The Fay Family: James W. Fay
THE FAY FAMILY PAGE

GENEALOGIES
   
   
JAMES W. FAY
   
SON OF
   
   
Brigham Fay (7/5/1796 - 8/6/1846)
son of Ephraim Brigham and Elizabeth Fay
   
Johanna Reed (10/8/1802 - 2/28/1894)
daughter of Jesse and Johanna Carpenter Reed
   
   
Fay Lines in Aurelius and Auburn
Three Fay Lines: Overview
Brigham Fay
James W. Fay
Edwin Reed Fay
Fred Hollister Fay
Harold Van Vechten Fay
Fay Burials in Fort Hill Cemetery
Auburn Cousins: Ward, Reed, Van Vechten
   
James, the older son, is living in Auburn by 1850, and is a merchant, boarding with the Shub(a)el Cottle family, which includes a daughter named Elizabeth, age 21. Shubael's line has been traced back to the very early 18th or late 17th century. At the time of the census, James is still single, but married Elizabeth soon after.
   
   
By 1860, James has married Elizabeth and they and their two children (William and George) are living in Ottawa, Lasalle, IL. With them is Frederick W. Cottle, 25. James is a Land Agent. James and Elizabeth's marriage must have occurred very soon after the census, for their first child Adele M. Fay, was born July 1, 1851 and died April 12, 1852. These dates are recorded on her tombstone, next to her brother's dates. The family moved from New York to Illinois between the time of George's birth in New York in 1857 and the census year.
   
   
In 1870, James has become a life insurance agent. He lives with Elizabeth and his three sons, William, George R. and Walter S., in Chicago, IL. Fred Cottle is still with them. George R. died just three years later, in 1873, August 31, at the age of 16 (born March 6, 1857), and is buried next to Adele at Auburn.
   
   
The household in 1880 (Chicago, Cook, Illinois) shows James, Elizabeth, William and Walter.
   
 James W. FAY   Self   M   Male   W   56   NY   Com. Merchant   NY   NY 
 Elizabeth FAY   Wife   M   Female   W   51   MA   House Keeper   MA   MA
 William C. FAY   Son   S   Male   W   26   NY   Clerk   NY   MA 
 Walter S. FAY   Son   S   Male   W   19   IL   Clerk In Store   NY   MA
 Ella ALDSON   Other   S   Female   W   23   NORWAY   Servant   NORWAY   NORWAY 

By 1900, Elizabeth is gone, and James is living with William and Walter in a boarding house in Chicago. In 1910, James (now 87) is still there, and William (age 56) is with him. Walter (who would be 49) is not there.
   


   
   
No census record has been found for any of the three men for the years after 1910.
It is not completely clear where James W. Fay and his two sons are buried. The 1910 census shows them still in Illinois where James had lived most of his life. On the other hand, James had purchased a cemetery lot in the Fort Hill Cemetery with Shubal Cottle. According to E. Husten, secretary of Fort Hill, to whose kindness I owe much of my information, "The lot contains 15 graves .... Some of the graves were never used or else didn't have stones and so we are not sure about burials. The Fay's have a large pinacle shaped stone made of pink granite which I believe is recent, compared to the other stones on the lot."
Known burials:
In grave #1 is Joanna Fay, born Oct. 8, 1802 and died Feb. 28, 1894 at the age of 91.
In grave #2 Brigham Fay, born July 5, 1796 and died Aug. 6, 1846 at the age of 50.
George R. Fay, born Mar. 6, 1857 and died Aug. 31, 1873 16 yrs
Adele M. Fay born July 1, 1851 died Apr. 12, 1852
Delia Wyer, daughter of Shubael and Rebecca Cottle, widow of Robert P. Wyer, 1826-1896
Rebecca Sager, wife of Shubael Cottle, 1798-1891,
Shubael Cottle,1792-1864,
Frederick M. Cottle, 1834-1888,
Sarah Cottle, 1836-1890
Shubael Cottle, 1839-1887
William H. Cottle, 1821-1851
Are the other four lots empty? Or were James and his wife and sons buried in these? James was obviously establishing a family plot here; as elder son, he buried his parents here; and two of his children are here. It is my guess that he and his are all here.