March 26, 2008 - Delilah Chase and her Sister Amanda

Delilah's sister Amanda was married to a Monroe - I truly find this fascinating because on my Mom's side there is a Martha Monroe that married a Bice - I think there may be a remote connection between my Mom's ancestors and my Dad's ancestors. ...
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Well there is the old saying...you go back far enough in Potter County and you'll discover that everyone is related.

I truely think that James Monroe Shay is the son of Peter Shay & Sophronia Sutton. The Suttons are either from NY, PA or CT depending on which census you look at for Peter & Sophronia's children. I also think that Peter Shay born in Nov 1800 in NJ is the son of Peter Shay & Catharine Bunn who moved from Morris County, NJ to Ossian, NY around 1809. The 1820 & 1830 census would hint at this. 1820 census for Peter Shay's house hold in Ossian, NY.2 males - 18 to 26 years old1 male - 27 to 45 years old1 male - 46 years old & up1 female - age 16 to 261 female - age 45 and up

List of Peter & Catherine's known children:1) Anna, b. 17822) Richard, b. 17843) John, b. 17884) Elizabeth, b. 1791 5) Lewis, b. 17946) Mary, b. 1797

By the 1820 census, Anna, Richard, Elizabeth would have been out of the household. Anna Shay might never have left New Jersey since her family would have moved when she was 26 years old. By then she was probably married with children of her own. Richard was married by 1820 with several young children, and Elizabeth was married to John Gelson.

Below are the most likely candidates of who was living in Peter Shay's household in 1820. John Shay (would have been bet. 27 to 45 years old in 1820)Lewis Shay (would have been bet. 18 to 26 years old in 1820)Mary Shay (would have been bet. 16 to 26 years old in 1820)
Now there is an extra male between the ages of 18 to 26. I think this is Peter Shay and I think he is the youngest child of Peter & Catharine. I also think he is the person that has the wife and young child living with Peter Shay in 1830 census. Also it would make sense that out of several sons Peter had, one of them would take his name.

Where the Monroe connection would come in I do not know? I am estimating that Sophronia Sutton would have been born bet. 1800-1810 according to the 1840 census of Young Peter Shay's household. She was most likely deceased by 1860 since Peter Shay is living by himself. Perhaps the Monroe connection comes in through her...perhaps her mother was a Monroe prior to 1800. I would not know where the Sutton Family would have originated since most of the counties in Western New York where first being found in the early 1800's. Before then, many of the settlers cames from MA, CT, VT, NYC area or NJ.

If James Shay is indeed Sophronia Sutton Shay's son, then he would be her 5th child. It could be a possibility that she chose to name her son after her mother's background. Monroe is a very common name. I see the name pop up in all the counties in the 1800's. With this little of info, its hard to gage what connection the name Monroe plays with James or which Monroes might be connected. James was born in 1836, and the earliest records of a Monroe connection may be the very early 1800's or 1700's.

I do love a good puzzle to solve.