Bay

This page is dedicated to the study of the Bay family as it pertains to the McCandless family, who both settled in Guernsey County, Ohio in the early 19th century.

The following is from Some Members of the 18th Century Colonial American BAY FAMILY By Tommy L. West, M.D. Galesburg, IL Edited by Todd H. West, MA, MS Oregon, IL, 2004.

William Bay 1778-1862. William is the third child of Thomas & Elizabeth Bay. His birth and death are from his tombstone in Cumberland, Spencer Twp, Guernsey Co, OH which lists his death as "18 May 1862, aged 83 years, 8 months, 28 days". His legal residence at his birth would have been in Yohogania Co, VA. In the 1790 and 1800 census listing of his father Thomas in Washington Co, PA, William is shown to be aged 'under 16' (12) and 16-26 (22) . Thereafter, he is on his own. On 19 Jan 1808 he marries Ruthia McCandless in Harford Co, MD.1' 2 (in that the name "Ruthia" is common in the McCandless clan, it is noteworthy that the 1812 York Co, PA will of James McCandless names a daughter 'Ruthia.' The estate records, however, do not mention the married name for her.)

William is shown in the 1810 census of Cross Creek Twp, Washington Co, OH: William Bay Males 2 0-10; 1 16-26; 1 45+ Females 1 0-10; 2 10-16; 2 16-26; 1 45+ It is not clear who are the other multiple persons, especially in that William would not be the eldest male referenced in the enumeration. However, on 05 Apr 1810 William Bay "of Washington Co, PA" entered land in Zanesville, OH and paid for it on 23 Jun 1812. This was for Section 28, Range 10, Twp 9 for about 160 acres.

William was the first of his family to enter land in what would become Guernsey Co. He spent the remainder of his life here. This land can be shown on the tax records from 1814 through 1827 and beyond. In an 1855 map of Spencer Twp, Guernsey Co, it shows this very same section still owned by William Bay. By 1870 it shows this land was owned by a son William H. Bay, in that William himself had died in 1862.

Some of the early life of William Bay is referenced in the obituary of his daughter Lucinda Bay Black: "Mrs. Black was born near Cumberland in Guernsey county Ohio, and was the sixth child of William & Ruth McCandless Bay, early pioneers of the county settling there about the year 1810. She spent all her life in that community until she came to Hardin county in 1872. Mrs. Black began teaching school when a mere girl, only 17, in the village of Senacaville, OH & continued in the profession many years."

On 20 Aug 1819 William posts bond for his brother James Bay to collect taxes. William is shown in the 1820 Guernsey Co, OH census as: Males 2 0-10 sons Thomas 8 & David 4 1 10-16 son William 11 1 26-45 William 42 Females 2 0-10 daus Lucinda 2 & Esther 1 1 10-16 dau Elizabeth 10 2 26-45 wife Ruthias 31. It must be noted that this recording is almost illegible. He is listed in the 1825 tax records there. He is a legatee in the 05 May 1826 will of his father Thomas Bay. Also, he participates with his siblings for the gift of land to the Presbyterian church on 15 Jan 1828.

The distribution of Thomas Bay's land was done soon after his death. On 01 May 1828, James Bay lays out Cumberland in the NE 1/4 of Section 32 which included 32 lots. On 20 Apr 1829, the heirs of Thomas Bay Sr transferred all of the NE 1/4 of Section 32 (except the 4 acres given the Presbyterian Church) to William, James and Archibald Bay. On the same day Archibald and Jane Bay sold their interest for $300 to William Bay. What may have been the first lot sale (#6) was in October 1829 from William & Ruth, and James & Hannah Bay to William McElroy of Morgan County for $21. Thereafter, there are multiple deeds where William & Ruth Bay and James & Hannah Bay sold lots in Cumberland.

In 1830 the Guernsey census lists him as: William Bay Males 1 0-5 son Samuel 1 1 5-10 son James 10 1 10-15 son David 14 1 15-20 son Thomas 18 1 40-50 William 52 Females 3 5-10 daus Esther @10, Rosanna @5, Isabel 1 1 10-15 dau Lucinda @12 or Esther 11 1 15-20 dau Elizabeth 20 1 30-40 wife Ruthias 41 On 09 Oct 1838 William bought from his son, Thomas of Lawrence County, OH, a house and lot in Cumberland. In the 1840 Guernsey census: William Bay Sr Males 1 10-15 son Samuel 11 1 20-30 son William 31 1 60-70 William 62 Females 1 10-15 dau Isabel 11 or Ruthia 10 2 15-20 dau Lucinda 22 & Rosanna 16 1 50-60 wife Ruthia s 51.

On 28 Nov 1842 the last deed with William & Ruthia Bay is recorded. (Note, there was interchangable use of 'Ruth' with 'Ruthia' with 'Ruthais' in court records.) The tombstone of Ruthias reflects 1789-1847. In September 1848 there is a lawsuit from Lawrence Co, OH Common Pleas that shows a Thomas Bay vs Hilas L. Bay and William Bay Sr. In a deposition by Joshua Doddridge regarding the sale of house and lot in Cumberland in October 1838 by Thomas Bay to William Bay Sr, Thomas Bay asked Doddridge to acknowledge a deed and "...found a man called William Bay said to be the father of Thomas Bay which said William Bay was a party to the deed..." On 09 Aug 1849, William Bay Sr sold to William Bay Jr of Meigs County the 160 acres in the NE Qtr, Section 28 entered in 1810.

Then, from the Probate Records of William Bay Sr, there is mention of a note from William Jr to William Sr dated 09 Aug 1849 to be repaid by 09 Aug 1859. But, on 07 Feb 1859 this note was assigned by William Sr to another son, David Bay. The note was still unpaid as of 1864.

By the 1850 Guernsey census, William is listed with multiple descendants & clan as: Wm. Bay 70 PA farmer; Ann Bay 27 NY; Blackburn Bay 21 OH; Patterson Robe 9 OH; William Robe 6 OH; James Robe 4 OH This listing correlates well with William's final census enumeration in the 1860 Guernsey Co, OH records as: Samuel B. Bay 29 OH farmer; William Bay 81 PA Farmer; Sarah C. Bay 4 OH; Lucinda Black 42 OH; David B. Black 8 OH; Dianna Black 4 OH; Josiah P. Robe 19 OH. While William is shown to have died in 1862, his only probate record is in the Guernsey County Probate Court: May 1864, Case 2379, ADM 1-363 Microfiche which records nothing of note, other than the loan note from William H. Bay that was reassigned to David Bay. Via William's records, descendants can only be identified in total number.

In that William's son Thomas was convicted and sentenced to life in prison at the Ohio penitentiary for 2nd degree murder in Lawrence County5, the considerable information within the register of convicts showed first that Thomas has 2 sons (George W. and William, rivermen) and a daughter (Sarah Smith) all of Proctorville, Lawrence Co, OH; and further, Thomas is shown to have 4 brothers and 5 sisters (unnamed).

The children of William Bay are: 1) Pastor William H. Bay 1809-1893, married Susan Higley; 2) Elizabeth Bay ©1810-1841, married as his 2nd wife David F. Robe; 3) Thomas Bay 1812-1869, married 1833 Elizabeth Bowen; 4) David Bay 1816- 1888, married Lavinia Moore; 5) Esther Bay 1819-1880+, married Senator Robert Savage; 6) Lucinda Bay 1818/23-1906, married James Black; 7) James H. Bay 1820-1847, married 1844 Ann Mitchell; 8) Rosanna Bay 1824- 1897, married 1847 Wesley Ripley; 9) Isabel (Joie ?) Bay 1829-1861+, married 1848 Moses Ogg; 10) Samuel Blackburn Bay ©1829-1894, married #1 Sarah St. Clair & #2 Sarah Crawford; 11) Ruthia Bay ©1830- 1880+, married Solomon C Colton.

1 The McCandless family were early settlers in the Washington Co, PA area. In the 1781 Washington Co, PA Accounts of the Alexander McCandless estate (File Mc-6-1787 & Mcl2-1790) it clearly shows them "moving the family to York Co & returning minor children". This area can be shown to be the Slate Ridge area that adjoins Harford Co, MD. Perhaps it is this Ruthia who is a named daughter of Alexander McCandless in his 29 Nov 1812 York Co, PA will.

2 Obituary of Lucinda Bay Black in 21 Nov 1906 issue of the newspaper Cumberland Echo.

3 Guernsey Co, OH Commissioners Journal. "James Bay proposes to collect taxes and was appointed Collector of Taxes with bonds posted by William and John Bay, Joseph Rannels & Joshua Robb."

4 Guernsey Co, OH Deed R-393. 5 It should be noted that the murder conviction was overturned at the impetus of Senator Robert Savage, Tom's brother-in-law, by the Ohio Supreme Court. The retrial never occurred due to Tom's death.

It should be noted that the author contends Ruth McCandless is a daughter of Alexander McCandless, but my research thusfar has shown she could be the daughter of William McCandless and Esther Hays, making her a granddaughter of Alexander. It seems we agree that regardless, she came from the McCandlesses of Harford Co, MD/York Co, PA.