William's son John D. Hays was born 1773 in Virginia. Oral tradition says John moved to Holly Creek Kentucky in 1791. He came with his father, William Hays, from Rockbridge County Virginia, where they had been members of the large Scotch/Irish settlement.
William's parents are believed to be John Hays and Jane Wood, daughter of Lysander and Elias Wood of North Carolina. It is believed (the elder) John Hays served with the Virginia Militia during the French and Indian Wars of 1754-1763.
visit: www.breathittcounty.com/HayesFamily.html
It is also believed that Old John Hays landed in Philadelphia around 1740, from Ireland ... and there is supposedly a ship record which I am still anxiously awaiting.
The line of my 25-marker match is:
John Hays (wife Jane Wood)
William Hays, born 1750
John D. Hays, born 1773
Nicholas Hayes, born 1813
John Breckenridge Hays, born 1854
Stevie John Hays, born 1882
___living___ Hays, born 1924
By paper trail, my great-great-grandfather Isaac Simpson Hayes, born 1812, is still not a verified descendant of any Hayes family of the Americas or Europe. But we're close now!
If you have a paper trail please share it!
My (predicted) HAPLOGROUP R1b1b2 keeps being redefined, as more of us get into this. My blue eyes (and my father's) provide more data, as it is now believed blue eye color originated 6-10,000 years ago during the Neolithic periods in the region of the Black Sea (and are more recently associated with descendants in the Scandinavia/Baltic areas).
I don't expect a paper trail back to Adam, but I want to take it as far back as we can. I've tested the full 67 Y-DNA markers. I know there are more matches out there! Some one some where will match me (regardless of the surname), and you'll have a deeper paper trail ... and we'll reveal more with our DNA findings.