William Henry Gay (abt. 1758 - abt. 1830)

Born about 1758 in Augusta County, Virginia

Husband of Rebecca Jane (Henderson) Gay — married 15 Apr 1785 in Rockbridge, Virginia, United States

Husband of Margaret (Russell) Gay — married before 1796 in Kentucky

Husband of Elizabeth (Wilkinson) Gay — married Jun 1797 in Greene County, Tennessee, United States

Descendants

Died about 1830 at about age 72 in Gays Creek, Perry, Kentucky, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Wesley Doughman [send private message] and Freda Adkins [send private message]

Biography

William Henry "Red" Gay was born circa 1758 in (Greenbrbriar County) Augusta County, Virginia, and died 1830 in Gays Creek, Buckhorn, Perry County, Kentucky. Find A Grave has his father as William and that he has a brother William (unusual but not impossible Will try to verify.)

Research Notes

Revolutionary War United States of America vs England. Patriots - Daughters of the American Revolution American Revolution: Yorktown campaign (January - October 1781) Notable Kentuckians Augusta County, Virginia, USA American Revolutionary War soldiers

About Henry Gay A Patriot of the American Revolution for Virginia (Soldier). DAR Ancestor # A205975

At the Battle of Yorktown, October 29, 1781, he was a bodyguard to General George Washington. In 1796 he married Margaret Russell. In "Rugged Trail to Appalachia" by Mary Brewer it is written that Margaret Russell was a concert pianist from Tennessee. Accompanied by three men named Carnage, Wright and Sweeden, "Red" and his wife Margaret left Virginia for to settle in Owsley County, Kentucky at the mouth of Gays Creek.

Crossing the southern boundary of what is West Virginia today, they entered Kentucky, came into the Big Leatherwood area, down Cutshin to Asa's Branch into Wilder and on to Grassy Branch. These creeks and branches, all in Leslie County. were unnamed at that time, and were later identified by names given to them by W. HENRY GAY.

After W. HENRY reached Grassy Branch he went up another small stream, which he called Rush Creek, and found an old Indian trail that led to a large overhanging cliff. There under that cliff W. HENRY and Margaret lived their first year in Kentucky and it was where, in the winter of 1796, their first son, HENRY III (known as CLIFF HENRY), was born.

In 1797 W. HENRY built a sturdy log home at what was first known as Corner Shoal, so called because the creek which emptied into the river there, made a kind of corner at the shoals. It later came to be known as Shoal, where the Buckhorn Lodge is located today. Around 1800this home was sold to MR. CARNAGE, who in turn sold it to WILLIAM BOWLING, known as BLUE HEAD BILLY BOWLING.

Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: Dec 1 2017, 13:16:40 UTC 1st marriage - He married (1) Rebecca Jane Henderson April 15, 1785 in Rockbridge County, Virginia, daughter of Jones Henderson.

A Henry Gay left Rockbridge Co., VA about 1790, apparently with his first wife, Jane Henderson and a relative, William Gay and his wife Mary Craig. Their stated destination in court records was the French Broad (east Tennessee).

William and Mary Craig Gay can be found in early Blount County, TN records, but there is no sign of Henry.

In 1801, Joanes Henderson, Jane Henderson's father mentions the grandchildren of this marriage, but not Jane hersellf. It appears Jane has died prior to 1801.

Henry and Rebecca Jane had the following children

James F. Gay

John Henderson Gay

Marvin Gay

Andrew Gay

Elizabeth Gay

Thomas Gay

Rebecca Gay

Mary Gay

Anne Agnes Gay

Archibald Gay

Robert Gay

William Gay

_______Gay

Possible 2nd marriage - In Jun 1797, a Henry Guy married Elizabeth Wilkinson in Greene County, TN. This is in eastern Tennessee, not far from the French Broad. This marriage was short-lived however as Elizbeth Wilkinson was re-married by 1800 to John Johnson.

2nd / 3rd marriage - Marriage Notes for Henry Gay and Margaret Russell: He married Margaret Russell August 15, 1795 or 1800 in Augusta County, Virginia, daughter of Martin Russell and Violet Grant.

• Marriage: Abt. 1796-1800, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, or North Carolina.
• It is not clear exactly when or where Henry and Margaret were married. No marriage record has been found for them. We are also not sure of her last name or parentage.

We assume from census records that the Margaret Gay, aged 70 in the 1850 Census, and living with apparent son, Joseph Gay, is the possible 3rd wife of Henry Gay and the mother of all children born in Kentucky. The first child born of this marriage was Jane Gay in 1800. We know this from her census records in Missouri where she moved after marrying John Williams in 1819 in Clay County.

In 1807, the year it was formed, Clay County records show Henry Gay (the name is Guy in the records) living in the upper district. He settled on the Middle Fork of the Kentucky River, in an area that later became Perry County.

He is buried with Margaret in Henry Gay Cemetery, Perry County, Kentucky ^[1]

Rejected Merge

Gay-1140 and Gay-173 are different people. Someone has entered the same death day for both of them, otherwise they are entirely different. Their fathers were born 29 years apart, -1140 is not the grandfather of -173, his son John was, according to his profile, born thirty years after -173’s father.

Inaccurate or Questionable Data

Original Information
The linked father would have been 14 when this person was born.

Find A Grave: Memorial #11393043 does not mention Wilkinson as wife, but rootsweb does. Rootsweb page for Henry (William Henry) "Red" Gay, 1758 - 1830 with 3 marriages

Both Find A Grave and Rootsweb link parents as William Gay 1705-1749 / 1766 and Elizabeth Bolling 1709-1766. William's wikitree profile states he died 1749 and does not list

Sourcing is needed for this profile. It seems that profiles may have been conflated and / or parents are incorrect.

Danielle Whitehead William Henry “Red” Gay Sr. Birth: 1748 Death: 1830 (aged 81–82) Burial: Henry Gay CemeteryPerry County, Kentucky, USA Memorial #: 11393043 Bio: Henry (William Henry) "Red" Gay, Sr.:

Born circa 1758 in (Greenbrbriar County) Augusta County, Virginia, and died 1830 in Gays Creek, Buckhorn, Perry County, Kentucky.

He married (1) Rebecca Jane Henderson April 15, 1785 in Agusta County, Virginia, daughter of Jones Henderson. He married (2) Margaret Russell August 15, 1795 in Agusta County, Virginia, daughter of Martin Russell and Violet Grant.

Henry and Margaret are buried in an unmarked grave at their old Homeplace located near the Mouth of Gay's Creek, Perry County, Kentucky... ^[2]

Family Members Parents William Gay 1705-1749 Elizabeth Bolling Gay 1709-1766 Spouse Margaret Russell Gay 1780-1855 Siblings William Gay Unknown-1815 Maintained by: Remembrance of Days Past (49200554) Originally Created by: Bev (47588577) Added: 20 Jul 2005.

Sources

1. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (accessed 28 May 2019), memorial page for William Henry “Red” Gay, Sr (1748–1830), Find A Grave: Memorial #11393043, citing , USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave (contributor 8).
2. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11393043/william-henry-gay Citation: Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com; Find A Grave: Memorial #11393043 December 2020), memorial page for William Henry “Red” Gay Sr. (1748–1830), `fy, citing Henry Gay Cemetery, Perry County, Kentucky, USA ; Maintained by Remembrance of Days Past (contributor 49200554).

• https://www.geni.com/people/Henry-Gay/6000000002675789035

• Ancestors and descendants

Publication date 1892 Topics Boone County, Kentucky, newspapers https://archive.org/details/Boone_County_Recorder_Vol_18_1892/page/n125/mode/2up?q=Tennessee