Nicholas Hays b. 1730
Family Descendants
My Story
about
In January of 2010, I picked up a copy of Family Tree Maker and opened a book my Uncle Eugene Hays wrote on my Hays ancestors. Thus started my search for my ancestral origins. When he did his research 20-30 years ago, there was no internet available to him. The possibility of having his DNA tested was not available either. So I used the internet to confirm much of his findings that included Hays ancestors over the past 250 years. However, I hit the same brick wall he did. Nicholas Hays an immigrant from Ireland. So I turned my attention to DNA. Here you’ll find some of my own analysis of my research as well as history gathered from online resources. For more information about me and experience and background please visit https://curtishaysconsulting.com and https://collideascope.co.
Y-DNA
Every male’s Y chromosome, when compared to hundreds of thousands of other men’s Y chromosomes, tells a tale. By examining the number of mutations that accumulate in this otherwise highly stable chromosome, we can determine relatively accurately how many generations separate any two men from their common paternal line grandfather. My particular Y chromosome came from my father, who got it from his father, and so on. Thus, mine came via Nicholas Hays, his place of birth and parents unknown but at the age of 16 immigrated to the Americas via Ireland in 1746. During the 1740’s large numbers of Irish, Scotch-Irish, and Scots arrive in the colonies, Philadelphia now one of the fastest grown cities and where Presbyterians would now rival Quakers in population.
Philadelphia
An indentured servant, Nicholas would work the next 4 years in Philadelphia, his payment for the voyage and new life in the New World. Here at the age of 21 Nicholas would meet and marry Also Hunter, daughter of Scottish Immigrant Alexander Hunter. Nicholas and Alse would make quite a family for themselves having at least 10 Children. Nicholas moves his family in the late 1750’s near Bedford VA, about 300 miles south west of Philadelphia. Here he served in the British Militia during the French Indian War. Most of their Children were born here in Bedford.
Revolutionary War
Now at the height of the revolutionary war, Nicholas is ready to move his family again south. Virginia has now seen much action. It appears Nicholas is in North Carolina by 1781, which in January Richmond, just 130 miles east of Bedford, has now been captured by Benedict Arnold and the English. Nicholas would move his family to Green County North Caroline, approximately 130 miles again south west of Bedford. This new frontier would have now been cleared of hostile Indians and the Hays family would be further from the American/British conflict.
Tennessee
Green County would eventually become part of the state of Tennessee. Nicholas and my 4th Great Grandfather Samuel Hays signed a petition to the General Assembly ask for relief from taxation. It is now 1787 and the Revolutionary war is over. The Americans have peace and new freedom in their United States. Nicholas and his decedents would help shape the frontier of this new world, farming and shaping land from East to West Tennessee, into Southern Illinois, and eventually as far north as Southern Wisconsin before 1970. My grandfathers would give their lives for this country. They fought on the battle fields in the American Civil and Blackhawk War. one would parish coal mining in Missouri. The rest would settle as farmers, shaping much of the frontier of Illinois.