John Haynes Sr. was born at Rowan County, North Carolina, 24 November 1759, a son of James Haynes and Ann Huggins.  He was the sixth of ten children.

At the age of 16 years, John and his brothers Joseph and James, Jr., took up arms and served in the North Carolina Militia.

John Haynes’ pension application evidences his rank as private and his periods of service as having been about one year under various commands including Colonel William Richardson Davie’s Regiment of Light Horse in Colonel Locke’s Regiment of Militia and Colonel George Davidson’s Regiment.

John participated in several engagements during the war.  Most notable were The Battle of Ramsour’s Mill and the Battle of Charlotte, as well as several skirmishes involving Colonel Banastre Tarleton.

John married Margaret Andrews, 29 April 1783, at Rowan County, North Carolina.  They had 11 children: James Sloan, Andrew, John Jr., David, Cyrus T., Nancy B., Hannah, Martha “Mattie,” Peggy, Margaret, and Asenath.

John and his brothers, Joseph and James Jr., migrated to Tennessee about the 1806.  They lived for about three years at Williamson County, before finally settling at Giles County near present-day Cornersville, Marshall County.  They were co-owners of a store at Cornersville.

In 1814, James Jr. contracted typhoid fever and died.  He was buried at the family farm and his grave has been lost to history.  Joseph Haynes was living at nearby Maury County and passed away 3 June 1845.  He was buried at the Haynes Family Cemetery.  His grave was marked by the local DAR chapter.

In the fall of 1833 or spring of 1834, John, desiring more “Elbow Room,” migrated to present-day  McCracken County, Kentucky.   John owned about 500 acres of ground stretching from the Mayfield Creek Bottoms to what is present-day Lovelaceville-Florence Station Road West.  He built a manor house as well as several out buildings and barns.   In a deed, he donated about 55 acres of ground to establish the New Hope Cumberland Presbyterian Church located a half mile from there.  Several members of the extended Haynes family as well as two of John’s sons, John Jr. and Cyrus, were Cumberland Presbyterian Ministers.  John’s land was the site of frequent “Camp Meetings.” 

John Haynes passed away peacefully at about 1:00 a.m., 25 October 1838, and was buried at the family cemetery.  The headstones mark the head and foot of John Haynes, a soldier of 1776, and were placed by his son, David, who had lived nearby until John’s death.