Appendix XXII
4.Col. Elijah Eleazer Massey: Probable Birth Date

Wilbur Fisk Massey says: "I cannot find date of my great-grandfather Elijah's birth or death.  My record begins in my grandfather Benjamin's Bible with his birth."(1)

J. G. Massey notes:  "Benj. Hemsley Clinton Massey was born 1821, died 1894.  Dr. G. Betton Massey, his son, compiled such records as he had, with his father's assistance in 1880 ... it is fair to assume that, considering his father could go back to an early date, there must be some basis for the unqualified assertion that Peter [Massey] was born in 1714.  There no doubt was some record of the birth of a child in 1732  ... in the absence of some family record of the marriage [date] ...  in other words, in this instance, they probably made the best guess they could as to the date of marriage; that Elijah Eleazer Massey was born 1732, d.1812."(2) Note.  Benjamin Massey, shown as the eldest son of Elijah Eleazer Massey, was born 2 Jan.1767, died 3 May 1835.(2)  If Elijah Eleazer had been about age 25 when his first son was born, his birth date would be c.1742.  Rather than to use the "best guess" birth date of 1732; I am using the more logical computed birth date c.1740.[Ed.]

Sources Page 1 Genealogical Research Report: Maryland D.A.R.: vol.15, p.190. p.0105 2 J.G.Massey: 1908 Notes: 1936 to G.L.Jr., p.1 p.0025