Jesse WRAY

Notes:

Notes for John Wray:
Probably born around 1740.

John Ray is, so far the most likely candidate for the father of Thomas and John Wray of Monroe county Virginia and later Lawrence/Gallia counties Ohio. This is an attempt to piece together information on the only Rockingham county Virginia Ray family we have found in the 1770s. The reasons I have included this are because Thomas was mentioned to have come from Rockingham county Virginia in one of his county biographies, we have not, to date, found a father close by in Monroe county, Thomas and brother John's place of residence, from 1800 on. (A biographical sketch about Eli Wray, son of Thomas, is given in a history of Nodaway County, Polk Township in which some interesting data is shown. It mentions that he was the son of Thomas Wray who was from Rockingham County, Virginia, and his mother was Rachel Neal, born in Bedford County, Virginia.) Many Rockingham county families moved to the Greenbrier and Monroe county area around 1780-1790, including John Adlerson, Mathias McGlammery, Reuben Harrison, John Conner and many others mentioned as neighbors of John & Susannah. John Wray, of Monroe named a daughter Susannah. Both John & Thomas named sons John.

Notes on the Rockingham County, Virginia Ray Family:

Date: 19 Apr 1755; Augusta Co.; Rhey, David: Only an appraisement of the estate. Appraised by James McGown, Samuel Keys, Robert Bell. There is no furniture listed in this appraisement or guns. The only weapons are knives. Several pieces of yard goods, also sewing and darning needles. There was also a small bible. (Included because James McGowin and Robert Bell are both in Rockingham). Source: Will Book 2, Page 107 & 108. Document on file.

Date: 21 Sep 1763; Augusta Co.; Ray, John: Vol 1, p. 109 (Augusta County Court Records. Order Book No. VIII),(224) John Ray appointed Constable in lower end of County. (Included because the lower end of the county is the valley). Source: Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, 1745 - 1800; Lyman Chalkley

Date: Aug 1765; Rockingham Co.; Ray, John: John Ray and Thomas Evans were admitted to membership. (Abtracts of Church Records_ Linville Creek, Smith Creek and Brock's Gap). Source: Virginia Valley Records; John W. Wayland.

Date: 21 Oct 1765; Augusta Co. (part that became Rockingham); Ray, John: Vol 1, p. 126 (Augusta County Court Records. Order Book No. X), (78) Nicholas Seahorn, Jr. vs. John Ray - Abates by death of defendant." Source: Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, 1745 - 1800; Lyman Chalkley. Note: There was obviously an elder John Ray who died in 1765.

Date: 22 Aug 1767; Augusta Co. (part that became Rockingham); Ray, John: Vol 1, p. 139 (Augusta County Court Records. Order Book No. XI), (257) Jurors: John Ray, Moses Williams, John Gray, Nicholas Seahorn." Source: Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, 1745 - 1800; Lyman Chalkley

Date: May 1768; Rockingham Co.; Ray, John: Page 55. At a business meeting the last Saturday in May 1768, Thomas Porter was appointed to warn John Ray to appear before the church to give satisfaction for some offences; Mr. John Alderson to warn John Noth to appear... (a John Alderson "married" half of Greenbrier co., VA.). Source: Virginia Valley Records; John W. Wayland.

Date: 30 May 1769; Rockingham Co.; Ray, John: 169 acres, Smith's Creek. Adjoining Reuben Harrison. Also on Smith's Creek were John Needham. Thomas Moore, Jeremiah Harrison, Solomon Turpine, Townsend Mathews, Jacob Dickenson, John Ewin(g), William Hinton, John Harrison, John Alderson, Jonathan Hilyard. Source: Augusta & Rockingham Counties 1751-1791 - Abstracts of Land Surveys

Date: 30 Oct 1770; Rockingham Co.; Ray, John: 65 acres, Smith's Creek. Adjoining Harrison, Ewin and his survey. Source: Augusta & Rockingham Counties 1751-1791 - Abstracts of Land Surveys

Date: 3 May 1771; Rockingham Co.; Ray, John: Conrad Smith, 30 acres, Dry Fork of Smith's Creek. Adjoining John Ewins and John Ray. Source: Augusta & Rockingham Counties 1751-1791 - Abstracts of Land Surveys

Date: 21 May 1771; Augusta Co. (part that became Rockingham); Ray, John: Vol. 3, page 118, Will Book No. 4: "Page 398. - 30th July, 169. John Harrison's will, cordwinder - To wife, Phoebe; to son, Zebulon; to son, Reuben, the Long Meadow plantation; to daughter, Pheby Moore; to daughter, Ann Langdon. Executors, sons Zebulon and Reuben. A Baptist minister to preach his funeral sarment. Teste: Felix Sheltman, John Ray, John Harrison, Jr. Proved, 21st May, 1771, by Ray and Harrison. Executors qualify with Archibald Huston, James Beard." Source: Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, 1745 - 1800; Lyman Chalkley

Date: 1772; Rockingham Co.; Ray, John: Baptized ... Susannah Ray, wife of John Ray & Mary Alderson, wife of Jno. Alderson Jr. Source: Virginia Valley Records; John W. Wayland.

Date: 6 Aug 1774; Rockingham Co.; Ray, John: This day met together the members of our Church, living on Smith's Creek, in order to examine into an affair between John Conner & Susannah Ray, wife of Jno. Ray. Rev. Jno. Alderson Sr. was suspended. (John Connor was suspended for unseemly behaviour with Sister Sarah Porter, she was also suspended.). Source: Virginia Valley Records; John W. Wayland.

Date: 9 Mar 1776; Rockingham Co.; Ray, John: Someone was sent to see why John Conner and John Ray were absenting themselves from church meetings. Source: Virginia Valley Records; John W. Wayland.

Date :Aug 1776; Rockingham Co.; Ray, John: John Ray to continue suspended ... John Conner to continue under consideration. Source: Virginia Valley Records; John W. Wayland.

Date: 9 Nov 1776; Rockingham Co.; Ray, John: Church met at the Big Spring (now known as Lacey Spring, at the head of Smith Creek about midway between New Market & Harrisonburg) John Ray sentenced to be excommunicated and likewise John Conner... Source: Virginia Valley Records; John W. Wayland.

Date: 1777; Augusta Co. (part that became Rockingham); Ray, John: In Capt. Reuben Harrison's Company. Part of the Illinois Papers - rolls of militia and regulars in the Illinois Department now in the Virginia State Library, indexed in the State Archives. There is also a Thomas Wray in the Illinois Papers. Source: Virginians in the Revolution.

In 1781 John Ray patented the land on Smith Creek (234 acres) which he had surveyed in 1770. Perhaps he finally had the land patented at that point because he was getting ready to leave and sell it. Curiously, he had it patented in Augusta county although the land is clearly in Rockingham county.

Note - this may not mean a thing - A John Wray paid 30 lbs. for 18 acres on Walker Creek in Montgomery County, Virginia. Paid to Thomas Shannon on 6 Oct 1795. Greenbrier Co. was formed from Montgomery Co., Virginia. He purchased 40 more acres from a land grant in 1803 bordering his own and Thomas Shannon's lines. This land was in Montgomery county VA when purchased, but later (1806) became part of Giles county. This land was to the north of Walker's Mountain and to the south of Peter's Mountain where John & Thomas Wray later purchased 60 acres and 100 acres respectively for back taxes, both paying $1. (The route from Rockingham county to Monroe county would be through the Shenandoah Valley through a pass in Botetourt county then north of Radford (very close to Blacksburg VA) through another pass which lands you at Walker's Creek. This may or may not be the John Ray who was in Rockingham county VA. In 1810 either this or another John Wray purchased 44 acres through a land grant in Montgomery county on Walker's Creek, however it does not border anyone familiar.

John married Susannah UNK. Susannah was born before 1765. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]