The Jay family of La Rochelle and New York, province and state

Augustus Jay (1665-1751), son of Pierre Jay, a rich merchant of La Rochelle, France, was on a trading trip to Africa, when his Huguenot family fled to Bristol, England. He was smuggled on board a ship that sailed to South Carolina. He soon moved north and settled in New York City. In 1697, he married Anna Maricka Bayard, daughter of Balthazar Bayard. They had three daughters and a son. Most descendants listed lived in New York.