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LFGA Line 2.

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Line 2. David Lay of Wilkes and Pittsylvania Cos. Virginia. First marriage unknown, m. 2) Susannah Gibson. Children: David Jr. b. ca, 1765, Charles Middleton? b. 1759, Bartlett, Mary, Elizabeth, Burrell b. ca. 1776,William, b. ca. 1785, George, Instant, and John b. Ca 1795.

(See lines 33, 38 and 41).

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF ONE BRANCH OF THE FAMILY OF LAY

BY JOEL LAY 1899-1985

LFGA Line 2

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.

Learning of the opportunity to buy land in Illinois from the Federal Government at a very favorable price, he sold his Smith County, Tennessee farm in 1851 and moved his family by covered wagon to Illinois. He purchased land, located in Johnson County, Illinois from the Federal Land Bank in Shawneetown, lllinois l have copies of these original records.

His land was in New Burnside Township, Johnson County, Illinois, near the community of Ozark. This land was not only suitable for farmland, but it had hills and hollows, fine timber and bluffs and streams providing beautiful snenery. Also on this land in Johnson County was one of the most beautiful water falls in any part of Southern Illinois. For many years it was known as "LAY FALLS". At this time it is a part of a recreation area for young people. This love of Nature was a definite quality of the character of the Lays. From the Virginia Farm of Moses Lay's Grandfather, David Lay, through the succeeding years, the Lays have always chosen to have land in the hill country.

One of the children of Moses Lay, Levi Lay, in a biographical sketch in the History of Johnson, Massac, Pope and Hardin Counties, Illinois published in 1893, says: "The family of Moses Lay went to Johnson County, Illinois in 1851, making the trip in two large covered wagons, one of which was drawn by horses and the other by a yoke of oxen. They had sold their small farm in Tennessee, and bought a few household effects; saddle horses and a cow"

In 1853 Jane Reagan Lay, wife of Moses Lay, died and is said to be first person buried in Zion Cemetery, in Pope County, Illinois, about three miles east of Ozark. With the death of his wife, Jane, a big problem faced Moses Lay with a family of growing children. For about two years he remained unmarried. Then he met Mahala Ellen Burns recently moved into the neighborhood from Tennessee, with her father, Cyrus Iddo Burns, a native of York County, South Carolina.

Moses Lay and Mahala E Burns were married in 1856. She not only accepted being Mother to the children whom Moses had by his first marriage but had six more, as his new wife. He died in 1871 and she continued as Mother and head of the family until all of the children were grown. She died in 1896. Moses Lay is buried in Zion Cemetery with each of his wives on either side, in their eternal resting place. My older brother, Coy  Lay, now in his late 80's recalls that our father, Joseph Lay, told him that our Grandmother, Mahala Burns Lay, was a success as manager of the family farm and was a good Mother who maintained firm discipline over her children and household.

My father was a son of Moses and Mahala Lay and was  born January 1, 1862 in Johnson County, Illinois. As he grew up he helped on the farm of the family. In addition to a public school education, he attended school at Ewing College near Benton, Illinois. Later, he attended the Evansville, Indiana Business College. He married Rilda Belle Chester, daughter of Nathan L Chester and Sarah Malinda Holland, natives of Kentucky. Nathan was a prominent person in the area. He was a successful farmer as well as a schoolmaster and a devoted church leader. His farm was near that of Moses Lay.

Buying a farm in the same area, Joseph and Rilda Lay lived there for several years. He was induced by the Republicans to run for the office of County Clerk of Pope County, Illinois. He was elected and re-elected for a total period of sixteen years.  His family lived alternately in Golconda, the County Seat and on the farm.

In succeeding years the family lived in Carbondale, Illinois and Chicago, Illinois until all the children had completed their education. In retirement Joseph and Rilda Lay returned to Southern Illinois and lived in Creal Springs, lllinois where they were near relatives and old friends.

Joseph and Rilda Lay had ten children of which eight lived to be adults. Rilda Lay died November 11, 1949. Joseph died July 4, 1951. They are buried in the I. O. O. P. Cemetery in Golconda, Illinois. Various details about persons of each of the preceding generations can be supplied from my statistical records.

Editors Note: Where is his research now?

Lay of the Land 6/97 pp. 4/5

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