William Henry Red Gay^[1]

1748 - 1830  (82 years)

• Name	William Henry Red Gay  [2]
  Birth	1748	Greenbriar, Augusta, Virginia, USA   [2]
  Gender	Male
  Residence	6 Aug 1810	, Clay, Kentucky, USA   [3]
  Residence	1820	, Clay, Kentucky, USA   [4]
  Residence	1830	, Perry, Kentucky, USA   [5]
  Death	17 Jan 1830	Gays Creek, Perry, Kentucky, USA   [2]
  Person ID	I47025	Master
  Last Modified	8 Dec 2022

  
  

  Father	William Gay, Sr,   b. 1705, Cobbs Plantation, Henrico, Virginia, USA d. 1 Mar 1749, , Chesterfield, Virginia, USA (Age 44 years)
  Mother	Elizabeth Bolling,   b. 17 Dec 1709, Cobbs Plantation, Henrico, Virginia, USA d. 24 Jul 1766, Curles Plantation, Henrico, Virginia, USA (Age 56 years)
  Family ID	F10701	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Frances Trent
  Children	1. Elizabeth Gay,   b. 20 Aug 1773, , , Virginia, USA d. 28 Jun 1840, , Madison, Alabama, USA (Age 66 years)
  Family ID	F10687	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	4 Dec 2022

  
  

  Family 2	Margaret "Peggy" Russell,   b. 1780, , Hawkins, Tennessee, USA d. 1 Feb 1855, Gays Creek, Perry, Kentucky, USA (Age 75 years)
  Marriage	15 Aug 1795	, Hawkins, Tennessee, USA
  Children	1. James Gay,   b. 1795, Shoal, Perry, Kentucky, USA   2. Henry Cliff Gay, Jr.,   b. 1796, Rush Creek, Clay, Kentucky, USA d. 5 Nov 1858, Harlan, Harlan, Kentucky, USA (Age 62 years)   3. Jane Williams (Gay),   b. 1800, , Clay, Kentucky, USA d. 20 Dec 1882, Missouri City, Fort Bend, Texas, USA (Age 82 years)   4. Nathaniel Gay,   b. 1 Jan 1804, , Burke, Georgia, USA d. 23 Aug 1869, , Laurens, Georgia, USA (Age 65 years)   5. Lewis Russell Gay,   b. 1806, Gays Creek, Perry, Kentucky, USA d. 10 Oct 1876, , Mercer, Missouri, USA (Age 70 years)   6. Violet Charlotte Gay,   b. 1809, Gays Creek, Perry, Kentucky, USA d. 30 Sep 1843, Gallatin, Daviess, Missouri, USA (Age 34 years)   7. Margaret "Peggy" Gay,   b. 1810, Shoal, Perry, Kentucky, USA d. 2 Nov 1894, Buckhorn, Perry, Kentucky, USA (Age 84 years)   8. Johanna Anna Gay,   b. 8 Jun 1810, , , Kentucky, USA d. 29 Aug 1898, Keltner, Christian, Missouri, USA (Age 88 years)   9. Nelson Gay,   b. 1 Apr 1811, Gays Creek, Perry, Kentucky, USA d. 18 Aug 1900, Hazard, Leslie, Kentucky, USA (Age 89 years)   10. Abigail Caroline Gay,   b. 15 Dec 1812, Wilmot, Merrimack, New Hampshire, USA d. 27 Nov 1891 (Age 78 years)   11. Elijah "Lige" Gay,   b. 1815, Gays Creek, Perry, Kentucky, USA d. Oct 1891, Buffalo Creek, Owsley, Kentucky, USA (Age 76 years) + 12. Joseph "Buddie" Gay,   b. 1817, Gays Creek, Perry, Kentucky, USA d. 1880, Crocketsville, Breathitt, Kentucky, USA (Age 63 years)   13. Rachael Elizabeth Gay,   b. Abt 1819, Gays Creek, Perry, Kentucky, USA   14. John Gay,   b. 1821   d. 1865 (Age 44 years)   15. Mary Ann "Polly" Gay,   b. 1823   d. 1852 (Age 29 years)
  Family ID	F10691	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	8 Dec 2022

  
  

  Family 3	Elizabeth Wilkison
  Marriage	22 Jun 1797	, Greene, Tennessee, USA
  Family ID	F10684	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	4 Dec 2022

  
  

• Event Map		Marriage - 15 Aug 1795 - , Hawkins, Tennessee, USA Marriage - 22 Jun 1797 - , Greene, Tennessee, USA Residence - 6 Aug 1810 - , Clay, Kentucky, USA Residence - 1820 - , Clay, Kentucky, USA Residence - 1830 - , Perry, Kentucky, USA  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Notes

  Name: Henry (William Henry) "Red" GAY , Sr. Birth: ABT 1758 in Augusta County, Virginia Death: 1830 in Gays Creek, Buckhorn, Perry County, Kentucky Burial: Henry Gay Cemetery, Mouth of Gays Creek, Perry County, Kentucky Henry Gay was a first cousin of Rev. Jesse Bolling, who at that time was one of the most prominent Baptist preachers in Eastern Kentucky. Henry Gay B. 1750 d. 1830 served as a Revolutionary War Soldier. At the Battle of Yorktown, October 29, 1781, he was a bodyguard to General George Washington. he came from Greene County, Virginia to Cutshin, leaving eight children from a former marriage. 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. Mrs. Brewer, also, states, "In 1797 W Henery 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". In the "John Jay Dickey Diary" page 2211, T.M. Gay was interviewed at Hyde n, Kentucky. March 29, 1898. he stated: "I'm the son of Nelson Gay, a son of Henry Gay. He is 82. He was born in Perry County. His father, mentioned above, Henry Gay was, in turn, a son of a Henry Gay. He came from Ireland, he was a soldier in the Revolutionary War; he enlisted soon after he came over. THIS WILLIAM GAY MAY NOT BE THE FATHER OF HENRY GAY OF KENTUCKY In 1613 Derry, a city in Northern Ireland, was selected by the British f or Colonization, and was renamed Londonderry. The citizens of Derry we re not in favor of the move, and from 1641 to 1689 there followed one upr ising after another. DR. WILLIAM GAY, who had been involved in the uprisi ngs in 1670, left England about this time and came to America. He settl ed in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he is said to have married the grandda ughter of Pocahontas and John Rolfe. He set up an apothecary shop in Henr ico County, Virginia, where a son, HENRY, was born. Henery's son, W. HEN RY (1750-1830), was a bodyguard to GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON at the Batt le of Yorktown on October 29, 1781. W. HENRY lived at Greenbriar, Virginia, where he raised a family of ten sons. In 1796, after he lost his first wife, he met and married MARGARET RUSSELL, a concert pianist from Tennessee. Accompanied by three men named Carnage, Wright and Sweeden, W. HENERY and MARGARET left Virginia for Kentucky. 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 1800 this home was sold to MR. CARNAGE, who in turn sold it to WILLIAM BOWLING, known as BLUE HEAD BILLY BOWLING. One day, while MR. CARNAGE lived there, he came home from hunting and found that one of his small children had been killed by a bear. He buried the child on the farm and stuck a maple switch in the grave. The switch took root and grew into a large tree which later became hollow. ALLEN GAY, age 85 in 1977, said he had looked into the hollow tree and seen the ch ild's grave. Both MR CARNAGE and his wife are buried near the Buckhorn Lodge. Their graves were supposed to have been moved when the BuckhornDam was uilt, but those who know the location of the graves refused to tell where they were, and the graves are still there. MR. SWEEDEN was killed in 1789 when cutting a bee tree. MR WRIGHT moved on to some other locality. W. HENRY, whose name appears as HENRY GUYE on the tax records, was the first of the GAY family to pay taxes in Perry County in 1821 or 1822. CALE GAY, a Great Great Grandson, said he saw the record. While the family lived at GAY'S CREEK, W. HENRY had to be away from home a lot hunting, trading or other business, and MARGARET kept the home and garden. One night, a bear destroyed the garden and MARGARET devised a plan to kill it. She filled several containers with brandy, and placed them in the garden hoping the bear would return. That night it did return, and next morning MARGARET went out to find it thoroughly drunk, lying on its back, peacefully flapping its paws in the air. The grandchildren said, "That was the easiest shot Grandma ever had!" W. HENRY and MARGARET had eleven children, all boys. One of their sons, EDWARD J., became a Congressman, and EDWARD J'S grandson was a Senator from Louisiana in 1918. Sons JOHN and JIM went to Fayette Counth. JIM'S son, JOHN L. GAY, became a banker and was Mayor of Berea, Kentucky, for the longest term served by any Mayor in America. ALLEN called him a versatile and energetic man, having suffered a broken arm at the age of 94 while building a garage. NELSON GAY, who was W. HENRY'S twenty-first son and youngest of his and MARGARET'S sons, was married three times, first to HANNAH BARGER, daughter of ABRAHAM BARGER. Their children, all sons too, were: THOMAS GAY, father of LIGE (ELIJAH), Born 1895, and CALE GAY, born 1910,: BILL GAY, father of ALLEN GAY, born 1892,: JOHN GAY; ABRAHAM GAY; LIGE GAY; HENRY GAY; and JESS GAY. NELSON'S second wife was CHARITY BOWLING. They had three children. His third wife was Polly Huff, no children. ALLEN worked at that job for many years while his wife, MARY BELL, taught school in Leslie County. ALLEN'S son, GREELEY, and wife, GLADYS, also lived in Leslie County for many years. GLADYS worked at Frontier Nursing Service until 1948. Today ALLEN and GREELEY live in Indiana. CALE lives in Perry County and LIGE is the only one left in Leslie County. LIGE is an active member of Senior Citizens Club, having served as President of the club for the past year. Before retirement he taught 40 years in the Leslie County School System. He is probably one of few old timers left who still dig ginseng. Although it is $64. a pound, he digs it mostly for the exercise and enjoyment he gets from tramping the woods. He says he digs it only in the fall, when the berries are ripe on the plants, so he can replant them. EVERY YEAR THE GAY FAMILIES HAVE A REUNION WITH DEDICATION CEREMONIES TO " OLD RED" HENRY AND HIS EXPLOITS. ON JUNE 27, 1976, THE REUNION WAS HE LD AT LEVI JACKSON STATE PARK, WHERE THE FOLLOWING DEDICATION WAS READ: " HENRY GAY, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON AND HIS MINUT EMEN HELPED BUILD AND MAINTAIN THIS LAND OF THE FREE, INSURING PEACE AND T RANQUILITY WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. WE, HIS DESCENDANTS, GATHER HERE TODAY IN PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP TO CELEBRA TE THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GAY REUNION AND THE 200TH BIRTHDAY OF OUR N ATION AND TO HEREBY WISH TO DEDICATE AND INSTILL IN THE HEARTS AND MIN DS OF ALL HERE PRESENT, THE MEMORY OF OUR BELOVED RED HENRY GAY." (Inform ation from LIGE GAY, ALLEN GAY, CALE GAY, and SILAS BOWLING) HENRY GAY, SR. WILL..PAGE 437, DEED BOOK "B" , PERRY COUNTY, Kentucky..PRO BATED APRIL 14, 1830. JANUARY THE 17TH DAY, 1830 "I, Henry Gay, Sr., being sick in body and being perfectly in my right min d, and as life is uncertain, and wishing to settle my affairs in this worl d, first: I give my son Henry, my upper plantation where Russell Gay now l ives, for work he has done for me since he has been of age, also my wat ch and the use of a horse beast untill he can raise one, if he lives wi th me that long, and i will and bequeath unto my son Russell, two heifer s, to be worth eleven dollars, and the balance of my estate, both real a nd personal; I will and bequeath to my wife, to be divided between the fol lowing heirs, to wit: Nelson, Elijah, and Joseph, Joanna, Rachel and Mar y. The land to be divided between Nelson, Elijah and Joseph and the person al property between Joanna, Rachel and Mary, and I do by these present ack nowledge this to be my last will anf testament. In witness where of I ha ve here unto set my hand and seal". Signed: Henry Gay Test: Justus Bowling and Jeremiah Smith Clerk's Statement signed by: Jesse Combs, Clerk. Stamp on the document reads: J. F. Cantrell, 1929 E. Woodland, Springfiel d, MO 65804 ORIGINAL DOCUMENT DONATED BY MEMBERS OF THE WHITE FAMILY OF CLAY COUNTY, K entucky. EXTRACT of GOOSE CREEK SALT WORKS NOV. & DEC. 1807 ORDER BOOK FOR ACCOUNTS CLAY COUNTY, Kentucky Mss. Reel 43, Item # 649 17pp. Kentucky Historical Society Rarebook Room Filmed 1981 Recieved from Junetta Bundy Collins and Nancy Frost Moulton, March 20, 200 4 ORDER BOOK: GOOSE CREEK SALT WORKS ACCOUNTS: 29th September, 1807: Clem Griggs: 35 bushels of salt payable at Goose Cre ek Salt Works; payable on 15th November. As witness my hand and seal th is 29th day of September, 1807 Thomas McJilton. Witness: Frances McMillan . November, 1807: JOHN BAKER: traded 21 Racoon Skins and 1 fox skin for salt . CAPT. JOHN GILBERT: traded i Barr of Lead for Salt. OWEN HALL: purchsed buttons MRS. AMIS: purchased 2 combs, 1 looking glass and 1 dozen needles. ROBERT BAKER: purchased ? bushels of cornmeal. EDWARD COX: purchased `Sundries' for JAMES (JAS) BAKER, who had 1 foxsk in and traded it for 2 bushels of salt for James Baker. Mr. Cox also boug ht `Buttons' for MRS. HARRIAON and then bought for himself 2 and1/2 bushe ls of salt; iNegro named JIM; and Auger, 1 umbrella and 1 quart of whiskey . December, 12, 1807: MRS. AMIS purchased 12 yards of lace and 1 scoop. WILLIAM MCCLOOUM bought a `Note' for 3ilbs.,9. CAPT. ABNER BAKER bought powder and 4lbs of sugar. Also bought 1 bushel co rn @ #4.6; 1 bushel, 10 weight of salt; 77 lbs. of beef @ #16 and 5 Bar rs of soap. JOHN BAKER got 1 pair of leggings per order of CHRISTOPHER BOLIN by certif icate for $16.50. JOHN also paid WILSON MOORE 3lbs. HENRY GAY bought 1 pair cards. PETER HAMMONS by Thursday was to receive 3 yds of cloth for 18 pounds a nd he bought 2 bushels of corn @ 4lbs., 6 pence (?) and the yards of gr ey cloth was 17 pounds and 6 pence. The first known Salt Works in Clay County, Kentucky were called Langford 's Lick, and were later known as Lower Goose Creek Salt Works. See CAPT. JOHN AMIS FILE. FROM: REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS IN Kentucky (QUISENBERRY) ROSTER OF SOLDIERS FROM NORTH CAROLINA IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. Allen Gay, Babee Gay, Bable Gay, Bobie Gay, Henry Gay, James Gay, Johath an Gay, Joshua Gay, Richard Gay, Robert Gay, Simon Gay and William Gay. What I have is from the Kentucky Explorer magazine - Vol. 21, No. 9., pa ge 94. The editors have come across some old clippings, and are including th em in the magazine. Under the heading, Gay-Russell: Soon after the close of the Revolutionary War Henry Gay, Sr., of Augusta C ounty, Virginia, married as his second wife, Margaret Russell of Hawkins C ounty, Tennessee. She was closely related to the Grant family of which Ge neral U. S. Grant was a member. Henry Gay and his wife moved to Perry Cou nty, Kentucky, where he died in 1830. She survived him many years, bei ng 96 at her death.

  
  

• Sources

  [S761] Yates Publishing, Ancestry Family Trees, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.), Ancestry Family Tree. [S1162] Ancestry.com, Geneanet Community Trees Index, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.). [S248] Ancestry.com, 1810 United States Federal Census, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.), Year: 1810; Census Place: Clay, Kentucky; Roll: 9; Page: 152; Image: Kym252_9-0155; FHL Roll: 0181354. [S1234] Ancestry.com, 1820 United States Federal Census, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), 1820 U S Census; Census Place: Clay, Kentucky; Page: 126; NARA Roll: M33_19; Image: 106. [S252] Ancestry.com, 1830 United States Federal Census, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.), Year: 1830; Census Place: Perry, Kentucky; Series: M19; Roll: 40; Page: 356; Family History Library Film: 0007819.