My 5th great-grandfather, David Bly. He bought 130 acres on both sides of the Buffalo River near the Forks of Buffalo for £25 from William and Ann Gatewood on November 5, 1770. Their niece, Elizabeth Gatewood (daughter of William’s brother, Henry), was married to a Thomas Evans. Now, Thomas had a son named Stanhope Evans who was a neighbor of David Bly. Thomas and Elizabeth had a daughter, Mary, born after 1754, and David Bly was born in 1755. Mary is mentioned as the wife of David Bly in a couple of land sales (without her maiden name).
Also, on August 26, 1782, David Bly sold 300 acres on the Buffalo River to William Gatewood, Jr., Elizabeth Gatewood’s cousin whose parents sold David Bly his first land in Amherst County. It was in Lexington Parish.
In addition, on August 5, 1784, David Bly sold more land to William Gatewood, Jr., a son of William and Ann Gatewood. One of the witnesses was Henry Gatewood, a brother of Elizabeth Gatewood.
On December 5, 1785, John Upshaw bought two certain tracts or parcels of land containing 300 acres from Stanhope Evans and David Bly on the branches of the Buffalo River.
I have also researched the other neighbors of David Bly, and none had a neighbor who was old enough to be David Bly’s common law wife. Mary is mentioned on a couple of land sales as David Bly’s wife. Stanhope Evans and the Gatewoods’ are mention several times. His sister, Mary, was indeed common law wife to David.
John Bly, the son of David and Mary, had several children. One was named Elizabeth (perhaps named after Elizabeth Gatewood), and James Henry (perhaps named after Henry Gatewood).
I'm trying to verify this possible connection that David Bly was the common law husband of Mary Evans, the daughter of Thomas Evans and Elizabeth Gatewood, other than land deeds.
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Originally Posted by Sean Morrissey
