Family Informational Notes from Records in Rockbridge and Wilson Counties:
Note: John HAYS lived on Cedar Lick Creek in Wilson Co., TN very near to the Hermitage in Davidson
Co., TN. Mr. Dixon wrote that the Hermitage Area was complicated by the changes in county lines during
the pertinent periods of times: 1790, the Davidson & Sumner County area and HAYS COUNTRY was in
Sumner County; 1800, the Hermitage Area was in Davidson & Wilson Counties with HAYS COUNTRY
in Wilson County; 1810, the Hermitage Area was in Davidson & Wilson Counties and HAYS COUNTRY
was in Wilson & Smith Counties - Note: Historic Structures Report, the original log house was built by
John Hays ca.1804, on Nathaniel?s property. Andrew Jackson built the original building, home, now called
the Hermitage House and the LHA is going to complete a $1.4 million restoration for it in the next couple
of years. (Completion date of summer 2004, the 200th anniversary of the purchase of the Hermitage
Property from Nathaniel Hays) Note: Nathaniel Hays and his neighbor to the south, Samuel Hays and his
Neighbor to the north, Hugh Hays. Jackson ended up with the entire 640-acre preemption NC Land Grants
of Nathaniel and Hugh Hays and a section of Samuel Hays' 640-ac preemption NC Land Grant as well, where
the Hermitage is now. His houses, including the famous Hermitage Mansion, the Hermitage Church, and
Andrew Jackson Donelson's Tulip Grove Mansion, acres all located on Nathaniel Hays' Original land grant
. Note: Charles Hays ? (son of John Hays of VA), is in Davidson County in 1780, and back in Greene County by 1783,
where he marries Elizabeth Gillespie ca.1792. His son Charles Hays is born, in Greene Co. ca.1794 and daughter
Jane Hays soon thereafter. Note: Nathaniel is located in East TN until around 1802, but shows up in
Davidson County in 1803. He then settles temporarily at his land grant before selling it (in two sections) to
Thomas Taylor and Andrew Jackson in 1804. Note: Samuel Hays, who owned the land just south of Nathaniel,
was in Davidson County by 1780, built the fortified Hays Stations on Stoner's Creek ca.1782-83, and was killed by
the Creek Indians nearby in early 1793. His wife Elizabeth continued to reside at Hays Station until selling it in 1807
and then moved to neighboring Wilson County, TN. Her sons Campbell, Andrew, Hugh, and Charles grew up at
Hays Station, were wards of Andrew Jackson in the 1790s, and moved to Wilson County, TN before 1807 these sons
served under Jackson in the Creek Indian Wars of 1813-14 Note: "John C. Hays, known in Texas as Jack
Hays, was born at Little Cedar Lick, Wilson County, Tennessee, on January 28, 1817. He was from the
same section of the Country as the McCullochs, Sam Houston, and Andrew Jackson, and was the same
adaptable sort of person. It is said that Jackson purchased The Hermitage from Jack Hays's grandfather,
John Hays, who served with Jackson in some of his Indian Wars, and who built Fort Haysboro, but it is proven by
a land deed document, the land was purchased from John?s Grandson, Nathaniel Hays. Jack?s Father, Harmon Hays,
also fought with Jackson and named his son for General John Coffee, one of Jackson's trusted officers. Hays came to
Texas in 1837 or in the early part of 1838--then about 21 years of Age -and took up his residence at San Antonio.
Some accounts say that he joined the Texas Rangers and fought Indians and Mexicans under Deaf Smith and Henry
W. Karnes." Note: p. 34 - Nathaniel Williams Thompson HAYS charged with Gaming 27 Apr 1832 (p.201). p. 4 ?
Stockley L. HAYS charged Thomas G. Walker with trespass & assault & battery 1819 (p. 265). p. 26 -Harmon A.
HAYS among others, charged with gaming 1827 (pp. 167-168). Note: Fort Hays, originally named Fort Fletcher, was
a United States Army fort near Hays,Kansas. Active from 1865 to 1889, it was an important frontier post during
The American Indian Wars of the late 19th century. Reopened as a historical park in 1929, it is now operated by the
Kansas Historical Society as the Fort Hays State Historic Site. Buffalo Bill Cody co-founder of Rome, Kansas. July 4 ?
Fort Hays relocated. 1867-1872 Note: John Hays, as documented in Rockbridge census book, 1740, he had proven
Sons: David, Andrew, John, Charles, James and Robert Daughters: Barbara, Jane, and Rebecca, all born before 1740
according to his Will John Hays had (after 1750) a total of the following children: David, Andrew, Charles, Robert,
John and Grandson James ? son of James, Daughters: Rebecca, Jennett Mills not mentioned either, possible deceased.
The family lived in part of Augusta County that later became, Rockbridge County, when it was formed in 1778 NOTE:
Most of the Male Hays members were Masons of Virginia and Tennessee.
9/2/2013 HAYS/SIMS: Research and Notes: SIMS of VA and Rutherford and
Wilson Counties, TN ? found online by C Hayes 9/2013
"Hermitage John HAYS": John "Hermitage" HAYS died 1811 in Wilson Co., TN. His wife was Rebecca MAXWELL who d. 1819 Wilson Co., TN. CHILDREN: Sally, Rachel (m.ALFORD), Harmon A., Thomas T. HAYS; children of Rebecca Maxwell HAYS;' will was made 25 Mar 1819, recorded Wilson Co., TN 14 Oct 1819. HAYS/Notes: SIMS of VA and Rutherford/Wilson Counties, TN, Grandmother of Jack Hays, Texas Ranger. freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~janicekmc/hays_sims_notes.htm 3/8 . In this Will, she named her children; Thomas T. HAYS rec'd the land on which his mother, Rebecca, lived. He was the executor of his mother's will .(Notes: we know from marriage records the approximate age for Racel: c1791 ? and Ann: c.1788, and Thomas T., if approximately 21 years of age at marriage would be born c1795 Mr. Dixon wrote "of special interest is Robert HAYS ,m. to Donelson, where Andrew Jackson lived with and met their Granddaughter, whom he later married. Robert was apparently a very active land broker in a large area encompassing Nashville as well as "Hays Country". Hays Country is about 60 miles southeast of Andrew Jackson's Hermitage on the east outskirts of present day Nashville. Other HAYS, in the records for the Hermitage Area, are Samuel, Hugh, Nathaniel, James and William Hays". Hugh HAYS, Samuel HAYS and Nathaniel HAYS each received grants of 640ac in Davidson County, surveyed June 1785, registered 1788 &1789 (Land Deed Genealogy of Davidson County TN 1783-1792 Vol. I). These grants were adjacent and located between the Cumberland River and Stones Creek. They were within 3 miles west of the present day Wilson/Davidson County, TN lines. Robert Hays received grants covering 6000ac in the vicinity registered in 1789. Nathaniel Hays sold 215ac of his grant to Thomas Taylor in 1804 and the remaining 425ac to Andrew Jackson in 1805. Andrew Jackson built the Hermitage on this acreage acquired from Nathaniel Hays. - the purchase of the Hermitage property from Nathaniel Hays.is documented ;Land Deed Genealogy of Davidson County TN 1783-1792 Vol. . The land that Jackson established his famous Hermitage plantation on was originally owned by the Hays family,
The DASH of OUR LIVES - At a Funeral, a man spoke of his beloved,
He referred to the dates on her tombstone, from the beginning to the end,
He noted the first date was that of her birth, and spoke of the moment with tears,
But he said what mattered most, was the DASH between the years!
For that DASH represents all the time, which she spent with us here on earth.
And now only those who loved her, Know what that little DASH was worth,
For it matters not how much we own; the cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how We Live and Love, And how we spend our DASH!