Isaac Gray (1730 - 1786)

Born 19 Mar 1730 in Worcester, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay

Husband of Mary (McLain) Gray — married 10 Sep 1754 in Pelham, Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died 9 Sep 1786 at age 56 in New Salem, Franklin, Massachusetts, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Linda Philipp [send private message] and Claudia Day [send private message]

Biography

Captain Isaac Gray served with 19th Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment (1775), Continental Army during the American Revolution.

Captain Isaac Gray served with Hampshire County, Massachusetts Militia during the American Revolution.

Isaac Gray is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: 169446
Rank: Captain

Isaac Gray was born 19 Mar 1729/30 in Worcester, Worcester CountyMassachusetts Bay Colony, son of John Gray and "Ezobel" ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Isaac Gray married Mary Meklem, (many spellings, including McLem, Maklam, Maklem, McClain, McClem and others. In the Pelham, Masschusetts records Maklem and Meklem are the most common forms), both of Pelham, recorded 10 Sep 1754 in Pelham Massachusetts vital records^[4] and had the following children: Elihu, Daniel C. Isaac, Jr., Patience, Tirzah, Margaret, Sarah, and Mary. It is said there was also a son Andrew, who was lost at sea....The family removed to Hebron, Washington Co., New York prior to 1795.^{[citation needed]}

Military

1757, French and Indian War - “A muster roll of the company under command of Capt Robert Lotheridge in the Regiment of which Isreal Billings is Colonel, which marched.... for the relief of the ... troops at Fort William Henry at the time it was invested in the year 1757.” List incudes Isaac Gray, Sergeant, paid 2-00-7. Number of miles 200, number of days 14 1/3^[5]

Isaac had extensive service in the Revolutionary War, most notable being his participation at the Battle of Bunker Hill, and later at Prospect Hill. Details of his service include:

1775, August: Isaac was listed on a muster roll of the company under Capt Isaac Gray in Col. Jonathan Brewer’s regiment to Aug 1, 1775. They enlisted May 1, term of service 3 mos, and 8 days, travelled 80 miles, pay 6s-8d at one penny per mile. Listed as sergeant is “John McLem” (nephew of Isaac’s wife? RHSeale|31 Jul 2020)^[6]

Revolutionary Service Details ^{[7] [8] [9] [10]}

1. Gray, Isaac, Pelham. Lieutenant, Capt. Joseph Hooker's co. of Minute-men, Col. Ruggles Woodbridge's regt., which marched April 20, 1775, in response to the alarm of April 19, 1775; service, 11 days;
2. also, Captain, Col. Jonathan Brewer's regt.; general return dated Cambridge, May 18, 1775;
3. also, Captain, Col. Brewer's regt.; return showing officers to be commissioned; recommended in Committee of Safety at Cambridge June 17, 1775, that said officers be commissioned by Provincial Congress; an unsigned order directs that commissions be delivered officers with the exception of Capt. Joseph Stebbins;
4. also, Captain, Col. Brewer's regt.; muster roll dated Aug. 1, 1775; engaged May 1, 1775; service, 3 mos. 8 days;
5. also, company return dated Prospect Hill, Oct. 6, 1775;
6. also, Captain, serving as volunteer, Capt. John Thompson's co., Col. Porter's (Hampshire Co.) regt.; marched Sept. 23, 1777; discharged Sept. 29, 1777; service, 12 days, travel included; company marched to reinforce Northern army under Maj. Gen. Gates on an alarm.

Isaac Gray is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A047508.

In a separate listing in the Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors:^[12]

1. Brewer, Jonathan, Waltham. Colonel, Middlesex Co. regt.; list of officers dated Cambridge, May 18, 1775;
2. also, pay roll for 3 mos. 14 days service from date of entry, April 24, 1775, dated Camp at Prospect Hill;
3. also, order for equipments dated Cambridge, June 23, 1775;
4. also, list of officers dated Headquarters, Cambridge, July 22, 1775; brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. Green, stationed at Prospect Hill forming part of left wing of army under Maj. Gen. Lee;
5. also, petition for promotion dated June 4, 1776; reported acting as Barrack Master by request of Gen. Washington,
6. also reported as serving at Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775;
7. also, list of field officers of Continental Army in 1776; served in Maj. Gen. Green's division.

Isaac commanded a Company at Bunker Hill....Some details of his regiment were later recorded:
[After General Howe landed all of his men...] “Our Patriot ancestors were not sitting idly by while the British made such elaborate preparations for battle. Colonel Prescott had the breastworks extended another one hundred yards. His own Regiment and elements of the Regiments of Colonel Jonathan Brewer, Colonel John Nixon, Colonel Moses Little, Colonel Ephraim Doolittle and Colonel Ebenezer Bridge defended this line. Between the Breastworks and the Mystic River was a short stone wall surmounted by a two rail fence. Prescott ordered Colonel Thomas Knowlton to take his troops and defend that line. Knowlton's men dismantled a fence further back and added those rails to the existing fence. They then stuffed recently cut hay into the remaining openings. This was done, obviously not to stop musket balls, but to make the defense works seem more formidable.” ^[13]

Death

Isaac Gray died 9 Sep 1786, buried in Quabbin Park Cemetery, Ware, Massachusetts.^[14] Headstone inscription "In Memory of Capt. Isaac Gray who died Sept 9th 1786 in the 57th year of his age"^[15]

Timeline

1758 town meeting of Pelham MA - named Hogreeve^[16]
1760 town meeting of Pelham MA - named surveyor^[17]
1761 town meeting of Pelham MA - named surveyor^[18]
1762 town meeting of Pelham MA - named selectman^[19]
1764 town meeting of Pelham MA - named selectman^[20]

Research Notes

(The following was in this profile, post-merge. It more properly belongs in the Profile for Isaac's grandfather, John Gray. There are currently some issues with that profile - a different John Gray has been added as his son, hopefully resolved "soon." RHSeale|31 Jul 2020
JOHN GRAY, b. ab 1660, near Londonderry, Northern Ireland; probably died between 4 Apr. 1739 and 18 Aug. 1740, Worcester; m. Elizabeth-----, who d. after 1 July 1730, probably at Worcester. "John Gray's ancestors are said to have been in Perthshire in 1300 and to have migrated from Argylshire, Scotland, in 1612 to the North of Ireland. In addition to other troubles, the winter of 1717-1718 in Ulster was very trying with much sickness. As a result, four Presbyterian ministers, with portions of their congregations, determined to emigrate to America. A communication, dated 26 Mar. 1718, asking for 'suitable incouragement' was addressed to Gov. Shute of Massachusetts. The communication signed 319 men, including two John Grays, is now in the possession of the New Hampsire Society at Concord. Our John Gray is said to have been one of those who signed the Gov. Shute communication but land records show that neither John nor his wife Elizabeth could write. "The family came to America with those who landed in Boston on 4 Aug. 1718 and settled in Worcester where on 7 Oct. 1718, John Gray purchased for 300 pounds, lot No. 64 of 30 acres with dwelling house, located in the north part of town in what is now Holden. William Blair who was very probably is son-in-law, witnessed the deed. He was elected one of the first Board of Selectmen on 30 Sept. 1722 and his name appears in the town records until 1733 when he occupied the 'for seat' in the church. He and his wife Elizabeth deeded land to their son John on 1 July 1730. This is the last record found of Elizabeth. On 10 Mar. 1736-7, John Gray and Hugh Kelso purchased land in the south half of Worcester. His son John signed a deed on 4 Apr. 1739 as John Gray, Jr., and on 18 Aug.1740, the son signed another deed withour the Junior. The father probably died between those dates.
"On 7 Jan. 1723-4, John Gray sold land and one-quarter of his rights in undivided lands to Matthew Gray who, on 25 Aug. 1739, sold the land which was 'mentioned in a deed from my father John Gray.' John Gray deeded land and three-quarters of his rights in undivided lands to William Gray on the same day as the deed to Matthew. Later William exchanged some of this land for land of John, Jr., and on 3 May 1725, sold to Robert his three-fourth's rights in undivided lands. On the same day Matthew sold to Robert the one-fourth that he had acquired from his father the previous year. Therefore it seems probable that William and Robert were sons of John, Sr. John Gray, Sr., gave land and buildings to his son John on 28 Oct. 1726, probably at the time of the latter's marriage. Son Samuel received land from his father on 8 June 1730. Proof of the relationship of James Gray in the 'Journal of the Rev. John Ballantine,' Westfield 1737-1774, Transcribed and Annotated by Joseph B. Bartlett, 1886. James and Elizabeth Gray of Holden and Westfield had a daughter Catherine who married Capt. John Gray of Westfield. Capt. John was a son of Robert Gray, No. 41, who died in Worcester 16 Jan. 1766. On 9 Feb. 1766, Rev. Ballantine said his prayers 'for John Gray, for father's death' and for 'James Gray, for brother's death at Worcester.' James Gray died in Westfield on 28 May 1771 and on 2 June Rev. Ballantine said prayers 'for Widow Elizabeth Gray for death of her husband' and for 'John Gray and wife for death of father.' One June 4, 1724, William Gray at the desire of his sister Mary, was appointed by the court at Cambridge to administer, with her, the estate of her husband William Blair who had died in Framingham. John and Robert Gray of Worcester were sureties for the administrator's bond."

Sources

1. ↑ Collections of the Worcester Society of Antiquity
2. ↑ Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988. [Subscription database on-line, Ancestry.com]
3. ↑ Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed 7 Oct 2021), "Record of GRAY, ISAAC", Ancestor # A047508.Meehan-411
4. ↑ Vital Records of Pelham, Massachusetts, [Subscription database on-line, Ancestry.com]
5. ↑ Parmenter, page 343
6. ↑ Parmenter, page 347
7. ↑ page 770 of Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors, Vol 6:
8. ↑ United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783
9. ↑ Massachusetts, Revolutionary War, Index Cards to Muster Rolls, 1775-1783
10. ↑ The Massachusetts Magazine
11. ↑ page 939 of Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors, Vol 6:
12. ↑ page 467, volume 2 of Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors:
13. ↑ Moran, Donald N, “The Battle of Bunker Hill”, Revolutionary War Archives, March 1985
14. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 01 August 2020), memorial page for Capt Isaac Gray (19 Mar 1730–9 Sep 1786), Find A Grave: Memorial #26445672, citing Quabbin Park Cemetery, Ware, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, USA ; Maintained by Casey Gilliam (contributor 46823321). Text note states death place as New Salem, Franklin County, Massachusetts.^{[citation needed]}
15. ↑ Pelham Hollow Cemetery records, Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 states buried Quabbin Cemetery
16. ↑ Parmenter, page 99
17. ↑ Parmenter, page 101
18. ↑ Parmenter, page 111
19. ↑ Parmenter, page 112
20. ↑ Parmenter, page 503

See also:

• Raymond, Marcius Denison. Gray Genealogy: Being a Genealogical Record and History of the Descendants of John Gray, of Beverly, Mass. (Tarrytown, New York, 1887) Page 277
• Parmenter, Charles. History of Pelham, Mass. (Carpenter & Morehouse, Amherst, Mass., 1898)

• http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=sara68&id=I36800

• http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/g/i/l/Casey-C-Gilliam/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0336.html

• http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=dunne1&id=I09914

• Ruth Thayer Ravenscroft, "John Gray and his descendants of Worcester and Pelham, Massachusetts"

• The Massachusetts Magazine (Salem, Mass., 1908-1918); Vol. 9, No. 4, p. 192-3

• "Massachusetts, Revolutionary War, Index Cards to Muster Rolls, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch
  • (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2RH-S99C : 17 March 2018), Isaac Grey, 1775; citing Military Service, Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America, Massachusetts State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 2,026,996.
  • (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2RH-M7Z2 : 17 March 2018), Isaac Gray, 18 May 1775; citing Military Service, Cambridge, Worcester, Worcester, Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America, Massachusetts State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 2,026,995.
  • (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2RH-S9X4 : 17 March 2018), Isaac Gray, 07 Jun 1775; citing Military Service, Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America, Massachusetts State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 2,056,795.
  • (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2RH-M7D9 : 17 March 2018), Isaac Gray, 17 Jun 1775; citing Military Service, Cambridge, Worcester, Worcester, Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America, Massachusetts State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 2,026,995.
  • (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2RH-S9N7 : 17 March 2018), Isaac Gray, 17 Jun 1775; citing Military Service, Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America, Massachusetts State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 2,056,795.
  • (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2RW-ZWHG : 17 March 2018), Isaac Gray, 21 Jun 1775; citing Military Service, Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America, Massachusetts State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 2,056,795.
  • (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2RW-PN7W : 17 March 2018), Isaac Gray, 13 Nov 1775; citing Military Service, Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America, Massachusetts State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 2,056,795.
  • (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2RW-J4P1 : 17 March 2018), Isaac Gray, 07 Jun 1776; citing Military Service, Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America, Massachusetts State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 2,056,795.
  • (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2R4-CS53 : 17 March 2018), Isaac Gray, 23 Sep 1777; citing Military Service, Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America, Massachusetts State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 2,026,995.

• "United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QRJL-F6PZ : 1 March 2021), Isaac Gray, Apr 1775; citing Military Service, United States, Citing various published state rosters, United States; FHL microfilm 103140774.

• Collections of the Worcester Society of Antiquity (The Society, Worcester, Mass., 1881-); p. 116