Leon at leonmeyers@charter.net wrote:

“According to P. G. Fulkerson papers John Day did marry Nancy Hurst. My only problem is that the John Day that married Nancy Hurst is listed on the 1840 Claiborne County, Tenn census, age 40-50 along with his family. On the same page of the census is also Ransom Day age 50-60 and also Ransom Day Sr. age 80-90. P. G. Fulkerson does mention the older Ransom Day as an old man living in Claiborne County in 1812.

Anyway I keep seeing "John Ransom Day" married Nancy Hurst. I may be wrong, but I believe that John Day (born 1790-1800) married Nancy Hurst and Ransom Day (born 1780-1790) was married to someone else. They are two different people, not the same person.” ….” I tend to believe that Sarah Day (born Dec. 31, 1826) was the daughter of Ransom Day since she is buried in the same cemetery (Springdale Cemetery, Claiborne Cty., Tenn) as Ransom Day (no dates on marker-could be Ransom born 1750-1760 or Ransom born 1780-1790).”

The 1840 Census for Claiborne Co., TN does, indeed, show two households headed by men named Ransom Day.

Ransom Day Sr., Claiborne Co., TN 1840, page 2:

1 male, age 80-90; 1 female, age 80-90

Ransom Day, Claiborne Co., TN 1840, page 2:

1 male, age 10-15; 1 male, age 50-60; 1 female, age 10-15; 1 female, age 50-60

William Day Jr., Claiborne Co., TN 1840, page 2

2 males, age 0-5; 2 males, age 5-10; 1 male, 20-30; 1 female, 20-30

I believe the two underline names above are father and son. They are enumerated next door to each other (this is not by itself proof of a relationship).

Only William appears in the 1850 Census for Claiborne Co., TN:

William Day 35 TN Shoemaker

Jane Day 35 NC

William Day 16 TN (1)

Wiley Day 14 TN (2)

George Day 12 TN (3)

Louiza Day 10 TN

Polly Day 08 TN

Nancy Day 05 TN

Nelson Day 03 TN (4)

Fanny Day 01 TN

Ransom Day (underlined above) appears in Putnam Co., IN 1850 Census, Marion Twp.

Ransom Day 69 VA

Mary Day 67 VA

Jefferson Day 16 TN

Sometime between 1850 and 1855 there is a split in the William Day family. William, the father, stays in Tennessee. Jane Day moves the majority of her family to Putnam Co., IN, Warren Twp in 1855 (per Putnam County Indiana,) and appears there in the 1860 census:

Jane Day 45 NC

Wiley Day 24 TN

Nancy Day 15 TN

Nelson Day 14 TN

Amanda Day 08 TN

Jefferson Day 28 TN (5)

Referring back to the underlined Ransom Day in 1840, Claiborne Co., TN there is a female between the ages of 10-15 in his household. This is his daughter, Nancy Day, who married Levi Lewis, 11 Feb 1849, in Putnam Co., IN. (Note: The identify of the 10-15 year old male also enumerated in the household is unknown at this time).

Ransom Day is not enumerated in Putnam Co., IN in 1860. Instead he and Mary are in Putnam Co., MO living in the household of his daughter, Nancy, and her husband Levi Lewis, Richland Township.

1860 Richland Twp., Putnam Co., MO. page 420,

549-449 Levi Lewis 34 KY Farmer $400 RE $400 PP

Nancy Lewis 34 TN

Mary Lewis 11 IN

William Lewis 09 IN

Nancy Lewis 08 IN

Thos. J. Lewis 06 IN

George W. Lewis 03 MO

Mary Lewis 01 MO

Ransom Day 80 VA Farmer

Mary Day 79 VA

By 1870 the Lewises are still in Putnam Co., MO but Ransom and Mary are no longer enumerated with them.

Jane Day and son, Thomas Jefferson Day, and daughter, Amanda, have also moved to Putnam Co., MO by this time.

Putnam Co., MO marriage records indicate that Amanda Day married her cousin, William Lewis, in January 1870 “at the home of Jeff Day.”

The 1870 census shows the following Day households:

1870 Putnam Co., MO Richland Twp. 17 Sep 1870

T. J. Day M 37 Farmer TN

Jane Day F 55 TN

1870 Putnam Co., MO, Richland Township. 17 Sep 1870

J. W. Day M 32 Farmer TN (James Wyley/Wiley)

M. Day F 31 IN Margaret A. Gose m 30 Nov 1865, Putnam Co., IN

L. Day F 04 MO Putnam Co., IN Marriage records

Jane (Wells) Day died in Putnam Co., MO in 1879 and is buried in Lemon Cemetery, Putnam Co., MO. (Putnam Co., MO Cemetery Records)

(1) William. No further information available. I have not been able to positively identify him. It is possible that he stayed in TN with his father.

(2) Wiley Day. Full name: James Wyley/Wiley Day. Married Margaret A. Gose as indicated above. Died 14 Apr 1890 in Putnam Co., IN. Buried Deer Creek Cemetery, Putnam Co., IN with wife, Margaret. Death records states father Wm. Day, born TN; mother’s information unknown.

(3) George Day. Full name: George Washington Day. Married (1) Sarah “Sally” A. Johnson Stough, most likely in Putnam Co., IN; (2) Mary “Polly” Burch, 7 Jan 1875, Greene Co., IN. Died 23 Mar 1915, Greene Co., IN. Death record states born TN, father: Wm Day, mother unknown.

(4) Nelson Day. Full name: Nelson B. Day. Married Alice Cotton 04 Jan 1868, Putnam Co., IN (Putnam Co., IN WPA Marriage Index). Died 22 Jun 1908, Putnam Co., IN (Putnam Co., IN Death Records). Buried Deer Creek Cemetery, Putnam Co., IN with wife, Alice.

(5) Jefferson Day. Full name: Thomas Jefferson Day. 1880 Census, Putnam Co., IN enumerated in household of Lucy Hunter along with Wyley Day’s family. Married Margaret McMains, 27 Sep 1882, Putnam Co., IN. 1900 Census, Putnam Co., IN enumerated in household of William Day, (son of Nelson B. and Alice Cotton Day), listed as “uncle.” Died 17 Feb 1907, Putnam Co., IN (Putnam Co., IN Death Records). Buried New Providence Cemetery, Putnam Co., IN. Death records states father: William Day; mother: Jinsy Wells.

William Day apparently remarried to a Jane (or Emmeline Simmons). Sistler’s East Tennessee Marriages shows a marriage between William Day and Jane Simmons 25 Sep 1861.

1870 Census, Grainger Co., TN, 1 Sep 1870, Thornhill Post Office

79-77 Day, William 59 TN Farmer

Day, Emaline 35 TN

Day, James 04 TN

Simmons, Joseph 21 TN Farm labor

By 1880 William had moved his family back across the county line into Claiborne Co., TN

1880 Census, Claiborne Co., TN, June 1880 (can't read date)

41-41 Day, William 67 Farmer TN VA VA

Day, Emiline 50 TN TN TN

Day, James 14 TN TN TN

My grandmother, Lillie Ikamire Day, showed me a Bible which had a notation : “Reuben Day’s parents Will Day and Emaline Simmons, born ‘Clabber’ Co., TN.” I have no explanation for why Reuben Day was not enumerated with William and Emaline in Grainger Co., TN in 1870. He was born 30 May 1863 in Claiborne Co., TN.

In January 2004 I received an email from an Edward Deckard of Monroe, LA which indicated that he was a great-grandson of George W. Day (above) of Greene Co., IN. In comparing information he told me he had a picture of a man, a young girl, and a dog. On the back of the photo was the notation, “papa’s half brother.” The man was further identified as Ruben Day, the girl as his granddaughter, Ruby Blue.

Charles Reuben Day married Frances Mary Ann Muncie, 31 Aug 1884, Clay Co., IN (Clay Co., IN Marriage Records). They had the following children:

Oscar Day, b 22 Jun 1885, Clay Co., IN d 14 Jun 1903, Putnam Co., IN

Rosettie Day, b 25 Jan 1887, Putnam Co., IN m Curtis Harcourt, 19 Mar 1908, Putnam Co., IN

Ina Day, 18 Jul 1889, m Virgil Blue, 12 Jan 1908, Putnam Co., IN d 15 Dec 1948, Putnam Co., IN

Ross Day, 08 Mar 1892, Putnam Co., IN d 03 Feb 1907, Putnam Co., IN

Francis Willard Day, 02 Jun 1896, Clay Co., IN m Lillie Ikamire, 29 Oct 1913, Putnam Co., IN d 22 Oct 1957, Putnam Co., IN