Lay, Zina W.
Birth
Dr. Zina W. Lay was born on May 11, 1787[1] in Middlesex County, Ct[1] to Robert Lay and Desire Wolcott.[2]
Education
Zina was educated at the Academy in Saybrook, Ct.[1] Then at at 17 years, he studied under Dr. John Ely of Greenville, Greene Co, NY.[1] After his studies with Dr. Ely, he recieved his medical license.[1]
Occupation
Dr. Zina W. Lay was a medical doctor who served Westerlo and Rensselaerville.[1][3][4][5]
Marriage & Children
Dr. Lay had three wives.[1] The first was the daughter of Moses Smith and by her he had five children, 3 of which survived.[1] His second wife is unknown. In 1845 he married his third wife, Flora Backus, who was the widow of Reverend Samuel Fuller.[3][1][5] She had one adopted daughter Mary Brewerton, who was thirteen years of age at the time of the marriage.[3]
Personality
Dr. Lay was described as a mild mannered, sympathetic individual, who cared for the sick and poor. He was confident in his skill and transmitted this confidence to his patients.[1]
Religion
Dr. Lay was Presbyterian and donated frequently to his local churches and their causes.[1]
Military
In 1812, Zina W. Lay was a surgeon's mate for Albany County's 5th Regiment of the Cavalry, second brigade.[6]
Life
Zina W. Lay lived in Connecticut until the age of 17, when he came to Greenville to study under a relative Dr. John Ely.[1] After receiving his license, he went to work in Westerlo where he remained for 13 yrs.[1] It was during this time that he married his first wife. For 4 years, he lived and worked in Cooperstown, but he then returned to Westerlo.[1] In 1824, he was nominated by Albany citizens along with George Merchant and John Taylor to represent them at a convention in Utica in support of DeWitt Clinton.[7] He was recorded in the 1830 US Census living in Westerlo.[8] In 1845 he married Flora Backus, the daughter of Colonel Electus Backus and the following year the family moved to the hamlet of Rensselaerville, where they owned a large house which housed his practice as well as the family.[3][5] At some point about 1850, they then moved to the city of Albany, where Dr. Lay focused his practice on the study and treatment of the lungs and throat.[3][1] In the 1850 US Census he and his family were recorded in Rensselaerville and his family included his wife Flora, Mary Brewerton and Olive Bailey.[9] It is said that after living in Albany, he moved to Stillwater, Saratoga County, NY where he died in 1855.[1]
Death
Dr. Zina W. Lay reportedly died in March of 1855 while living in Stillwater, Saratoga Co, NY.[1] He died of heart disease at the age of 68 years.[1]
Obituary
Additional Media
Sources
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 Medical Society of the County of Albany (NY), "Annals of the Medical Society of the county of Albany with Biographical Sketches of Deceased Members", Volume 1, Published by J. Munsell, Albany, 1864 page 328, www.googlebooks.com
- ↑ www.ancestry.com
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Haseley, Janet, "Like a Place Built in a Green Bowl, with a Crack on One Side", The Rensselaerville Press; A Quarterly newsletter of the Rensselaerville Historical Society, Winter 2008-9.
- ↑ Howell, George Rogers, & Jonathan Tenney, Bi-centennial History of the County of Albany, NY from 1609-1886 with Portraits, Biographies and Illustrations, W. W. Munsell & Co., 1886
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Rensselaerville Historical Society, People Made It Happen Here; History of the Town of Rensselaerville ca. 1788-1950
- ↑ Hastings, Hugh, State Historian, "Military Minutes of the Council of Appointment of the state of New York
- ↑ Hanyan, Craig and Mary L., "DeWitt Clinton and the Rise of the People's Men", McGill/Queen's University Press, 1996, page 215.
- ↑ 1830 US Census, Westerlo, Albany Co, NY
- ↑ 1850 US Census, Rensselaerville, Albany Co, NY
