Johann 'Michael' Hay (Hoeh)

GEDCOM Note

In the year 1453 King James II of Scotland knighted William Hay for heroic service in defense of the realm. His title was Earl of Errol and resided in the Carse of Gowrie, now Errol Park, north shore Firth of Tay. Beginning at this point, his lands were defined to extend "as far as the raven can fly without rest stop." These records preserved by lineal descendants. Francis Hay succeeded his father, Albert, in 1585 as the ninth Earl of Errol. The Presbyterian Church records list the Earl of Errol conveted to Protestanism (ca.) 1600. In 1602 the Earl of Errol was appointed High Commissioner of Scotland in negotiations for the union of England and Scotland. After 46 hecteic years as Earl, during which tides of fortune rose and fell over and over again, Francis Hay died in 1631 and is buried at Slain Church. He was wounded in action during an invasion by fanatical warrior bands from Europe. Slain Castle, his residence, was destroyed by invaders. His eldest son, William Hay, succeed him as the tenth Earl of Errol. Soon thereafter a jurisdictional dispute of long standing was settled, whereby the Earl of Errol was recognized as Lord High Constable of Scotland, ranking next to the King in authority.

Direct descendants of William Hay. Fled from Scotland to Alsace, a German territory, due to the grow of Protestanism in the 17th century. Five Hay brothers were born at Zwei Brucken on the Rhine and later came to America.

Immigrated to the US in approximately 1767.