Barbara, William Washington Gay's father was Zorababel Gay. He was born in the 1750s and married (2) my ggg grandmother Selah Corbitt, b. 1777 (romantic story there). In his pension papers he (Zorababel) states his father was Kinchen Gay (a popular Gay first name), who was also in Edgecombe (later probably Nash) Co NC. I have seen connections between the Edgecombe and Northampton NC (Northampton of course being just south of Southampton VA) Gays. William Washington Gay was the only of six "boys", as his daughter "Tennie" Gay Hill referred to them in correspondence, to move from Tennesse to Missouri, which he did with my Whaleys in the early 1850s Because Zorabable had children named Dempsey and Henry, which are longstanding Isle of Wight VA Gay names,and he lived in Edgecombe Co NC, amongst a whole gang of Gays, he is undoubtedly from the original Henry Gay. I haven't done ANY research into the NC or VA records on a Kinchen Gay that early. Can you tell me anything about your Rhoda Gay's Gay family? Is she related to the Gay's in the 1850 Dade Co census that I have been trying to figure out for a while? Page 269R, Gay, Green, 45, b. KY, wife Elizabeth 31, b. TN, children all b. MO: Sarah (11), Mary (9), Thomas (7), William (4), John (1). Janet Hunter Janet Hunter