Re: Moses Michael Hays
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In reply to:
Moses Michael Hays
Larry Myers 12/24/08
You will find a great deal on this extended family in Rabbi Malcolm H. Stern's, Americans of Jewish Descent, a Compendium of Genealogies (N.Y., Ktav, 2d ed. 1971) (3d edition on-line as First American Jewish Families: 600 Genealogies, 1654-1988 at the website of the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives).Another resource for the closely-related Canadian branch is found in the publication "Canadian Jewish Archives," New Series No. 20, Montreal, 1981.
I've also come across this brief reference in Arturo de Hoyos' The Scottish Rite Ritual Monitor and Guide (Washington, 2007), which on p. 74 records "On December 6, 1768 ... Moses Michael Hays, of Dutch parentage [was appointed] a Deputy Inspector General of the Rite, for the West Indies and North America.The Hays patent granted authority to confer all the degrees ... [B]y 1780 Hays immigrated to Newport, Rhode Island.In 1781, Hays traveled Philadelphia where he met with eight Brethren whom he appointed Deputy Inspectors General over given states, with the exception of Samuel Myers who presided over the Leeward Islands."
I hope this is of some use to you.Now, would you indulge me in a bit of probing?Moses Michael, son of Judah Hays, had a cousin named Andrew, son of Solomon Hays.Among the sons of Andrew Hays is one named Lazarus, of whom the Stern genealogies cited above record only that he was born in 1784.This Lazarus and Moses Michael were first cousins once removed.
My fourth great grandfather was named Lazarus Hays (c.1767-post 1850).It appears that his father was also named Lazarus (c. 1740-?).They both migrated in the early 1800's from Richland District, South Carolina, first to Bedford County, TN, and by the mid 1820's to the area on either side of the Mississippi-Alabama line now comprising Monroe & Lowndes Co. MS and Lamar Co. AL.
In a search that has lasted decades other members of my family, and now I, have been seeking a connection to the Dutch Hays/Haas family described in Stern's work.Perhaps these are only coincidences, but --
1) Lazarus (b. 1784) had a sister named Phoebe who married Isaac D. Valentine.My grandfather and one of his uncles both had the middle name Valentine, but no one knows its origin.Perhaps one of our Lazarus' wives (Sina and Rebecca) was related to Isaac?
2) Arriving in MS/AL at about the same time as our two Lazaruses was a family headed by John Mordecai (25 Mar 1813-27 Apr 1897), son of Isaac D. Mordecai & Zipporah Russell of PA.During my great grandfather's tenure as a justice of the peace he performed the marriages of three of the Mordecai daughters.To this day, Hays & Mordecai descendants live in the same part of southern Lamar County, Alabama.
In summary, have you encountered anything in your searches for the Hays/Haas Jewish family that could add to our knowledge base?We know there must be a connection.Maybe someday we'll nail it down.
Thanks.
Paul Hays
More Replies:
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Re: Moses Michael Hays
Larry Myers 8/08/09
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Re: Moses Michael Hays
Larry Myers 6/23/09