James Kay, Sr.

Born in Belfast, Ireland on 1765 to Robert Kay and Priscilla Elizabeth Strother. James married Grace Elgin and had 9 children. James married Catherine Ball and had 9 children. He passed away on 1818 in Abbeville, South Carolina, USA.

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The eldest son of Robert Kay, Sr., was born between 1755 and 1765, probably in Prince William County, Virginia. No single document identifies James Kay as Robert Kay's oldest son, but a large amount of circumstantial evidence points to that fact. Milton Alden Kay, Sr. (1859-1945) collected and preserved family data. On 2 January 1940, he had notarized a typescript which he had made on the Kay family, taken from "Bibles, scrapbooks, and diaries." His record named five children of Robert and Priscilla Kay; namely, William, James, Robert Jr., Grace and Charles. He also named Grace Elgin as James' wife, and listed their children. Robert Kay, Sr., stated in his will, dated 1804, that he had two daughters and five sons. He mentioned the two daughters and four of the sons by name as he parcelled out various tracts of land. The son not mentioned by name was James, who acted as administrator of the estate. It is thought that since James was already a large landowner, there was no need for his father to bequest him additional acreage. After the estate sale of Robert Kay, Sr., the pantry items were divided and "sold" to James Kay, Robert Kay Jr., Grace (Kay) Trussell, Charles Kay, William Kay, and John Kay. This is further evidence to include James Kay among the children of Robert Kay, Sr. The identity of James Kay's mother is uncertain. If the marriage of Robert Kay to Elizabeth Strother (daughter of Robert Strother and Elizabeth Berry) on 13 Dec 1762, in King George County, Virginia, is accepted as that of James Kay's parents, then James Kay must have been born about 1763. The fact that several of James Kay's descendants were named "Strother" and "Berry" would indicate a connection to that King George County marriage. On the other hand, by comparing the South Carolina census records of James Kay for the years 1800, 1810, and 1820, one can calculate his date of birth as falling between the years 1755 and 1765. If Elizabeth Strother is his mother and if he were born in 1763, James would have been aged 17 when he married Grace Elgin in 1781. While it is certainly possible that James married at this young age, it was more typical for men in Virginia at that time to wait until they were at least age 21 to marry. The earliest known documentation of James Kay is his marriage to Grace Elgin on 1 Jan 1781, in Montgomery County, Maryland. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. Joseph Threlkeld. (Maryland Records, Colonial, Revolutionary, County and Church from Original Sources by Gaius Marcus Brumbaugh, Washington DC, Lancaster Press, Lancaster, PA, 1928. Page 519 is a list of marriages by Rev. Joseph Threlkeld in Montgomery County between 2 Oct 1777 and 13 Nov 1781. One entry shows "Key, James and Grace Elean, Jan 1 1781.") James and Grace lived in Prince William County, Virginia in the early years of their marriage. In the Milton Alden Kay, Sr. records, Grace Elgin was named as James Kay's wife and named among their children were Rev. William Kay and Rev. James Kay. In Garrett's History of the Saluda Association, published in 1896, sketches of the two ministers were given. Naming James Kay and Grace Elgin as their parents, Garrett said that Rev. William Kay was born in Prince William County, Virginia (in 1781) and that Rev. James Kay was born in South Carolina at Ghentsville(in 1787).In the 1850 U.S. Census, which was the first census that asked for each individual's place of birth, Rev. James Kay said that he too was born in Virginia. In 1787, James Kay and his father, Robert Kay, Sr., were recorded in the Frederick County, Virginia, tax or tithable list. On 22 Sep of that same year, James Kay leased 100 acres of land from the Proprietors of the Northern Neck of Virginia. The term of the lease was for "...the full term of the natural lives of the said James Key, Grace Key his wife, and William Key his son". (Frederick County Deed Book 21, pp 739). This land was located in Frederick County, Virginia, on the western slope of Mt. Weather. Later this land fell into Clarke County. (His father, Robert Kay, Sr., leased 19 acres in 1792 on top of Mt. Weather on or near the county line between the current Clarke and Loudoun counties.) James is thought to have been the first of his family to come to South Carolina. It has been suggested that when James Kay first came to South Carolina he acquired land in old Ninety Six District, right on the Indian Boundary Line that currently separates Anderson and Abbeville Counties. In the first census of the United States taken in 1790, the only Kay is one Thomas Kay (Key?) in Newberry District. Neither James nor his father Robert, nor any other Kays were recorded in the upstate. If James Kay had come to South Carolina prior to 1790, his absence from that census could be explained if; in fact, he returned to Virginia to persuade the rest of his family to migrate to Carolina. Charles Kay, a son of James Kay and Grace Elgin, said in both the 1850 and 1860 censuses that he was born in Virginia in 1790. That being the case, one would expect James Kay and his father Robert to be enumerated in the 1790 Virginia Census. Unfortunately, Virginia's 1790 census records were destroyed during the War of 1812. The first real evidence of James Kay's presence in South Carolina appears in the State Grant Book (Volume 29, page 311). Recorded therein is a grant of "One Hundred and two acres surveyed for him the 27th December 1791, Situate in the District of Ninety Six in Abbeville County on Broad Mouth Creek, Bounded Northwardly and Westwardly on Land belonging to said James Key [sic] and all other sides by old Surveys." Signed by Charles Pinckney, Esquire, Governor of South Carolina on 2 January 1792. The description of the above tract would locate it near old Ghentsville, some two miles from the present town of Honea Path, S.C., on the Ware Shoals road. The fact that this grant was adjacent to property which already belonged to him gives further credence that James Kay was in the area prior to 1791. It is believed that James eventually owned several hundred acres on Broadmouth Creek, where he operated a stagecoach stop and blacksmith shop on the old Charleston Road (see Mills Atlas of 1820). In 1794, his father acquired a 630 acre tract only one mile away, but across the line in Pendleton District. When Abbeville County records burned in 1872, any land or estate papers pertaining to James Kay were presumably lost. The records of his father, having been across the line in Pendleton District, have survived with the Anderson County records. On 20 Nov 1872, the building housing the records of the Abbeville County Clerk of Court and the Sheriff were destroyed by fire. An interesting timeline of James Kay's life can be compiled from multiple sources including census records, marriage records, land records, and family tradition. 1781 - On 1 Jan 1781, James Kay and Grace Elgin were married in Montgomery County, Maryland. (Maryland Records Colonial Revolutionary County and Church from Original Sources by Gaius Marcus Brumbaugh). 1781 - Oldest child, Rev. William Kay, born 25 Nov 1781. According to Garrett's History, he was born in Prince William Co., Virginia. 1787 - Rev. James Kay, son, born 30 June 1787, stated in the 1850 census that he was born in Virginia. Garrett's History gave his place of birth as Ghentsville, SC. In 1880 James Berry Kay said his father, Rev. James Kay, was born in Virginia; but Mary (Kay) Pratt, daughter of Rev. James Kay, said in the 1880 census that her father was born in South Carolina. Two other children of Rev. James Kay were living in Smith County, Texas in 1880. Reason Wesley Kay and Jane (Kay) Clinkscales said that Rev. James was born in South Carolina. These contradictory statements might be explained by his having been born in Virginia then moving to South Carolina at a very early age. 1787 - On 22 Sep 1787, James Kay leased 100 acres near Mt. Weather in Frederick County, Virginia. (Frederick County Deed Book 21, pp 739). 1789 - Robert Kay, son, was born on 19 Mar 1789. In the 1880 census, Robert's daughter, Catherine, designated his place of birth as South Carolina. 1790 - Charles Kay, son, born 19 Dec 1790, gave his place of birth as Virginia in both the 1850 and 1860 censuses. However, in 1880 two of Charles' sons, Silas and Mark, had South Carolina listed as their father's place of birth. 1791 - On 27 December 1791, 102 acres on Broadmouth Creek, Abbeville Co., Ninety Six District, surveyed for James Key [sic]. The grant, signed on 2 Jan 1792, stated the tract was "...adjacent to land already owned by said James Key." 1793 - Gabriel Kay, son, was born 18 January 1793. He died in March of 1850, only a few months before the 1850 census. In 1880, both his son, Francis Marion Kay, and daughter, Eliza Jane Foote, said their father was born in South Carolina. 1794 - James Kay was granted another tract of land. "Two hundred and fifty eight acres surveyed for him the 10th of February 1794. Situate in the District of Ninety Six in Abbeville County on waters of Hogskin Creek and Corner Creek of Savannah River, Bounded SNW and SW by land laid out to Stephen Northcut, NW by Nimrod Smith, SE and NE by Henry Purdy, SE by Ann Elgin, the other sides unknown" Granted by his Excellency, William Moultrie, Esquire, Governor of S.C., dated 1 Sept. 1794. (SC Land Grants, Vol.36, p403). This tract of land was some five miles away from his Broadmouth home, and was apparently occupied in later years by some of his children. His son, Rev. James Kay, and his daughter, Catherine, and her husband Dr. James Latimer, appear to have lived on this tract at various times. This tract lay on branches of Hogskin and Corner Creeks, both branches of Little River, near where Rev. James Kay preached and is buried. An early crossing of Hogskin Creek was called Latimer's Ford and Dr. James Latimer and Catherine (Kay) Latimer are buried there on what is presently called the Elmer Branyon farm. 1795 - James Kay, along with Robert Elgin and Nicholas Long, inventoried the estate of John Nash on 8 July 1795 (Abbeville, Box 70, Pack 1720). 1800 - James Kay enumerated in census of Abbeville District. His neighbors were Robert Elgin, John Mattison, James Latimer (his son-in-law), Alexander Elgin, Benjamin Mattison, Benjamin Northcut. 1808- James Kay named administrator of estate of Robert Kay, Sr. 1810 - James Key [sic] was enumerated in the census in Abbeville District, S.C. His neighbors were Barney Lee, James Latimer (his son-in-law), Rubin Nash, Benjamin Northcut, Benjamin Mattison. 1818 - James Kay, as administrator of his father's estate, is associated with various documents during the years 1808-1818. 1820 - James Kay's last appearance in any official record is the 1820 US Census of Abbeville District, SC. He appears to have remained at his Broadmouth home, at this enumeration, since many of his old neighbors were enumerated in close proximity; namely, Benjamin Northcut, Reuben Nash and John Mattison. James and Grace are both listed as being over age 45. 1830 - James Kay and Grace Elgin do not appear in the 1830 census of Anderson or Abbeville. It is said that "late in life" James Kay sold his holdings on Broadmouth Creek to Jesse Ghent and went to live with his sons "on Little River." No record of a will or an administration of his estate has been found at either Abbeville or Anderson. Early records at Abbeville are missing. Perhaps his estate papers were burned in the fire of 1872. The fact remains that the date and place of their deaths are unknown. If James and Grace died after 1820, perhaps they rest among those fifty buried on the Broadmouth plantation of his father, Robert Kay, Sr. The Milton Alden Kay, Sr. records and Garrett's references to sons Rev. William Kay and Rev. James Kay are the primary sources for identification of the children of James Kay and Grace Elgin. In addition, by eliminating the children of the other four sons of Robert Kay, Sr., from the early census records of Anderson and Abbeville Counties, the list of Kays credited to this couple compares favorably with the Milton Alden Kay, Sr. records. Although over one hundred and seventy years have passed since James Kay and Grace Elgin were last documented, tradition has persisted that James Kay was a blacksmith and ran a stagecoach stop on the Charleston Road. By comparing the Mills Atlas of 1820 to modem maps, one can see that there was only one road in the area at that time. As the road approached the Broadmouth area from Charleston, it passed by James Kay's property, then down the hill, crossing Broadmouth Creek, continuing up the hill past the Robert Kay, Sr. tract. This ancient road follows the same general roadbed as the present day Highway 81. At one point east of the creek, the modern road deviates from the old roadbed. On the present property of Mr. J. T. Snipes the old sunken roadbed can be seen as it courses through the woods, its banks built up with stones in the style of colonial times. James Kay's two hundred-year-old home still stands. Although remodeled, the house still includes the original foundation and beams. James Kay evidently sold this land, home, and stagecoach stop to Jesse Ghent (or Gent) sometime after 1820. On 27 June 1838 Mr. Ghent sold ten acres for a site to build Broadmouth Church. Also during that time a post office was established, to be thereafter known as Ghentsville. In 1849, Jesse Ghent sold the property to Stephen Latimer, a grandson of James Kay, and moved to Alabama. In 1917, Mr. Luda Franklin Kay, a great great nephew of James Kay, bought the home from the Latimer family. In the 12 April 1952 edition of The Anderson Independent a feature article on Ghentsville was presented. In it, Mr. Luda Kay outlined much of the word-of-mouth tradition, which has been passed down through several generations of the Kay family, with regard to the early Kays. Although some of the story deviated from documented evidence, the account was nonetheless fascinating and informative. One cannot close the chapter on James Kay without considering his neighbor and kinsman, Robert Elgin. This colorful character was closely associated with the Kays and was perhaps a trained attorney, as he evidently prepared several documents for Robert Kay, Sr., and assisted James in the settlement of his father's estate. In a book titled The Family of George Elgin of Charles County Maryland by James 0. Elgin (1972), Robert Elgin is discussed at length. From "The Descendants of Robert Kay"

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