Hix Jones Ray

Ancestor Stories > Dad's Family > Ray / Wray Main Page > Hix Jones Ray

HIX JONES RAY was born 4-7-1798, Virginia and died 10-10-1895, Marshall County, Ky. If what my search shows is correct, Hix was quite the character. He believed the world was flat! Hix had been quoted as saying that he was "kin" to the author of "Ray's Mathematics", a popular book during his time. Research has shown the author was Joseph Ray but as of yet I have found no connection to Joseph. At some point in time some of the Ray/WRay family moved to Allan and Warren County, Kentucky. As a young man, he loaded the fruits of his labor onto a raft, floated down the Ohio River and Mississippi, sold his goods in New Orleans, then moved to Wayne County, Tennessee.

Photo scanned from Virgi Bailey's book "Kissin Cousins"

Hix was married 3 times:

• Ruth Casey buried in Ray Cemetery
• Almira H. Guthrie 1814-1884 buried in Ray Cemetery
Mrs. Bettie Edwards at Backusburg, Graves Co, Dec 1888, She was about 50 years his younger. And after he turned out to be more than she bargained for - Bettie left and noone knows what became of her!

Hix and Ruth came to the Jackson Purchase Area ca 1824, buying land there for 10 cents an acre. Virgi Bailey's book KISSIN COUSINS quotes another book Land Grants West of the Mississippi book I p.36 shows that he bought at least five different 160 acre sections. He was a founding member of the New Hope Methodist Church, also known as Davis Chapel. This church was organized in 1827.
Hix is well documented. Information can be found on him in several books. Goodspeed's "History of Tennessee...Wayne Co..." names H. J. Ray and Isaac Robertson among others who were subject to militia duty in the early days of Wayne County. These first divisions for the county were Beech Creek, Eagle Creek, Hardin Creek, Indian Creek, Cypress Creek, Buffalo River, 48 Creek and Rich Creek. No regular organized body of men went from Wayne county to either the Seminole or Mexican War.
Hix is also mentioned in "History of Kentucky, edition I", published in 1885 by Battey Publishing Company. Chapter 9 identifies Hix Ray, living on Panther Creek, in Graves County, formerly lived on Duncan's Creek, 4 miles south of the home of Maj Wilia Waller. Hix came to the county some time during the decade between 1820 and 1830 and lived the life of a plain, honest, Christain.
Hix bought and sold property in western Kentucky several times. In the Graves County, Ky Circuit Book G page 518, Mary Watts and J. M. Bressie, executives of the Wesly Watts estate. List of devicees of Wesley Watts include:... Richard Pryor and wife Elizabeth Pryor. (Check marriages among Pryor and Ray members). The sale of land included 100 acres to Hicks Ray, who purchased part of the South East Quarter of Section 26 for the sum of $370.

Census Records

1820 Wayne Co, TN Ray Families

1830 Calloway Co, KY Census

Hise Ray
Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 30 thru 39: 1
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5: 3
Free White Persons - Females - 5 thru 9: 2
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29: 1
Free White Persons - Under 20: 6
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49: 2
Total Free White Persons: 8
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored): 8

1840 Calloway Co, KY

Name: Hix Ray
Free White Persons - Males - Under 5: 2
Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 14: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 40 thru 49: 1
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5: 2
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 14: 3
Free White Persons - Females - 15 thru 19: 2
Free White Persons - Females - 30 thru 39: 1
Total - All Persons (Free White, Free Colored, Slaves): 13
Persons Employed in Agriculture: 2
No. White Persons over 20 Who Cannot Read and Write: 1
Free White Persons - Under 20: 11
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49: 2
Total Free White Persons: 13
Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves: 13

1850 Marshall County, Kentucky Census

NAME | DWELL#| FAM#| YEAR| COUNTY| STATE| AGE| SEX| COLOR| OCCU| PATION VALUE REAL ESTATE| BIRTHPlace PLACE
RAY HIX 213 213 1850 MARSHALL KY 50 M W FARMER 1500 VA
RAY MARTHA M 213 213 1850 MARSHALL KY 22 F W 0 KY
RAY WILLIS A 213 213 1850 MARSHALL KY 18 M W FARMER 0 KY
RAY CALVIN J 213 213 1850 MARSHALL KY 16 M W FARMER 0 KY
RAY NANCY M 213 213 1850 MARSHALL KY 14 F W 0 KY
RAY MARY P 213 213 1850 MARSHALL KY 11 F W 0 KY
RAY JOHN R 213 213 1850 MARSHALL KY 10 M W 0 KY

1860 Marshall County, Kentucky Census

H J Ray 62
A H Ray 45
R Mise 51
N M Mise 24
J R Mise 20
L J Mise 8
A A Guthrie 5

1870 Marshall County, Kentucky Census

LAST NAME FIRST NAME YEAR COUNTY STATE AGE SEX COLOR OCCUPATION VALUE/REALE VALUE/PERS BIRTHPLACE
Ray Hix 1870 MARSHALL KY 72 M W FARMER 3000 1000 VA
Ray Almira 1870 MARSHALL KY 57 F W KH 0 TN
Ray Lenora 1870 MARSHALL KY 18 F W 0 KY
Mise Rose 1870 MARSHALL KY 62 F W 0 KY
Mise James 1870 MARSHALL KY 14 M W 0 KY

1880 Marshall County, Kentucky Census

Hicks J. Ray 82, farmer, born ca 1798, VA, father born VA, mother born VA
Elmyra H. Ray 66
William A. Moss 9

Ruth CASEY was born 3-2-1801, Tenn. and died 11-18-1847, Marshall County, Ky. I believe Ruth and Hix were married in Wayne County, Tenn, and when daughter (Kezzie)Caroline was 22 months old, went by horseback to Marshall County, Kentucky. Both Ruth and Hix are buried in the Ray Family Cemetary. There are other Casey's in Marshall County, Kentucky which may be Ruth's family. I do have some information on these Casey's for anyone who is interested.
I have found census records on Hix Ray proving his whereabouts for almost all his life. Some of the later census records shows Rose Mise living in the Hix Ray. Was she connected to the earlier Mize or perhaps tied to Hix's second wife? You may also find him in at least 3 books: Lemons' History of Marshall County and the Marshall County History Book and Grave's account called "History of Marshall County". All are excellent resources.

HIX JONES RAY b:4-7-1798 d: 10-10-1895

RUTH CASEY b:3-2-1801 d:11-18-1847

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Husband: HIX JONES RAY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Birth: 7 Apr 1798 Place: BRUNSWICK, VA

Death: 10 Oct 1895 Place: Marshall, KY

Burial: Place: Ray Cemetery, Marshall, KY

Father: NATHANIEL RAY JR(-1823)

Other Spouses ALMIRA H. GUTHRIE

BETTE EDWARDS

--------------------------------------------------

Marriage: 1819 Place: Wayne, TN

--------------------------------------------------

Wife: RUTH CASEY

--------------------------------------------------

Birth: 2 Mar 1801 Place: Williamson County, TN

Death: 18 Nov 1847 Place: Marshall, KY

Burial: Place:Ray Cemetery, Marshall, KY

--------------------------------------------------

Children...

--------------------------------------------------

1. M Child: James Carroll Ray

Birth: 20 Nov 1820 Place: TN

Death: 25 Dec 1893 Place: Marshall, KY

Burial: Dec 1893 Place: Ray Cemetery, Marshall, KY

Occupation: Cabinet Maker

Spouse: LUCINDA ATTILLA WADE

Marriage: 2 Feb 1842 Place: HENRY, TN

--------------------------------------------------

2. F Child: Kiziah (KEZZIE) CAROLINE RAY

Birth: 3 Jul 1822 Place: Wayne, TN

Death: 11 Jan 1916 Place: Marshall County, KY

Burial: Place: Old Lyles Cemetery, Marshall County, KY

Spouse: Zachariah LYLES

Marriage: 31 May 1849

--------------------------------------------------

3. F Child: ELIZABETH ANN RAY

Birth: 19 Jan 1822 Place: TN

Death: 13 Aug 1882 Place: KY

Burial: Place: Ray Cemetery, Marshall, KY

Spouse: Samuel MATHIS

Marriage: 5 Jan 1845 Place: Marshall County, KY

--------------------------------------------------

4. F Child: SARAH MELINDA RAY

Birth: Oct 1825 Place: Calloway County, KY

Death: 13 Aug 1882 Place: KY

Burial: Place: Ray Cemetery, Marshall, KY

Spouse: James D. BAKER

Marriage: 19 Feb 1848 Place: Marshall County, KY

Spouse: J. M. BRAZIL

Marriage: 1867

--------------------------------------------------

5. F Child: MARTHA MELISSA RAY

Birth: 27 Dec 1827 Place: Calloway County, KY

Death: 16 Sep 1918 Place: Graves County, KY

Burial: Place: Spence Chapel Methodist Cemetery, Graves County, KY

Spouse: Thomas "Tom" MATHIS

Marriage: 21 Dec 1853 Place: Marshall County, KY

--------------------------------------------------

6. F Child: CYNTHIA MANERVA "ANN" RAY

Birth: 25 Sep 1829 Place: Calloway County, KY

Death: 27 Apr 1848

Spouse: William Carroll COCHRAN

Marriage: 27 Apr 1848

--------------------------------------------------

7. M Child: WILLIS ANDERSON RAY

Birth: 20 Jul 1831 Place: Calloway County, KY

Death: 11 Jul 1858 Place: Marshall County, KY

Burial: Place: Ray Cemetery, 1.5 Miles So. Of Brewers, Marshall Co, KY

Occupation: Studied Medicene

--------------------------------------------------

8. M Child: CALVIN JOHNSON RAY

Birth: 12 Oct 1830 Place: Calloway County, KY

Death: 1 Dec 1864 Place: Graves, KY

Burial: Place: Ray Cemetery, Marshall, KY

Occupation: CSA Aug 1861 - 1 Dec 1864 1st Lt. Forrest's Raiders, Tenn.

Spouse: Margaret EVERS

Marriage: 20 Mar 1856 Place: Marshall County, KY

--------------------------------------------------

9. F Child: NANCY MARANDA RAY

Birth: 10 Sep 1835 Place: KY

Death: 2 Sep 1862 Place: KY

--------------------------------------------------

10. F Child: MARY PERLINA RAY

Birth: 2 Jul 1837 Place: Marshall, KY

Death: 10 Dec 1908

Burial: Place: Pleasant Grove Cemetery, Marshall County, KY

Spouse: Issac WASHAM Esq.

Marriage: 1857

--------------------------------------------------

11. M Child: JOHN RILEY RAY

Birth: 12 Oct 1839 Place: KY

Death: 6 Jun 1921 Place: Graves County, KY

Burial: Place: Ray Cemetery, Marshall County, KY

Occupation: Company G, 3rd KY Cavalry, Confederate

Spouse: Mary F. PRYOR

Marriage: 25 May 185 Place: Marshall County, KY


Isaac Washam, Exq, farmer lived in Smith District, Marshall County, was the son of Peter and Frances (Owen) Washam and was born near where he lived, Oct 16, 1836. Peter Washam was born in Pittsylvania County, Va on Aug 8, 1804 and came with his father to the Jackson Purchase in 1820. Peter married in 1828 to Frances Owen , daughter of William Owen of Marshall Co, Ky. Frances died in 1882. Isaac Washam was the fourth of the children born to this union and in 1857 married Mary Perlina Ray, daughter of Hix Ray and Ruth Casey Ray. Isaac and Mary had children: Willis A, William O, Luella M. (Mathis), John A, James B, Thomas K, Benjamin C, Lafayette H, Mary F and Annie E Washam. Issac served as a Federal soldier in teh 15th Kentucky Cavalry, under Maj W Waller. In 1878, he was elected to the office of Magistrate for Smith Precinct. A member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of the Masonic order and deeply committed to Prohibition. (Source: "History of Kentucky..")


Hix Jones Ray second marriage to Almira gave him one child:


Lenora J. b: Feb 1852 d: 8-22-1934 M: James W. Pryor - 12-21-1870.


Three of Rays served in the same company in the Civil War according to Tennesseans in the Civil War : 1) Pvt J. C. Ray I, 154th TN Senior Infantry CSA 2)Pvt John Ray, Co. I, 154th Tn Senior Infantry, CSA. 3) Pvt. 2nd Lt. Calvin Ray, Co. F, 154th TN Senior Infantry, CSA ; Nannie Smith's Book of Ancestory & Genealogy states that Uncle Calvin was in Forrest's Calvary. I think this is General Forrest's men. I have several references to Capt. C. P. Ray of the Company C, First Mississippi Valley Infantry.