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Thomas L. Ray Sr. & Cecelia Ray
Husband Thomas L. Ray Sr.
Born: 1727 - Ireland ? 22 Christened: Died: 1815 Buried:Married:
Noted events in his life were:
• Land Grant, 6 January 1794 - Caney River, North Carolina
State of NC # 17, 50 acres
• New Tag
FIRST FAMILIES OF OLD BUNCOMBE
THE RAY CLAN
Jack Garland Ray originally formatted by S. Donaldson
The past does not give up its secrets very easily; so the researcher is
forced to go on facts, and draw his/her conclusions from what is learned.
The earliest record of which I can reasonably be sure,
and brought up to the present, is contained below:
Pennsylvania Archives, 5th Series, Volume 1, Page 15: Thomas Rea, age 19,
born: Ireland, enlisted 19 July 1746
Redmond McMahan, age 20, born: Ireland, enlisted 13 July 1746, both under
the command of Samuel Perry 4 august 1746, located Chester County,
Pennsylvania, between Brandywine Creek and Schuykill River.
A Thomas Ray and a Redmond McMahan both lived in the same area of
Virginia and in the same area of Buncombe (Yancey) County, in July 1794.
Our Yancey County Rays Thomas Ray, Sr., believed to have married Celia or
Cillia. Their children were: I. Thomas L. Ray, Jr. Born: c1770-1775, VA.
Believed to have married Ivey Hensley. Will probated July 1843, Yancey
County, NC.
II.Joseph B. Ray. Born: c1776, VA. Married Saray McMahan. Died: January
1857, Yancey County, NC.
III. John Ray (no proof). Born: c1778, VA. Moved from Yancey County to
Haywood County, NC.
IV. Elizabeth Ray (no proof). Born c1780, VA.
V. Hiram Ray. Born: c1782-1784, VA. See separate listing for Hiram.
VI. James Ray. Born: c1786-1787, VA. Married Hannah Agnes Gilespie. Lived
in what is now Madison County, NC.
VII. Soloman L. Ray (no proof). Born: 20 May 1792, Buncombe Co., NC.
Married: Elizabeth Clarke.
Died: 11 Jul 1854, Coles County, Illinois.
The following are entries in named records which may or may not be
identifiable with our Thomas Ray, Sr.:
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VA MILITIA 1777: In Captain John's Company: Ray, Sam
McMahan, Redmond
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VA PERSONAL PROPERLY LIST: Appeared 1787, 1788, 1790.
Missing from list after 1790. Purchased property from Thomas Ray, Sr.,
Buncombe County (now Yancey), NC, (July session of court, 1794.)
MONTGOMERY CO., VA LAND RECORDS: Thomas Ray- one entry included an indian
town 1781.
Thomas Ray bought at least seven pieces of land on or near New River
1771-1782. He apparently sold all of them before 1782 he owned 400
acres on south side of Great Kanauha (New River). He sold it to John
Marshall.
Thomas Ray sold 400 acres to Thomas Morgan on Little Reed Creek, a branch
of New River in 1782.
Thomas Ray sold 400 acres to William Christian on New River opposite
Dunkard's bottom.
Thomas Ray sold 400 acres to George Forbes on Beaver Dam. (Joseph Cabell
and Nicholas Cabell were commissioners of land for Montgomery Co. and
Washington Co., VA in 1782.)
MONTGOMERY COUNTY MILITIA: Thomas Ray of Captain Draper's Company was
fined two months pay for non-performance of duty April 1778.
Thomas Ray, soldier infantry, pay received by Colonel Nicholas Cabell, 2
Nov 1784.
Thomas Ray, soldier, three years service. #3659.
Thomas Wray, private, entitled to land for three years service, with
George Rogers, Clark's Illinois regiment.
Thomas Ray, private, Virginia, continental line #L03659. I do certify
that Thomas Ray is entitled to the portion of land allowed a private of
the continental line for three years service. This was signed by
P. Henry (Patrick Henry) and Thomas Meriwether.
REVOLUTIONARY WAR BOUNTY WARRANTS: Thomas Ray, soldier, had a certificate
issued by Lt. Col. Samuel J. Cabell (voucher 1784). It is said Thomas Ray
was in the 4th Virginia regiment.
Another certificate for land was signed by Nicholas Cabell.
WILL: Moses Ray's will in Amhurst County, VA, 22 May 1766, probated 5 sep
1768 lists a Thomas Ray as his son.
FIRST CENSUS: First census of the US for Fairfax, Virginia in 1782 lists
Thomas with seven whites and one black in his household. They were not
there for later census.
COLONIAL RECORDS OF BOTETOURT CO., VA: Thomas Ray delinquent on waters
from John Craigs to Peek Creek, Mongomery Co., VA
Note: Thomas Ray, Jr. named his first son James Bean Ray for James Bean,
who lived in the lower district of New River 1771-1772.
Thomas Ray and James Bean both lived on New River and Sinking Creek in
1772, tithables. Mr. Herbert's list.
This area falls in Craig County, VA, at the present time. Thomas Ray does
not appear on the tithable list after 1773 of Botetort County, VA. (Area
became Fincastle in 1772 and Montgomery County in 1777.
James Bean, mentioned above, made guns as a means of earning a living,
and one of the members of the ray clan brought an ancient James Bean
rifle to one of the recent family reunions.
Thomas Ray, Sr. did not mention Hiram Ray in his will. He does not appear
in census records for North Carolina prior to 1840. As will be noted
below his first two children could have been born from a first marriage.
Many thanks must be given to Henrietta Ray Walker, of Bradenton, FL for
the excellent research above.
HIRAM RAY LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT State of North Carolina, court of pleas
and common sessions, spring term 1840, Yancey County. An instrument of
writing purporting to be the last will and testament of Hiram Ray,
deceased, was produced in open court and admitted to probate upon the
oath of Amos L. Ray one of the ______ or being witness thereto. The will
is in the words and figurz following (to wit)
In the name of God amen. I Hiram Rha of the state and county aforesaid
being infirm in body and not knowing the time of my death are but sound
of mind and memory do freely make an appoint this my last will and
testament in manner following. (viz) Item first. I will and bequeath to
my daughter Lovey Bailey and her bodily heirz my two negro girls Fran and
Caroline together with one she has already rec'd named Ginny, likewise
one fourth of all my perishable property and one third of all my cash and
notez if any, due respect first being paid to all just creditorz and
debtorz.
Item second. I will and bequeath to my son Thomas my two negroz Sook and
Robeson together with one he has already rec'd named Hannah, likewise one
fourth of all my perishable property and one third of all my cash and
notez. If any, as above.
Item third. I will and bequeath unto my beloved wife Elizabeth my three
negros Sal, James and Gabs, likewise my present dwelling house and all
lands and tenements adjoining with all farming tools and
household and kitchen furniture also one half of all my perishable
property and one third of all my cash and notes, if any, for support and
raising and schooling my son James, to remain her own as above
as long as she remains single and lives in said premises during her
natural life due respect being paid that no unnecessary waste be made or
tradez be carried on without the counsel of my executor and at the death,
marriage or removal of my wife I will and bequeath unto my son James all
of the above portion or so much as shall remain together with all the
increase of the same thus left to his
mother to him and his heirz forever due respect being paid at the time to
his age by my executor. Further it is my desire that if any other land
or out property belong to me at my death, that the same be sold and
divided in three parts, and one third be given to my daughter Lovey, one
third to my son Thomas, and one third to my wife as above. Further I do
nominate, constitute and appoint my son Thomas as sole executor of this
my last will and testament never the less he shall do nothing rashly
without first counseling with one of my guardainz chosen by me page
second to wit Wesely McElroy and James Ray, and in witness to this my
last will and testament I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 10th
day of April in the year of our Lord 1839.
Attest: A. L. Ray
signed: Hiram Ray- seal S. H. Deweese test: J. W. Garland, clerk
The executor above named was duly sworn according to law and letters
testamentary.
test: J. W. Garland, clerk
Information supplied by Margaret Whittinston King lists the children of
Thomas Ray, Sr., as Thomas Ray, Jr.; Hiram Ray: James "Big Jim" Ray;
Elizabeth Ray; John Ray; Joseph B. Ray, and Solomon Ray. This list has
been handed down in the family of William "Billy" Ray, her ancestor. Due
to the date of death of Hiram Ray, further identified below, I conclude
that he is the Hiram Ray listed above as the brother of Thomas Ray, Sr.
Information from Everett Smith, Box 397, Friendville, Tenn; P. O. Box
1951, Knoxville, TN 37901, gives a pedigree sheet for Thomas Ray, Sr., as
being born in Virginia with children listed as Thomas Ray, Jr.; Joseph;
James; John, who moved toHaywood County; and Hiram. Hiram is listed as
having three children named Lovey, James, and Thomas W.
Information obtained from the family bible, which at the time was in the
hands of Erwin Ray, the writer's uncle, indicates that James Marion Ray
was born in 1829 which would have made him a juvenile at the time Hiram
died in 1839. In conducting my research I located several men named James
Marion Ray; however, none of them fit the circumstances of birth and
residence, but the James Marion Ray born in 1829, to Hiram Ray and
Elizabeth Cox. Therefore after exhaustive research the writer has
determined that Hiram's son James Marion Ray, is the writer's
great-grandfather.
Hiram named two other children in his will who were adults. At least one
of the children was married. Their apparent age and the fact that his
wife survived Hiram until at least 1861 indicates the possibility of a
previous marriage, from which the two older children could have been
born.
The book of wills in Yancey County, North Carolina, indicates that a jury
met in 1861 to separate and award the part of Hiram's property which he
had designated for her in the attached will. Apparently she had not
remarried prior to that date.
James Marion Ray was an adult and married in 1861. There is no record
that I could locate which would indicate that he received any of Hiram's
estate. The census records of 1850 identify James Marion Ray and Sarah E.
Ray as head of household with one son, Milton E. Ray, age 1.
Lovey Ray, daughter of Hiram, married John Bailey, nicknamed "Yellow
Jacket John Bailey" due to his extremely volatile temper. Legend has it
that John Bailey donated the land upon which the city of Burnsville, NC
is now located.
Thomas W. Ray, became a reverend and is believed to have been one of the
founders of Mars Hill College. According to Everett Smith, identified
above, Thomas W. was married to Hannah Carter and they had the following
children:
A. Edward W. B. Augusta, married to Jeter Pritchard C. Laura, married to
Leroy Buckner. D. William C., married first to Loretta Anderson, with
whom he had children named Carrie and Gere, and second to Lorena Buckner,
with whom he had children named Lillie; Daisy; Woodson M.; and Ida. 1.
Lillie married J. F. Buckner 2. Daisy married Dennis Merrell, with whom
she had Ralph Merrell and Thelma Merrell a. Ralph married Dorthea Lee,
and had two children named Marjorie and Sharon. b. Thelma married Horace
Bumgarner, and had two children named Mary Louise and David. 3. Woodson
M. married Lola Buckner 4. Ida married C. D. Houston and had a child
named Richard.
John, listed above as the son of Thomas Ray, Sr., who moved to Haywood
County, had the following children: A. Daniel Mack, who eventually moved
to Kansas B. Margaret C. Alice D. James Moore, who married Dorcas
Anderson, and moved to Tennessee. James and Dorcas had the following
children: 1. Flint 2. Vera, married Bennett Ward. 3. Maude, married
Charles Mason. 4. Dorcas, married Estus J. Smith. They had the following
children: a. Everette, who married Clara Prater. They had a son named
Michael Smith, who married a lady named Rachel. b. Melanie Smith.
A record of the purchase of property in Old Buncombe County, NC, located
in the office of the Register of Deeds, Asheville, NC, reflects that
Hiram Ray purchased land in the Crabtree Creek area of Buncombe County
between 1806 and 1815 from Jesse Harris and Thomas Ray, Sr., and other
individuals.
This is the earliest record I have found to date of a Hiram Ray being in
Buncombe County. One should note that as of the above date Buncombe
County consisted of what are now Clay, Cherokee, Graham, Haywood,
Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Transylvania, and Swain counties. It
is most unusual that a census record of Hiram Ray in Buncombe County
could not be located.
Hiram Ray, being the son of Thomas Ray, Sr., apparently came from
Montgomery Co., VA, near the Little River, to live in Buncombe. Little
doubt exists as to the location of Crabtree Creek area due to Hiram's
will and lands owned by Thomas Ray, Sr., an extremely wealthy plantation
and slave owner.
John Preston Arthur, in A History of Western NC 1730-1913, recorded on
page 179 an interview of Nancy Anderson Gardner, who was 98 on 15 Jan
1913. She recalled when interviewed in 1912 about Yancey County that Amos
Ray, Thomas Ray, and Hiram Ray were among the earliest settlers of Yancey
County. She recalled that Hiram Ray had a daughter who married John
Bailey and that
Bailey donated the land on which the town of Burnsville is built. She
added that Thomas Ray married an Ivey Hensley and lived in Cane River
Valley. Hiram Ray was described as a wealthy and influential man.• Residence, Between 1785-1815 - Cane River, North Carolina
• Land Deals, 22 July 1794 - Caney River, North Carolina
160 acres Caney River, bought from Redmond McMahan
• Bio 20
At the time of the 1790 National Census, the areas of present Mitchell
and Yancey counties were in Burke County. One of the residents was
Thomas Ray Sr., who was aged 45+, had 3 sons over age 16, 3 sons under
age 16, and there were two females in the family. He became a large land
owner and was a respected business man. His sons also became prominent
land owners and business men in the area. His cabin was in the Cane
River Community, not far from the present Cane River School building.
The only mention of his wife is that she was named Cecila.
Census data for Thomas' sons state that they were born in Virginia.
He is believed to have served in the Virginia Militia during the Indian
uprisings, but no proof has yet been found. We have found two Thomases
as residents of that State, one a Captain, and one a Private, but cannot
prove which is "ours".
He appears in the 1800 National Census of Buncombe County (which had
been taken from Burke in 1791) and on a deed with Thomas Ray Jr. in 1815.
After that, there are no records of him. It is thoght that he may have
journeyed west with his son Solomon L. Ray (We are still trying to solve
this puzzle and will appreciate anyone who can help us with it.) The
known children of Thomas Sr. and Cecila (all remaining in the W.N.C. area
save for Solomon L.) are: ....
Submitted by Kirby Ray Whitaker, Asheville, NC (704-298-7483 to HERITAGE
OF TOE RIVER VALLEY
Notes by the Editor(of Heritage): Thomas Ray Jr. lived in a large log
house in the small valley just east of the present Cane River Baptist
church, and is buried on a small knoll just east of the valley, beneath a
wild cherry tree (now dead), his grave having recently been marked by his
descendants. He raised his illegitmate son (by son "Billy" and Miss
Susannah Anderson), named Nathan "Boone" Ray, and makes mention of this
in his will. It must be noted that (after his father's death?) Thomas
Jr. was commonly referred to as Thomas Sr. (and so refers to himself in
his will which was "proved" in Yancey in July of 1843; Book I 69ff.).
Therein he mentions "Nathan Boon alias Nathan Ray, my bound boy, "who
will be aged 21 on 8/20/1848 (now 16). William ["Billy," the boy's
father] is to be the Guardian. The will was sritten on July 6, 1843.
The inventory of his estate includes 90 hogs, 22 slaves, 12 peacocks, 39
sheep, 38 cattle, 36 horses, etc. The list of "Good notes" (i.e., loans
for which repayment is likely) totals $2,366.76; the list of "doubtful"
ones runs for 10 pages. It was he who offered land (50 acres?) for the
location of a county-seat after the formation of the County of Yancey in
1833, but the Commissioneers chose instead the offer (100 acres?) of
"Yellow Jacket" John Bailey which was more centrally located.• Letter
Letter by Worth S. Ray, to Rush T. Wray
Worth S. Ray
(Attorney)
Box 1111
Austin, Texas
March 2, 1944
Mr. Rush T. Wray
Nu-Wray Hotel
Burnsville, N.C.
Dear Mr. Wray:
I am trying to answer your fine letter of Feb. 17, which I consider
myself fortunate to have received. For a long time I have been
endeavoring to find someone in or around Yancey County who could furnish
me with information about some of the old families in that section in
whom I am interested, particularly the Ray Family. Your letter fills the
bill.
I shall go to considerable trouble to answer it, and I hope that my
letter in reply will interest you, and that after looking over it's
contents, I shall have another one in reply. For I am quite sure that
you have much valuable information about some of the Ray - Wray family.
In your reply advise me your relationship exactly to Mr William Hugh Ray,
of Gastonia, with whom I have had quite a bit of correspondence. I know
a little of both branches of the family.
The Rays are from an English Family, whose great claim to fame was
it's apparent connection with Sir Christopher Wray who about 1585 - 1590
was Lord Chief Justice of the Realm, and who presided at the trial of
Phillip (Lord) Howard of the ancestral family of old Ken Howard up around
Boone, N.C. I have often jokingly told members of the Howard family,
whom I know, that my ancestor tried and convicted his ancestor. The
Howard's came to Virginia and Maryland, and there were Rays in both
provinces also, all more or less related.
Our Rays -- that is -- Your mother's and mine - are about all
descendants of Thomas Ray, who settled near the mouth of the James River
in Virginia, somewhere around 1625 - 1630. The land owned in probably
now a part of Langley Field on what is called "Back River". He died
there in 1653, leaving a will, an abstract of which I have. He did not
name all his children in his will, and some of their name were obtained
from contemporaneous records, and in every instance we cannot be sure
they were his children - that is, all that we find. Thomas Ray appeared
to have had a brother Peter Ray ( who settled in Isle of Wight County,
Va., or had a land grant there ), who also has many descendants and it is
hard to keep the two lines distinct, one from the other.
Thomas Ray of York County, and Elizabeth City County - he seems to
have lived right on the line, married the daughter of old Doctoris
William Christmas, whose name was Mary. Therefore my first ancestress in
America was named Mary Christmas. The Rays of our line, therefore, are
related to the Christmas family, and if you will study the History of
North Carolina you will find that William Christmas was the Architect and
Engineer who laid off the Town of Raleigh, N.C., and Warrentown, N.C.
(near which he lived). A name muchly used in the Ray family for nearly
two centuries was Christmas Ray. The two families Ray and Christmas,
often intermarried.
In his will in York County, Va., in 1653, Thomas Ray only mentioned
his wife Mary Ray, a daughter Mrs. Coleman and daughter Anne ray who had
married Alexander Skipworth, the witnesses were Thomas Kirby, Peter
Starkey, and Henry Freeman. Two years later Thomas Ray's father-in-law
Doctoris William Christmas left a will also, which was witnessed by the
same three who were "oversee -ers" of his will.
From the old church records, Church Parrish Register we learn that
christmas Ray died on January 31, 1685, that his wife was Sarah (
probably Freeman or Kirby ) and that he left two sons:
Thomas Ray (b) Nov. 13, 1684
Christmas Ray (b) Feb. 5, 1686, five days after his father's death.
This last Christmas Ray does not appear on this old church record
again after that, but nearly 60 years later I found him having a law suit
in old Granville County, N.C. Records.
Thomas Ray (b) 1684 also married Sarah ----- and the old Parrish
register thereafter contained these records of the births of four of his
children:
Thomas Ray (b) July 14, 1710
Rebecca (b) Nov. 3, 1712
John Ray (b) Oct. 11, 1718
Sarah Ray (b) March 19, 1719
The Thomas Ray mentioned in the will of the first Thomas Ray and
brother of the first Christmas Ray died in 1718.
I am quite certain that these are just a few of the descendants of
Thomas Ray and that Christmas Ray his brother left many also. But I am
practically sure that John Ray (b) Oct. 11, 1718, was the John Ray who
patented land in Prince Edward County Va. in the year 1747, and from whom
the Ray's of Yancey County are descended. The records I I have show
that;
John Ray bought or patented land in Prince Edward County Va., on
Sandy River in 1747.
This John Ray was probably the grandfather of the Thomas Ray who
married Ivey Hensley. The Thomas Ray of the 1790 Burke County Census was
either his Uncle or his father.
I am not a descendant of John Ray of Prince Edward County, but of
the second Thomas Ray who died in 1718, leaving a son George Ray of
Elizabeth City County, Va. who was a Captain of a vessel on the James
River in 1797, and who had a son George ( Capt.) who married Helen
Walker. The last George Ray had a son, Midshipman James Ray, the first
American Born Naval Officer in the Philippines, who died in Henry County,
Va. in 1788. One of his daughters married a Burns, who was father of
Ottoway Burns. Ottoway Burns was named for Ottoway Byrd, and was
grandson of my great, great grandfather, James Ray of Henry County, Va..
The first George Ray was a cousin of Thomas Ray born in 1684, who
was the father of John Ray of Prince Edward County, his son the second
George Ray married Helen Walker and was second cousin to James Ray.
Ottoway Burns' Mother was third cousin to Thomas Ray's father, and he
Ottoway Burns was fourth cousin to Thomas Ray who married Ivey Hensley.
The Henslee family lived in Prince Edward County, Va. The Bailey family
came from Prince Edward County, and the Ray's and McElroys also came from
Prince Edward County. The Bailey's, Curries, Hensley's, and Ray's went
to Orange County, N.C. from Halifax County, Va. where they lived for a
time and they settled in what is now Caswell County.
Thomas Ray who married Ivey Hensley was probably a brother of James
and Samuel Ray, also of Joseph, of Caswell County. James married
Ellender Hensley, Joseph married Kissiah Hensley. So you see the
Hensley's and Ray's were kind of crazy about each other all along. Since
John Ray of Prince Edward County had a number of children, several sons
especially, it is hard to say which one was the father of Thomas and
these other three who married Hensleys. Many of them left and went West.
One John Ray married Catherine Howard and went to Kentucky, that I know
of, and one William Ray went to Kentucky, or his family did after he
died.
John Ray of Prince Edward County had a son Ambrose Ray, who married
Elizabeth Holcombe and went to South Carolina near Chester, and left a
large family scattered all over the South. I am quite sure Thomas was
not a son of Ambrose.
There were a number of Jesse Ray's in the family and several in my
branch of the family. Old Man Jesse Ray, of Beaver Creek and Todd, N.C.
who was born in 1760 was a brother of my great grandfather, Obediah Ray,
of Tennessee. He is mentioned in the will of Midshipman James Ray in
1788. He was a first cousin as was Obediah, as was Otoway Burns. Old
Jesse married Ellender Baker, who was born in 1765, and they had; Joseph
Ray who married Jame Hardin, of Beaver Creek, had Jesse born near Todd
N.C., William, Hiram, Washington, Hilton, Emaline, and Henry Ray. Jesse
was the father of J. C. Ray of Bonne, N.C., a very old man, perhaps
deceased at this time.
Incidentally your Thomas Ray (married to Ivey Hensley) could have
been a brother to Andrew Ray who married Susannah Stith, and was for
several years acting president of the University of North Carolina, later
moving to Georgia. My Ray's and the Stiths were very close and there
were several intermarriages.
There is or was another set of Ray's in Virginia, Bedford and
Amherst Counties, who were related to us, foremost among them was James,
Thomas, Mosexs, John, Etc., and who settled in what is now Chatham
County. They came down from Benjamin Ray, another grandson of Thomas Ray
of York County, who lived on Maggoty Creek away back in 1784, then nearly
100 years old and his wife older. This set of Rays married into the
Graves family in Caswell Couinty, into the Martins, and the Teagues and
Hunnicutts, as did the Baileys of Yancey County. But the descendants of
Thomas Ray of this set wound up in Jackson, Illinois. There are a lot of
them there.
(The letter goes on to talk about a Wray family)
Signed:
With best wishes, I remain sincerely yours
Worth S. Ray• Letter 237
Thomas Ray Sr. was the first Ray to enter what is now Yancey Co., NC in
the late 1770's. His father has not been identified. from: Loren S.
Ray, April 14, 1997• Event-Misc 33, Between 1778-1787 - Cane And The Toe River, North Carolina
In the years 1778 to 87 along the banks of the Cane and the Toe
Rivers in what is now Yancey and Mitchell Counties the land was still
mostly unbroken wilderness. It was during this perios that the first
land grants were given in the area.
The first of my Ray ancestors came to this area along the "Caney
River" around 1785. According to tradition Thomas had all his worldly
possessions tied on an Ox, had come from Virginia by way of Kentucky and
traded directly with the Indians for some of his land.
Also, it is believed that two or three brothers came with Thomas
Senior. In the book "The Nation Builders" by McPherson the brothers were
listed as John Henry and William. A John Ray was purchasing land in what
is now Haywood County in 1799 - 1800, and a William Ray had an early Land
Grant in 1795, on Simpsons Creek. He paid in shillings.
A Thomas Ray Sr. was in the 1790 Burke County Census, which at the
time took in all of Yancey, Madison , and Mitchell Counties. This
Thomas Ray was listed as 26 to 45 years of age and his wife the same age.
They had three sons over 16 years, and three sons under 16 years, and one
daughter.
We are not sure of all the names of Thomas ray Sr.'s sons. The
Daughter was probably Mary or Elizabeth. The sons who can be identified
with some certainty are:
1. Thomas Jr. born ca 1770 - 74 in Virginia. The census
listed he and his wife as age 16 0 26.
2. Joseph B. Ray born in Virginia in 1776
3. James "Big Jim" Ray born in Virginia in 1783
4. Possibly Robert Rae (Ray) who was listed in the 1800
census of Buncombe County as 26-45 years of age and his wife the same.
They had six sons and one daughter. This Robert Rae lived along the
Swannonoa River, his land joining one of the Davidsons. He is possibly
the ancestor of the Buncombe Rays
5. Hiram Ray who married Elizabeth Cox.
6. Could be Henry or Solomon Ray.
Thomas Ray Jr. married Ivey Hensley c. 1792-93. The following were
their children; James Bean Ray, Joseph Ray, Jesse Ray, Amos Ray, Rhoda
Ray, William Ray, Henry Ray, and Hiram Ray.
There is some disagreement on the wife of Thomas Ray Jr., some of
the people on Jacks Creek say he was married to Betsy Young. One of the
descendants of Thomas Jr., who was an old man in August 1935, dictated a
family history to Garrett Wray of Burnsville. "Uncle Dolph" Ray, as he
was called by all who knew him, said that Ivey Hensley was the wife of
Thomas Ray Jr. He also said he thought she was the daughter of Hickman
Hensley Sr., and that she had a brother named Colbert (Colvert). We do
not know who the wife of Thomas Ray Sr. was.
Joseph B. Ray married Sarah Elizabeth McMahan, daughter of Redmond (
Archibald ) McMahan Sr.
Thomas Ray Sr. and Thomas Ray Jr., accumulated hundreds of acres of
land and had many slaves. The home place was near the present Cane River
High School, and near the Cane River Baptist Church. They operated a
general store and hauled supplies by wagon from South Carolina. Also
near by on Phipps Creek they had a Grist Mill where they ground wheat for
flour and corn for meal and grains for feed. Some of the stones of the
Mill Race can still be seen.
We do not know when Thomas Sr. died or where he is buried. Thomas
Jr. died in 1843 and is buried near where the old mill used to be, on a
knoll. His will is on file in the Burnsville Court House, and he signs
it Thomas Sr. probably just due to the fact that he had so many namesakes
and since his father was dead he was Thomas Sr.
Above written by Kirby Ray Whitaker
Wife Cecelia Ray (details suppressed for this living person)
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:
Children
1 M Thomas L. Ray Jr.
Born: Abt 1772 - Virginia Or England Christened: Died: After July 1843 - Burnsville, Yancey Co NC Buried: After July 1843 20,33Spouse: Ivey Hensley (Abt 1773- ) Marr: Abt 1790 92
2 M Joseph B. Ray
Born: 1776 22 Christened: Died: After 1 January 1857 Buried:Spouse: Sarah E. "Sallie" McMahan (1785-After 1870) Marr: Bef 1801
3 M John Ray
Born: 1778 Christened: Died: Buried:
4 F Elizabeth Ray
Born: 1780 Christened: Died: Buried:
5 M W. Hiram Ray
Born: 1780 Christened: Died: Buried:
6 M James (Big Jim) Ray
AKA: James(Big Jim) Ray Born: 1783 Christened: Died: Buried:Spouse: Hannah Agnes Gillespie (Abt 1794- ) Marr: 1805 - West Fork, Bull Creek, North Carolina 108
7 M Solomon L (Rhea) Ray
Born: 20 May 1792 Christened: Died: Buried:
General Notes for Child Joseph B. Ray
Was Register of Deeds in Yancey County
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