November 16, 2008 - Shay Connection

As I was working on my mother's ancesters - I noticed a Shay/Monroe connection with the Shays in Sweden, Potter County, PA. My grandfather was Curtis Wood, his father George W. Wood, his father Robert Henry Wood. Robert married a Altana (Altena) Bice. Altena was the do John A. Bice and Martha MONROE. Clarissa sister of Altena married a Charles WORDEN - their son Erastus married a Sophia Bailey. He died in 1865 in Civil War. Sophia then married a Michael Snyder so Daniel Snyder and Mary Ann Shay. Mary Ann is the daughter of Richard Shay and Elizabeth Roberts. I haven't traced each lineage out but from looking at the census records for Potter County - there are many many MONROES // SHAYS - so I really think that we may our connection. The Shays were originally in NJ but did move to Livingston/Ontario County in NY and then on to Potter County. The Monroes are in Potter as well as NY - some in Broome County others in Ontario County. It then would make sense to that Nancy came back to this area. She had "family" here.

I still have my tree listed as private but sent an invite as contributor to it.

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After reading everything you wrote I got to researching and think I might have brought us closer to our ancestor James Monroe Shay's family. I have done a lot of research early on with the Shays of Sweden Township and I could never find a connection to Richard Shay's family. All of Richard & Elizabeth's children and grandchildren are accounted for and I cannot find any possible fit to James Shay born. 1836. So I took the family back a generation to Richard's parents Peter Shay & Catherine Bunn. Once again there were no siblings of Richard that I could link James too. I will take a look at Richard's siblings and see if there are children or grandchildren that might have made it to Sweden to live with their cousins and uncle.

There is a Silas L. Shay born 1839 in New York who was living in Sweden, Potter County, PA in the 1880's. He did not live in Potter County before 1880. There are several online family trees that erroneously lists him as the son of Richard & Elizabeth. This is wrong. Richard and Elizabeth already had a son named Silas born in 1813. They would not have had another son by the same name especially when their son that was born in 1813 was still living. Also Elizabeth would have been 48 when giving birth in 1839 which is highly unlikely and the 1850 census does not have Silas living with them.

Richard Shay (1784-1861)
m. Elizabeth Roberts (1791-1871)

Children & Grandchildren

1) Phoebe Shay (1811 - ?)
m. William Carnes
c. Catherine R. Carnes (Born. 1832)
m. Silas Acker
c. Franklin Acker (Born: 1847)
c. Rosina Sidona Acker (Born: 1848)

2) Silas Shay (1813-1899)
m. Abigail Sly
c. Elizabeth Shay (Born: 1837)

3) Mary Ann Shay (1815-1883)
m. Daniel Sanders
c. Frances Sanders (Born: 1836)
c. Andrew J. Sanders (Born: 1838)
c. Michael Sanders (Born: 1840)
c. Jacob Sanders (Born: 1843)
c. Richard Sanders (Born: 1846)
c. Sophronia Ann Sanders (Born: 1849)
c. Benjamin Sanders (Born: 1852)
c. Jonah Sanders (Born: 1855)

4) Catherine Shay (1817-1879)
m. Michael Snyder
c. George W. Snyder (Born: 1836)
c. Mary A. Snyder (Born: 1839)
c. William Snyder (Born: 1840)
c. Hannah E. Snyder (Born: 1845)
c. Ole Mor Snyder (Born: 1852)

5) Elizabeth Shay (1819-?)

6) Henrietta Shay (1820-?)
m. William Clark

7) Rebecca Shay (1823-?)
m. Chase
m. Anthony Haddock

8) Nancy Shay (1826-1887)
m. Harrison Coon
c. Delilah Coon (Born: 1847)
c. Harriet Elizabeth Coon (Born: 1849)
c. Rosina Lina Coon (Born: 1851)
c. Alexander Coon (Born: 1854)
c. Harrison Coon (Born: 1857)

9) Richard Higley Shay (1828-1898)
m. Hannah Glace
c. Michael Jonas Shay (Born: 1854)
c. Esther Elizabeth Shay (Born: 1857)

10) Daniel W. Shay (1831-?)
m. Sarah J. ?
c. Delmer G. Shay (Born: 1858)

11) Sarah Ann Shay (1833-1916)
m. Edward Morris Carpenter
c. Mary Adeline Carpenter (Born: 1854)
c. Rosalia Carpenter (Born: 1855)
c. James B. Carpenter (Born: 1856)
c. Arthur William Carpenter (Born: 1858)
c. Francis Carpenter (Born: 1860)
c. Katie Carpenter (Born: 1863)
c. Jola Carpenter (Born: 1866)
c. Josephine Carpenter (Born: 1868)
c. Silas J. Carpenter (Born: 1870)
c. George S. Carpenter (Born: 1872)

Silas L Shay (1839-1902) - might be a nephew to Richard Shay and grandson of Peter Shay.
m. Amanda ?
m. Delilia Chase Roberts
c. Bessie L. Shay (Born: 1886)

Silas L. Shay was born in New York in February 1839. He is listed as living with Ira & Mary Boughton in the 1860 census in Deerfield, Warren Co., PA. He has a wife named Amanda living with them.

I found a Silas Shay living with Nancy Vanepps and her children in the 1870 census in Alma, Allegany Co., NY. In the 1880 census for Alma, NY, Nancy Vanepps, lives next door to Silas but one of her sons is still living with Silas Shay listed as a nephew. That makes Nancy's maiden name Shay.

I went back and found an 1850 census for Deerfield, Warren Co., PA. Living in the household of Ira & Mary Boughton is Nancy Shay age 18, George Shay age 15 and William Shay age 13. Silas Shay is not listed in that household in 1850. Since Mary Boughton is age 19, I think she is a sister. That probably meant that the Shay children were orphaned and since they were all born in NY then relocated to PA that starts to correlate with what we know about James Shay's life. I think James and Silas could have been working on neighboring farms or possibly living with other relatives in 1850. It is very possible that James is a brother to this family.
Mary Shay Boughton - born in 1831Nancy Shay Vanepps - born in 1832George Shay - born in 1834/1835*James M. Shay ??? - born in 1836William Shay - born in 1837Silas L. Shay - born in 1839.

We know that Silas L. Shay first appeared in Sweden Township between 1880-1884. Nancy & Jane made their way from Missouri to Sweden Township between 1880-1884. I think it is very plausible that Silas was their uncle and he bought a farm and asked them to join him. He married in 1884 in Potter County to Delilah Chase Roberts.

If James was orphaned, he would probably have to go out on his own at a young age and probably lived and worked in Ohio for some years before heading to Missouri. One final possible fit, My great grandfather George use to talk about 3 relatives of his who fought in the Civil War. Only 2 are accounted for. His father William Heath fought and his grandfather James Shay fought. Silas L. Shay also fought in the Civil War and if he was a great uncle to George and lived close by then he could be the 3rd relative that my great grandfather use to talk about.
Perhaps Silas Shay was a friend of William Heath and this might be how William & Jane got together. Silas could have set his friend up with his niece. Let me know what you think.

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I don't have my notes here but I "think" I remember 2 Heaths living with some Monroes in the 1850 census for Bingham, Potter, PA. I also came across these 2 WW reg cards for James Monroe Shay - one in PA and the other in Buffalo, NY. Probably no connection but a tiny maybe... The Woods/Monroes/Wordens appear to have come from NJ to Sparta NY and/or Ossian NY then on Potter County. I really think the Monroe was most likely his mother's maiden name. I do know that the Monroes, Wordens and Woods married the into the Shay's. I did find it interesting though there were a couple of websites for the Bailey that married the E S Worden - some had her being the do Mary Ann Shay and Daniel Snyder - others had Mary Ann Shay and Daniel Sanders.