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The following is a history of the Maze Family's name, written by Robert G. Maze of San Diego California. My dad got this information from him through a cousin of ours (Phillip Bowser) who met Robert. It's pretty interesting about where our roots lie and when we came to America. Let's just say we've been here awhile! Robert has put a lot of work into tracing our family all the way back to the 1700s. Read below, it's pretty interesting...
-Zack

"THE CLAIM OF A MAZE/MAYS FAMILY LINE"
2000

HISTORY:

This Genealogical report is intended to help CLARIFY and add CREDIBILITY to this researchers findings that the present spelling of the surname MAZE was originally spelled MAYS in Ireland. The variations found on official documents; Marriage License, Wills, Taxes and Census reports between 1775 and 1810 had spellings of MAIS,MAIZE and MAYS on a few and were all written by other then family members. The predominate spelling found before the death of John Senior in 1805 at Cynthiana, Harrison Co. Ky. was MAYES.

John Sr's. Spouse Jane (McLory) and children all lacked the education and ability to read and write in the early years of their lives and it was not until about 1830-1840 that all the family members were using the present spelling of MAZE as the family surname. The inability of not being able to read and write was still noted in the 1850 census for John Jr's. Children in Center Twp, Rush Co; In.

These findings are intended to be shared with the MAZE family descendants of John Sr. that settled into the following areas of Indiana: Fayette, Rush ,Shelby ,Marion and Union Counties from 1815 to present time. This family line was started by Thomas and Jean MAYS in or around County Monaghan, North Ireland , a son John left the port of Antrim by ship and arrived at the port of Philadelphia, Pa. in the summer of 1774.


John worked as a Labor at the Port of Philadelphia and did not serve in the Contential Army, then again there are no records of his allegiance. John met Jane McLory on board the ship in which she was traveling with her father, (Charles) and mother(Ann) and two other siblings. John and Jane were married at the 2nd Presbyterian Church, in North Liberty Twp; Philadelphia Co .Pa. in 1775 and lived their until 1788. The 2nd Presbyterian Church had a fire about 1810 and all the Church records were lost. Later on the Church was sold and the records on hand at that time were transferred to the First Presbyterian Church. This Church is still in use but there are no records of Marriages or membership of the Second Presbyterian Church to support the Marriage and Baptism events that we know did happen their between 1775 and 1788.

During this period they had the following children: Thomas, Jean, John Jr; and Ann. The family then traveled to Maytown, Lancaster Co, Pa. and lived their about two years in which time Samuel was born in 1788. According to Family records of Phillip Bowser's mother(Roberta Elizabeth Maze) a descendant of Samuel and Isabella Maze the family stayed outside of Fort Duquesne located on the East side of the Monongahela river in the fork between that and the Ohio River for a short time and in late spring of 1791 the family traveled down the Ohio River to Mays, Ky. and then on to Cynthiana, Harrison Co, Ky. where John purchased 61 acres of land from James Trabue. His property was close to the Bourbon Co. line and received their water supply from the Indian Creek watershed that ran through the property. They became members of the Indian Creek Presbyterian Church which bordered their land to the South West. David and Elizabeth were born there and baptized in that Church. There again the Church was later sold to a Baptist Group and none of the early records were retained by the Presbyterian Central Office or the Baptist Church.

It was during the spring of 1805 that John Sr became ill and passed away in July 1805 and was buried at the Indian Creek Church Cemetery. There are no records of who is buried there and there are numerous unmarked graves in the old section next to the Church and therefore proof of this can only be assumed but is highly logical, since all other burial sites in Harrison and Bourbon Counties (Total of 32 cemeteries) were investigated and at this time the Indian Creek Church was the only Presbyterian Church in Harrison County. The family was always Presbyterians dating back to Monoghan, Ireland in the 1700.

In August 1805 Jane had to pay the death tax on John Sr's. Property and In 1806 Jane paid the Taxes on the farm, however in 1807 she was unable to make the payments to James Trabue and the Farm and land had to be resold to pay the debt owed James Trabue. Land Records were recorded in Paris, Bourbon Co., KY. The two older sons, Thomas, and John Jr. were married living on their lands in Harrison and Bourbon Counties and only Samuel and David were living at home and according to the fathers "Will" they were each to own ½ the farm. About 1808 mother Jane, sons Samuel , David and infant daughter Elizabeth started heading north and were joined by the families of Thomas, John Jr. and Ann (Kirkpatrick) wife of William Kirkpatrick. Jean was married to Joseph Howe in 1797, who was studying to be a Presbyterian Minister left the area before John Sr. died. Thomas, Jean, John Jr. and Ann were all married in Harrison Co., Ky.

The Government then opened the Indian Lands in the state of Indiana to Homesteading about 1809 and these Families settled in the Fayette Co., In. area for the next 20 years. Thomas had lived in Ohio for awhile and then settled in Shelby Co, In. Samuel, John Jr. and Ann (Kirkpatrick) all settled in the Center Twp, Rush Co ,In .area.

Jane and daughter Elizabeth also had a Farm in partnership in the Washington Twp. Rush Co. area and maintained it with the help of a son of Thomas and some hired hands. This Farm was sold about 1840 when Jane became ill and she died about 1842 at the age of 82. It is this writer's belief that she is buried in an unmarked grave at the Shilo Church Cemetery and was the nearest Presbyterian Church to her Farm. Again this was a Presbyterian Church that was sold and the building was removed from the property and made into a home for the new owner.

David was married to Sarah (Pigman) in 1817 and was living in Dunlapsville, Union Co, In. when his mother Jane died. There was belief that she was buried in Dunlapsville however there are no records of her burial and all area cemeteries were searched by myself during two visits of the area.

In 1839, Samuels wife died and he had several young children, so when Jane sold the Farm in 1840, daughter Elizabeth who never married went to live with Brother Samuel and help raise his children. It was thought by some people since Elizabeth's surname was Maze that she was Samuel's 2nd wife and a mistake was made on her grave marker stating that she was the wife of Samuel. There is only a record of Samuel marrying Isabelle Stevenson. Samuel is buried next to Isabella and some of their infant death children, but Elizabeth Maze is buried about 10 grave sites away which would also supports that she was not a second wife even though they lived together over 26 years in the same house.

SUMMARY:

1. I'd been first believed that John Sr. was born in Paxton Twp, Lancaster Co, Pa. and was the son of Thomas Sr. and Margaret (Houston) Mayes. They did have a son John born abt. 1752, but later information from a Maze descendant (Not Proven) states John Sr. and Jane (McLory), both were born in North Ireland and came over on the same ship from the Port of Antrim, Ireland and arrived the summer of 1774 and were married in Phila. about 1775. Jane McLory was with child (Thomas) and the age of 15 when married.
2. Other Family records from Roberta Elizabeth (Maze) Bowser, state that Jane McLory was able to see the coast of Scotland on a clear day from her house in North Ireland. According to Hugh Macartney a local in County Antrim, stated the only place that could have been was between Benmore Head and Cushendun which was only 17 miles to the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland.
3. Bourbon and Montgomery Counties in Ky. had families named MAZE, but none in Harrison County. These families that I visited stated they also came from North Ireland , but were of the Baptist faith and their given names were not of the same following as in the John Sr and Jane Family line.
4. It is believed that the local Tax collectors and Record keepers adopted the Maze surname spelling since it was known that John Sr. and his children were unable to read and write in the early years. Polkesville, KY has a large Maze family cemetery which dates back into the early 1700 and is maintained by brothers Earl and Eugene Maze in 2000 during my last visit of the area.

Submitted By:
Robert G. Maze
San Diego, California