The oldest son of Joseph Hayward and Lydia (Barrows) Hayward, Rotheus Hayward was born October 14, 1781, in Easton, Massachusetts. In the fall of 1805, he emigrated west to Marietta, Ohio, where he worked in the shipyard of Edward Tupper. The following year he purchased a 105-acre farm above the mouth of Wolf Creek, near Waterford, Washington County, Ohio.
On January 29, 1807, Rotheus Hayward was married to Panthea Nye, daughter of Ichabod Nye and Minerva (Tupper) Nye. The couple had seven children: Joseph; Benjamin Tupper; Rotheus; Ichabod; Lydia; Edward; and George. Panthea (Nye) Tupper died January 24, 1821, and on March 18, 1822, Rotheus married Rebecca Gray, daughter of William Gray and Mary (Diamond) Gray. Five more children were added born: Charlotte; Panthea; Daniel; Columbus; and Cyrus.
A captain in the militia and a township trustee, Rotheus Hayward was a farmer and stock raiser by occupation. During the course of his lifetime, he added to his land holdings until he accumulated a property of 500 acres. Rotheus died May 22, 1842, and Rebecca died September 28, 1876. Sources: (1) Biographical and Historical Memoirs of the Early Pioneer Settlers of Ohio, With Narratives of Incidents and Occurrences in 1775. S. P. Hildreth. Cincinnati: H. W. Derby & Co., 1852; (2) Centennial Gathering of the Hayward Family With Address By George W. Hayward, and Poem, By Almira L. Hayward. Taunton, Mass.: John S. Sampson, Printer, 1879; (3) History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio and Representative Citizens. Martin R. Andrews, ed. Chicago: Biographical Publishing Company, 1902; (4) History of Washington County, Ohio, With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches. H. Z. Williams & Bro., 1881.
From the guide to the Rotheus Hayward Collection, 1804-1945, 1804-1865, (Marietta College Library)
