Nannie (Adair) Mayes (1808 - 1876)

Born 7 Oct 1808 in Habersham County, GA.

Ancestors

Wife of Samuel Houston Mayes Sr. — married 22 Jan 1824 in Cherokee Nation (East)

Descendants

Died 18 May 1876 at age 67 in Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory, United States

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Biography

Nannie was Cherokee.

Nannie was born October 7, 1808 in the Cherokee Nation, the daughter of Walter Adair, a Cherokee, and his white wife, Rachel Thompson. She married Samuel Mayes, a white man from Tennessee, on January 22, 1824. ^{[1] [2]}

Some history of the Adair family was recorded by John Thompson Adair, Nannie's brother, and was reproduced in the Goingsnake Messenger as follows: "Nancy [dau. of Walter and Rachel Adair] married Samuel Mayes. By their marriage twelve (12) children were born to them, eleven sons and one daughter, to wit: George Washington, John Thompson, Frank Asbury, James Allen, Joel Bryan, Walter Adair, Rachel, William Henry (commonly called "Tip"), Richard Taylor, Samuel Houston, Wiley B., and Noel French. I will remark here that seven of these boys were soldiers in the Cconfederate army under Gen. Stand Watie's Indian Brigade. All survived the four years of the war, 1861 to 1865, except John Thompson who died with disease, and Richard Taylor, who was killed in action. Two of these sons, Joel B. and Samuel H. [Mayes] were elected to the office of Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation." ^[3]

The 1835 Cherokee census shows Samuel, Nannie and five children living on the Etowah River in what is now Paulding County, GA. ^[4] The family emigrated to Indian Territory about 1837. In 1851 they were living in the Flint District with nine children. ^[5] Nannie died March 18, 1876. ^[6] She is buried at Ross Mayes Cemetery in Salina, Oklahoma.^[7]

Research Notes

Nannie is often referred as Nancy. Samuel was also married to Ahnawake/Ahnawaki "Annie" SPIRIT Mayes Snell from 1848 until his death, they had four children together, Sarah A. MAYES England, Charlotte MAYES Ballard, Elmira MAYES Gladney and William Penn MAYES. In 1862 Annie married Simon Snell and by the time of the DAWES adopted two boys, last name Raven. Two of Samuel and Nancy's children became chiefs of the Cherokee Nation. One, Samuel Houston Mayes, Jr. (named for his father and also his father's friend Sam Houston of Texas fame) and Joel B. Mayes. A grandson through Nancy and Samuel's son George "Wash" Washington Mayes was also given the same name. One of Samuel and Nancy's children was killed on his way back from the ranch in Sacramento Valley, believed to have actually been killed by one of the people that returned and not by "Indians". Wado.

Sources

1. ↑ Hampton, David K. and Baker, Jack D., eds. Old Cherokee Families Notes of Dr. Emmet Starr. Baker Publishing Co., Oklahoma City, OK. 1987. Vol. 2, p. 69, Note 347.
2. ↑ "Georgia, County Marriages, 1785-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG1B-5TXX : 7 February 2020), Samuel Mays and Nancy Adair, 20 Jan 1824; citing Marriage, Habersham, Georgia, United States, Georgia Department of Archives and History, Morrow, FHL microfilm 2,365,798.
3. ↑ The Goingsnake Messenger. Goingsnake District Heritage Association, Colcord, OK. Vol. IV, #3, November, 1987.
4. ↑ Tyner, James. Those Who Cried. Transcript of 1835 Cherokee census. Chi-ga-u, Inc. Norman, OK. 1974. p. 70
5. ↑ Drennan Roll, Flint District, p. 87, Family # 354, image at Ancestry.com
6. ↑ Starr, Note 347
7. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images, memorial page for Nancy Adair Mayes (7 Oct 1808–18 May 1876), Find A Grave: Memorial #6016357, citing Ross Mayes Cemetery, Salina, Mayes County, Oklahoma, USA ; Maintained by Patricia Mechling (contributor 19483256) .

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