Individual Details
David LAY Jr.
(1738 - 1852)
This is a short biographical story of the name Lay beginning with my Great-Great-Grandfather, David Lay. The material is based on my research of official and Family records. The source of any part of it is available by request. David Lay was a young Englishman who came to the Colony of Virginia about 1750, some 25 years before the beginning of the American Revolution. It seems he was married after arriving in America. He was a Farmer, as were most people at that time. He secured land by "Patent" from the Colonial Government and added more land From time to time by purchase from individuals. Records show him in Halifax County, Virginia in 1755. That area where he lived later became Pittsylvania County, Virginia in 1767.
Where in England the Lays lived is not known. Others of his generation were in Virginia or North Carolina. John Lay was in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Thomas Lay and Jesse Lay were in Wilkes County North Carolina, all of whom could have been cousins or brothers of David Lay. David must have been married twice because he was the father of fifteen or more children. The name of his first wife is not known. His second wife's name was Susannah Gibson.
During the Revolutionary War, having a large family and too old for service as a soldier, he was shown by official records to have provided supplies For the army including a quantity of beef, For the Continental Line of the Army. It was my privilege to have him named as a Patriot on the records of the National Society Sons of the American Revolution. I am proud to be a member of the SAR as his descendant.
David Lay sold his land in Virginia in 1787 and after a few years stay in Wilkes County, North Carolina, he moved to Caswell County, North Carolina, with his family, where he died about 1815. David and Susannah Lay were the parents of my great-grandfather, Burrell Lay, who was born in 1776 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. In 1804 Burrell Lay was married to Leannah Newell in Rockingham County, North Carolina.
As was the common practice in the early years of the settlement of the nation, Burrell Lay had the urge to move further westward Together with his wife and children and his widowed mother, Susannah Lay, he moved from Rockingham County, North Carolina in 1818 to Pulaski County, Kentucky. Along with them were other related families, including two brothers of Leanhah Newell Lay, John Newell and Landing Newell. A few years later three brothers of Burrell Lay moved from Caswell County, North Carolina to Pulaski County, Kentucky. They were George Lay, Instant Lay and John Lay. The County records of Pulaski County indicate that by the 1850's all of these brothers had died. They all lived on adjoining farms or nearby. Names of the wives and of the children of each one of these can be supplied from my records.
Burrell Lay and Leannah Lay were the parents of six or seven children, including my Grandfather, Moses Lay. He was born in Caswell County, North Carolina in 1811. He moved, at the age of seven, with his parents to Pulaski County, Kentucky, where he grew up and lived until 1834. He married Jane Reagan in 1833. She was the daughter of Michael Reagan, Revolutionary War soldier. At the time of his marriage to Jane Reagan, his parents gave them a farm of 125 acres. Although a good future seemed assured him in Pulaski County, Moses Lay, like his father before him, felt the urge to move to where it was believed the pastures were greener and opportunities greater.
So, after one year following their marriage he sold his land to his Uncle "Landy" Newell and in 1834 with his wife and small son, Ephriam, went from Somerset, Pulaski County, Kentucky on a flat boat down the Cumberland River to Carthage, Smith County, Tennessee. For seventeen years Moses Lay lived and farmed in Smith County, Tennessee having only fair success. By this time his family included himself, wife, Jane, and seven children.
by Helen Ledford
Where in England the Lays lived is not known. Others of his generation were in Virginia or North Carolina. John Lay was in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Thomas Lay and Jesse Lay were in Wilkes County North Carolina, all of whom could have been cousins or brothers of David Lay. David must have been married twice because he was the father of fifteen or more children. The name of his first wife is not known. His second wife's name was Susannah Gibson.
During the Revolutionary War, having a large family and too old for service as a soldier, he was shown by official records to have provided supplies For the army including a quantity of beef, For the Continental Line of the Army. It was my privilege to have him named as a Patriot on the records of the National Society Sons of the American Revolution. I am proud to be a member of the SAR as his descendant.
David Lay sold his land in Virginia in 1787 and after a few years stay in Wilkes County, North Carolina, he moved to Caswell County, North Carolina, with his family, where he died about 1815. David and Susannah Lay were the parents of my great-grandfather, Burrell Lay, who was born in 1776 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. In 1804 Burrell Lay was married to Leannah Newell in Rockingham County, North Carolina.
As was the common practice in the early years of the settlement of the nation, Burrell Lay had the urge to move further westward Together with his wife and children and his widowed mother, Susannah Lay, he moved from Rockingham County, North Carolina in 1818 to Pulaski County, Kentucky. Along with them were other related families, including two brothers of Leanhah Newell Lay, John Newell and Landing Newell. A few years later three brothers of Burrell Lay moved from Caswell County, North Carolina to Pulaski County, Kentucky. They were George Lay, Instant Lay and John Lay. The County records of Pulaski County indicate that by the 1850's all of these brothers had died. They all lived on adjoining farms or nearby. Names of the wives and of the children of each one of these can be supplied from my records.
Burrell Lay and Leannah Lay were the parents of six or seven children, including my Grandfather, Moses Lay. He was born in Caswell County, North Carolina in 1811. He moved, at the age of seven, with his parents to Pulaski County, Kentucky, where he grew up and lived until 1834. He married Jane Reagan in 1833. She was the daughter of Michael Reagan, Revolutionary War soldier. At the time of his marriage to Jane Reagan, his parents gave them a farm of 125 acres. Although a good future seemed assured him in Pulaski County, Moses Lay, like his father before him, felt the urge to move to where it was believed the pastures were greener and opportunities greater.
So, after one year following their marriage he sold his land to his Uncle "Landy" Newell and in 1834 with his wife and small son, Ephriam, went from Somerset, Pulaski County, Kentucky on a flat boat down the Cumberland River to Carthage, Smith County, Tennessee. For seventeen years Moses Lay lived and farmed in Smith County, Tennessee having only fair success. By this time his family included himself, wife, Jane, and seven children.
by Helen Ledford
Events
| Birth | 1738 | Pittsylvania County, VA | |||
| Death | 1852 | Frankfort County, KY | |||
| Marriage | Susannah GIBSON |
Families
| Spouse | Susannah GIBSON (1746 - 1832) |
| Child | Instant LAY (1787 - ) |
| Father | David LAY (1705 - ) |