The original ancestors of the Gazlay family, came to the United States, from England. The name has undergone some changes, in spelling and pronunciation. Where our ancestors first landed, in the State of New York, the name was pronounced with long sound of the letter a in the first syllable, as though spelled Gazeley; and is still so pronounced in the East; in the West it is pronounced, with short short sound of a , Gaz-lay; this would seem to indicate that the pronunciation Gazeley, came from England, with our ancestors, where they first landed.

In corroboration of this theory, there is a family now residing in Albany, State of New York, who spell their names Gazeley. The father of this family is named James Gazeley, and he informs me that he came to this country some thirty years ago from England; that he has family relatives still residing in England; and he sent me a photograph of his brother, still in England, which show unmistakable signs of being of Gazlay blood; in fact it would do for a portrait of one of my brothers. I know nothing more of the derivation of the name, or where the original stock came from. But I think it is an old name in England. In looking over an old law book, many years ago, I accidently came across a note, stating that a certain Judge Gaselee has made a ruling in a Case, from which I infer that the name was originally so spelled.

The Gazlay family are prolific. There are people of that name in Texas, New York, Cleveland, Ohio, and in Kentucky and other States, and the Gazlay blood, scattered by marriage, may be found under other names, in nearly every State in the Union. Many of the Gazlay family, particularly the male portion, have what the Rev. David Swing, calls the Gazlay mark, that is a deep indentation on each side of the face running from the outerside of the nostrils, towards the corners of the mouth.

Theodore Gazlay, the writer of this, was born in the State of New York, where the family resided, and removed to the State of Ohio, at an early day, and being a young member of the family, had but little knowledge of its history.

He called upon his older brother, Rev. Sayrs Gazlay, for a statement, in relation to the family who, in 1852, gave to him the following statement, which he now has, (1890) in his writing.

The above statement given to Theodore Gazlay, by his brother Sayrs Gazlay, May 5th, 1852, and relates to the family as it then existed with antecedent information.

Among the Records of the family Bible of Sayrs Gazlay, I find the following, among the deaths, referring I suppose, to the old members, ancestors of our family.

Also the following:

John Gazlay, born July 9th., 1722 (old style,) at Goshen, Orange County, New York.

Anna Ward, his wife, born Nov. 15th., 1725, married Oct. 30th., 1746.

Children of John Gazlay and Anna Ward, and dates of birth:

James Gazlay, father of Theodore Gazlay, born Jany. 23rd., 1758; Huldah his wife Feby. 11th., 1767.

I, Theodore Gazlay, now come to my own inadequate family; James Gazlay, the father of Theodore Gazlay, (and other children hereinafter named,) was born Jany. 23rd., 1758, and Huldah, his wife, Feby. 11th., 1767; said James Gazlay was married to Huldah Carter, October 20th., 1783, and had 12 children, whose names are as follows:

All of there children lived to maturity. The family formerly resided in Cairo, Greene County, State of New York, where Theodore Gazlay, and Adelia were born. James W. the oldest son, (lawyer,) had removed to Cincinnati, Ohio, about the year 1818? About the year 1820 or 1821, the whole family removed from Greene County, New York, to Cincinnati; and on their arrival, the father and mother, and eleven of the children, (Sayre only being absent, in New York,) sat down to dinner, at the house of James W. Gazlay, in Cincinnati.

The family afterwards, in 1821 or 1822, removed to Switzerland County, Indiana, on a farm, near Patriot, and after the death of James Gazlay, the father, changed residences, and became scattered as the following will show, to some extent.