William Jay of Frederick Co
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Feb 2020 To Family History Enthusiasts, As a continuation to the William Jay of Frederick Co. VA manuscript published on the Jay Family Association website in December 2019, the following begins the next chapter of that work detailing the life of oldest son William Jay (Jr.) AND all of his documented children. Due to the scope and size of this chapter, it will be posted in 6 – 7 separate segments over the course of several months. This chapter section is laid out in book format (continued page numbering) and covers the life of William Jr. and his two oldest daughters Mary and Sarah. The next chapter section to follow (Summer 2020) will continue with William Jr.’s sons William (III), David and James. As stated previously it is the intention of the authors to continue with additional publications of the children of William Jay... William, James, Joseph, John, Mary, Rachel, Lydia and David. Some of these are already in the works. It is hoped that one day the combined works will be published in printed format. As for now, we are sharing them with the public on the Jay Family Association website. This is a copyrighted work. Please do not download and publish on any other site like Ancestry.com. That would violate our copyright. Below you are given a citation to use if you desire to quote passages from this work. We hope all will enjoy. Copyright © 2019-2020 by Arthur V. King and Christy L Jay All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form on by an electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. When quoting brief passages they should be cited as follows: King, Arthur V. and Jay, Christy L. William Jay of Frederick Co. VA. 2019-2020.www.jayfamily.org William Jay of Frederick Co. VA William Jay (ca 1739-1797) William Jay (ca 1739-1797) William Jay (Jr) was likely the first born son of William Jay (Sr.) of Frederick County, Virginia.1 He was born about 1739 on his father’s property on Evitt’s Run in what was originally Orange County, VA. As with most of elder Jay’s older children, there is very little documented concerning their exact years of birth, birth order, and early childhood. There is no oral tradition concerning William’s early days; however, much historic speculation was theorized during the twentieth century. The body of documentary evidence presented in this chapter will substantiate and help the reader understand those statements and hopefully clear-up several misconceptions concerning William Jay Jr. and his family. During his early years, William would have grown up on a small subsistence farm helping his father with the daily chores of a small family residing in the backwoods. Since the Jay property was located on the edge of the settled wilderness, he would have surely come into contact with Native Americans who would occasionally foray into the area. While it is not certain what worship practices the family had during his formative years, it appears that William was taught to read and write as evidenced by his handwritten signature on various documents. Migration to North Carolina Until about 1750/51, William Jr. lived near the Shenandoah River crossing later known as Vestal’s Ferry which lay along the ancient pioneer trail through Vestal’s Gap. However, about that time his father migrated down the Shenandoah Valley on the Great Wagon Road into the Carolinas and settled along the North Flat River in Orange Co. NC just south of current day Roxboro. At age 12, William accompanied the entire family when they permanently migrated south on that multi-week journey. In North Carolina land was more plentiful, easily procured and landowners did not have to deal with the quit rents that were imposed by Lord Fairfax in western Virginia. As a result, this area of settlement was a very popular destination for a multitude of families out of the western frontier of Virginia. Here, William would have come of age hunting, fishing, trapping and farming on his father’s property. In 1755, a tithables list was prepared in Orange Co., NC.2 This particular document is of utmost importance William Jay & Son 1755 Orange Co. NC – Tithables List ©2019 51 William Jay (ca 1739-1797) William Jay of Frederick Co. VA as for the first time it enables the researcher to quantify the age of William Jay Jr. In this enumeration, his father William Sr. was listed as “William Jay & son”. Colonial law specified that any male 16 years or older in the household was to be enumerated and taxed as an adult.3 Certainly William Jay Sr. had absolutely no financial incentive to place anyone on the tithables list that was under age. As a result, it can be conclusively stated that William Jay (Sr) had a son, living in his household that was born no later than 1739… and that son was surely William Jay Jr. Additionally, during that same year, it can be noted that ‘a William Jay’ was received on request at the Cane Creek Monthly Meeting on 2nd (day) of the 8th mo (August) 1755.4 Twentieth century researchers have assumed that this request for membership was for William Jay Sr.; however, it can be documented that William Sr. was specifically enumerated as a Quaker as early as 1749 in Fairfax County, VA.5 As a result, the authors cannot rule out the possibility this membership request could have been for ‘the son’…William Jay, Jr. It is obvious that the Society entry was not explicit and it is impossible to determine the individual who requested membership. It is known that the Jay family lived a two-day ride from the Cane Creek Meeting House and their weekly worship would have taken place in local homes. This type of remote worship was not unusual for the period and the actions of ‘remote’ members were not always documented and did not necessarily filter back to the Meeting House.6 Marriage and Raising a Young Family As with all young men of the period, William Jay would have chosen his wife from the local neighborhood surrounding the North Flat River. In general, this area would have perhaps encompassed a five mile radius. Multiple family traditions and son James’ documentary statements confirm that his first wife was named Elizabeth.7 William and Elizabeth were probably married about 1760.8 Speculation as to Elizabeth’s maiden name has always run rampant. Early researchers have speculated that her maiden name may have been Layton as that name was used as a given name for males in the family for many generations. It can be confirmed that a Layton family received a land grant and did reside in the area near William Jay during the period.9 Thus, the possibility does exist that she could have been a Layton; although, at this time it cannot be proven. It is also assumed that William’s marriage was to a non-Quaker10; however, as a result of their remote location it should not be assumed by the reader that there would be any Quaker documentation condemning him for marrying out of unity. William Jr. began building his personal estate in 1761 when his father conveyed the younger Jay 115 acres near the banks of the North Flat River.11 This deed once again confirms earlier discussion concerning the age/birth year of William Jay, Jr. Colonial law required that a male had to be 21 years old to purchase or sell land12, thus confirming that William Jay was born earlier than previously believed. In 1765 he purchased an additional 375 acres from neighbor Henry Ledbetter. 52 ©2019 William Jay of Frederick Co. VA William Jay (ca 1739-1797) It was during this decade William and Elizabeth Jay began to raise a large family with the birth of six children… Mary (ca 1761), Sarah (ca 1762)13, William (III) (ca 1763), David (1764), James (1766) and Elizabeth (ca 1769). During this 10 year period prior to the struggle for American independence, they lived and farmed the rich soils of the Flat River watershed next to immediate family and in-laws. Politics and Civic Affairs in Orange Co. NC During the run-up to the American Revolution, politics in Orange Co. became turbulent. The Regulator Movement in western NC was in full bloom. While there is no documentation of active Jay family participation in these activities, it is estimated that out of the 8,000 people living in Orange Co. at the time, some six or seven thousand of them were in support of the Regulators.14 Additionally, as will be seen later in this chapter, William Jr’s active support of the American troops during the revolution does document the fact that he was not adverse to taking what might be considered a radical or confrontational political stance. It can be confirmed that the extended Jay family in Orange Co. were civic minded and did have concern regarding local government as well. Like his father and brothers James and Joseph, William Jay Jr. signed the 1771 petition to subdivide Orange Co. into two smaller counties.15 Ironically, the establishment of this new county (Caswell) did not take place until 1777, a few years after William Jr. had already relocated to SC. During this period the family continued to expand with the births of twins Charlotte and Layton (1771) followed by another set of twins, Anne and Deborah (1772).