This post was deleted by the author on 26 Jan 2013 1:33PM GMT

A GAY family as requested, though one in which I have little ancestry. It is presented below, it isn't more than an identifying spot. :-)

I have a William GAY m. Elizabeth (unk)
William b. c1747 and bur. 20 Nov 1818 in Gautby, Lincolnshire, aged 71. [ref Gautby bur transcriptions] His wife predeceased him.
http://wc.rootsweb.com/data/igm/GET/billinghurst/I994
[has my email address]

Two daughters, Elizabeth (b. c1782) and Susanna (1788-1878) born to marriage, and both born in Gautby. [Ref: IGI and probate]. Susanna married twice, 1806 Isaac BEECHAM (my antecedent) and 1836 George Rivis WILLOUGHBY

No evidence of marriage in Gautby or anywhere else in Lincolnshire. In fact no evidence of GAY family anywhere else in Lincolnshire.

On William's will (1811), he identified himself as a yeoman, so not dirt poor, nor filthy rich. I could not find evidence. I have yet to locate any land records for Gautby so have not progressed this family further one iota.

Regards Andrew

Hi

Just to take your Gay's a little further, I have ancestors of the Gay Family in Lincolnshire, but mine were from Swayfield and Bourne.

I have a James Gay (c1816, Swayfield, Lincs) married to a Ann Maria (Unknown), they had 3 children as far as I can tell:

Nancy Maria Gay (1857), Bourne, Lincs.
James S Gay (1850), Bourne, Lincs.
Sophia S Gay (1848), Bourne, Lincs.

Nancy Maria Gay is my 2G Grandmother and she married a Thomas Moyer Teat (1857, Bourne, Lincs) in 1874.

As far as James Gay's parents, this has proved quite difficult, but I think it could be a John Gay (1799, Thurlby, Lincs) and Mary Gibson (1793, Croxton, Leicstershire). If this is correct then his parents could be Robert Gay and Eleanor (Unknown).

Hope this helps and if you find any connections then please let me know.

Regards

Christian

Through an ancestry site I traced our ancestors to John Gay, the poet laureate of Great Britain. His fame was largely due to the immensely popular "Beggar's Opera" that later became the "Three Penny Opera." He was also Alexander Pope's best friend. This branch of the Gay family backed the King when Cromwell raised his Roundhead army. When it became clear the King was going to lose, the family fled to France.

They lived in France for another generation, but with typical English disdain of the French, they left France for Switzerland. There were English and German/Swiss wives along the way and at least one French grandmother in the woodpile. Fortunately that bloodline is well diluted by now.

My grandfater John Gay came from Interlaken Switzerland near the French border, but when alive, he recounted his lineage of the English branch to his children. If you are interested, he said many of the Gay families left London, Lincolnshire and Leicester during the rule of Cromwell and ended up in Switzerland. That may be another source to find your English ancestors.