Capt. Francis Gray, of Charles City

“Francis Grey (his name is frequently spelled Grey rather than Gray in the old records) was granted 750 acres in Charles City Co., Nov. 24, 1653 (Nugent, p. 231). “A Grace Singleton whom he claimed as one of his transportees in this grant was probably his wife, Grace. Capt. Francis Gray appears a number of times in the surviving Charles City Co. Order Book, 1655-66, and was a prominent man, being a Justice of the County and several times a Burgess.

In 1665, Mrs. Grace Gray appealed to the Charles City Co. Court about her husband’s (Capt. Francis Gray’s) treatment of her. According to her testimony, she had been married to Francis Gray for 24 years, had brought him a gooddower at the time, though he was poor, and had borne him six living children, names not given, of whom three were married in 1665.

Capt. Francis Gray does not appear in the scanty Charles City County records after 1666, and probably died before 1677, the next records extant. Two of his and Grace Gray’s children are known and two other are very probable. On April 3, 1663, Capt. Francis Gray of Martin’s Brandon, Gent., leased 100 acres to Thomas Mudgett for 21 years, and “ifThomas has issue by his wife, daughter of Capt. Francis Gray,” the land is to becomeMudgett’s (O. B. 1655-66, p. 381). “The daughter was probably Ann Mudgett or Muggett, widow of Thomas. On Aug.3, 1664, Capt. Francis Gray and Mrs. Grace Gray testified in regard to the property ofShelby Sparrow, decd.”(Historical Southern Families, vol. XVII, Boddie, pp. 100-102)

Biography

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Gray-687
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Francis Gray is a Qualifying Ancestor of the Jamestowne Society
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Francis Gray was a Virginia colonist.

Capt Francis Gray[1] (b. abt. 1630/5 Virginia - d. 1679),[2] [3] was the son of Thomas Gray, ancient planter of Virginia,[4] and Rebecca (d. bef. 1645)[5][6]. His parents were married by 11 September 1626.

Marriage

m. (1650s) Mary [...].[7] [3]

Children

1. Captain William Gray (1661-1719)
2. Margaret,[8] m. William Harris (d.1720)
3. Mary,[8] m. Edward Moreland (d.1723)
4. Elizabeth,[8] m. James Nicholson (d.1723)

Daughters not verified (Boddie, 1954). Jester & Hiden (1956), state that they had 3 dau. who are 'unidentified,' (p. 195).

Death

Capt. Francis Gray died in 1679.[4] His wife Mary administrated his estate,[4] on 06 May 1679. She remarried to Owen Myrick by 06 Jul 1679.[17]

Origins

According to "Historical Southern Families," Vol. XVII (available for viewing at VA State library in Richmond), Thomas Gray, Sr, ancient planter of Surry County, VA was married four times:

• first to Anis or Avis Valentine, children Joan Gray (b.1618) and William Gray (b. 1621 and died as a young man/older teen);
• second to Margaret ____ (no children listed)
• third to Rebecca _____, children Thomas Gray (b. 1625), Rebecca Gray (b. 1628), and Francis Gray (b. 1630);
• and fourth, to unknown wife who mothered William Gray (YES - a different one, b. 1648), John Gray (b. 1651), and Thomas Gray (YES - also a different one, b. 1652).

There are many records indicating this at the State Library

References

1. Boddie, J.B. (1954). Virginia Historical Genealogies. Redwood City, CA: Pacific Coast Publishers. Page 311-312 < Hathitrust >. Francis Gray married Mary __. Mrs. Mary Gray m. 2nd, 1679, Owen Myrick.
2. http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:7fE8m8ghTdsJ:www.batbox.org/Cha...
3. http://www.jamestowne.org/Jamestowne_Society_Qualifying_Ancestors_L...
4. WikiTree contributors, "Francis Gray (abt.1630-1679)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Gray-687 : accessed 26 January 2025).
5. Marriage seen as Nov 26, 1638