George Raulston Ray (1792 - 1883)

Born 9 Jun 1792 in Orange, North Carolina, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth Dycus — married 19 Nov 1812 in Jackson County, Tennessee

Descendants

Died 9 Sep 1883 at age 91 in Sengtown, Sumner, Tennessee, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Cherie Harris [send private message] and Lynne Baker [send private message]

Biography

Raulston Ray moved with his family from Orange County, North Carolina to Tennessee when he was seven (before 1800), as recorded in George Raulston Ray's Bible, which was as of 1977 in the hands of Billy Ray Geminden of Sengtown near Portland, Tennessee.

Oakdale Farm was established by George Raulston Ray and Elizabeth Dycus Ray in 1856, Oakdale Farm is five miles northeast of Portland. The Rays, parents of twelve children, owned 148 acres on which they raised cows, chickens, horses, corn and hay. They also donated land for the construction of Ray’s School House where their son Hampton Ray, who became the farm’s second owner in 1883, taught the local children. Hampton and his wife Nancy B. Wyatt raised two children and farmed the property for over 50 years.

In 1938 Mrs. Cleo Geminden, the great great granddaughter of the founders, obtained 88 acres of the original farm. She and her husband William Julius eventually owned 100 acres and managed the property for almost 40 years. During these years, dairy products, tobacco, corn and hay were the chief agricultural commodities produced at Oakdale.

In 1977, approximately 93 acres came into the possession of William Adam Geminden, the great great great grandson of Raulston and Elizabeth Ray. While his parents continue to live on ten acres of the farm, William Adam works the remainder, specializing in dairy products, tobacco, corn and hay. These crops are popular throughout Middle Tennessee and constitute the foundation of many modern farms. (Provided by CJ Harris)

Raulston and Elizabeth's children: Jonathan Ray (1813 - 1879)* Phillip M Ray (1815 - 1882)* Amelia Ray Draper (1817 - 1882)* James R Ray (1819-1893)* Leah Ann Ray Lee (1823 - 1916)* Sarah Ray Huffines (1825 - 1892)* Jane Ray Sloan (1827 - 1892)* Mary "Polly" Ray Thornton (1827 - 1908)* Peter Ray (1829 - 1896)* Lucinda Ray Lambirth (1831-1861)* Margaret Ray Huffines (1833-1900)* Wade "Hampton" Ray (1839 - 1907)*

He was a lifelong Presbyterian. At the time of his death, Raulston was living with his son Wade Hampton Ray and family on the homeplace.

Sources

• 1820 Census: "1820 United States Federal Census"
  1820 U S Census; Census Place: Jackson, Tennessee; Page: 157; NARA Roll: M33_123; Image: 90
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 7734 #1006538 (accessed 12 December 2022)
  Rolston Ray in Jackson, Tennessee.
• 1830 Census: "1830 United States Federal Census"
  Year: 1830; Census Place: Jackson, Tennessee; Series: M19; Roll: 177; Page: 170; Family History Library Film: 0024535
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8058 #715095 (accessed 12 December 2022)
  Roulston Ray in Jackson, Tennessee.
• Tax Record: "Tennessee, U.S., Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895"
  The Tennessee State Library and Archives; Nashville, Tennessee; Early Tax Lists of Tennessee
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2883 #217645 (accessed 12 December 2022)
  Name: Raulston Ray; Residence Date: 1836; Residence Place: Jackson, Tennessee, USA.
• 1840 Census: "1840 United States Federal Census"
  Year: 1840; Census Place: District 3, Jackson, Tennessee; Roll: 524; Page: 258; Family History Library Film: 0024545
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8057 #3415823 (accessed 12 December 2022)
  Roulston Ray in District 3, Jackson, Tennessee.
• Year: 1850; Census Place: Simpson, Kentucky; Roll: M432_218; Page: 35A; Image: 545
• 1850 Census: "1850 U.S. Federal Census - Slave Schedules"
  The National Archive in Washington DC; Washington, DC; NARA Microform Publication: M432; Title: Seventh Census Of The United States, 1850; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8055 #90522077 (accessed 12 December 2022)
  Ralston Ray in Simpson, Kentucky, USA.
• 1810-1890 Census: "Kentucky, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1890"
  Jackson, Ron V., Accelerated Indexing Systems, comp.. Kentucky Census, 1810-1890. Compiled and digitized by Mr. Jackson and AIS from microfilmed schedules of the U.S. Federal Decennial Census, territorial/state censuses, and/or census substitutes; Page: 863
  Ancestry Record 3549 #9008209 (accessed 12 December 2022)
  Ralston Ray in Simpson County, KY.
• Year: 1860; Census Place: District 19, Sumner, Tennessee; Roll: M653_1275; Page: 331; Image: 671; Family History Library Film: 805275
• 1870 Census: "1870 United States Federal Census"
  Year: 1870; Census Place: District 16, Sumner, Tennessee; Roll: M593_1566; Page: 801A
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 7163 #4928028 (accessed 12 December 2022)
  Rawerton Ray (78), Farmer, in District 16, Sumner, Tennessee. Born in North Carolina.
• Year: 1880; Census Place: District 13, Sumner, Tennessee; Roll: 1282; Family History Film: 1255282; Page: 213B; Enumeration District: 219
• Ancestry.com. Web: Tennessee, Find A Grave Index, 1777-2012 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/41633814/ray

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Holly Knight for creating Ray-2237 on 18 Oct 13. Click the Changes tab for the details on contributions by Holly and others.