Robert Hay
PHOTO ALBUM
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SPOUSE (1) MARY
MCMURRICH
Marriage: 27
September 1845
Place: New Kilpatrick, Dunbarton, Scotland
SPOUSE: (2)MARY JANE HEALY
Birth Date: 14 April 1825
Birth Place: Knightswood, Kilpatrick, Dunbarton, Scotland
(town,parish,county,kingdom)
Death Date:
14
February 1884
Burial: Pleasant
Grove, Utah, Utah
CHILDREN
John Hay
Margaret Hay
Mary Hay
Jeannie Hay
Christina Hay
William Hay
Robert Hay
James Duncan Hay
Robina Hay
Mary Healy
Isabelle Hay (w-2)
Alexander Hay (w-2)
George Smith Hay
Annie Marie Hay(w-2)
Elizabeth Hay (w-2)
Albert Joseph Hay (w-2)
OCCUPATION(S):
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FAMILY
Father: JOHN
HAY
Mother:
MARY SMITH
SIBLINGS
John Hay
Mary Hay
Robert
Hay
James Hay
Christina Hay
Janet Hay
Alexander Hay
INDEX TO HISTORY
INDEX
TO RESEARCH NOTES
RESEARCH
NOTES
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BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION:
Biography of Robert Hay
written by his wife, Mary Jane
Healy Hay
Robert Hay was born in Knightwood,
near Glasgow Scotland, on April 14, 1825. Little is known here
of his early life and ancestry as his diary and genealogy records
were unavoidably destroyed by fire. He received a good education
including music in the city of Glasgow.
Being naturally spiritually minded,
he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, when
a mere boy. He and his brother "Sandy" (Alexander)
were among the first converts to that faith in Glasgow. Sandy
was often called "Big Preacher". Robert and Mrs. Mary
Todd (later a resident of Pleasant Grove, Utah) led the singing
in the Latter-day Saints Church in Glasgow. He played the violin.
He held the Priesthood and was active in Church duties. At one
time while preaching in a street meeting, a big Irish woman tossed
a shovel of red hot coals over him, making no reference whatever
to her, but a minister who was across the street called her down
and reprimanded her for such conduct.
Robert Hay was married to Miss
May McMurray who bore him several children. He was ledt a widower
quite early in life. He floowed the vocation of mining.
Sometime after the death
of his wife, he moved his little family, viz: John, James, Robena,
Jennie, and William to Paisley, where he obtained employment.
Here he became acquainted with Miss Mary Jane Healey, to whom
he was married in 1862.
The greatest desire of the family
now was to go to Utah (America) to the body of the Church. John,
the oldest child, came to Utah in 1865 with a company of Saints
and he worked for Brigham Young. He served his new country in
the Indian War, in the same company as B.W. Driggs of Pleasant
Grove. He was killed by the Indians and was buried by his company
in Gunnsion, Sevier Co. Brigham wrote to his father, conveying
the sad news and asked what to do with his savings. Robert answered
that it would help the family to Utah.
Three more children now blessed
their home, viz: Mary, Isabelle, and Alexander. On June 17, 1868
the family left Glasgow for Utah, sailed on the Steamer "Colorado"
and were fifteen days on the ocean. Stayed two days in New York;
little Jennie remained in New York and made her home with her
cousin Mrs. Emerson.
They came to Omaha, Nebraska on
a passenger train. While here Robert was offered employment on
a farm and work in a hotel for his wife and an elderly woman
to care for the children. It was quite a temptation to stay,
but after due consideration Robert said, "although we have
limited means, we will not dealy getting to our goal in Zion."
From Omaha they traveled in cattle
cars to Fort Laramie, Wyoming where the church teams from Utah
would meet the immigrants.
They traveled in Daniel McArthur's
company, a train of wagons drawn by ox teams, and were over three
weeks on this part of the journey to Utah. They saw no buffaloes
enroute, but saw many Indians and were terribly afraid of them.
The Hay family rode from Laramie in Brother Lindsay's wagon and
on his suggestion, they went with him direct to his home in Coalville
where they arrived August, 31, 1868, and where Robert expected
permanent work in the coal mines; however, he left the same afternoon
of their arrival, for the railroad camp in Weber Canyon, where
he did blasting for the tunnels at Devil's Gate and Devil's Slide.
He was engaged to do this work before he left New York as they
wer in need of an experienced workman and were waiting for him.
He worked for the railroad all winter.
The next spring he began working
in the Wasatch mine at Scoville for Fred Mitchel and George Nebeker,
owners of the mine. He could not get much of his pay at a time,
which was an awful handicap in their condition. $300.00 he never
did get.
They moved on to Provo Bench to
work a farm for George S. Clark. Their first crop was destroyed
by hail. After a spel of the typhoid fever he was unable to work
any more. They lived here three years, then moved to Pleasant
Grove where he died February 14, 1884.
Robert Hay was a devoted husband
and father and a fervent Latter-day Saint.
Footnotes
John Hay emigrated on the "General McClellan" left
Liverpool 21 May 1864 arrived New York 23 Jun 1864 Thomas E.
Jeremy Church Leader.
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Biography of Robert Hay
received from Nola Corbett 10/01 |
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