Notes on Our Genealogy

Zerobabel Gay, sometimes known as "Babel", was born around 1758 and died in 1838. He was most likely the son of Kinchen Gay, born Sep 4 1738, and he was my fourth great-grandfather. A page purportedly from the Gay family Bible noting Zerobabel's birth in 1755 and Kinchen's in 1738. But who in the family could write? Zerobabel Gay (1758-1838) married Selah Corbett (1781-1868) Their son Seaburn Gay (1821-1900) married Mary Searls (1824-1880) Their daughter Sela Gay (1847-1890) married William Ashcraft (1844-1900) Their son Charles B. Ashcraft (1878-1900) married Bertha Lee Simons (1882-1968) And their son Marshall Benton Jackson (1900-1999) was my grandfather It won't surprise you to hear that the name Zerobabel is from the Bible . The biblical Zerobabel led his people back into Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity. You might think that name would be pretty distinctive, but it's something of a family name -- Ol' Babel had a son named Ze...

On July 29, 1848 Congress passed An Act for the Relief of certain surviving Widows of Officers and Soldiers of the Revolutionary Army , which entitled all widows of Revolutionary War veterans to pension equal to the pension their late husband would have been entitled to, as long as they were married before January 2, 1800, and the widow had not remarried. This must have been good news for Selah Gay, my fourth great-grandmother, whose husband Zerobabel Gay had served in the Revolutionary War, and who had died 10 years earlier (see Zerobabel Gay in the Revolutionary War ). Zerobabel Gay's pension records include documents related to his own pension, but the bulk of the file concerns Selah's claim and its restoration after the civil war. I've included all the relevant documents below along with my attempt at a transcription, but I'll summarize so you don't have to read the whole thing. In December 1850 Selah Gay swore out a statement noting the facts and providin...

In 1832 Congress passed an " Act for the relief of certain surviving officers and soldiers of the revolution " that provided a pension for Revolutionary War veterans who had served six months or more. Previous acts going all the way back to 1776 had provided pensions for particular groups, like injured soldiers or the indigent, but the 1832 act opened it up to anyone still living. Since it was offered in gratitude for their service, it was called the Gratuitous Pension . To claim his pension, my fourth great-grandfather Zerobabel Gay swore out a statement describing his service, according to instructions published by the War Department . The statement is part of his surviving pension records, shown below. I've included my attempt at a transcription. State of Tennessee Davidson County, Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions October ?? 1832 This day personally appeared before us William Williams, Jesse Wharton and Enoch P. Connel justices of said court Zerobabel Gay...