America in bulk, and given the DNA probabilities, it is highly likely that there is a Common Ancestor about the 1650’s.  

But given the lack of records prior to and into the 1700’s which can identify people and their relation to each other and given the fact that the Hays, after arriving in PA in the early 1700’s spread out to new territories as the nation expanded, being among the first pioneers to settle Greene, TN (closely following the Wautauga Settlement in 1776), among the original settlers of the Cumberland Settlement (1779, Nashville), and 1775 blazing the Wilderness Road through the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky and settling there, the record will end before we get to Northern Ireland and we’ll have to rely on DNA to finish the story.  To this end I encourage everyone to get their Y-DNA done at Family Tree DNA, https://www.familytreedna.com/, and find your relatives and ancestors there.  

My line going backwards has a James, Thomas Jefferson (obvious where that came from), Robert Alexander, William A., George, and William b. 1773 in Rockbridge, VA d. 1857 Greene, TN and that last is my wall (for now).  Patrick (PA) and Patrick (VA) both have William in their line so name matching has me suspect my line is through Patrick (PA) or one of his brothers (a father to Patrick (VA).  But only field research and luck will confirm this.

And the historical research continues.

Hays Ancestors: Mans east and west diaspora and the Hays migration to Scotland.

Although he didn’t know it, DNA Adam in Africa 60,000 years ago was a Hays.  He’s actually related to the vast majority of the people alive today so he has a pretty long list of surnames.  They were stone age hunter-gatherers when 60,000 years ago a DNA Adam son, a Hays male ancestor, started to migrate north out of Africa.  50,000 years ago the Hays cousins, the C Haplogroup, went west out of Africa over the tip of India and up the Asian coast to North America, the first settlers to that continent. When the Hays sons reached Asia 35,000 years ago, around present day Uzbekistan, cousins in Haplogroup Q went west northwest while the Hays, in the R Haplogroup, continued north.  Both The Hays R Haplogroup and cousins Q Haplogroup were still hunter-gatherer societies, dependent on climate and the movement of large game animals, about 11,000 years ago when Q went into North America at present day Alaska .  

The Hays R Haplogroup first split into R1 and R2 (some estimate about 25,000 years ago) and then the R1 split into R1a and R1b (some estimate about 18,500 years ago), with R1b being my (and many others) Hays line.  The R1b Hays continued to migrate west into Europe.  The climate at the time was much cooler than now due to the last Ice Age with glaciers that grew and receded back and forth from 110,000 to 12,500 years ago. In Scotland 24,000 years ago the ice was over a mile thick and Britain was connected to mainland Europe due to reduced sea levels from the glacier and migrations of people by foot in and out and in could occur.  Reduced sea levels due to glaciation opened up the Bering Land Bridge, Beringia, between present day Siberia and Alaska and about 12,000 to 15,000 years ago people began to migrate in and out of North America.

Glaciers and climate continued to impact movement of people.  The Q Haplogroup crossed into North America and continued to migrate south and east settling North and South America.  The Hays R1b Haplogroup continued further west into Europe.  As warming occurred 12,000 years ago the glaciers began to melt and recede and ocean levels began to rise.  By 6000 years ago the British Isles were separate from mainland Europe by the English Channel and Beringia was under water.  

The flooding of Beringia separated North America from Asia and migrations into North America stopped, but the Q Haplogroup continued their migration south and east across 2 continents.   90% of American Indians carry the Q Haplogroup.  As evidence of the America’s being separated from Asia and Europe, canines were domesticated from grey wolves by the hunter-gatherers some 14,000 years ago.  Travelers over Beringia brought dogs to North America and DNA studies have shown they were related to dogs in Siberia, but were distinct from European dog lines.  Among other herd animals, ancient horses originally from North America died out in North America but they continued in Asia.  North and South American civilizations remained isolated from the civilizations of Eurasia and did not benefit from any advances in Eurasia culture and developed on their own.

About 9000 years ago farming was developed in the fertile crescent in Mesopotamia (present day middle east).  Cereal crops (wheat and barley), lentils, peas and chickpeas were cultivated for food and flax was grown for oil.  Goats and sheep were domesticated as were chickens and pigs in China and cattle in the Near East.  Farming and pastoralism created a more sedentary lifestyle but successive generations would require more land in temperate zones to farm and graze on.  Stone age tools were improved on and pottery making developed to store grains and seeds.  

Farming increased birth rates as children were weaned earlier onto a grain diet (mush).  Villages and town centers (tribes and clans) would develop for social gathering, government, and religious activities and as a gathering point for common defense against raiding.  Increased populations increased the need for more land to farm and thus encouraged migration.  Genetic diversity within a village would be maintained by marriages between two villages.  This would build alliances and help prevent tribal and regional conflict. Farming would migrate west into Europe, just as the R1b Haplogroup and the Hays did. 

About 6000 years ago (4000 BCE) horses were domesticated on the Western Asian Steppes.   Mankind emerged from the Stone Age and into the Bronze Age about 3000 BCE.  Wheeled vehicles, including war chariots, and metal weapons and tools were developed (the Yamnaya Culture).  Advances in the tools of war and the tools of agriculture occurred as societies moved from the Bronze Age into the Iron Age.  These “Metal Age Invaders” moved into Europe and mixed with the European Farming Cultures.  Haplogroup R1b and subclade M269 were common in all of western Europe with 110 million men carrying the M269 marker today.  

Allistair Moffat in “The Scots: A Genetic Journey” explains that the migration of the M269 subclade corresponds to the advancement of farming.  Seeds of founder crops, domesticated animals in tow, and farming knowledge being necessary for the advancement of farming, he believes that the advance of farming was concurrent with the migration of men and not only the migration of knowledge by itself.  He believes that the explosion of the M269 marker which coincides with the development of farming across Europe was by those who moved and took a local as a wife.  The larger farm families and the need for new lands for sons to farm would seem to support this theory.  

About 800 BCE the Hays and the R1b Haplogroup, M269 subclade would be in the Italian Alps (part of the Halstatt Culture 800-450 BCE) with migration continuing into central and western Europe (the La Tene Culture 450-1 BCE).  The Iron Age started about 1200 BCE and in Europe about 700 BCE.  Iron improved farm implements greatly.  The development of steel from iron as we approached the Common Era (CE) greatly improved war implements, both weapons and defensive armor and shields.  

Halstatt Culture and La Tene Culture – Source Wikipedia.org used under fair use doctrine.

The Halstatt Culture were Celtic, speaking a Proto-Celtic language, and they had no written records.  They had a societal hierarchy of slaves, soldiers, farmers, and craftsmen under a Chieftain who ruled from fortifications on top of a mound.  There was a hierarchy of Chiefs and Kings above them.  Horses, wagons and chariots were used in war with soldiers armed with sword, spear, and wearing body armor.  Iron ploughs improved agricultural production and the tribes traded goods as far away as Greece and China.  The Halstatt Culture evolved into the La Tene Culture.  

The Hays line continued their migration west into Normandy and from there came into Scotland with the Norman Conquest.  The M269 subclade occurs in 70% of Scottish Men, including the Hays.  For 800 years the Hays stayed in the Scottish Lowlands. Persecution for their Presbyterian Religion and their Scottish Ancestry fostered one final move westward in the 1600’s into Northern Ireland for about 2 generations.  Here they would again suffer persecution and want of necessities and so they looked to again migrate west over the Atlantic Ocean, a risky adventure, but one which might provide liberty of conscious and opportunity for them and their children.  

Little did they know that the travel west to America would put them face to face with the Haplogroup Q cousins that decided east over west 35,000 years ago.  And that the landing on the East coast of North America was only the beginning of another migration west, this one across America, pioneers, farmers, and soldiers, on a 200 year journey which won’t end until the Pacific Ocean is reached. 

Oh Mother Dear, a 1945 WW II soldiers poem home

Photo: Easter early 1930’s Olton, TX with Ruth (Price) Hays, by age Ora Lee, William Wayne, Vida Lou, R. Della, and James Henry Hays.

The dust bowl and a hard farm life and the great depression and then the war started, December 7, 1941, with a day of infamy.  The war started for Dad (James Henry Hays) when he was just 18, a boy by today’s standards, in April of 1943 when he was sent to infantry training.  Young men had no choice “we can fight them over there or fight them here”.  “There” was the better option, trading military deaths to save civilian deaths, son’s, brothers, and fathers sacrificing to keep their families safe.  

Sent to the 127th Infantry, 32nd Red Arrow Brigade in the Pacific Campaign, for the next 2+ years he fought his way across New Guinea, Leyte, and Luzon, often in hand to hand combat, and eventually found himself with the occupation forces after Japan formally surrendered September 2, 1945, among the first American Troops to occupy Japan.  

After 2 years of combat and a day off consisting of humping ammo crates and other supplies, or sitting in the infirmary sick with malaria or jungle rot on your feet preventing you from walking, or recovering from a war wound so you can get back into the fight, having a Sunday off must have been a real treat. It also afforded one time to put thoughts to pen and paper and write home to your mother, which Dad did. Oh Mother Dear it begins…

3% of the worlds population, some 85 million people, were dead from direct military action and also by disease and starvation.  The global war which lasted from 1939 to 1945 was over for most but some risk remained for many, including those occupying a defeated country, evidenced by the “if and when I get home” line in Dad’s poem from Japan he wrote to his mother.  But the poem also spoke to the fact the worse was over and things could get back to “normal”, if there is such a thing.

I imagine the poem stayed cherished in my Grandmothers possession, hope for the future that her boy would come home, which eventually came to be.   I’m sure it passed back to Dad after her death, to sit in an old box in the attic with other old photo’s, letters, and mementos; many awards and decorations from his service, as he lived his life. 

The box passed to me at some point after first Dad then Mom died, un-inventoried until my retirement where my initial look revealed a highly faded piece of history, luckily found just before fading into oblivion, now 75 years old.   The 2 pages were folded alone in an envelope so I’m guessing it was sent all by itself. 

After all the suffering and death and hard times it conveyed a lot of information in a short little poem. But mostly it conveyed hope for the future, to be home with family for a Sunday afternoon dinner and dessert cake or pie made by Mom. Heartfelt sentiments from a soldier to his mother in hard times and a fitting tribute to mothers this mothers day.

Oh Mother Dear

I think of you every day, Even though you’re many miles away, And someday before long, I’ll get back where I belong.

If and when I do get home, I’ll settle down and never roam, Be patient, Oh mother Dear, For I hope to be back within a year.

Don’t be worried or filled with fright, For I’m protected even at night. Our number is small, but we post a guard, It isn’t easy Mom, it’s very hard.

It’s hell to work all day, and night too, But in a way you don’t get so blue, We get Saturday and Sunday to rest, It gives us time to think of you, the best.

I’ll never forget the cake and pie too, That can be made by only you. The Sunday dinners I’ll never forget, No one can best them, on that I’d bet.

I hate the thought of being away from you, But someone has this job to do. Being part of the occupation force isn’t fun, But I think it best in the long run.

We just won a war & don’t want another, I’d rather be with you, my mother. It’s for certain we couldn’t loose, So you know the side I would choose.

You Got This!

In difficult times I like to look back at my fathers life and times to put my troubles in perspective of what others have had to endure and, more importantly, how they handled it with strength and determination to come through it stronger, smarter, and more capable.

Dad was born the youngest of 5 children in December of 1924 in Cyril, OK which was then a small farming community just east of the Texas Panhandle.  Farms then for the most part had no electricity, running water, or indoor bathrooms.  Children were born at home and complications from childbirth was a major killer of women and children.  About half of farms were small tenant farms only marginally providing a living and the lifestyle was about the same as in pioneer days.  Food demands in WWI drove up agricultural prices but they dropped excessively after and most farms were subsistence only with little or no cash crops.  Life was hard work all day every day for everybody.

At 6 month’s of age Dad’s father died.  There was no welfare or federal aid for widows and orphans and families were on their own to get by.  As if life wasn’t hard enough, in 1929 the stock market crashed bringing on the great depression.  3.2% unemployment then would climb to about 25% by 1933.  In 1933 drought and poor farming methods caused the Dust Bowl in the panhandle of Texas where Dad’s family had moved causing crops to fail.  It was not uncommon for children to eat cornbread 3 times a day and resources were so scarce that women began to make children clothes out of flower sacks.  Gold Medal Flour actually began to put flower prints on the sacks so girls wouldn’t have plain dresses.  With little or no food children often went hungry.  Dad, just a lad, was shipped for a time to live with his uncles on a farm in OK, separated from his siblings and mother.  It was hard work but there was food on the table.

Back with his family in TX Dad worked at 10 cents an hour to help support the family (5 pounds of flour was 25 cents).  In 1940, at 16 years old, Dad headed to Stockton, CA where he found work as an auto upholsterer.  Dad wasn’t alone in migrating as many “Oakies” displaced from foreclosed farms and with little or no work in the area moved into CA where they were often treated poorly as outsiders and rural hicks.  Many ended up migrant farm laborers and lived in shanty towns and small shacks or if lucky got a good job in a canning factory.  Dad was faring better than most and coming on 18 life must have seemed good compared to the hard times of his youth.  The Novel, “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck speaks to the story of Dad’s youth.

Dad was celebrating his 17th birthday just after the attack on Pearl Harbor and the beginning of WWII on December 7, 1941.   By December 1942 Dad turned 18 and that same month the government stopped taking enlistments and went with 100% draftees so they could leave tradesmen in the factories.  Thus government decided what you did and where you went.    Dad was drafted and after training and a long boat ride to Australia he was assigned to F Co. 127th Infantry in the 32nd Red Arrow Brigade.  He was wounded twice, as he put it “one of them I got myself blowed up” as he hit the dirt on an explosive device which threw him 30’ back down the hill.  He suffered from Malaria all his life, first picked up during his service there.

He saw 2 years of action, often hand to hand combat, in the Papaun, New Guinea, Southern Philippine, and Luzon Campaigns.  He had 2 Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Clusters and was with his unit right into Japan after the Japanese surrender.  In 1945 he returned to California and got out of the Army.  Unfortunately, like after WWI, the number of returning men outnumbered the available jobs and industry was ramping down and a recession occurred.  With no jobs available Dad reenlisted in the US Army.  He was 22 years old.

In 1950 a “police Action” broke out which we call the Korean War.  Dad again saw war time service.  By now Dad was in the Explosive Ordinance Division, taking bombs apart and rendering explosives safe.  In 1952 Dad started his family.  Overseas assignments were 3 years if you brought your family but 13 months if not.  So every time Dad was assigned an overseas rotation he did so alone.  He also attended training stateside across the country and was at some of the nuclear tests in Nevada where he was radiated to the point you “could see the bones in your hands”.  

The Vietnam War started in 1955 and originally we only sent advisors.  In 1961 Dad was sent to Vietnam and he often joked about his “military issue suits” that the government paid for so soldiers, as ordered, would stay out of uniform when not in the field so as to help hide the American presence there.  He also did another stint in Korea before he finally retired in 1970 with 27 years in, actually retiring early to avoid being sent to Vietnam for a second tour there.

As a child growing up I knew that there were hard times in the past but really didn’t know the extent of the hard times our ancestors had to endure.  Dad neither bragged of his exploits and awards nor did he complain of those hard times. 

As a teenager the 1973 stock crash and recession followed by the oil crisis seemed big and scary to me.  There were protests and riots in the streets over the Vietnam War and race relations. It seemed the entire world was in turmoil. I suppose to Dad it was just another crisis to ride out like the ones in his youth.  Dad’s view was this crisis, as they all were, was just part of life. Deal with it as it comes and do the best you can and wait for better days which eventually will come.  If you have your health, food, clothes, and shelter you have all the you need in life.  He taught me about adversity by example, stay calm, life goes on.

  I look into the face of this Corona Virus Pandemic with concern but I’m not overly worried.  If we do the social distancing thing and wash our hands most won’t get it, and most of those who do get it will make it through.  So we will most likely keep our health.  And unlike 100 years ago where most had no electricity, running water, and available food distributions networks we have electricity, the internet, and social media to make this a little bit more comfortable.    We have food, clothes, and shelter so our basic needs are met. Not to mention we have the best medical care in the world throughout time.  Given the strength of our ancestors to deal with what they did, I think, we got this.  That would be Dads advice.

Ancient Origins from DNA

Being born in America we tend to think of ourselves as immigrants and wonder where did we come from usually following our surname back to the country which preceded our arrival in America.  In my case the name “Hays” (and my research around it) reveals that my ancestors came to America from the Plantations of Northern Ireland having settled there, most likely, from the Scottish Lowlands.  And while we think of Scotland as a country of similar individuals, history and DNA research reveals that many different peoples migrated to and settled in Scotland before it was Scotland as we know it today.

I highly recommend the book “The Scots:  A Genetic Journey” by Alistair Moffat.  He tells of the ancient history of Scotland including prehistoric and early historic times in an easy to read format which includes the most recent DNA findings regarding the migrations of people.  He notes, “Every Scot is an immigrant.  Until 9000 BC Scotland was empty of people and animals.”  He then weaves together the story of Scotland, its people, languages, customs and culture, and how it all came together to form Scotland and the Scottish People.

Both ancestry.com and FamilyTreeDNA.com give me a geographic history of my atDNA with Family Tree even breaking my DNA down into my ancient European origins.  A comparison of the geographic estimates reveals interesting results.  Ancestry has me 46% England & Wales, 27% Germanic Europe, 22% Sweden, 3% Ireland-Scotland, and 2% Norway.  Family Tree has me 59% British Isles, 27% Scandinavia, 8% East Europe, 4% Iberian Peninsula, and 2% Norway.  The estimates are arrived by comparing my DNA to a reference sample (Ancestry advises their reference currently at 40,000 samples) so even though my DNA stays the same as more references samples are added regions are bound to be broken down into sub regions in the future providing more accurate information for the individual.

My ancient European origins estimate on Family Tree is based on DNA comparisons to those who migrated into what we know today as Europe.  Family Tree DNA shows me 43% from Hunter-Gatherers, 42% from Farmers, 15% from Metal Age Invaders, and 0% non-European.  Hunter-Gatherers migrated into Europe about 45,000 years ago following large herd animals as glaciers increased and decreased .  Farmers migrated into Europe about 8000 years ago during the Neolithic (new stone age) Era cultivating in temperate areas.  The farmers differed from the Hunter-Gatherers as they had a salivary gene which may have helped them break down starches more efficiently.  The Metal Age Invaders arrived in the Bronze Age (3000-1000 BCE) and used copper, bronze, and tin tools and arrived as nomadic herders using horses and wheeled vehicles.    The Metal Age Invaders originated in the Eurasian Steppes north of the Black Sea and are closely related to the Yamnaya Culture.  They brought with them a tolerance for lactose and the Y-chromosome haplogroup R1B with the M269 subclass which mixed with the local population and is now dominate in Western Europe today.

The Y-DNA follows the paternal line back through time and the mtDNA follows the maternal line back in time.  Family Tree shows a migration map so my mtDNA haplogroup of H1C1 is a sub group of the H migration which after the last ice age the “H” maternal line spread across Europe and 10,000 years ago migrated into Western Europe accounting for about 30% of the population.  My R-BY3510 haplogroup is a subgroup of R-U152, a sub of R-M269 and a sub of R-M343 under the R1b haplogroup.  That migration map shows that 30,000 years ago the R1 group in the Eurasian Steppes split with R1a landing in Eastern Europe 10,000 years ago and R1b journeyed into Western Europe is successive waves.

Most mtDNA traces back to “Mitochondrial Eve” in East Africa 120,000 years ago and most yDNA traces back to a “yDNA Adam” in East Africa 60,000 years ago.  The H maternal line migrated from Africa north to the area of the Black Sea and then west into Europe 10,000 years ago.  The The R paternal line migrated north across the Middle East into Eurasia on the east side of the Caspian Sea turning west traveling north of the Black Sea into Europe 10,000 years ago.  At what point from there did my ancestors first enter Scotland?  I go to “The Scots” to fill in the story of how it was settled and can only guess at my ancestors particular circumstance.

America when my ancestors arrived in the 1730’s

Given the DNA I can pick a point in time and call myself by a tribal name of the various Celtic, Germanic, and other tribes which made up my ancestors DNA in Scotland.  My Hays ancestors entered America in the 1730’s arriving most likely in Philadelphia with the other Scotsmen of Northern Ireland as they called themselves in a mass exodus with entire families and communities traveling together settling in Pennsylvania and Virginia and now almost 300 years in America, the continuation of our westward migration which started in Western Europe 10,000 years ago into Scotland and then Northern Ireland.  It is unknown how many generations were spent in Northern Ireland but it is sure that they were not Irishmen as they considered themselves Scots with little, if any, intermarriage outside their Presbyterian Scot community.  And so given that I’ll call myself a “Scottish American” with an “Ulsterman” footnote.    

More on DNA and genealogy

First, if you want to learn about DNA and genealogy an in depth source of information is the International Society Of Genetic Genealogy.

In “Evidence” on this site I discuss levels of proof that evidence leads us to and also that the evidence needs to be taken in totality and it is often the lack of considering all evidence (totality) that incorrect conclusions are drawn. While the DNA test is accurate, in the application of genealogy it is used to compare our DNA to others with the same or similar DNA markers. As such there is no “Scot DNA” or “Ulster DNA” which can put your ancestors in a specific spot at a specific time. Our ancestors migrated west into Europe 25,000 years ago and moved into Scotland in waves after the last ice age, some migrating back east, north, and south over time.

Often DNA is a close match but the person can be removed from consideration in your family tree due to a different surname. It is the DNA match AND surname similarity which provides the higher percentage of a recent common ancestor. As the number of people getting their DNA tested increases, and more corroborating information is shared the value and accuracy of the information will increase.

Many of us in North America look back to our country of origin when researching our roots and identify as “insert country from-American”. But in that country of origin there was also a path of settlement. In The Scots: A Genetic Journey Alistair Moffat (A must read) points out that prior to the migration to the Americas in the 16th century Scotland was the end of the western migration and that migration started after the last ice age and came in waves by several distinct tribes and different societies. I recommend this book as it not only discusses DNA but also covers hunter-gatherer settlement, the development of farming, and also historical languages.

In 10 generations you can have 1024 possible contributors to your DNA and this brings us back only to our ancestors in Scotland. To try to explain where your DNA came from Family Tree breaks it down into your “Origins” as defined by the current nations and “Ancient Origins” as defined by historical society groups in time. My origins show me 59% British (which includes Scotland), 27% Scandinavian, 8% Eastern Europe, and 4% Iberian Peninsula. My ancient break down is 43% Hunter-Gatherer society, 42% Farmer society, and 15% Metal Age Invaders society. The Scots: A Genetic Journey has a nice break down of the Hunter-gatherer, farmer, and metal worker migrations into Scotland and why my DNA shows these roots.

In my last post “the value of Y-DNA” I discussed “Nicholas Hays” whose ancestors genealogy research indicated they were from the Irish Clan “Hayes”. I have since found a site of an ancestor, Curtis Hays, who had DNA done. While his DNA ruled out relation to the Irish Clan he erroneously concludes he was not related to Clan Hay due to his DNA roots (Slav-Kurgen). Reading “The Scots” shows that this DNA is from areas that migrated into England and Scotland.

Further, who he settled with indicates a kith or kin relationship and this was ignored. While Nicholas Hays may not have a very similar DNA to John (or Patrick) Hays (a fact I am not sure of as I haven’t compared them) his settling with Ulster Presbyterians and migrating with them indicates a connection to Clan Hay. I am unsure of his religion but the books handed down at his passing were consistent with Presbyterianism. The saying that birds of a feather flock together is true for humans also. The common spelling of the surname adds to the evidence.

There are 11 listed Hay settlements, 4 in the southern lowlands of Scotland on the Clan map (top). As surnames were being adopted in the 16th century and commonly used often persons would use the Clan name. I have also found several references in 1700 Presbyterian books of the Hays being a part of that religion. My Hays ancestors are buried in a Presbyterian Church grave yard in Greene, TN. The “Hays” families who migrated to VA through PA then on to what is now Greene, TN and across that state and we can reasonably believe that the Ulstermen who migrated originally from the Scottish lowlands and were affiliated with a branch of the Clan Hay which are further back in time affiliated with the Earl of Errol’s Clan Hay.

When your Y-DNA is done it is matched with those similar to you and each person can list an “Earliest Known Ancestor”. I have corresponded with several persons who have claimed their ancestry back to Patrick Hays or John Hays both of whom settled on the Borden Land Grant in Virginia, Circa 1740 and the DNA indicates an 80% chance of a common ancestor in 10 generations, 90% at 12. My research ends at William Hays (8 generations from me) in Greene, TN. and although DNA indicates a relation to either John or Patrick I have not seen any record linking them to William Hays and then to me. The DNA has, however given me direction on where to look for the connection. I am hopeful at some point to get confirmation of the connection from a DNA Cousin.

One person shows the Earliest Known Ancestor as Sir John Hay of Tullibody d. 1418 and another shows William delaHaye (1120-1170) Lothian, Scotland. Again I have no evidence to connect the “Hays” line to William dela Haye. That said, about 1500 years ago “Expansion Clusters” began to form. These were due to increasing wealth and political power of a family offering social selection and breeding advantages and men having children with multiple women over many years. A man with 10 sons who then have ten sons has 100 related men affiliated with his Clan Banner. So while not proven on paper, it is quite possible.

Many people have listed John and Patrick Hays as brothers, and one source states that 7 Hays brothers (including them) arrived in a span of 6 years. It appears the father of the 7 brothers who migrated here, each having a large farm family (as subsequent sons did), created a bit of a DNA Expansion Cluster in America. It is confusing as whole church congregations migrated at the same time with entire families of Hays included with them. The other Hays from various parts of Ulster, many most likely with a common Hay ancestor in Scotland, dispersed across Northern Ireland where opportunity took them for several generations and then clustered together in America where opportunity and a shared belief system brought them together.

I suspect this is the story of the John and Patrick Hays brothers and Nicholas Hays. A Patrick Hays migrated to present day Derry, PA and owned land there. I suspect he was the advance for the rest of his brothers. Patrick and John both took land grants in 1740 in Virginia on the Borden Grant in the Shenandoah Valley which were given to families which “self imported” (paid their own fare over). Nicholas Hays entered as an indentured servant to a tailor in Philadelphia in 1745. From there he migrated to VA. While Patrick Hays returned to PA it appears his, and his brothers ancestors, migrated to Greene, TN which was on the western edge of the new nation. Nicholas was to also migrate there with his family.

The various Hays families participated in the French and Indian Wars and then the Revolutionary War on the side of the Colonials and in fact the Presbyterian Ulstermen (Scotch-Irish as they had come to be called) had few Tories in their ranks. Many were paid in land grants, often on the western front. As the country expanded they expanded also and played a part in history in the formation of Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, Texas, and all the way to California. Hopefully DNA and the historical record can help us sort out the whose who of the Hays in America.