Compiled By Charles Hayes, Jr. - 1994
The Hays Family of Breathitt County is one of the first groups of
white people to ever settle in this section of Eastern Kentucky. Family
tradition has it that William Hays ·· (2nd known generation),
and his family from Rockbridge County, Virginia came to Eastern Kentucky
in the year 1791. They settled on Holly Creek in that part of Madison County,
Kentucky which later became Breathitt County (1839) and today is located
in eastern Wolfe County.
A few years later, about 1795, William moved with his family to the Snowden
Branch area of Breathitt County near the mouth of Quicksand Creek. (The
old Hays Cemetery on top of Snowden Branch Hill has hundreds of graves.
Most have only field stones for tombstones. It is almost certain that William
and most of his family are buried beneath the ground here. Many of the readable
stones are marked with names of Hayses of long ago.)
William was the son of old John Hays ··(1st known generation)
of Virginia who served in the Virginia Militia during the French and Indian
War (1754-1763). John was married to Jane Wood, the daughter of Lysander
and Elias Wood of North Carolina.
William had a son, John ··(3rd known generation), named for
his grandfather. John was born in Virginia in 1773 and died in 1839 in that
part of Breathitt County that was then part of Estill County. (A John Hays
is listed as a town trustee for Jackson when it was established in 1839.)
He was twenty years old when he came to this area of Kentucky (Breathitt
Co.). John married twice. His first wife was Nancy Angel of North Carolina.
(Nancy died in 1840. Her tombstone may still be seen in the Hays Cemetery
on top of Snowden Branch Hill, today called Howell Heights on the old Quicksand
Road.) They, too, lived near the present-day community of Quicksand. Children
from his first marriage included: (1) Adrian Hays, born in 1808 and later
about 1855 moved to Missouri. He married Elizabeth Cockrell, daughter of
John Cockrell and the second time to Millie Alley; (2) William Hays, born
in 1812 and married Delila Robinson. William's old tomb stone marked Wm.
CV Hase, died 1855 may still be seen atop Snowden Branch Hill in the old
Hays Cemetery.; (3) Sarah or Sally Hays, born in 1815, married Wiley McQuinn;
(4) Nicholas Hays, born in 1814, married Mary Allen, daughter of William
Allen. Nicholas Hays owned the present site of Quicksand community when
in 1839 it was first chosen to be the site of the soon to be established
county seat of Jackson. However, because he did not have a clear deed to
the land, the site for Jackson was moved three miles down stream to the
present location. Had plans gone accordingly, Jackson would have been built
on Hays land at Quicksand. (5) Phillip Hays, born in 1818, married twice.
First to Nancy Stacy and secondly to Susan Miller, daughter of Georgia and
Sidney Miller.
On January 8, 1820 John, at the age of 47, married for the second time.
He wedded Ursula Haddix, born during 1801 in Russell County, Virginia and
died in Breathitt County in 1882. Their wedding took place on January 8,
1820 in that part of Breathitt County that was then a part of Clay County.
She was a daughter of Henley Haddix and Jane Tate. (Ursula's uncle John
Haddix was the father of Nancy Haddix who married Joseph Little. Their daughter
Prudence Little married John C. Hays, her distant cousin, he being Ursula's
grandson.) John Haddix and Henley Haddix were the sons of old Samuel Haddix
(1742-1816) of Prince William County, Virginia. Many think Samuel led the
first permanent settlers into present-day Breathitt County in 1792.
The children of John and Ursula were: (1) Jane Hays, born in 1821, married
Joshua Barnett, Jr.; (2) Sarah Hays (1822-1870), married John E. Wells of
Clark County, Kentucky; (3) Nancy Hays (1823-1882), married David Barnett,
a brother of Joshua Barnett, Jr.; (4) William Hays ··(4th
known generation), born in 1825, married Polly Miller, daughter of Benjamin
and Nancy (Holcomb) Miller. William is our direct decent, being the grandfather
of Clarence Hays. (5) Adrian Hays, born in 1833 and died in Arkansas in
1863. Adrian married Delilah Fugate, daughter of Henley Fugate and Tabby
McIntosh. (6) John Butter Hays (1833-1906), married twice, first to Sarah/Sally
Miller, daughter of Ben & Nancy Miller, and second to Catherine McIntosh.
Thus, if records are correct, John had eleven children in all. Today his
descendants number in the thousands and are scattered across the United
States. Very few Hayses remain in Breathitt County.
William, the son of John, and his wife Polly Miller had nine children: (1)
Elizabeth Hays born in 1851; (2) John Charles Hays ··(5th
known generation), born in 1852, married Prudence Little; (3) Sarah Ellen
Hays, born in 1855, married John C.B. Hays, son of Nick Hays; (4) George
Martin Hays born in 1857 married Jane McPherson; (5) Nancy Hays, born in
1859, married Breckenridge Flinchum; (6) Henley Hays, born in 1862, no data
available on him; (7) Anna Hays was born in 1868. She married John B. Flinchum,
brother of Breckenridge and son of John J. Flinchum; (8) William Hays was
born in 1869, no data available on him; and (9) Amanda Hays, born in 1870,
no data available on her.
On August 29, 1876 John C. Hays, age 24, married Prudence Little, age 18,
at the residence of Andrew Hays near the old homeplace on the Five Mile
Road. Standing up for young John were Henry Gabbard and James Little. The
couple was married by Rev. M.C. Taylor of the Methodist Church.
The children of John C. and Prudence Hays were: (1) Thomas Hays, born in
1877 and died in 1878; (2) Charles Hays, born in 1878 and died in 1892;
(3) Lydia Hays, born November, 1881, married Clarence Little. They had one
son, Johnnie Little who died young. Lydia died in 1966. (4) Jerry Hays,
born in July, 1885, was married to Annie (?). They had no children. He was
killed in a mining accident in 1928. (5) Alexander Hays, born in January,
1888. He married Rose Martin. They had three known children: Willard, Carl,
and Ollie (married Stanley Robinson). Alex died in 1968; (6) George Hays,
born in October, 1889 was married to Lula Johnson. They had a step-child.
George died in 1972 in Jackson. (7) James (Jim) A. Hays was born in June,
1892 (1891?) and killed in a mining accident near Jackson in 1936. He married
Martha Raleigh (died in 1946). They had Johnny - living in Detroit; Willie
- living in Cincinnati, Marie - who was killed in a car wreck years ago;
Dora - living in Detroit at last contact; Charles who was in World War II
and married a girl while stationed in Texas and never returned to Kentucky;
Robert Hays who lives in Detroit; Eugene who lives in Detroit; and Edward
Hays who died at age 6 or 7 of diphtheria. (8) Clarence Edward Hays ··(6th
known generation) was born on October 25, 1894.. He was killed near Glasgow,
Kentucky on August 30, 1953 in a car accident. His second wife was Clara
May Fletcher, daughter of Ceberry Fletcher and Mary Ellen Robinson. Clara
May was born June 29, 1904. She died in 1955. (both Clarence and Clara are
buried in the Clarence Hays Cemetery on the old homeplace farm on Highway
15 in Jackson, Kentucky.) They had several children, eight of whom reached
adulthood.
The children of Clarence Edward and Clara May Hays are: (1) Thelma Jewell
Hays, born November 14, 1923; (2) Chester Charles Hays ··(7th
known generation), born December 8, 1925 and died December 16, 1972 in a
bulldozer accident; (3) Helen Marie Hays was born on September 1, 1928 and
died January, 1950 of a head aliment; (4) Lydia Anna Hays, born January
27, 1932; (5) Carlee Hays, born November 20, 1934; (6) Arnold Hays, born
December 12, 1939; (7) Sewell Taylor Hays, born October 3, 1941; and (8)
Joyce Barbara Hays, born April 5, 1944. (Both Chester and Helen are buried
in the Clarence Hays Cemetery.)
Chester Charles Hays married Hallie B Jones (born May 30, 1927 and died
July 21, 1990 of lung problems) on July 15, 1946 in Salyersville, Kentucky.
Their children are: (1) Chester Charles Hayes, Jr. (··8th
known generation), born March 29, 1947; (2) Clarence Samuel Hays, born and
died in 1948; (3) Sharon Kay Hays, born July 17, 1949; (4) Sandra Fay Hays,
born May 28, 1951; (5) Steven Hays, born and died Feb. 2, 1953; (6) Shirley
Ann Hays, born April 23, 1955; (7) Connie Lynn Hays, born May 22, 1958;
(8) William Daniel Hays, born and died October 26, 1960; (9) John Scott
Hays, born August 24, 1965.
(Note: Plans are to obtain the names and addresses of descendants of John
and Prudy Hays down to the present. Four of their eight known children had
no offspring. Thomas and Charles died young. Jerry was killed before rearing
a family. The only child of Lydia, Johnnie Little, died in his youth. George
had a step-child. The remaining three sons had the following known children.
The author would appreciate any mistakes or omissions be brought to his
attention so that a correct list can be maintained.)
Charles and Donna (Conyers) Hayes
Highway 15 North
P.O. Box 227
Jackson, Kentucky 41339
Telephone 606-666-8682 or 666-5060 (office)