Judith Arlene Scotts Genealogy Family History
 

  Judith Arlene (Mays) Scott   

Family Documents

Surname Variants are: MAY, MAYS , MAYSE, MEASE, etc

DOCUMENT INDEX LINKS

The Knights of Heraldry Letter

Coat of Arms, Historiography Document

Attestation Papers for Private Stanley Dawe, Coming Soon

Leonard G Mays Letter  -  Mays/May Genealogy  -  May Arms Germany  -  May Arms England  -  Dawe Arms Coming Soon

  Leonard G Mays Letter

Leonard G Mays Letter

*The following letter was included in the appendix of Ms. Era Mae Smelley's book, A HISTORY OF THE MAYS AND SWINK FAMILIES, written in July 1956, Morehead, Kentucky. The letter was written by Leonard G. Mays of Dallas, TX in August 1928 to his cousins, Charles Edward Mays of San Angelo, TX; Thomas L. Mays of Laneville, TX; and John Horace Mays, of Laneville, TX.

My Dear Kinsmen:

Cousin Ed, you were here in April 1926 attending the convention of the American Medical Association, I believe it was, and after you returned home, I wrote asking further about our family. You replied and also sent my letter to cousin Tom and he also wrote me.

Both your letters are full of information, being very interesting to both Brother Brook and me. It seems a shame that neither of you heard from me again on the subject, but I've had it in mind all along. Have been trying to learn something more for the purpose at hand.

From you information and that from other sources, it appears that the Mays family is of English origin. Just when our branch of it left the old country for America and settled in South Carolina is uncertain. Just what part it had in beating the Red Man back and establishing a white man's government, we have no record, but it is easy to believe that some members of our family had a part in that great plan. If so, then without doubt, they must later have followed Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox", in the successful efforts of the columnists in throwing the yoke of England, when that rule was no longer tolerable. In fact, the late Judge Milton Mays (of San Angelo, TX), in conversation with his family, remarked that Captain Fay, a relative, was an officer in the Revolutionary War. Some of them may have been in the Battle of Kings Mountain, which turned the tide of the conflict

Whatever their early activities may have been, we are told that they moved from South Carolina to Ireful Co. NC. It was there that great-grandfather Benjamin Mays married Rachel Gay and later moved his family to Tennessee. He stopped first in the middle of the state near the Cumberland Mountains. Later he went further west. Loading his household belongings and his family in his homemade wooden axle wagon, the wheels of which were held on to the spindles with "lynch pins", the spindles being lubricated with pine tar, probably brought over the old North State. With his equipment he pulled out through Cumberland Gap, for what was called the "Western District", but leaving his eldest son, James Gay (my grandfather), a young man in his early 20s, to finish the school he was teaching. When that was finished, it being a time and place where money was scarce if known at all, commercial transactions being largely a matter of barter, the young teacher was given a little negro boy as compensation for his services.

With this negro boy mounted behind him, he set out on horseback to join the folks that had gone ahead and later found them in the new home. It was probably somewhere between 1825 and 1830 when they reached and located in what is now Madison County, Tennessee. They settled near where Pinson Station was later established by the Mobile and Ohio RR, when the road was built through that part of the country. The land was poor, the timber mostly scrubby oak, with plenty of underbrush, which when cleared away, exposed thin soil. It was, however, a well-watered country, with hold springs and creeks. Bear Creek drains the country and empties into the Forked Deer River not many miles away. Wood and water the pioneers must have. Great-grandfather settled near one of those magnificent springs and built his cabin.

As stated above, he married Rachel Gay in the Old State and they had five sons, named in order of their ages: James Gay (my grandfather), Benjamin, Alfonso, Zene, and John Mandeville (your father). These boys took a liking to the daughters of Johnny Fulbright, a neighbor, who owned the mill on Bear Creek and ground the corn into meal for the neighborhood. This liking resulted in the marrying of the Mays boys into the Fulbright family-- and not just a little bit, either. I do not know just how many of the boys took Fulbright girls for wives, but as Zene was a bachelor, there could not have been more than four. There were no girls in the Mays family, so the Fulbright boys could not retaliate. Great-grandfather and wife, Rachel, lie in the old burying ground on the hill, near the old home.

My grandfather, James Gay Mays, was born in North Carolina in 1803. He married Ann Fulbright in Tennessee when he was probably between 30 and 35 years of age. They had three sons: Rufus Adolphus, Thaddeus, and Neal Wellington (my father). They had two daughters: Ann and Susan.

We were always under the impression that Uncle Benjamin went to Kentucky, but James Fay of Nocona, Texas says that he settled at about where Paris, Tennessee is now located and that he had a son, also named Benjamin, who wrote several letters to my grandfather just before his death in 1878, but that since then nothing has been heard from any of them. They must have gone west, however, for Judge Milton Mays said that Congressman Benjamin Mays from Nebrasks, I believe was Uncle Ben's son.

Alfonso, the father of Hubert and Wyatt, lived an died near Pinson. Cousin Herbert married and they had several children. I recall Joh, Bob and Doss, Annie and Florence. Annie married George Simmons. They reared a large family and now live near Harlingen, Texas. Florence married Mr. Cunningham and they also live in the Valley probably in Harlingen. Cousin Wyatt married Miss Simmons, sister of George Simmons, I believe, and they had at least one daughter, Ava, now deceased. I have no other information as to other members of this family.

From your letters we learn that John Mandeville, your father, was born January 16, 1810, and married Sarah Fulbright in Tennessee. He moved to Texas about 1850 with 12 other families and settled in Rusk County where they raised a large family. He died June 20, 1887, aged 77 years and 5 months. His wife, Sarah Fulbright Mays, died in 1870. They had 12 children: six boys and six girls. Six were born in Tennessee and six in Texas. The names of the sons in order of age: Byrd, Milton, William W., Thomas L., John Horace, and Charles Edward. The names of the daughters: Emma, Elvira, Fannie, Martha, Elizabeth and Laura. All lived to be grown and all married except Martha. The three older sons are dead, as are also the three oldest daughters.

Referring again to my grandfather and his family, the station of Pinson grew to be a village, then a town. A post office was established. Grandfather moved to the town after the Civil War, was elected Justice of the Peace and later appointed Postmaster. He was holding the latter office when death came in September 1878. Rufus Adolphus (Uncle Dock), the eldest was born about 1839, he being 5 years older than my father. He married Nannie Davis. They had 3 sons: James Grayson, Bruce, and Robert Lee. They had only one daughter, Vesta, who died in early womanhood, unmarried. James Grayson and Bruce married in early life and have families. Uncle Dock's wife, Aunt Nan, having died, he married again, but they had no children. He lived the most of his life on his little farm near Pinson, where he died in 1914, age about 75 years.

I do not have the birth and death of Thaddeus, the second son. He married Miss Mattie Johnson and they had 8 children: Alice, Mollie, Kate, Charlie, Gracie, Ada Lou, Jim Nick, Lem and Eva. Uncle Thad died in middle life, the result of an accident. His widow is also dead. The children, or at least some of them, are living in Madison Co. TN. One of the boys lived, or at least that is my information, on my grandfather's old home place.

Neal Wellington, the youngest, my father, was born January 19 1844 and died in Dallas, August 1, 1922, age 78 years 6 months and 12 days. He was married February 15, 1866 to Mary Emily Bryant at home of her cousin, Mrs. Jane Nooner, near Pinson Tennessee, with whom she made her home. Mother died in Dallas on July 2, 1922 age 76 years and 3 months. They had seven children: Leonard Gay, Thomas Westbrook, Jennie Ann, Emily Bryant, Neal Wellington, Elizabeth Bowen, Fulbright Fry. Jennie Ann, Emily Bryant, Neal Wellington and Elizabeth died early in life, at ages 23 to 25 years.

Of my father�s sisters, Ann married James Swink and moved to Rusk County, Texas about 1854. Both she and her husband have long since passed on. They left a family in Rusk County. Susan married James Alford at Pinson and they had 4 children: Albert, Jennie, James and Robert. Albert died in early life. The others married and reared families. Jennie married a Mr. Wren. They now live in Saltillo, Mississippi. Their daughter married Lemuel Hall, a Baptist minister, and I understand, now lives in Oklahoma. James was through Dallas on a circle tour to the west coast and called to see us. Robert is chief train dispatcher for the Illinois Central RR at Fulton, Kentucky if our information is correct. James Alford and his wife, Aunt Susan, have long passed on to the great beyond.

Neither of my uncles left the neighborhood in which they were born, but father moved to Lauderdale County about 60 miles west in 1872. Lauderdale borders Mississippi River and in that county, on the bluffs of the river, was fought that famous Civil War, the Battle of Ft. Pillow, where the Confederates under General Forrest wiped out the fort. Father lived in that county until January 1900 when he came to Texas with the remnant of his family.

It is our understanding that after the death of Uncle Alfonso his sons, Hubert and Wyatt, lived in my grandfather's home. All the boys of this household, Rufus, Thad, Neal, Hubert, and Wyatt, went to the war and stayed with it to the end. All came home without any serious wounds, they were in some serious fighting. All came out as they went in-----honorable privates, except Dock, who was a captain of his infantry. Uncle Dock was taken prisoner and confined at Rock Island, Illinois for a while, from where he was exchanged before the end of the war. These men enlisted in the Sixth Tennessee Infantry which was afterwards consolidated with the 9th. I do not know exactly the war record of these five brave boys, but I heard my father mention some of the engagements he was in as follows: Perryville, Murphreesboro, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Lookout Mountain, Franklin, and Nashville. He was not at Shiloh, being at home on sick leave, but was in the battle of Corinth. He was in the Georgia Campaign, participating in the fighting in and around Atlanta. These are not in the order in which they occurred, but just as they came into my mind at this time.

My father and his brothers were men of highest character----earnest, sincere, and religious. all were Methodists, but Uncle Thad, who after marriage joined the Baptist Church with the wife.

I knew my Uncle Dock better than Uncle Thad, for the reason that my father bought land in Lauderdale Co. and moved to it. Uncle Dock also bought a track near us, and although he never moved to it, made frequent visits to look after it, and would stay at our house. We children would look forward to his visits, for he would usually write Father when to expect him. He always brought some little presents for us.

Father and Uncle Dock were Masons, but Uncle Dock took more interest and held some important offices. He often met with the Grand Lodge at Nashville. He also represented his county with credit in the State Legislature for awhile.

Grandmother Ann (Fulbright Mays) having died in early life, Grandfather married Serena Weaver, to whom 4 children were born: Louena, James Gay, Waunie, and Hugh Hines, all whom are living. Louena is at , Texas; James Gay near Nocona, Montague Co., TX; Waunie at Duncan, OK; Hugh near Harlington, Texas. Waunie married J.M. Armstrong of Oklahoma, after coming to Texas. Both have children. The husbands are both dead. The boys married in Montague County and have children.

I trust that you have had patience with my long letter. Knowing little of composition, arrangement, punctuation, or other rules of writing, it is therefore subject to criticism. However, a desire to put in writing with the best of my knowledge the information from you and others is my apology for the effort, incomplete, limited, and badly presented though it may be.

If there are any misrepresentations, they are from lack of information and I would be glad of correction. I would be pleased to have any other and further information with regards to our family history (leave out all bad reports) from you and others interested.

Hoping the letter may at least hold some interest for you and yours with kindest regards for all, in which Brother Brook joins. I beg to remain, as ever,

Yours most sincerely,

Leonard G. Mays

Source: http://members.tripod.com/~lagosnell/

  MAYS/MAY GENEALOGY

Compiled by Glenn Gohr, e-mail: [email protected]

I first became aware of my Mays lineage in 1980 after a distant cousin, Charlotte Bond, of Danielsville, GA sent me a book called Notes on Charles Bond, Sr. And His Descendants From 1733 by Catherine Sams Bond Gheesling, 1975. This book contains a wealth of information and source documentation on the BOND family which came from Goochland County, VA and settled in Elbert, Franklin, Madison, and other counties in Georgia.

I have been unable to ascertain the parentage of Susannah Mays, although there were several Mays families living in Goochland an Amherst County, VA in the 1700s which undoubtedly are related to her in some way. My latest theory is that possibly Susannah was a young widow who had married a Mays and then married Richard Bond as her second husband, since I cannot locate a Susannah Mays of the right age in any of the Mays families in the Amherst Co., VA area.

There was also a family by the surname of MAY which was living in Madison County, Georgia in the late 1800s. Charlotte Bond has also sent me information on the MAY family of Georgia. Possibly the names are interchangeable??

I have also seen this surname spelled as MAYSE, MEASE, etc.

Here is my MAYS lineage as far as can be proven:

  1. Susannah MAYS, b. ca. 1763 Amherst Co., VA, d. 6 Nov. 1843 Cobb Co., GA; md. 15 May 1783 Amherst Co., VA to Richard Cox BOND, Sr., b. ca. 1760 Amherst Co., VA, d. 31 Jan. 1837 Franklin Co., GA
  2. Nelly BOND, b. 27 Mar. 1798, d. ca. 1847 Lafayette Co., MS; md. 20 Dec. 1821 Franklin Co., GA to John SARTAIN, Sr., b. ca. 1800 Madison Co., GA, d. Aug. 1869 Yalobusha Co., MS
  3. Russell SARTAIN (brother of Elizabeth Ann Sartain below), b. 24 Aug. 1828 Madison Co., GA, d. 24 April 1909 Jack Co., TX; md. 3rd ca. 1869 Danielsville, GA to Martha Auntny BEARD, b. 23 Oct. 1833 Madison Co., GA, d. 23 Mar. 1913 Jack Co., TX;

    Elizabeth Ann SARTAIN (sister of Russell Sartain above), b. 30 July 1837 Madison Co., GA, d. 29 Oct. 1921 Katie, OK; md. 16 May 1851 Lafayette Co., MS to Henry Washington GARVIN, b. 28 June 1833 Madison Co., GA, d. 21 Feb. 1909 GARVIN Co., OK
  4. Maizie Elmira Catherine SARTAIN (daughter of Russell SARTAIN and Martha BEARD above), b. 7 Dec. 1871 Water Valley, Yalobusha Co., MS, d. 15 March 1954 Morton, Bailey Co., TX (Buried at Morton Cemetery); md. 12 Dec. 1888 Jack Co., TX to McCager Martin GARVIN (son of Elizabeth Ann SARTAIN and Henry Washington GARVIN above), b. 19 Oct. 1856 Newton Co., MS, d. 17 Dec. 1920 Frederick, Tillman Co., OK (Buried at Hackberry Cemetery) (first cousins on the Sartain side)
  5. Orpha Antonia Hazel GARVIN, b. 11 November 1895 Jack Co., TX, d. 21 Dec. 1979 Cortez, Montezuma Co., CO; md. 12 Dec. 1915 Parker Co., TX to William Earl HARRIS, b. 8 Aug. 1895 McNairy Co., TN, d. 5 Jan. 1967 Cortez, Montezuma Co., CO (Both buried at Dove Creek Cemetery, Dove Creek, CO)
  6. Hazel Irene HARRIS, LIVING; md. Lawrence Robert GOHR, LIVING
  7. Glenn Walter GOHR, LIVING; md. Marion Sue BROWN, LIVING

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  MAY FAMILY COAT OF ARMS (GERMANY)

This coat of arms is from the excellent on-line source at Amateur Heraldry compiled by the late Don Smith. The May coat of arms is referenced there from his collection of German wappen .. and is distinguished from the May family shield of the British May family; or the Mays of the Lowlands.
Though historically inter-related from the crusades or prior .. the May family of mittel-Europe or Germany into Italy is a separate family descent. Ths German family ancestry which is ancestal of the Connolly & McCormack family emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts from Baden Germany about 1835-43.
For the "Armourial" the webmaster has cropped the mantle, plumes, knights helmet,and added the name "MAY" to simply join the form of the other exhibited crests. Horizontal bars characterize the British (including Irish Mays) crest; a similar pattern of the lowlands. The mittel European which includes Baden-Wurttemberg area Mays - "Frankish" to Carpathia and into northern Italy includes the vertical gold and purple bars and the paired rampant griffins. 

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  MAY FAMILY COAT OF ARMS ENGLAND

 The Coat of Arms used by the MAY family is described in heraldic terms as:

Gules, a fesse between eight billets or.
with a crest,

Out of ducal coronet or, a leopard's head proper.
and the motto,
Fortis et Fidelis
"
Strong and Faithful"

These arms appear to have first been used by Thomas MAY of Faunt in Sussex during the time of King Edward IV (in the late 15th century). The well-known MAY family of Sussex and Kent, therefore, have the right to bear these arms; as do their male line descendants, the MAYs of North-East Hampshire & Mid-Berkshire amongst them. Later variants on these arms have also been granted to other, apparently unrelated, families bearing the name of MAY. The arms have been displayed by the Hampshire & Berkshire MAYs in a number of places over the centuries:


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  Coming Soon

Dawe Coat of Arms

 

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Source: David Nash Ford

 

The Knights of Heraldry Letter

Family Name: Dawe

 

Dear Mrs. Dawe,

Your name, Dawe, is more than just a computer card or a social security number. It is your heritage. It is the vital link with your family, past, present, and future. It gives you dignity, and identifies you in the vast community of mankind.

The family name Dawe, is represented by a unique and beautiful Coat of Arms, created many hundreds of years ago, when knights wore armor, and required identification on the field of battle.

The ancient name Dawe, or Dawes, is one of the oldest English family names. One of the first records of the name was found in the county of Yorkshire about the year 1280, and later found to the south in Somerset and Devon, and by the end of the 13th century in Oxfordshire and Buckingham. They were later found in Suffolk, Leicestershire, and London. The name flourished in the middle ages, and they were amongst the first settlers in the New World. The Family name Coat of Arms for the name is silver, on a blue diagonal stripe three swans, all between six battle axes. The Crest is a battle axe and on the point a dragon. The family motto is "Fear Not". Authority for the Arms is Burke's General Armory.

We are proud to offer you the Coat of Arms for the family name Dawe. It is raised from a background of finely grained wood, topped by plush velvet, dramatically colored, following the original heraldic description. Swords are of highly polished Toledo Steel, and rest in Scabbards, nesting through the entire shield.

Your Coat of Arms is a once in a lifetime investment. It will be cherished by you and following generations.

Yours very sincerely,

 Brian Richardson

The Knights of Heraldry

P.O. Box 904

1029 Speers Road

Oakville, Ontario

L6L 2X5

416- 844- 5962

Established 1971 Knights of Heraldry. Member Oakville Chamber of Commerce

For Further Information:

 Contact Judith Scott

[email protected] or [email protected]  

This Coat of Arms Plaque that is described in the above letter was proudly displayed on the walls of Margaret Irene Dawe (Mays-Raynor), my mother's apartment for many years as a testimony of her pride for her Dawe family heritage.

Coat of Arms

Historiography

The Dawe Coat of Arms was drawn by an heraldic artist from information officially recorded in ancient heraldic archives. Documentation for the Dawe Coat of Arms design can be found in Burke's General Armory. Heraldic artists of old developed their own unique language to describe an individual Coat of Arms. In their language, the Arms (shield) is as follows:

"Ar. on a pile gu. a chev.betw. three crosses crosslet of the first."

When translated the Arms description is:

"Silver; on a red triangle a chevron between three silver cross crosslets."

Above the shield and helmet is the Crest which is described as:

"A lion's gamb erased and erect ar. holding a fleur-de-lis or."

A translation of the Crest description is:

"A silver lion's leg jagged and erect holding a gold fleur-de-lis."

Family mottos are believed to have originated as battle cries in medieval times.

A Motto was not recorded with the Dawe Coat of Arms.

Individual surnames originated for the purpose of more specific identification. The four primary sources for second names were: occupation, location, father's name and personal characteristics. The surname Dawe appears to be patronymical in origin, and is believed to be associated with the Welsh, meaning, "Descendent" of Daw, a pet form of David.

Different spellings of the same original surname are a common occurrence. Dictionaries of surnames indicate probable spelling variations. The most prominent variations of Dawe are Dawes, Daw and Daws.

Census records available disclose the fact there are approximately 400 heads of households in the United States with the old and distinguished Dawe name. The United States Cencus Bureau estimates there are approximately 3.2 persons per household in America today which yields an approximate total of 1280 people in the United States carrying the Dawe name. Although the figure seems relatively low, it does not signify the many important contributions that individuals bearing the Dawe name have made to history.

Note: No genealogical representation is intended or implied by this report and it does not represent individual lineage or your family tree.

Your Name and Your Coat of Arms......... Priceless Gifts from History

Until about 1100 A.D. most people in Europe had only one name ( This is still true in some primitive countries today). As the population increased it became awkward to live in a village wherein perhaps 1/3 of the males were named William, and so forth.

And so, to distinguish one John from another a second name was needed. There were four primary sources for these second names. They were: a man's occupation, his location, his father's name or some peculiar characteristic of his. Here are some examples.

Occupation: The local house builder, food preparer, grain grinder and suit maker would be named respectively: John Carpenter, John Cook, John Miller, and John Taylor.

Location:  The John who lived over the hill became known as John Overhill, the one who dwelled near a stream might be dubbed John Brook or perhaps John Atbrook.

Patronymical:  (father's name): Many of these surnames can be recognized by the termination----son, such as Williamson, Jackson, etc. Some endings used by other countries to indicate "son" are: Armenian's---ian, Dane's and Norwegian's---sen, Finn's---nen, Greek's---pulos, Spaniard's---ez, and Pole's---wiecz. Prefixes denoting "son" are the Welsh---Ap, the Scot's and Irish---Mac, and the Norman's---Fitz. The Irish O' incidentally denotes grandfather.

Characteristic:  An unusually small person might be labeled Small, Short, Little or Lytle. A large man might be named Longfellow, Large, Lang, or Long. Many persons having characteristics of a certain animal would be given the animal's name. Examples: a sly person might be named Fox; a good swimmer, Fish; a quiet man, Dove; etc.

In addition to needing an extra name for identification, one occupational group found it necessary to go one step further. The fighting man:  The fighting man of the Middle Ages wore a metal suit of armor for protection. Since this suit of armor included a helmet that completely covered the head, a knight in full battle dress was unrecognizable. To prevent friend from attacking friend during the heat of battle, it became necessary for each knight to somehow identify himself. Many knights accomplished this by painting colorful patterns on their battle shields. These patterns were worn also woven into cloth surcoats which were worn over a suit of armor. Thus was born the term, "Coat of Arms."

As this practice grew more popular, it became more and more likely that two knights unknown to each other might be using the same insignia. To prevent this, records were kept that granted the right to a particular pattern to a particular knight. His family also shared his right to display these arms. In some instances, these records have been preserved and/or compiled into book form. The records list the family name and an exact description of the "Coat of Arms" granted to that family.

Signed:

 Shirley I. McDonald

Coat of Arms

Historiography

Seal: Sovereign

563 Boundary Road

Cornwall, Ontario.

For Further Information:

Contact Judith Scott

 

World War 1 Attestation Papers for Private Stanley Dawe

Coming Soon

[email protected] or [email protected]