Anderson County, Tennessee: Will Book 1847-1852, page 265 Settlement with E.P. Bray Admin of Jane Bray State of Tennessee > to the worshipful the County Anderson County > Court November Term 1851 I, E.P. Bray Administrator of the estate of Jane Bray deceased report to your worships an account Current of the profits and disbursements of the said Estate as follows. To wit, I, E.P. Bray adminst of the estate of Jane Bray Ds. as for amount of sale $45.25 By account of M. Tate as per a/e $13.00 " " " A Cross One Note 5.00 " " W.W. Walker proven a/s 8.00 Debt. $49.25 " " Joshua J. Bray receipt 2.00 Cr. $47.25 " " " Solomon Dizney " 2.00 ------ " " Archelaus Huckaby " 2.00 $2.00 " " " William J. Bradshaw " 2.00 E.P. Bray " " " Allowed Admins 8.00 Admrst By amt for John Key Clerk for services rendered as clerk 3.25 By amt retained for Admins 2.00 ---- 47.25 State of Tennessee Anderson County I, John Key, Clerk of the county court for the county of Anderson aforesaid do hereby do hereby (sic) certify that the forgoing settlement was taken and made by me with Edward P. Bray administrator of the estate of Jane Bray deceased
Anderson County, Tennessee: Will Book, Apr 1847 - Dec 1852, page 265
There was an estate sale for the estate of Jane Bray in late 1846. The page in the estate book that listed her estate sale was undated, but it was bracketed by a sale on the previous page that was dated 7 Dec 1846 and by a sale on the next page that was also dated 7 Dec 1846. Therefore, her estate sale was probably entered into the estate book on 7 Dec 1846 and she apparently died in late fall of 1846. The estate sale was five years before this final settlement was entered into record on 1 Nov 1851. There is no indication as to why there was such a delay between the estate sale and the final settlement.
Milton Tate was a doctor and Jane's son Joseph H. Bray was living near Milton Tate in the 1850 census. Perhaps Milton Tate received $13.00 from the estate of Jane Bray in payment for medical services rendered before she died.
A. Cross was Alfred Cross, who was a lawyer and who was the son of Brittain Cross and Mary (Polly) Parks. Alfred served at one point as sheriff of Anderson County. In the 1850 census, he was living very close to several of the other people mentioned in this settlement. His involvement with the Bray family was probably as a lawyer or perhaps as someone with the means to loan them money.
Wilbern W. Walker is a mystery with respect to his relationship to Bray family. He was a merchant, and in the 1850 census he was living next door to John Key who was the County Court clerk.
Solomon Disney married Sarah Bray at some point prior to when Anderson County courthouse records began to be recorded in a bound marriage book in 1837. In the absence of such a marriage record, this settlement is one piece of evidence that Sarah's surname was Bray and that she was the daughter of John Bray and John's wife Jane. Another piece of evidence is a biographic note written in 1912 about Thomas Disney in Sangamon County, Illinois. The biographical note states that Thomas's parents were Solomon Disney and Sarah Bray (Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Sangamon County Volume II - Biographical Chicago: Munsell Publishing Company, Publishers 1912).
Archelaus Huckaby married Emily Bray in 1842, and he was living very close to Alfred Cross in the 1850 census. This settlement is the primary piece of evidence that Emily was the daughter of John Bray and John's wife Jane.
William J. Bradshaw married Rachel Bray in 1843. William was living very close to Edward Payne Bray in the 1850 census, and William was also living very close John Cross who was Alfred's brother. This settlement is the primary piece of evidence that Rachel was the daughter of John Bray and John's wife Jane.
