Sarah Edmondson

• Evidence needed to connect as child o John Dyer
• Not the same as Sybil Throop or of Sarah Davis.

  ---

Biography

Sarah is seen as “Sarah Dyer” but parents have not been identified, and the name may be a misreading of Chalkey’s records (see below). She married George Hays around 1730. They had six children before he died in 1747. They are James, Anne , George, Thomas, Mary Polly and John.

She remarried James Edminston around 1748 and had the following children Samuel, Dorathea, William, Sarah & Robert.

Court records show that Patrick Hays frequently stood surety for her or members of her family, suggesting that he was kin to George.

Sarah and James are said to have moved to the head of the Pedlar River in Amherst county, and then to Buffalo Creek, Wilkes County area of NC., but documentary evidence for this has not been recovered so far.

Family

George Hays (bef 1710 - bef 1747), his parents unknown, married Sarah, parents unknown, about 1730, perhaps in Pennsylvania. After his death in 1747 Sarah resided at their residence in Augusta, VA.

Their 6 children were:

1. James Hayes 1731-1826
2. Ann Hayes Blair 1734-1769
3. George Hayes 1740-1782
4. Thomas Hayes 1740-1789
5. Mary "Polly" Hayes Coffey 1742-1764
6. John Hayes 1744-182

Court records indicate that Sarah remarried to James Edmondson (abt 1724 - 1793) between 1748 and 1757, son of Robert Edmiston and Jean Thompson, and in 1786, moved to N.C.

Their 5 children were:

1. Robert Edmiston Est 1750 to 1755 - Bet 1835 & 1840
2. Lucretia Edmiston Abt 1754 - Bef 1779
3. Dorothy Edmiston Est 1755 to 1765 -
4. Esther Edmiston Est 1755 to 1765 -
5. William Edmiston Bet 1759 & 1760 - 1848

   ---

Disputed Origins

The wife of George Hays who died in 1747 is believed to be "Sarah Last Name Unknown".

Other sources claim Sarah was a Smith, daughter of James Abraham Smith.

She was not the daughter of Col. John Dyer, Esq. & Abigail Dyer of Canterbury, Connecticut.

She was not the daughter of Roger Dyer & Hannah Dyer.

There was a John Dyer in Old Rappahannock County.

Court records identify the wife of George Hays who died in 1747, as "Sarah". Not last name is given. She is sometimes identified as the daughter of Roger Dyer (1699 - 1758) and Hanna Smith (1701 - 1780). The basis for that identification is following record:

Page 301.--24th February, 1757. Roger Dyer's will--To wife Hanna, one-third of estate in this Colony, or any other; to son James, infant; executrix, wife Hanna; to son William; to three daughters; to daughter Hanna Gester, 427 acres in Hampshire; to grandson Roger Dyer, son of William Dyer; to daughters Hester Patton, Sarah Hays. Teste: Wm. Miller, Adam Hider, William Gibson. Further proved, 16th May, 1759, by Adam Hider, and recorded. Executrix qualifies. Proved, 21st March, 1759, by William Gibson. Chalkley's Chronicles 3:53

In the above record, Sarah is identified as "Sarah Hays", her married name. This, however, seems to be an abstraction error by Chalkley. The Roger Dyer believed believed to be Sarah's father was killed by Indians in the Ft. Seybert massacre of 1758. His daughter Sarah is believed to have been captured, and lived in captivity for sometime, before rescue about 1765. Sarah is mentioned in her fathers 1757 will, as "Sarah Hawes". [1] It is possible that Chalkey's rendition of her name (Hayes) is correct, and the "Hawes" rendition is incorrect. However, a fairly elaborate story is told of the Ft. Seybert massacre, and it identifies her as "Sarah Hawes", not Hayes. [2]

Court records indicate that Sarah remarried to James Edmondson between 1748 and 1757. [3] James was apparently the eldest son of George Hays. In November of 1755 "James Hays, orphan of George Hays, decd., of the age of 18 years, chose guardian--William Edmondson." This indicates he was born in 1737, suggesting in turn that his parents married about 1736, and that his parents were born before 1718. More importantly, it would seem to indicate that his mother Sarah had already married William Edmondson by 1755. Two years later, Roger Dyers describes his daughter as "Sarah Hays" in his will,, was written in February of 1757. While there might be some room in the argument for other interpretations, it seems most likely that Rogers daughter Sarah did not married George Hays, but was at the time of Roger's death, still Sarah Hays. i.e., she couldn't have been the husband of James Edmondson.

References

• https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Sarah_Unknown_%282893%29
• https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:George_Hays_%283%29
• https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:James_Edmiston_%281%29
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/183168960/george-hayes has errors
• Not the same as https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5716881/sarah-davis
• https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/1148479/person/240...