Derry Hays Line

Contents 1 Derry 2 Hays Creek		Old Chester Hays Tapestry Hays Registers Data Index YDNA. Hays
	……………………..The Tapestry Families Old Chester OldAugusta Germanna New River SWVP Cumberland Carolina Cradle The Smokies Old Kentucky

Derry

In 1737 Patrick Hays, Hugh Hays, and David Hays took out land warrants in Lancaster County. Based on survey records, these warrants were exercised in western Lancaster county, in what is now Derry Township, Dauphin County. David Hays apparently never had his property surveyed, but other nearby surveys refer to a parcel in the approximate location shown here as belonging to David Hays. It seems highly likely that all three of the original Hays settled adjacent to each other. Given that they obtained their warrants on the same day, and settled immediately adjacent to each other, it seems highly likely that they were kinsmen. How they might have been related to each other is unknown, though it is commonly speculated that they were brothers. [1]Three other Hays took out land warrants somewhat later than Patrick, Hugh and David. These included two warrants by William Hays, another warrant by Hugh Hays, and a final warrant by Robert Hays. Presumably These warrant holders are kinsmen of the original 1737 warrant holders, but what the nature of the relationship is unknown. It is conceivable that these later warrants were obtained by some of the same original settlers, or that they merely shared the same given names, and each warrant representing a different kinsman.

Hays Creek

Some of the same persons present in Old Chester (especially modern Dauphin County) are also found in Old Augusta 1740-1800. A principle example of this is Patrick Hays (1) of Old Augusta who immigrated to this country prior to 1740, along with other kinsmen. Available evidence suggests that kinsmen, perhaps including his father, settled in what is now Derry township in Dauphin County by 1737. Patrick (1) and kinsman John Hays (20) soon moved south to the developing Beverley Manor and Borden's Grant in Virginia, the center of Old Augusta. About 1760 Patrick (1) returned to Dauphin County. Patricks kinsmen in both Derry and Old Augusta used similar given names, and it is often difficult to distinguish which records apply to specific individuals. There are, for instance, at least three distinct "Patrick Hays" in Dauphin County who could be Patrick (1). Different genealogists have associated the same records with one Patrick Hays or another. Much of this confusion is driven by the existence of published genealogies composed in the 1800's, which depended on oral tradition. In many cases these oral traditions were in error, and did not effectively distinguish, or even recognize, the different persons bearing the same given name and surname.