James Grayson Seay - James Grayson Seay

Well... We know that his son James Lawrence was born in Hanover - so they were living there circa 1850... But, Louisa and Hanover share a common county line, so a lot of the Seays. Harris', and collateral families were geographically proximate even though they might have been across county lines... I'll do a little digging and see if I can find anything more...

There was a James Seay (1761-1844) of Hanover County who is known to have fought in the Revolutionary War and who married Sarah Spicer. I have the children of James and Sarah as: Woodson, Mathew, Caleb, Eliza, Martha, John and Sarah---- but no James Grayson Seay. And I could be wrong about the children of James and Sarah, just what another researcher from that line reported to me.

I suspect that James Seay (1761-1844) was brother to my line of John Seay, Jr., and that their father was John Seay, Sr. of Hanover County. Based upon the way the old surviving Hanover County thithables (tax records are arranged) in late 1700s.

Unfortunately, Hanover County sent all its records for "safe keeping" to Richmond while that nasty war in the 1860s raged.

There is a James Grayson Seay who turns up in Hanover almost exactly a hundred years later... I started his tree, but right now I can't seem to connect him up to any of our known Seay lines...

But - I think that lends some support to your theory... A hundred years later - they were still naming people in honor of him...

the only posb. father 4 james would be john seay son of james seay of hanover jw seay must be his brother because he named his son after him

May I suggest that James Grayson Seay(1830) of Glenora, VA may in fact be another son of Woodson Seay (1795). Glenora is just north of Lake Anna, (Louisa Co.) in Spots. Co. I will continue to research the property Deeds of the areas. There are continued use of the Woodson name in the downlime of James L. Washington Seay, son of J.G. Seay. Many of the downline are buried at Good Hope Bapt. Church. Stronger indo from Woodson than his brother John that stayed in Hanover??? Pls - more comments & input!

I have located an Estate Sale of James Grayson Seay died 1849. Woodson Seay purchased much of the personal property. Looking closer to the dates of James G. it is possible that he is a brother to Woodson (not a son) and was born closer to the date of Woodson, the oldest son of James L. "on record". Censuses are not always correct or accurate, James G., Caleb, and Woodson may all have moved to Louisa Co. leaving Matthew, Elizabeth, Sarah, John, & Martha back on the 200ac of James L. - STILL DIGGEN!

I was at the Louisa County Courthouse today. Glenn, I am now 99% convinced this is our James G. Seay (father of James Lawrence Washington Seay) and I believe you are correct that he is likely a younger brother to Woodson.

Based on Louisa County Tax records I viewed for the Northern Tax District (they had two districts one North and one South) Woodson Seay appears to have arrived alone. He first appears in 1841 with no listing for Caleb or James. There were no records available for 1840 and none of them were shown in 1839. Woodson Seay is the only one of them shown from 1841 thru 1845. In 1846, all three, Woodson, Caleb and James are listed and appear each year through 1848. I believe James dies in late 1848 or very early in 1849. The first court record in the Will Book is the appraisal order dated 25 Jan 1849.

This time of death would explain why he is not shown with his wife and son in the 1850 US census where they are back residing with her father Wm. Wrenn in Spotsylvania.

Also, when I located those Will Book records and copied them I missed one page. The final settlement accounting on page 42 of Will Book 13 shows Wm. Wrenn paying $14.00 towards balancing the estate.

I was not able to locate any Land Deed records for Woodson, Caleb or James in the years 1830 - 1904.

I did copy a lot of "Seay" marriages from the Louisa Marriage Register. I'll e-mail or call you to review.

Great work Kevin, My new direction with JGS are the properties! We know that they were in the Glenora Area, Seay Point, this area is on the banks of Lake Anna. I am going to work with a concept that some of their land was utilized in the acquisition and development of Lake Anna back in 1970 (18,000 acres). Dominion Power and the Va. Dept. of Conservation and Recreation may have (the purchase) land records that the Courthouses have turned over and are not available to the public, ??? . I will also check Spots. C.H. for any records. Will call about the site visit shortly.

Earlier posts in this discussion have touched on the "G" in James G. Seay's name (father of James Lawrence Washington Seay and spouse of Martha Ellen Wrenn) as possibly being GRAYSON. This most certainly appears to be caused by a confusion with a James Grayson Seay of Beaverdam, Hanover VA whose birth in 1909 and death in 1947 are all more recent by close to 100 years. Perhaps a descendant but certainly NOT the same individual. I have not found nor seen any primary source documentation that shows anything other than "G" for the middle name of the father of JLW Seay.

Donald Colvin's post dated 3/25/2014 mentions that we know Janes G. Seay's son JLW Seay b. 1847 was born in Hanover.... I believe this was taken from the Spotsyylvania County marriage record for JLW Seay & Lucy Harris. However, in the Confederate Soldiers Pension Application dated 12 May, 1904 completed and signed by JLW Seay himself, he lists his birth location as Louisa County, Virginia.

This matches with the first record of James Seay appearing in the Tax records of the Northern District of Louisa County VA in 1846. The only other extant records for James G. Seay are the Probate and Appraisal records in Louisa County Va that indicate his death probably occurred in late 1848 as the appraisal of his estate occurred on 25 Jan 1849. These probate records show his father-in-law William Wrenn paying $14 to settle the outstanding debts of his estate. They also indicate that Woodson Seay purchased a number of the items from the estate sale.

Using these probate records, the age of his wife, birth date of his only known son JLW Seay and the US Census records for Woodson Seay I believe James G. Seay is the second child and oldest son of Woodson & Hulda Seay born in Hanover County circa 1820 and moving to Louisa County VA with his parents between 1830 & 1840.

Given my limited experience with genealogical research and the very limited amount of extant records I could locate for James G. Seay I hired Ancestry ProGenealolgists to search for records on James G. Seay, father of JLW Seay and attempt to determine his parents and ancestral lines. As part of their research Joseph Eddie Seay (a known living direct-line male descendant of JLW Seay) agreed to take a Y-67 DNA test to assist in this search. THANKS EDDIE! I am also a descendant of JLW Seay but through his daughter Emma L. Seay who married James Allie Dillard.

Using my DNA profile as well as Eddie's they were able to locate matches with others descended from Woodson Seay and/or James L. Seay and Sarah Spicer of Hanover County, Va. or with a more distant common Ancestor. Among these was Glenn Allen Seay. My matches were with individuals that also descended from JLW Seay with cM counts ranging from 38 to 51cM. I also matched with a descendant of Woodson Seay by his son George W. Seay with 47cM. I also matched with a descendant of Caleb Seay (Woodson;s brother) at 18cM level. These genetic results combined with the indirect evidence in the extant records led the ProGenealogists to conclude that James G. Seay was the son of Woodson Seay and grandson of James Seay & Sarah Spicer of Hanover County, VA.

In the time allotted them with the funds I was willing to expend they were not able to locate additional primary source records other that those I had already discovered ( that made me feel better...)

My research and conclusion, supported by the research of the Ancestry ProGenealogists, is that James G. Seay, father of James Lawrence Washington Seay, was the son of Woodson Seay & Hulda Fleming and the grandson of James Seay & Sarah Spicer of Hanover County, VA.

Comments or contrary conclusions welcome in search of accuracy!!!