Gazlay Family History
 

Family HistoryFamily History - David Montross Gazlay


Key:1.“+” before a child’s name indicates the child has their own entry in the next generation.
 2.“born xxxx” indicates the child is under 18 years of age so the birth date is not shown.
This family history features David Montross Gazlay and his immediate family.



First Generation
1. David Montross Gazlay,1 born 12 February 1798 in Dutchess County, New York, the son of Aaron Gazlay and Abigail Sutton;1, 2, 3 died 3 May 1877 in Pomfret, Windham County, Connecticut.1, 4 David married, 13 February 1868 in Webster, Worcester County, Massachusetts, Angeline Elizabeth Warner (née Gleason) 3, 10, 11 (born 9 March 1834 in Pomfret, Windham County, Connecticut, the daughter of Guy Gleason and Pamelia Combs;3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Angeline died 1 March 1908 in Nahant, Essex County, Massachusetts5). David is buried in Grove Street Cemetery, Putnam, Windham County, Connecticut.1 Angeline is buried in Greenlawn Cemetery, Nahant, Essex County, Massachusetts.5

While living in Chenango County, New York, David is listed as donating $3.00 to the New York Institution in 1827, undoubtedly in support of his brother John who was a deaf and dumb pupil there.12

As early as 1834, David was living in Nelson County, Kentucky, where he signed a petition sent to the U.S. Senate.13

On 8 September, 1838, while living in Jefferson County, Kentucky, David purchased eighty acres of land in Crawfordsville, Indiana, that were available from the sale of public lands. The property is described as “the North East quarter of the South East quarter and the South West quarter of the South East quarter of section three, in Township fifteen north, of Range Six West, in the District of lands subject to sale at Crawfordsville, Indiana, containing eighty acres.” It is unknown whether he ever lived on this land.14

David was a school teacher and principal during the establishment of the Louisville, Kentucky, public school system. The Legislature of Kentucky granted the first charter to the town of Louisville in 1828. In the month of March, 1829, John C. Bucklin, the first mayor of the city, recommended, in a message to the council, “the adoption of some well-digested system for establishing a permanent free school.” Mr. Manor Butler, a gentleman at the time widely known in the West as an able educator, was appointed principal teacher. For a period of five years the schools went on prosperously under the able superintendence of Mr. Butler. At the close of the school year, 1833-4, however, becoming dissatisfied with the Lancasterian Method of instruction, then very popular with the city authorities, Mr. Butler resigned his position as principal. David M. Gazlay, having recently arrived in Louisville from New York, succeeded Mr. Butler as principal and also had special charge of the Grammar School. During this same year, the Night School System was inaugurated in Louisville, which is credited with having the first night school and the first Superintendent of Schools in the United States. On October 22, 1834, a resolution was adopted ordering a night school to be opened on the first Monday in November and continue in session four months. This school was to be taught by the principals of the Grammar and Primary Departments of the city school, Mr. David M. Gazlay and Mr. Joseph Toy. Mr. Toy had been elected principal of the Primary Department of the city school in September. On February 21, 1835, Messrs. Gazlay and Toy made a report of the work of the night school for the session just closed. During the session, twenty-two boys had been in attendance studying reading, writing, and arithmetic. The night school was conducted for another four month session on 16 November 1835, with Mr. Gazlay as teacher. The session closed on March 12, 1836, with a total enrollment of twenty-four pupils. A majority of these were apprentices in the various shops in the city. With this session, the night school closed until 1842.15, 16

David apparently continued teaching in Louisville to at least 1851, as suggested by advertisements in several grammar and spelling books for Mitchell’s American System of Standard School Geography. The advertisements include testimonials by various educators, such as one in 1848 by D. M. Gazlay: “I have partially examined Mitchell’s Geography and Atlas, and am convinced that it is superior to Woodbridge or Olney both in arrangement and correctness, and have introduced it into my school.”17

He is probably the D. M. Gazlay who is listed in the US tax assessment list, residing in Division No. 3 of Collection District No. 3 of the State of Kentucky, 27 June 1863, and so he was apparently still living in Louisville, Kentucky at the time.18

David is listed as Montross Gasley in the 1865 New York census, living with his sister Sarah (Gazlay) Warner and her husband Benjamin. This is the only known public record where he is listed as Montross, which is understood to be his middle name based on an unpublished family history. It seems likely that David moved with Sarah and Benjamin to the north-eastern corner of Connecticut (“the quiet corner”) soon after 1865, possibly to be near their daughter-in-law Angeline (Gleason) Warner since their son Addison had died the previous year in the Civil War, leaving Abigail to care for their three year old daughter Pamelia.2

He married Angeline (nee Gleason) Warner in Massachusetts in 1868 and settled in Pomfret, Connecticut, where he spent his remaining years in retirement.


  1. Cemetery Inscriptions, Grove Street Cemetery, Putnam, Windham County, Connecticut; available at CTGenweb Project. D. M. Gazlay, born Feb. 12, 1798, died May 3, 1877.
  2. New York State Census, 1865, Chenango County, New Berlin, Page 681, family of Benjamin Warner (59, RI, laborer), Sarah Warner (55, Otsego County, 1 child), and border Montross Gasley (67, Dutchess County). This is undoubtedly David M. Gazlay, son of Aaron and Abigail Gazlay, living with his sister Sarah (Gazlay) Warner and her husband. This is the only known public record where he is listed as Montross, which is understood to be his middle name based on an unpublished family history.
  3. U.S. Federal Census, 1870, Connecticut, Windham County, Pomfret, Page No. 36, family of Guy (age 70) and Pamelia Gleason (age 59), with Ellen E. (age 25), Edgar O. (age 16), David M. Gazlay (age 73) and Angie E. Gazlay (age 36), with Pamelia M. Warner (age 8) (this is the daughter of Angeline by her first husband).
  4. Death Certificate, Connecticut, Pomfret, Windham County, Connecticut, D. M. Gazlay, 3 May 1877, age 79 years. Married. Residence at time of death Pomfret, CT. Cause of death Embolism. Duration of disease 8 years. Occupation School Teacher. Color or race White. Attending Physician at Putnam, CT. Certificate data posted by Adine Wakefield 4 August 2000 at genforum.genealogy.com.
  5. Death Certificate, Massachusetts, Certificate (Return of a Death) No. 75, Angeline E. Gazlay (maiden name Gleason), 1 March 1908 in Nahant, Massachusetts, age 73 years, 11 months, 22 days. The certificate gives the names of her parents and their places of birth, and the name of her husband Henry M. Gazlay.
  6. U.S. Federal Census, 1860, Connecticut, Windham County, Pomfret, Page No. 60, family of Guy (age 60) and Parmelia Gleason (age 49), with Illen E. (age 16), Angeline E. (age 26), William F. (age 22), Edgar C. (age 6), Mary A. (age 23) and Stephen O. Hendrick (age 15).
  7. U.S. Federal Census, 1880, Connecticut, Windham County, Putnam, Enumeration District 138, Page No. 45, family of Henry M. Gazlay (age 56) and wife Angeline E. Gazlay (age 46).
  8. U.S. Federal Census, 1900, Connecticut, Windham County, Putnam Town, Enumeration District 522, Sheet No. 11B, family of Angeline Gazley, age 70, born Feb 1830, with daughter Minnie Warner, age 38, born Jan 1862. Their ages and birth dates are believed to be incorrect in this census record based on other records (including the death certificate for Angeline). Angeline and Minnie are also shown in the same 1900 census in Nahant, Massachusetts (see), possibly indicating that Angeline maintained two homes. The Nahant census record is believed to be more reliable for their ages and birth dates.
  9. U.S. Federal Census, 1900, Massachusetts, Essex County, Nahant Town, Enumeration District 413, Sheet No. 9A, family of Angeline Gazlay, age 66, born Mar 1834, with daughter Minnie Warner, age 38, born May 1862.
  10. Last Will and Testament, David M. Gazlay, will written September 8, 1876. Summary of will provided by Adine Wakefield in a posting at genforum.genealogy.com. The will names the following individuals: widow Angeline E. Gazlay; brother Henry M. Gazlay, Putnam CT; A. M. Gazlay, Louisville, KY; sister Sally Warner, Woodstock, NY; brother Charles M. Gazlay, Jefferson County, KY; brother Albert S. Gazlay; deceased brother Oroville Gazlay; Renu (sp?) C. Gazlay, daughter of Oroville Gazlay; Ellen A. Palmer (formerly Ellen A. Gazlay), daughter of Oroville Gazlay, lived in Ruttum (?) Vermont; Abbie (Abby) A. Miller (formerly Abbie A. Gazlay), daughter of Oroville Gazlay, lived in State of Florida, San Mateso. [Note: the family members in this Will match nearly exactly the composition of children of Aaron and Abigail Gazlay named in at least one other record, so this David M. Gazlay is strongly believed to be their eldest son.]
  11. Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910, available at familyhistory.org. Marriage of D. M. Gazley, age 70, and Angeline E. Warner, age 34, on 13 Feb 1868 in Webster, Massachusetts. Record includes names of all parents. This is Angeline’s second marriage, so the surname of her parents is incorrectly listed as Warner; her maiden surname is Gleason.
  12. Annual report of the Directors of the New York Institution for the instruction of the Deaf and Dumb to the Legislature of the State of New York; for the year ending 31st Dec. 1827. New York: 1828, pages 2, 21, and 34.
  13. Public Documents Printed by order of the Senate, First Session of the Twenty-Third Congress, begun and held in the City of Washington, December 1, 1834. Volume IV, containing documents 267-372. Washington: Printed by Duff Green. 1834. Document 367, Memorial from the Citizens of Nelson County, Kentucky, Disapproving of the removal of the Deposites [sic], and in favor of the re-charter of the Bank of the United States. May 14, 1834, Referred to the Committee on Finance, and ordered to be printed. Names of people who signed include David M. Gazlay.
  14. Land Grant, Certificate No. 29,918, General Land Office of the United States at Crawfordsville, Indiana, dated 8 September 1838, granting eighty acres to David M. Gazlay from the sale of public lands.
  15. Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Public Schools of Louisville, for the Year Ending June 30, 1870. Louisville, KY., 1870. Article on the History of the Night Schools, pages 147-149. Digitized copy available at Google Books.
  16. The University Monthly, Volume I., Nos. 4 & 5, New York, June and July, 1871. Article on the Public Schools of Louisville, Kentucky. Digitized copy available at Google Books.
  17. First Lessons in Grammar, by Samuel S. Green, A.M., Philadelphia, Thomas Cowperthwait & Company, 1848: Louisville, Ky.
  18. U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 Record for D M Gazlay [indexed as Gaglay]. Available at ancestry.com.