Peter Bays, Sr

•ID: I28459 •Name: Peter BAYS Sr. •Surname: Bays •Given Name: Peter •Suffix: Sr. •_AKA: Peter I •Sex: M •Birth: ABT 1685 1 •Death: ABT Feb 1729/1730 in Saint James Parish,Goochland,Virginia,USA 2 •_UID: 187F91604E6C344BBB11087883F1C63C8334 •Note: The following Email exchange was provided by Anne Bays regarding Peter in response to my original note:

Original Note: I was wondering what your opinion of the following was: Re: BAYES: Origin of the name; Author: Becky Fox; Date: 14 Sep 2004 2:57 AM GMT; Surnames: Bayes, Bybee, Bays, Lyttle, Sneed; Classification: Query I have this information on Peter Bays/Bayes I, which leads me to believe at least this branch is French: Peter Bayes was probably a French Huguenot who came into Charleston, South Carolina in 1700 with two of his brothers James and William (another brother John is sometimes mentioned). Peter Bayes did live among and was closely associated with the Huguenots who settled Manakintown. His wife Sarah Bybee was the sister to proven Huguenot Thomas Bybee. David Yancy Lyttle, the son of Susanna Bays (married Harrington Lyttle) Peter II's daughter, referred to his mother as French. A publication of the Huguenot Society lists Peter Bayes (Beze) as a French Huguenot. Other publications of the Society list Bayes and Bays among the names of Huguenot immigrants to Charleston. The information about David Yancy Lyttle is from Dr. John J. Dickey's Diary <http://kentuckyexplorer.com/nonmembers/00-06106.html> and begins "I was born in Russell County, Virginia, at King's Flat, January 27, 1818. My father's name was Harrington Lyttle. My mother's maiden name was Susana Bays. She was the aunt of William and Hezekiah Bays of the Holiton Conference. They are Methodists, as was my mother. The name Lyttle is English. I do not know when the first ones came over. My father's mother's maiden name was Sneed. Bays is French."

Reply: We know for certain that Peter was a French Huguenot. We can find NOTHING to indicate the SC story to be correct. His name is listed in the SC Hug. Society as a Huguenot but not as entering there. The SC version of Peter and brothers changes with the telling. One version is written in a WVA Heritage book but the source is a story told by an old grandmother. We can find no evidence that it is anything but a story! I am keeping an open mind but still believe he came to Manakin the VA way. I don't know if we will ever know the truth. There seems to be NO record of him in Charleston NOR of his travels all the way north to VA which had to take some time and he was most likely a teen when I found him in Henrico in 1703. I believe that Edward Bays who lived on Peter's property was his brother and even though the SC story changes almost daily with different brother's names, Edward is not one of the names. Here are my notes and the publications to support my findings. I DO NOT KNOW THAT SARAH WAS A BYBEE!! I believe that she and Elizabeth BYBEE could have been sisters -- not sisters in laws. We may never know this either, but there is NOTHING other than the one book that says she is a Bybee and the Bybee researchers can find nothing to indicate it either! The Bybees lived on Peter's property in Henrico/Goochland for some reason and the Bybees definitely came to Henrico from New Kent County and were associated with the Bays family in New Kent 15 years before the Bays boys story of entering Charleston SC is said to have occurred.

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Peter Bays (1) of Henrico and Goochland Counties, Virginia, who died before Febuary 17, 1730 in Goochland County, was a French Protestant; otherwise known as a French Huguenot. Peter Bays (1) was the grandfather of Peter Bays (3), who married Susanna Unknown (Probably Barker -- as stated by both David Yancey Little, the son of Susanna Bays Little and Hezekiah Webb Bays, the son of James Jasper Bays) and died in Russell County, Virginia before November 24, 1801, and William Bays, who married Rachel Unknown and died in Scott County before September 6, 1827. The information about Peter Bays (1) being a French Huguenot was obtained from two sources. The first was "The Huguenot" Publication No. 29, 1979-1981, published by the Huguenot Society of the Founders of Manakin in the Colony of Virginia. On page 115 is a list of their Huguenot ancestors which includes the name "BAYES (BEZE), PETER. The second source was "Transactions of the Huguenot Society of South Carolina Index to Volumes 1-96, compiled by David Fischer Part 1:A-J," published by order of the Huguenot Society of South Carolina incorporated 6/21/1909 Charleston, South Carolina. Publication No. 5, page 48, Publication No. 68, page 43 and Publication No. 92, page 68, all include the Gaillard list of French names of the various immigrants. Publication No. 5 lists BAYES, and Publications No. 68 and No. 92 both list BAYS. I expect that his family escaped French persecution and entered England in the very early 1600s. According to the book "Persons Lineage" by George Fuller Walker, Peter was said to have been born in Cambridge, England. I feel it is equally possible that he was born in New Kent, VA as there are records of a William Bays living there with children of the same names as Peter's children, as early as the 1680s and later in 1700 Henrico county there are orphans of William Bays, still with the same names going into court to give up their guardians because they have "come of age." The article from The Huguenot Society shows that Joel Walker, who was a descendant of Peter and Sarah Unknown (possibly Bybee) Bays' daughter Jane, who married The Reverend William Walker, used his descendancy from Peter Bays to gain admission to the Huguenot Society. THE HUGUENOT SOCIETY OF THE FOUNDERS OF MANAKIN IN THE COLONY OF VIRGINIA MILITARY RECORDS 1973-1974 NAME ANCESTOR JOEL WALKER??????????????????????????PETER BAYS

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I would really welcome another objective researcher getting involved in this research! There are too many false stories floating around the Internet. I was happy to see that someone, other than me, has finally thought Peter to be French and written it on the Internet -- even though her research is somewhat suspect. Most folks tell me I am wrong and Peter is SCOTCH IRISH. Anne

•Change Date: 30 Sep 2009 at 22:32:28

Marriage 1 Sarah Children 1. Jane BAYS b: ABT 1720 in ,Henrico,Virginia,USA 2. Peter BAYS II b: 1723 in ,,Virginia,USA 3. William BAYS b: ABT 1728 in Saint James Parish,Goochland,Virginia,USA 4. Sarah BAYS b: BEF Oct 1729 5. Elizabeth BAYS b: BEF Oct 1729 6. Judith BAYS b: BEF Oct 1729 7. Mary BAYS b: BEF Oct 1729

Sources: 1.Title: Internet Website Note: Provides name Text: Peter BAYS (III) was the son of Peter BAYS II, b. in 1723, Henrico Co. VA (St. John?s Parish) and married Sarah (surname unk.; perhaps STONE), with Peter BAYS II being the s/o Peter BAYS I, b. c1685 either in England or New Kent Co. VA. His wife was Sarah, surname unk.

2.Title: Last Will and Testament Page: Peter Bayes, Sr. Note: Provides approximate death date/location Text: Peter's will of 31 October 1729 in Goochland, Deed and Will Book I, page 169 and also William and Mary Quarterly 2nd series 7 w (2) 43 declared - "In the name of God amen, the 31st day of October Anna Domi 1729, I Peter Bays of St. James Parish in Goochland County being sick in body but of good and perfect memory thaks be to almighty God and calling to remembrance the uncertain Estate of this Transitory Lige and that all flesh must yield unto Death when it shall please God to call do make and declare this my last will and Testament in manner and form following. Fist being penitent and sorry for all my Sins most humbly desiring forgiveness for the same I commend my Soul to Almighty God my Saviour and Redeemer in whom and by whose merits I trust and believe Assuredly to be saved and to have full remission and forgiveness of all my sins and to Inherit the Kingdom of Heaven and my body I commit to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executors herafter named and for the settling of my temporal Estate and such Goods chattels & debts as it hath pleased God to bestow upon me, I do order give and dispose the same in manner and form following, that it to say Imprimus: I give and bequeath my land and Plantation I now live upon to my eldest Son Peter Bayes and his heirs forever after his Mother's decease. Item: I give to my eldest son Peter two negroes anmed Bess and Jo to him and his heirs forever and if my son Peter Bayes should dye without a lawfull begotten heirs the said two Negores Bess and Jo, I give and bequeath unto my son William Bayes & his heirs forever. Item: I give unto my son Peter Bayes a feather bed and furniture. Item: I give unto my son William Bayes two hundred acres of land joyning upon Richard Oglesby's line and Thomas Christian Senr's line and when my son William Bayes comes to ye age of fourteen years to have the free possession of his land to his use to lay by to get him a bed. Item: I give unto my son William Bayes a Gun of thirty shillings price. Item: I give unto my Daughter Sarah Bayes a young negro girl named Nan & to her heirs forever. Item: I give unto my daughter Sarah Bayes my Bay mare and her two horse colts, both the Negro and the mare and her two horse colts to be paid unto my daughter Sarah when she comes of age or at the day of marriage which shall come first. Item: I give unto my daughter Elizabeth Bayes a Young horse and one thousand pounds of tobacco. Item: I give unto my daughter Jane Bayes two thousand pound of tobacco. Item: I give unto my daughter Judith Bayes two thousand pounds of tobacco. Item: I give unto my daughter Mary Bayes two Thousand pounds of tobacco all the rest and residue of my Ready monies goods and chattels and Negores and person real estate whatsoever, I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Sarah Bayes whom I hereby make full an sole Executriz ofthis my last will & testament revoking disanulling and making void all former Wills and bequests by me made and declaring this and only to be my last Will & Testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal. Signed & sealed in the presence of us Peter Bayes (SEAL); Eliz'th E. Bybe; her mark; Edwd. White; his mark; John Bybe" At a court held for Goochland County the 17th day of February 1729. This will was proved by the oaths of Elizabeth bybe & Edward Whbite and was thereupon admitted to record. Recorded in Will and Deed Book I, page 169 Teste Henry Wood Cl Cur Date: 31 Oct 1729

Birth: ABT 1690 in Possibly England or Virginia

Death: BEF 17 FEB 1729/30 in Goochland County, Virginia

From genealogy.com posting by Mark Baze March 10, 2008: Exciting genealogy news for the Bays/Baze/Baize lines who descend from or who are related to Peter Bays (I) (est. b.ca1685, VA) [i.e., those lines with Y-DNA haplogroup E3b1a2].For the first time, we can now say who the parents (and at least two siblings) are for Peter:

Peter's parents are an Edward "Base" [Bays] (Sr.) and an Anne Harris [the evidence for this is presented later below].Edward and Anne were married no later than 1687 and apparently had at least two children in addition to Peter, an Edward (Jr.) and a Jane.

Anne is the daughter of Peter Harris, Sr. (b.ca1617, England or VA) and his wife Mechall Unknown*, who in addition also had a daughter named Mechall and sons Peter (Jr.) and John.[*I've seen "Mechall" spelled various ways, including "Michall" and "Michell";these may possibly be attempts at phonetic equivalents for the name "Michelle," but I'm not certain.At least one researcher has assigned Mechall's maiden name as being "Watson," but I've not seen what the evidence is for this so it must remain an open question.]

It seems very likely and only makes sense, then, that our Peter was named after his maternal grandfather Peter Harris (or uncle of the same name).We can also now conclude that Peter Bays (I) was born in Virginia, since this is where his mother Anne was born.(Previously, his birthplace was uncertain and England had been speculated as an alternative possibility.)

Peter Harris, Sr., who appears in early records for both Charles City County, VA and neighboring Henrico County, is possibly the son of John Harris and Dorothy "Cawcott" (various spellings may be possible here).[This assignment is a best estimate by Harris researcher Kathryn Wiggins (see below) and may need further investigation.]John died before 1638 and first appears in Virginia in a 1623 census with his wife and two unnamed children at a location called "West and Shirley Hundred"* in Charles City County (if the assignment is correct, then one of the two children is presumably Peter Harris).[*This "hundred" (district) was located on the north side of the James River near the mouth of the Appomattox River and not overly far from the Henrico County boundary line to the west (as defined by Turkey Island Creek).]

At some point in the future (during the next few days or weeks as my health permits), as an addendum to this posting, I'll provide a more detailed chronology of original documentation and references, but briefly for now, I'll just say that we're able to make this new finding for Peter Bays (I)'s family because of a confluence of some older genealogy work done by Harris researcher Kathryn Wiggins (sadly now deceased, I believe) and newer genealogy work from our side, with some explanation as to the logic behind this new finding as follows:

Basically, it was initially discovered that three pieces of property owned/lived on by Peter Bays (I) and a Richard "Baze" [Bays] and an Edward Bays in Henrico Co., VA during the time period 1723-1725 were in fact all adjacent or very nearly adjacent tracts of land lying on the north side of the James River.Their proximity had apparently been overlooked by prior researchers who had not previously connected these three individuals together.

Further investigation of original documents from the Library of Virginia revealed two critically important early Henrico County (Varina) court cases from 1684 and 1685.The former case involved a Richard "Base" (Sr.) and his wife Jane Unknown and makes note of their having two children (unnamed).The latter case described the wife Jane ("Bays") as working with the above Peter Harris, Sr. (or his son Peter, Jr.) at his tobacco "house," thus showing that the Harris and Bays families were well acquainted with one another.[Peter Bays (I) was also in the tobacco business as well, as his 1729/30 Will ("Bayes") indicates.]

The Will of Peter Harris, Sr. dated 1687 and recorded 1689 (Henrico Co.), then reveals an actual intermarriage between these families when it names a daughter Anne "Base" as heiress.*[*Important note:There are at least two erroneous transcriptions of abstracts for this Will on the Internet that I've seen that give Anne's last name as "Basse" or "Bass" (both pronounced with a short "a" sound).Both are most definitely INCORRECT.A careful inspection of the ORIGINAL document (always a necessity! - abstracts are not reliable) clearly shows that the name is actually spelled "Base" with the "e" being formed in the Old English "epsilon" style.This is a critically important distinction to be made so that our lines are not confused with the Basse/Bass lines - with whom it is very unlikely we are related, in my opinion, especially given that the early Virginia lines for that family have been found to be Y-DNA haplogroup "A."I have seen other confusions with our lines made by Basse/Bass researchers as well.]

Now the work of Kathryn Wiggins enters in:In her genealogical notebook, published under the title "The Harris Papers" (in various forms and combinations of "volumes") she provides a chart in Vol. 20 (pub. 1971/1981, p.35b) which notes that Peter Harris, Sr.'s daughter Anne Harris married an "Edward Base" and that they had the following children:PETER, EDWARD and JANE (no dating given).

Clearly the child named Peter must be our Peter Bays (I).The Wiggins book gives no source for the assignment of the children, but this new information is extremely consistent with what we already know, and given that it’s coming independently from the Harris side, I have to believe it’s correct.It's clear that the Harris researcher didn't realize that this Edward "Base" was related to the Bays/Baze/Baize lines of Peter Bays (I), which in my opinion gives the names she gave for Edward's children even greater weight as to their validity from the standpoint of this information being a source of independent confirmation and correlation.It still needs to be verified by determining its source, though, to be absolutely 100% certain.I have a couple of ideas about where to find that source and am attempting to pursue this (and will post it when found), but in the meantime I'm confident enough (to at least the 95% level) based on the totality of other information that I've seen that we can now make this assessment as to who Peter's parents are.

Finally, some further clarification with respect to the three neighboring properties of an Edward, Richard and Peter Bays (I) found during the 1723-1725 time period and which in chain reaction fashion ultimately led to the present findings:

Property #1:Since we now know that there was both a father and a son named Edward "Bays," then this means that the Edward Bays whose property is referenced in a 1724 Henrico Co. deed to James Christian (and located next to a Tarlton Woodson) could be either Edward, Sr. OR Edward, Jr.[The same is true of a 1730 Goochland Co., VA (Henrico Co. until 1728) estate inventory found for an Edward "Baise/Baize" who died at about the same time Peter Bays (I) died.]We're simply not able to distinguish between the father and son at this point, in part because it's not clear when Edward, Sr. was born (an estimate would be by ca1665);and so far we only have a death record (i.e., the inventory) for one Edward "Bays."[I might mention that there was also an Edward "Base" who is listed as a "transportee" on a 1690 North Carolina land grant – from where he came we don’t know – and who died in 1696 in Albemarle Co. (presumably Chowan Precinct), NC leaving a Will (as Edward "Bayes") naming a wife Mary and children John, Elizabeth, Mary and Ann.He might conceivably be our Edward, Jr., or he may be entirely unrelated to our lines.]

Property #2:Additionally, the Richard "Baze" and an unnamed wife who appears in a 1725 Henrico Co. Will of Joseph Pleasants and who is named in that Will as living on land owned by Joseph (as a renter?), could potentially be either Richard Bays, Sr. (and possibly wife Jane) OR his son Richard, Jr.Again, we can't say for certain, also in part because it's not clear when Richard, Sr. was born (an estimate for his birth would be by ca1660).[We know that Richard, Sr. and Jane were married prior to 1684, by which time they had two children, one of whom may be Richard, Jr.]

[I should mention here that it also can't be said with perfect certainty what the relationship is between Edward Bays, Sr. and Richard Bays, Sr.It seems most likely that they are brothers (making Richard, Sr. an uncle to Peter (I)), but if the list of children given by Kathryn Wiggins for Edward, Sr. and Anne Harris is incomplete, then the seemingly unlikely possibility would at least have to be considered that Richard, Sr. might be a son of Edward, Sr. instead - again given that we don't know for certain when Edward, Sr. and Richard, Sr. were born.]

Property #3:The third, initially key piece of property is found in a 1725 Henrico Co. land grant to Peter "Baze" [i.e., Peter Bays (I)].Note:Peter's surname also appears as "Baze" on the only other land purchase of his I'm presently aware of (a 1716 Henrico Co. deed from a John Webb), and in addition appears as "Baize" on a 1709 document (believed to be the first known for Peter), but for consistency and out of respect for the work of earlier Bays researchers, including the late Anne Bays -whom I dearly wish could have known about this new finding - I defer to using the surname "Bays."

In conclusion, we're now able to take our E3b1a2 Bays/Baze/Baize lines back one additional generation here in America, with the earliest (written) documentation of the family at present being 1684 in Henrico Co., VA (I'll provide more detail about these and other documents later).Whether our family was in America as early as the Harris side, who were in Virginia by at least 1623, remains to be seen.Given the use of the clearly English (and very common) names "Edward" and "Richard" it's seems likely now, of course, that our original "Bays" immigrant was from England.I still think it's most likely, though, that the ultimate origin of our surname (variations) is French.

Now that we know that several male relatives of Peter Bays (I) of his generation or earlier exist, it's important to keep in mind the possibility, however unlikely, that some Bays/Baze/Baize descendants may be descended from those relatives rather than directly from Peter himself.This is especially true for the Baze/Baize lines of Abednego Baze (b.ca1783/5, VA) for whom the earlier generations are presently unknown.

There is a considerable amount of additional information I've left out of this already very lengthy message and will post it later, as promised.