| Home Surname List Name Index Sources | First Generation1. John Bray1,2,3. Birth: between 1758 and 1760, Orange County, North Carolina. The following explanation of John's birth date is from James E. Wall. John Bray was quite a bit older than his wife Jane and I have often wondered if there was a first wife in Kentucky that has been lost to us somehow. Edward & Sarah Maynard Bray's son was born 1758-1760 Orange Co. NC. That is our John. Edward Bray died 5 Jan 1760. Sarah Maynard Bray is not known to have remarried thereafter. The records of the family of Edward & Sarah Maynard Bray & the Quaker records are the source. The next youngest son was 1757 so John was not born 1757. John would not have known his father so it is easy to see him on the move west at a very early age. He appeared in the tax list in 1802 in Anderson County, Tennessee.4 From the List of Taxable property & Polls in Captain Jeofferys Compy taken by Joseph Sinclair Esquire 1802: Bray, John 200 acres Clinch River, 1 white poll. Census: 1830, Anderson County, Tennessee, page 174a, line 8, Anderson County, Tennessee, 1830 00-04 0 1 1826-1830 daughter of Thomas Bray? It seems extremely likely that a correct enumeration would have been 000210001-10002001 and that Rachel, Emilia, and Jane were all about ten years older than actual census enumeration would suggest. (RGB) Death: between 1831 and 1839, age 73, [Anderson County], [Tennessee]. He appeared on the 1830 census, but not on the 1840 census. John Bray and Jane (Mrs. John Bray) Marriage: about 1795,. They appear to have removed first to Anderson County, Tennessee, then to Kentucky, then back to Anderson Co. Tennessee. Jane (Mrs. John Bray)1,3,5,6. Birth: about 1771, Virginia. The 1880 Anderson County, Tennessee census entry for Joseph H. Bray says that his mother Jane was born in Virginia. The 1830 census entry for John Bray says that his wife Jane was born between 1781 and 1790. But Jane's first child was born about 1800, so the assumption is that Jane was born at least by 1785. Furthermore, the preponderance of evidence seems to be that the ages of all the females in the family of John Bray in the 1830 census were "off by one zero". So a correct 1830 census entry would have shown Jane's birth date to have been between 1771 and 1780. The 1840 census suggests that Jane was born between 1761 and 1770. So about 1771 seems a good compromise guess for these divergent indicators of Jane's birth date. (RGB) Census: 1830, Anderson County, Tennessee, Age 40-49, enumerated Household of her husband John Bray. It seems extremely likely the entry not just for Jane but also for her daughters was "off by one zero" for the females. Which is to say, an additional 0 would cause her to have been listed as age 50-59 and she was closer to 59 years old than to 50. This interpretation of the data would be consistent with other information about Jane's birth date. (RGB) Census: 1840, Anderson County, Tennessee, Age 70-79, enumerated household of her son Edward Payne Bray. Missing from census: 1850,. She was probably living with her son Joshua J. Bray in 1850, and Joshua was not enumerated in 1850. (RGB) Death: 1851, age 80, Anderson County, Tennessee.6 Her settlement was filed in November. Her estate was settled on 1 November 1851 in Anderson County, Tennessee.6 Anderson County Will Book 1847-1852, pp.265-266 Settlement with E.P. Bray Admin of Jane Bray John Key Clerk John Bray and Jane (Mrs. John Bray) had the following children:
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