John Coffee "Jack" Hays

The visit to The Texas Rangers Heritage Center inspired me to write about John Coffee "Jack" Hays who was a Ranger as well.

According to my finds*, John is our indirect relative via Miss Rachel Donelson, the wife of President Andrew Jackson, and a sister of John's grandmother Jane. You will find more explicit information on this family line at the end of this post.

John was the son of Mr. Harmon Atkins Hays and his wife Elizabeth Cage. He was born on 28 Jan. 1817 in Little Cedar Lick, Wilson County, Tennessee. John's father named the baby boy after Colonel John Coffee.

In 1936 John Coffee Hays relocated to Texas. Thanks to the letter written by his relative President Andrew Jackson, the young man became a Texas Ranger.

Capt. Jack served in:

• Bexar Spy Company of Frontier Volunteers from 13 Sept. 1842 to 17 January 1843 - between The San Antonio and Rio Grande Rivers, 
• Company of Rangers (Frontier Ranging Company) from 20 February to 10 Nov. 1843 - Counties: Bexar, Refugio, Robertson, Milam, Travis, and Goliad including the Camp at Leona River in 1843,
• Frontier Ranging Company (Corps of Rangers) from 20 Feb. to 10 Nov. 1843 and from 27 June 1844 to 28 Sept. 1845 - Bexar County and San Antonio.

Companies which operated under Capt. J. C. Hays personal orders:

• Robertson County Rangers - Feb. to 15 Sept. 1845 - served between The Brazos and Trinity River,
•  Goliad and Refugio Rangers Corps (Volunteers), Mountain Volunteers
• Travis County Rangers (Austin Rangers), Travis County Ranger Corps

On 29 April 1847, in Sequin, Bexar, Texas John married Miss Susan Calvert (b. about 1827 in Alabama), the daughter of Jeremiah Strother Calvert and Priscilla Smither (1).

Two years after the marriage, Jack together with his wife, emigrated to California (2). The family settled in Oakland Township, Alameda County (3).

On 23 June 1880, they were recorded during the Census. John Coffee Hays and his son John Caperton were real estate agents. The Hays had four servants including a cook and a coachman (4).

John and Susan had at least six children. Three of them Richard, Kitty and Susan died young.

John Coffee "Jack" Hays lived 66 years. He passed on 21 April 1883 in Oakland. After his death, an article and memento summarizing his life was printed (5) in San Marcos Free Press which was issued in Hays County, Texas (the county was named for J. C. Hays in 1848).

The above clipping contains an error - in 1823 John was 6 years old and lived in Tennessee. I guess, the author of the article meant 1853. Anyway, that piece is followed by more detailed information regarding John's life and achievements (5). Besides being Texas Rangers Captain, he was also Colonel of the Volunteer Army.

Clippings source: Julian, Isaac H. San Marcos Free Press. (San Marcos, Tex.), Vol. 12, No. 23, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 10, 1883, newspaper, May 10, 1883; San Marcos, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth295449/: accessed May 21, 2019), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu;.


Here is the family line:

John Coffee "Jack" Hays

⇒ his father Harmon Atkins Hays (b. about 1787, Virginia/d. 21 Oct. 1833, Tazzoo County, Mississippi)

⇒ his mother Jane (Donelson) Hays (b. about 1757, Pittsylvania County, Virginia/d. 1 Feb. 1834, Jackson, Madison, Tennessee)

⇒ her sister Rachel (Donelson) Jackson (b. 15 June 1757, Halifax, Pittsylvania, Virginia/d. 22 Dec. 1822, Hermitage, Davidson, Tennessee)

⇒ her husband Andrew Jackson

⇒ the line goes via our cousins to our direct relatives. I will describe it all soon, in the post dedicated to the family connection to Mr. Andrew Jackson.


Resources:
*My MyHeritage researsch
"The Texas Rangers: Registry and History", Darren L Ivey, McFarland & Company, Inc, Publishers, Jefferson, North Carolina
1. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XL83-62V : 4 November 2017), John C Hays and Susan Calvert, 29 Apr 1847; citing Bexar, Texas, United States, county courthouses, Texas; FHL microfilm 24,917.
2. "California, Pioneer Migration Index, Compiled 1906-1935," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPLJ-R3Q5 : 29 October 2018), John Coffee Or Jack Hays, 1849; citing Emigration, California, United States, California State Library, Sacramento.
3. "California Great Registers, 1866-1910," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNF4-LXY : 8 December 2017), John Coffee Hays, 22 Aug 1866; citing Voter Registration, Oakland Township, Alameda, California, United States, county clerk offices, California; FHL microfilm 976,446.
4. "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6GL-2H2 : 26 August 2017), Betty Hays in entry for J C Hays, 1880; citing enumeration district ED 21, sheet 426D, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d), roll 0062; FHL microfilm 1,254,062.

5. Julian, Isaac H. San Marcos Free Press. (San Marcos, Tex.), Vol. 12, No. 23, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 10, 1883, newspaper, May 10, 1883; San Marcos, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth295449/: accessed May 21, 2019), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu;.