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and Honora were married in 1852. It is uncertain where they were married,
or if they emigrated from Ireland together. According to the St. Lawrence
County Alien Reports, Cornelius Hays arrived in 1848, applied for United
States citizenship on 15 October 1853, and became a United States citizen
on 5 December 1855. However, it must be noted that the arrival dates are
out of sequence in these listings, entered after the fact upon application
for citizenship, and are not necessarily reliable. In the 1900 United States
census, the arrival date for Cornelius is listed as 1850, and the arrival
date for Honora is “unknown.”
In the 1860 and 1870 census, Cornelius is listed as a farmer; in the 1880
census he is listed as a teamster.
Cornelius died on 25 January 1907 in Colton, after three years of blindness
and two years as an invalid confined to his bed. Honora died on 4 January
1911 in Colton. Both are buried at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Colton. Their
obituaries were published in the Potsdam Courier-Freeman (30 January 1907,
revised 6 February 1907; and 11 January 1911).
Listed in the 1860 United States census for Colton, New York are Cornelius
Hays (aged 34) and Honore Hays (aged 27), both born in Ireland, living in the
same household with Jeremiah Hayes (aged 88) and Johanna Hayes (aged 61). At
this time Cornelius and Honora had two children: James (6) and Joanna (3).
In the 1870 United States census for South Colton, New York, the elder
Johanna’s age is listed as 90 (Jeremiah died in 1868, see below). At this
time Cornelius and Honora had five children: James (16), Johanna (13), Julia
(9), Jeremiah (6), and Michael (3). We have no way of knowing which, if
either of Johanna’s reported birth dates is correct (c. 1780 or c. 1799), but
I can imagine one of the children telling the census taker, in answer to his
question: “Grandma? Oh, she’s about ninety.”
Standing side by side in St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Colton are five gravestones,
with identical lettering, for persons named Hayes, and four of them state, at
the bottom, “Native of Ireland Co. Cork” – Jeremiah Hayes, Died 19 June 1868,
Age 98; Jeremiah Hayes, Died 10 October 1854, Age 40; Daniel Hayes, Died
5 April 1869, Age 66; and Johana Hayes, Wife of John Kearney, Died 6 June 1869,
Age 28. The fifth gravestone is that of Catharine Hayes, wife of Daniel Hayes,
Died 24 March 1896, Age 82. One must conclude from the locations and identical
appearances of the gravestones that all five people were related.
A thorough examination of the census records and probate records strongly
suggest that Jeremiah and Johanna Hayes had four sons (or nephews) who
emigrated to St. Lawrence County: Daniel, Jeremiah, Cornelius, and James.
Daniel Hayes: Born c. 1810, Cork, Ireland; Died 5 April 1869. Married
Catharine (Born c. 1814, Ireland; Died 24 March 1896, Colton, New York).
Both are buried at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Colton. Four children named
in Daniel’s probate case: Jeremiah (Born December 1835, Ireland);
Margaret (Born c. 1845, Ireland); James D. (Born June 1851, New York);
and Julia (Married Mr. Buckley). Note: Daniel’s gravestone states that
he died at age 66; in the 1860 census he is listed as 50 years old.
Jeremiah Hayes: Born c. 1814, Cork, Ireland; Died 10 October 1854,
Colton, New York; Buried at St. Patrick’s Cemetery. One daughter: Joanna
(Born c. 1842, Cork, Ireland; Married John Kearney; Died 6 June 1869).
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