John X. Ray and Isabella Foster Ray

Ancestor Stories > Dad's Family > Ray / Wray Main Page > Nathaniel Ray Jr. > John Ray

Locations: Virginia; Allen Co, KY; Wayne Co, TN; Jackson Purchase, KY; Barry Co, MO John Ray was born in 1787, Virginia died: 1860-70 Barry Co., Missouri. His wife, Isabell Foster, was born in 1802, So Carolina and died 1860-70 Barry Co, Mo. John X is theoretically the brother that went with Hix on he trip down the Mississippi and came back via the Natvhez Trace. He was in th wsr of 1812, and married Isabell Foster in about 1821 or 22. He's not in Calloway reords until 1924.

More information is available on the Barry Co, MO website on this family.

Timeline

• 1787 - John Ray is born probably in Brunswick Co, VA
• 1824 through 1848 John and Isabell can be found in Calloway Co, KY
• 1830 - Wayne Co, TN census, #288
• 1840 - Calloway Co, KY census
• 1850 - Barry Co, MO census
• 1860 - Barry Co, MO census

Census

1820 Wayne Co, TN Ray Families

1830 Wayne Co, TN Ray Families

1840 Calloway Co, KY

1850 Barry Co, MO Ray Families

1860 Barry Co, MO Ray Families - Shoal Creek Township

Land Patents

Hugh Keen and Loyd Bishop are probably the best authorities on this family.

Family Group Information

Nathaniel F. Ray b: 6 Mar 1823 Ky m: Mary A Frasure 4 Feb 1855 in Barry Co, Mo. Nathaniel was most probably born in Calloway Co, Ky. Researcher Loyd Bishop has been unable to locate him on any census after 1840 when he is with his father in KY. The Barry Co, Mo marriage records lists a marriage for him 1855. Nathaniel died the year he married. The Missouri Digital Archives lists a land patent for N. F. Ray.

Series Township School Land Patents
Volume L
Page 46
Reel Number s00191
Certificate Number
Land District
Type of Land Township School Land
Name of Purchaser Ray, N.F.
County Barry
Date of Purchase
Township 21
Range 28
Land Section 16
Parts of Section North East Fourth of the North West quarter
Acres 40
Hundreth of Acres
Price Per Acre $1.28
Cost $51.20
Date of Certificate 12/19/1856

Elizabeth Amy Ray b:1825 Ky m: Sep 5, 1850 to William B Jameson. (According to researcher Dorothy Thomas). But Researcher Loyd Bishop believes that Elizabeth married Roland C. McGuffee in Calloway Co, Ky. This Elizabeth is the dau of John & Isabell because there is an Adeline McGuffee, age 16, living with the latter couple in the 1860 census. In 1850 there is an Elizabeth listed with the ray family in Barry County. John & Isabell's child, Elizabeth would be a little older than the Elizabeth listed in the census. Therefore, Loyd believes that the Elizabeth listed is George W. Ray's wife and not his sister. They were probably newly married. Elizabeth, dau to John & Isabell, married in Callowy Co, Ky to Roland McGuffey on 17 Mar 1844. In the 1850 Barry Co census, listed with Samuel C. Ray and Caroline Ray is Adaline ______, 6 years old. The last name is unreadable, but may be Mahaffy. In 1860 Adaline is listed with John & Isabell Ray and is 16 years old. Roland and Elizabeth are not found in 1850 Calloway or Barry Co census. Adeline's parents probably died and she moved to MO with her grandparents.

Samuel C Ray b:1826 Ky m: Caroline Foster in 1845 d: 1870. Caroline Foster and Samuel Ray had children: John, Elizabeth & Samuel

George W. Ray b:1829 Calloway Co, Ky m: Elizabeth Russell 1851. Family legend says that George was killed during the Civil War activity in SW MO. Evidence was found that indicated that George was not a civilian when he was killed, but rather a member of the Missouri State Guard and was killed in action during the Battle of Wilson's Creek near Springfield, Mo. His name was mentioned in the United Confederate Veteran's 10th reunion in Joplin, Mo, 26-27 Sep 1906 as being a casualty of the war. There is some confusion added to this story by a 1861 tax list which shows the Ray's as favoring the UNION. Most believe that Ray's were Confederates. The youngest child was a baby when George died, since the children were farmed out it is difficult to identify all of them. James M. Ray lived with Mary I and Franklin Porter in 1880, but what happened to him after that is uncertian. Loyd is searching for the marriage record of George and Elizabeth. The record was not recorded in Barry Co, Mo. Records of Newton and McDonald Co do not exist for the 1850 time period. There is also no record in Calloway Co, Ky. >Learn more!

Nancy Haney Ray b:7 Jan 1830 Ky m: Francis Marion Henson 1849 Carroll Co, Arkansas d:Sep 23, 1899 Hot Springs, Arkansas

John Casey Ray b:Jan 6, 1836 Calloway Co, Ky 1st m: Apr 20,1859 Mary Zilda Starkey (divorced) 2nd m: Nancy Jane King May 10,1874 Sherman,Grayson Co, Texas Co "D" 1st Reg. Texas Cavalry d:28 Aug 1915 Drumright Creek, Ok Buried in Mars Hill Cem, Pottawatomie, OK

Sarah "Sally" Green Ray b: 15 Dec 1837 Ky

James A. Ray b: 22 Apr 1849 Barry Co, Mo m: 2 Jan 1876 in Jasper, Mo to Mary Z (Starkey) Ray - divorced wife of brother John. d: Feb 17,1910 Granby, Newton Co, Mo.

Pioneers of Six Bulls, LDS Microfiche #6019138, Vol 21 of the Grandy Mo Cemetery records. Death certificate of James states that he was born in Washburn, MO, a town south of Cassville in Barry Co, Mo. His parents are listed on the certificate as John X. Ray and Isbel Foster. His occupation was listed as a miner, lived in Granby, Newton Co,Mo and married the divorced wife of his brother John Casey Ray.

Cemetery Information

From Goodspeed Publishing, "History of Tennessee - Lawrence, Wayne, Perry, Hickman and Lewis Counties"

I can't say that this is the right John Ray but offer to you as a tidbit.

Dorothy Thomas, a wonderful genealogy cousin, provided a great deal of information during my early research years. While she is no longer with us, Dorothy's family traces back through Nancy Haney Ray.