The Ancestors of John Wray / Ray, Brunswick Co, VA
Other Names: WHITSON / CLARY / PARKER / PITTMANLocations: St. Andrew's Parish, Mehrin Parish, Brunswick Co, VA, Surry Co, VA
SPECIAL NOTE: Beginning with William Wray Sr., John Wray Sr., Nathaniel Ray Sr, Nathaniel Ray Jr., Hix Jones Ray, James Carroll Ray, James Buchanan Ray, Lew Wade Ray and my father Robert Ray, you'll be able to trace many Ray families as they traveled through time and from one location to another. Corrections are encouraged. I believe that my Ray / Wray family decsended from Brunswick County Virginia. Ray / Wray can be found in the 1700's in this area and are pretty well documented. And it seems that many Ray's may have crossed the border into North Carolina. And as you can see the spelling went both ways - Ray and Wray. In one instance I saw great great great grandpa's name spelled Hix Jones Rhea.
The Whitson Connection - a rebellous AmericanWilliam WRay, Sr. b: ca 1650 transported to Va. May 23, 1671 ( or before)wife: Mary Whitson, d/o John Whitson and Anne Spencer Whitson. Anne Spencer Whitson was the daughter of Captain Robert Spencer who came to Virginia and lived in Surry County, Virginia at the head of Crouches Creek. He was married twice and Anne was by his second wife Jane, last name unknown. John Whitson was a Baconian who was hanged for participating in rebellion of 1676. He was hung as a traitor to the King by the Royalist Governor William Berkley. John Whitson with Bacon and his men were fighting for many of the same ideals as Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence one hundred years later. John Whitson aquired land in Surry Co, Va Oct. 23, 1690 & was a Colonial soldier, Surry Co, Va. Nov 1701. William Wray's will was filed in Surry County, VA on October 20, 1731. The will book is badly damaged and a copy of the will and this information was provided to me by another researcher, Arline McGuire. (Arline's common ancestor is John Wray, who left a will in Brunswick Co, Va, 1774 and his son James.) Likely children of William WRAY and Mary WHITSON:
Some guess work is involved connecting William to John Wray / Ray. But the ties from John Wray down to me are pretty concrete. John, William and Frances each received adjoining land patents in Brunswick County, VA. The will of William Wray Sr. lists William Clary as a witness along with Richard Parker. Wm. Pittman, his brother-in-law, was appointed executor since his three sons were not living in Surry - it would have been difficult for them to be administrators of the will. Again, please check with Arline McGuire. |
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The Will of John Wray
Proved 23rd May 1774, Brunswick County, Virginia
In the Name of God Amen. I Jno Wray of the Parish of Maherrin in the county of Brunswick being weak of Body but of sound & perfect sense (?) & memory Praise be given to almighty God do make and ordain this to be my Last Well & Testament in the Name and form following first & principally I commend my soul unto the hands of God my Creator and my desire is for my Body to be Decently buried at the discretion of my Executors hereafter named. & as to my Worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me with I Dispose of as Followith after my Debts & funeral expenses are paid.
Item I Lend to my well beloved wife Frances Wray my best Feather Bed & furniture & my roane on ____ mare During her natural Life and then to be Divided as followeth.
Item I Give & Bequeath unto my son Nathaniel Wray one shilling.
Item I Give & Bequeath to my son Jno Wray one shilling.
Item I Give & Bequeath to my Daughter Rebeccah Culver one shillling and no more.
__ my will & Desire is that my Land wereon I now live shall be sold and all the residue of my Estate be it of what kind soever at publick sale and my daughter Mary Wray to be first paid Fifty shillings out of the money the Land sells for and Fifty shillings to my Grandson Benjamin Wray and the remainder to be Equally Divided between my well Beloved wife Frances Wray and the remainder of my children / to wit, my son James Wray and my Daughter ____ Mize & Edy Mize and at the Death of my said wife my Desire is that the Bed & furniture & mare be sold and equally divided among my three last mentioned children.
Also my will & Desire is if my Roane Mare should prove with Fold that my well beloved wife shall comply with my agreement with Jno Powell my neighbor & Deliver to him the said Powell the Foll of the said mare at one years old in good order for the consideration of Forty shillings to be paid by the said Powell to my Exors to be Equally Divided as before entioned & two Barrells of Corn to my wife towards the support of the said Fold I make my son James Wray my ___ & ___ executor of this my last will & testament whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this being the 11th day of May 1773.
| Signed Sealed &
Delivered In the Presence of Benj Johnson Jno Powell |
his John R Wray Mark |
At a Court held for Brunswick County the 23rd day of May 1774 This will was proved according to Law by the oaths of Benj Johnson & Jno Powell the witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded and on the motion of James Wray the Exor therein named who made oath and ordered to be recorded and on the motion of James Wray the exor therein named who made oath and ordered to be recorded and on the motion of James Wray the Exor therein named who made oath thereto according to Law & together with Jeremiah Mize his security entered into & acknowledged his Bond in the Penalty of Two hundred pounds _____ as the Law Dirests certificate is granted him of obtaining a probate thereof in due form.
Teste
Peter Pelham
More INFORMATION ON JOHN WRAY, died ca 1774, Brunswick County, Virginia:
John may have arrived in Brunswick Co from Surry Co, Va ca 1726. He may have attended church at St Andrew's Parish. Church records exist for St Andrew's Parish, Va State Archives, has anyone researched these? John Wray left a will in 1774 which identifies his children and wife and grandson Benjamin Wray to whom he left 50 sh. He received a Royal Land Patent 5/15/1722, on East side of Jeneto Creek, Brunswick Co, Virginia. John was a surveyor, in Brunswick Co, in 1739 and 1748. Information source: Brunswick Co, Va 1720- 1975 by Gay Nealse.
Carl Ray, is looking for information on this grandson, Benjamin Ray (1756-1841) who joined the Revolutionary Army at Wilmington, NC in the Spring of 1776. Carl knows that some of the Brunswick Co Va Wrays migrated south into North Carolina, Georgia & Alabama. According to Arline McGuire, Benjamin was the illegitimate child of Edy Wray (who married Jeremiah Mize). He was probably raised by this grandparents John and Frances Wray.
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Other Researchers and Sources of Information:
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Dorothy Thomas, 1336 Sandy Hill Drive, West Covina, CA 91791 |
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Arline McGuire, 4107 Poplar Grove Ct. Midlothian, VA 23112-4743 |
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Carl Ray, 404 Navaho Lane, Kingsport Tn 37664 |
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Joel Mize, e-mail: JMize54901@aol.com |
Other Web Sites to search:
Surry Co, Virginia / Brunswick Co, Virginia / Virginia State Library