Samuel GRAY Jr. * Mahala MCBURNETT * Mahala PORCH

SAMUEL GRAY Jr. was born in February 1808 in Georgia. His father was Samuel Gray and both were listed on the Meriwether County, Georgia census of 1830. Samuel Jr. had a brother Hillary Wade Gray. On 12 February 1827, he married Mahala McBurnett, who was about eighteen years old. Mahala was the daughter of Thomas McBurnett and Sarah Smith. Thomas' parents were Daniel McBurnett and Esther Wadsworth. Sarah's parents were Captain William Smith and Celia Hogan. Samuel and Mahala had four children before moving to Alabama around 1835 and had two more children before Mahala died in 1840. Samuel remarried on 19 August 1842 to Mahala Porch in Tallapoosa County, Alabama and had six children. Mahala Porch, born in 1822 and died between 1855 and 1860, was the daughter of Sherrod and Celia Porch. Samuel lived to be 68 years old, dying on 27 June 1876. Samuel was laid to rest in the Red Ridge Methodist Cemetery in Tallapoosa County. His two wives are buried there also. Mahala McBurnett lies in an unmarked grave. Mahala Porch lies inside a fenced area with a roof on it.

New research has found that Mahala McBurnett and Mahala Porch were indeed related to one another. Celia Porch, Mahala Porch's mother, was a daughter of Rutha Smith Buce and Rutha was a sister to Sarah Smith, mother to Mahala McBurnett. This would make Mahala McBurnett a first cousin-once removed to Mahala Porch.

Children - by first wife

• Columbus B. GRAY, born 01 Nov 1828, married Amanda L Patillo
• Elizabeth A. GRAY, born 09 Apr 1831, married John Lewis Pogue
• Johnathan GRAY, born 05 Jun 1833, married (1) Mary L Johnston, (2) Martha Hurd Stout
• Thomas GRAY, born 1834, married Francis Hammock
• Mary Jane GRAY, born 6 March 1837, married Francis M Patillo
• Lucinda J. GRAY, born 23 Oct 1838, married Samuel Y. Johnston

Children - by second wife

• Sarah Jane GRAY, born 1843, married Edmund Butler Leach
• Samuel S. GRAY, born 13 Sep 1845, married Catherine Wasson
• William A. GRAY, born 14 Feb 1849, married Marrilla Crawford
• James GRAY, born about 1849, living Claiborne Parish, LA in 1877
• Joseph GRAY, born 1852, married Samantha B Ray
• Nancy A. GRAY, born 1855, married Thomas Flurry

Parents:

• Samuel GRAY Sr. * Patience WHEELESS
• Thomas MCBURNETT * Sarah SMITH

• Sherrod PORCH * Celia BUCE

Page updated April 12, 2002

"