Mary (Webb) Bray (abt. 1810 - abt. 1865)

Born about 1810 in Grainger County, Tennessee, United States [uncertain]

Ancestors

Wife of Abijah Bray — married 10 Jan 1839 in Claiborne County, Tennessee, United States

Descendants

Died about 1865 at about age 55 in Caney Valley, Big Sycamore, Hancock Co., TN [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Erin Shockley [send private message]

Biography

Mary "Polly" Webb was born in about 1810^[1] in Tennessee^[2] to James Webb^[1] and Rachel (Partin) Webb^[1].

Polly's father James was killed in the War of 1812^[3], and her mother was living on land belonging to Benjamin Bray by 1817^[4]. By 1830, Rachel and her children were living in the household of Abijah Bray^[5], who Polly would later marry. There are five young children living in the household who are of an age to be either children of Rachel by an unknown father, or children of Polly and (probably) Abijah Bray, born before their marriage. These five children are:

1. William Webb, born about 1823
2. Nancy Webb, born about 1824 (identity uncertain, see Rachel's profile for more details)
3. Elizabeth Webb, born about 1825
4. Rhoda Webb, born about 1828
5. Sally Webb, born about 1830

Abijah and Polly were married on 10 January 1839^[6] in Claiborne County, Tennessee^[6]. In addition to the potential children listed above, they had several other children, some of whom were more definitely their children (took the Bray name and are living with the couple in the 1850 and 1860 censuses) but were born before their marriage, strengthening the theory that some of the above children could also be theirs. Known children of Abijah Bray and Polly Webb are:

1. Millie Bray, born about 1831 ^[7]
2. Stogner Bray, born about 1834 ^[8]
3. Perlina Bray, born April 1838 ^[9]
4. Rachel Bray, born about 1841 ^[10]
5. Abijah Bray, born about 1849 ^[11]

According to her FindAGrave page^[12], Polly died in 1865, but the memorial does not include a tombstone image to verify the date. The memorial states she was buried in the Old Bray Cemetery in Hancock County, Tennessee^[12] From a court case^[13] filed by her daughter Rachel Bray in 1887, we known Mary died sometime about the end of the war, consistent with the 1865 date.

Census Records

1830 United States Federal Census - Claiborne County, Tennessee ^[5]
See Rachel (Partin) Webb's profile for more information on identifications
1 male age 20-30 - Abijah Bray, born about 1805 ^[14]
1 female age 30-40 - Rachel Webb
1 female age 15-20 - Polly Webb
1 male age 15-20 - probably Larkin Webb
1 male age 10-15 - probably Iradell Webb
1 male age 5-10 - probably William Webb
3 females age 5-10 - probably Elizabeth Webb, Rhoda Webb, and either Minerva or Nancy Webb
1 female under 5 - probably Sally Webb

1840 United States Federal Census - Claiborne County, Tennessee ^[15]
1 male age 30-40 - Abijah Bray
1 female age 20-30 - Polly Bray
1 female age 5-10 - Millie Bray
1 male age 5-10 - Stogner Bray
1 female under 5 - Perlina Bray

1850 United States Federal Census - 33rd enumeration district, Hancock County, Tennessee ^[2]

1860 United States Federal Census - Brier Creek District, Hancock County, Tennessee ^[16]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} War of 1812 Pension File for James Webb by Widow Rachel Webb. On page 50 of Part 1 and page 1 of Part 2 of the pension file available on WikiTree, Rachel lists the names and ages of her three children with James Webb.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCDN-QC5 : 4 April 2020), Mary Brey in household of Aliza Brey, Hancock county, Hancock, Tennessee, United States; citing family 164, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
3. ↑ War of 1812 Pension File for James Webb by Widow Rachel Webb. On page 4 of Part 1 of the pension file on WikiTree.
4. ↑ Deed No. 6067 from the State of Tennessee to Benjamin Bray, registered in Claiborne County, Tennessee on 1 April 1820. Page 424 of Claiborne County Deed Book E. Digital image available at [1].
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHP9-WDS : 7 September 2017), Abijah Bray, Claiborne, Tennessee, United States; citing 109, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 180; FHL microfilm 24,538.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} "Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKHQ-VJJK : 16 October 2017), Abijah Bray and Polly Webb, 10 Jan 1839; citing Claiborne, Tennessee, United States, Marriage, p. , Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville and county clerk offices from various counties; FHL microfilm 1,928,634.
7. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (Find A Grave: Memorial #16132254 : accessed 25 April 2020), memorial page for Millie Webb Bray Reed (1831–1886), Find a Grave Memorial no. 16132254, citing Old Bray Cemetery, Hancock County, Tennessee, USA ; Maintained by teddyholcombe (contributor 46864102) .
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCDN-QCR : 4 April 2020), Starvinder Brey in household of Aliza Brey, Hancock county, Hancock, Tennessee, United States; citing family 164, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCDN-QCT : 4 April 2020), Pelina Brey in household of Aliza Brey, Hancock county, Hancock, Tennessee, United States; citing family 164, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCDN-QCY : 4 April 2020), Rachal Brey in household of Aliza Brey, Hancock county, Hancock, Tennessee, United States; citing family 164, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
11. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCDN-QCB : 25 April 2020), Aliza Brey in household of Aliza Brey, Hancock county, Hancock, Tennessee, United States; citing family 164, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Find a Grave, database and images (Find A Grave: Memorial #16131868 : accessed 25 April 2020), memorial page for Mary Polly Webb Bray (1818–1865), Find a Grave Memorial no. 16131868, citing Old Bray Cemetery, Hancock County, Tennessee, USA ; Maintained by teddyholcombe (contributor 46864102) .
13. ↑ 1887 Chancery Court Case, Hancock County, TN, Rachel Farmer vs Jackson Reed and heirs of Stogner Bray. Statement of original complaint.
14. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCDN-QCP : 12 April 2016), Aliza Brey, Hancock county, Hancock, Tennessee, United States; citing family 164, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
15. ↑ "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHT1-WZF : 18 August 2017), Abijah Bray, Claiborne, Tennessee, United States; citing p. 248, NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 518; FHL microfilm 24,542.
16. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8TF-4T1 : 18 March 2020), Palley Bray, 1860.