REBECCA C. GAY WENTWORTH was born November 20, 1839 in Woodford County, Kentucky, and was the youngest child of James and Catherine Claggett Gay.
Her grandfather, John Gay, was born in Scotland in 1740 and emigrated to America, where, together with Dunlaps and Stevensons, was among the first settlers of Woodford County. John Gay married Sarah Loughridge, and Rebecca’s father, James Gay, was born on November 1, 1781 in the fort which was erected on the site now occupied by the city of Lexington. After relations with the Native American tribes improved, it was possible to live outside the fort at Lexington. The Dunlap, Stevenson and Gay families all purchased land near the present site of Pisgah Church, and they settled together in the Pisgah neighborhood.
James Gay married Catherine Claggett on March 4, 1817. Before emigrating to Kentucky, the Claggetts had been prominent citizens of Hagerstown, Maryland, and related to Bishop Claggett, the first Episcopal Bishop in the United States. James and Catherine had 11 children: (1) Mary D. Gay, born in 1818, married Guy Hamilton Kinkead, and moved to Brown County, Ohio; (2) Sarah Gay, born in 1819, married Edwin Wright of Bourbon county; (3) Margaret Gay, born in 1821, married Dr. Robert Henry Wasson, of Pisgah (his second wife); (4) John Thomas Gay, born in 1823, married Sallie Branham; (5) Elizabeth Gay, born in 1825, married Elijah A. Hopkins and lived in Brown County, Ohio; (6) James Robert Gay, born in 1828, married Katherine Lamme; (7) William Douglas Gay, born in 1830; (8) Agnes Gay, born in 1833, married Horace Ardinger, of Lexington, Missouri; (9) Watson Gay, born in 1835, died about 1855; (10) Catherine C. Gay, born in 1837, but never married; and (11) Rebecca C. Gay, born on November 20, 1839.
Rebecca’s father died on November 13, 1840, when she was less than a year old. Rebecca was educated at the Pisgah school and was a member of the Presbyterian Church at Pisgah, which was founded in 1784 by the Gay, Stevenson and Dunlap families, among other pioneers. Growing up without a father, she was very close to her mother Catherine, who survived her husband by over a quarter of a century, dying on July 20, 1867.
Rebecca married Lee Bird of Shelby County, Kentucky, in 1862, but he died within a few months of their marriage. On a visit to Lexington, Missouri to visit her sister Agnes after the Civil War, she met Stephen G. Wentworth, a banker and community leader who would later found Wentworth Military Academy. Although Wentworth was 28 years older than Rebecca, the two were married on January 21, 1868, and Rebecca spent the next 30 years in Missouri. Following Wentworth's death on July 1, 1897, Rebecca returned to Woodford County. She died in Versailles on January 31, 1908 and was buried in the Pisgah Church Cemetery.
Her grandfather, John Gay, was born in Scotland in 1740 and emigrated to America, where, together with Dunlaps and Stevensons, was among the first settlers of Woodford County. John Gay married Sarah Loughridge, and Rebecca’s father, James Gay, was born on November 1, 1781 in the fort which was erected on the site now occupied by the city of Lexington. After relations with the Native American tribes improved, it was possible to live outside the fort at Lexington. The Dunlap, Stevenson and Gay families all purchased land near the present site of Pisgah Church, and they settled together in the Pisgah neighborhood.
James Gay married Catherine Claggett on March 4, 1817. Before emigrating to Kentucky, the Claggetts had been prominent citizens of Hagerstown, Maryland, and related to Bishop Claggett, the first Episcopal Bishop in the United States. James and Catherine had 11 children: (1) Mary D. Gay, born in 1818, married Guy Hamilton Kinkead, and moved to Brown County, Ohio; (2) Sarah Gay, born in 1819, married Edwin Wright of Bourbon county; (3) Margaret Gay, born in 1821, married Dr. Robert Henry Wasson, of Pisgah (his second wife); (4) John Thomas Gay, born in 1823, married Sallie Branham; (5) Elizabeth Gay, born in 1825, married Elijah A. Hopkins and lived in Brown County, Ohio; (6) James Robert Gay, born in 1828, married Katherine Lamme; (7) William Douglas Gay, born in 1830; (8) Agnes Gay, born in 1833, married Horace Ardinger, of Lexington, Missouri; (9) Watson Gay, born in 1835, died about 1855; (10) Catherine C. Gay, born in 1837, but never married; and (11) Rebecca C. Gay, born on November 20, 1839.
Rebecca’s father died on November 13, 1840, when she was less than a year old. Rebecca was educated at the Pisgah school and was a member of the Presbyterian Church at Pisgah, which was founded in 1784 by the Gay, Stevenson and Dunlap families, among other pioneers. Growing up without a father, she was very close to her mother Catherine, who survived her husband by over a quarter of a century, dying on July 20, 1867.
Rebecca married Lee Bird of Shelby County, Kentucky, in 1862, but he died within a few months of their marriage. On a visit to Lexington, Missouri to visit her sister Agnes after the Civil War, she met Stephen G. Wentworth, a banker and community leader who would later found Wentworth Military Academy. Although Wentworth was 28 years older than Rebecca, the two were married on January 21, 1868, and Rebecca spent the next 30 years in Missouri. Following Wentworth's death on July 1, 1897, Rebecca returned to Woodford County. She died in Versailles on January 31, 1908 and was buried in the Pisgah Church Cemetery.
REBECCA C. GAY WENTWORTH was born November 20, 1839 in Woodford County, Kentucky, and was the youngest child of James and Catherine Claggett Gay.
Her grandfather, John Gay, was born in Scotland in 1740 and emigrated to America, where, together with Dunlaps and Stevensons, was among the first settlers of Woodford County. John Gay married Sarah Loughridge, and Rebecca’s father, James Gay, was born on November 1, 1781 in the fort which was erected on the site now occupied by the city of Lexington. After relations with the Native American tribes improved, it was possible to live outside the fort at Lexington. The Dunlap, Stevenson and Gay families all purchased land near the present site of Pisgah Church, and they settled together in the Pisgah neighborhood.
James Gay married Catherine Claggett on March 4, 1817. Before emigrating to Kentucky, the Claggetts had been prominent citizens of Hagerstown, Maryland, and related to Bishop Claggett, the first Episcopal Bishop in the United States. James and Catherine had 11 children: (1) Mary D. Gay, born in 1818, married Guy Hamilton Kinkead, and moved to Brown County, Ohio; (2) Sarah Gay, born in 1819, married Edwin Wright of Bourbon county; (3) Margaret Gay, born in 1821, married Dr. Robert Henry Wasson, of Pisgah (his second wife); (4) John Thomas Gay, born in 1823, married Sallie Branham; (5) Elizabeth Gay, born in 1825, married Elijah A. Hopkins and lived in Brown County, Ohio; (6) James Robert Gay, born in 1828, married Katherine Lamme; (7) William Douglas Gay, born in 1830; (8) Agnes Gay, born in 1833, married Horace Ardinger, of Lexington, Missouri; (9) Watson Gay, born in 1835, died about 1855; (10) Catherine C. Gay, born in 1837, but never married; and (11) Rebecca C. Gay, born on November 20, 1839.
Rebecca’s father died on November 13, 1840, when she was less than a year old. Rebecca was educated at the Pisgah school and was a member of the Presbyterian Church at Pisgah, which was founded in 1784 by the Gay, Stevenson and Dunlap families, among other pioneers. Growing up without a father, she was very close to her mother Catherine, who survived her husband by over a quarter of a century, dying on July 20, 1867.
Rebecca married Lee Bird of Shelby County, Kentucky, in 1862, but he died within a few months of their marriage. On a visit to Lexington, Missouri to visit her sister Agnes after the Civil War, she met Stephen G. Wentworth, a banker and community leader who would later found Wentworth Military Academy. Although Wentworth was 28 years older than Rebecca, the two were married on January 21, 1868, and Rebecca spent the next 30 years in Missouri. Following Wentworth's death on July 1, 1897, Rebecca returned to Woodford County. She died in Versailles on January 31, 1908 and was buried in the Pisgah Church Cemetery.
Her grandfather, John Gay, was born in Scotland in 1740 and emigrated to America, where, together with Dunlaps and Stevensons, was among the first settlers of Woodford County. John Gay married Sarah Loughridge, and Rebecca’s father, James Gay, was born on November 1, 1781 in the fort which was erected on the site now occupied by the city of Lexington. After relations with the Native American tribes improved, it was possible to live outside the fort at Lexington. The Dunlap, Stevenson and Gay families all purchased land near the present site of Pisgah Church, and they settled together in the Pisgah neighborhood.
James Gay married Catherine Claggett on March 4, 1817. Before emigrating to Kentucky, the Claggetts had been prominent citizens of Hagerstown, Maryland, and related to Bishop Claggett, the first Episcopal Bishop in the United States. James and Catherine had 11 children: (1) Mary D. Gay, born in 1818, married Guy Hamilton Kinkead, and moved to Brown County, Ohio; (2) Sarah Gay, born in 1819, married Edwin Wright of Bourbon county; (3) Margaret Gay, born in 1821, married Dr. Robert Henry Wasson, of Pisgah (his second wife); (4) John Thomas Gay, born in 1823, married Sallie Branham; (5) Elizabeth Gay, born in 1825, married Elijah A. Hopkins and lived in Brown County, Ohio; (6) James Robert Gay, born in 1828, married Katherine Lamme; (7) William Douglas Gay, born in 1830; (8) Agnes Gay, born in 1833, married Horace Ardinger, of Lexington, Missouri; (9) Watson Gay, born in 1835, died about 1855; (10) Catherine C. Gay, born in 1837, but never married; and (11) Rebecca C. Gay, born on November 20, 1839.
Rebecca’s father died on November 13, 1840, when she was less than a year old. Rebecca was educated at the Pisgah school and was a member of the Presbyterian Church at Pisgah, which was founded in 1784 by the Gay, Stevenson and Dunlap families, among other pioneers. Growing up without a father, she was very close to her mother Catherine, who survived her husband by over a quarter of a century, dying on July 20, 1867.
Rebecca married Lee Bird of Shelby County, Kentucky, in 1862, but he died within a few months of their marriage. On a visit to Lexington, Missouri to visit her sister Agnes after the Civil War, she met Stephen G. Wentworth, a banker and community leader who would later found Wentworth Military Academy. Although Wentworth was 28 years older than Rebecca, the two were married on January 21, 1868, and Rebecca spent the next 30 years in Missouri. Following Wentworth's death on July 1, 1897, Rebecca returned to Woodford County. She died in Versailles on January 31, 1908 and was buried in the Pisgah Church Cemetery.
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