Reuben Gray (1743 - 1832)

Born 7 May 1743 in Brunswick, Cumberland, Massachusetts

Ancestors

Husband of Abigail (Black) Gray — married 1 Apr 1763 in Hancock Maine

Descendants

Died 11 Mar 1832 at age 88 in Brooksville, Hancock, Maine, United States

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Biography

Reuben Gray was a pioneer settler of Penobscot.

This profile is part of the Gray Name Study.

Reuben Gray; b. 7 May 1743 ^{[1] [2]}in Brunswick, Maine, was the son of Joshua Gray (1714-aft.1781) and Jannat Jennat (Elliot) Gray (1714-1809).

He married Abigail (Black) Gray (1741-1820), daughter of Josiah Black and Mary Black, 1 Apr 1763 at Hancock, Maine.^[3]

Reuben died at age 88 on 11 March 1832, in Brooksville, Maine ^[4][5]He was buried at Walker's Cemetery, Brooksville, Hancock, Maine.^[6]

    The following is from and address given by Stanley D. Gray at the Gray Family reunion in 1903:
.....It is family tradition that Reuben Gray lived for a time in the Old French Fort, and that his son Reuben was born, probably in 1763, in the dwelling formerly occupied by Baron Castin. (Reuben Gray is the 3rd family to claim residence in the Old French Fort at Castine, the others being Staples and Stover. It is claimed by some that William Staples b. 1758, was the first white person of English parents born east of the Penobscot River. The Gray's, however, claim that Reuben Gray, son of Reuben, was the first. The Brooksville Vital Records show that William Stover has the same honor, but a record has been found showing that Mr. Stover was born in York, Maine, and doubtless if the records were searched, it would be found that William Staples was probably born at Fort Pownall, not the Old French Fort.) Many years had passed since the Baron had left the place, though some authorities say one of his sons had been at Majabagaduce but a few years before the coming of English settlers. Governor Pownall visited the peninsula in 1759 and found 'the ruins of a French Settlement, which from the site and nature of the houses, and the remains of the fields and orchards, had once been a pleasant habitation.' From this it would seem possible that Reuben Gray was really born in the house.... A grandson of Reuben, son of the soldier Reuben, recalls the following incident related by his grandfather, which indicates that the wives of some of the soldiers were at Fort Pownall.
"One evening his mother went a short distance outside of the fort for the purpose of milking her cow and on her way back she was seized by an Indian ambush, but being a very powerful woman she dragged the savage to the gate and entered with the loss of her skirts. That seemed to be the signal for a general attack and the fort was instantly surrounded by savages, but after a severe contest which lasted for several hours, the Indians were forced to retire with the loss of several of their number."
    There is a persistent tradition that Reuben was wounded sometime during his military career. One account is that he was at Majabagaduce on a scouting expedition, and stumbling down a bank his gun was discharged. Another is that the accident occured at the fort, -- that he was a sentry posted on the top of the block house, and on being relieved and starting to descend fell down the stairs discharging his gun, --- and that he was taken in a whaleboat to 'Old York' for treatment.
    It is told that during the Revolution he had a cabin in the woods far back toward the eastern end of his lot, near Black's pond, to which he and his family used to retire when English soldiers from Castine came that way raiding the farms of the known suspected adherents to the patriotic cause.
Mr Gray's manuscripts also gives this information: 'Reuben Gray's first log house was on a knoll on Levi Gray's farm, east side of stream forming outlet of Gray's Pond (Walker's) a short distance north of burying ground. Foundation not found.

Children: Known children of Reuben Gray and Abigail Black were as follows:

• i. MARY; b. 3 Nov 1763 at Maine; m. John Maker about 1780 She died 12 Jan 1840.
• ii. REUBEN JR.; b. 3 Jun 1765 at Castine, Hancock, Maine, (Andrew Gray Bible); b. 3 Jul 1765 (Col. Reuben Gray Bible); m. Sarah Goodwin Herrick, daughter of Andrew Herrick and Sarah Goodwin, 13 Apr 1784; d. 3 Nov 1858 at Cape Rosier, Brooksville, Hancock, Maine, at age 93; In 1850 he was residing with his son Andrew, and his age was 87 (c/1850 Brooksville). It is presumed he died there, near the "Indian Bar", Cape Rosier, Brooksville; d. 30 Nov 1858 at age 93 (Bible record); he was buried at South Penobscot, Hancock, Maine. He was born in the dwelling formerly occupied by Baron Castin.
• iii. SAMUEL; b. 8 May 1767 at Castine, Hancock, Maine; b. 8 May 1775 at Penobscot, Hancock, Maine; m. Ruth Black, daughter of John Black and Abigail Watson, circa 1790; d. 9 Feb 1856 at Castine, Hancock, Maine, at age 88.
• iv. ABIGAIL; b. 30 Mar 1768 at Hancock, Maine; m. Alexander McCaslin, son of James McCaslin and Mary Poor; d. after 1860.
• v. JOAB; b. 8 Aug 1771 at Sedgwick, Hancock, Maine; he marriage was published Abigail Wilson 8 May 1794 at Sedgwick, Hancock, Maine; he and Abigail Wilson were cert 28 Aug 1794 at Sedgwick, Hancock, Maine; d. 13 May 1821 at Sedgwick, Hancock, Maine, at age 49.8
• vi. NANCY; b. 20 Feb 1773 at Sedgwick, Hancock, Maine; m. Eliphalet Lowell Grindle, son of Joshua Grindle and Anna Lowell, 27 Aug 1789.
• vii. JOHN; b. 31 Dec 1774 at Sedgwick, Hancock, Maine; m. Rebecca Gray, daughter of Samuel Gray and Mercy Watson, 6 Mar 1798.
• viii. ADAM; b. 16 Nov 1778 at Sedgwick, Hancock, Maine; m. Mercy Gray, daughter of Samuel Gray and Mercy Watson; d. 1857; he was buried at Hillside Cemetery, North Penobscot, Hancock, Maine, 1782 1857.
• ix. ABNER; b. 18 Nov 1785 at Sedgwick, Hancock, Maine; he and Lucy Billings Howard were marr pub. 6 Aug 1805 at Sedgwick, Hancock, Maine; d. 17 Jan 1865 at Penobscot, Hancock, Maine, at age 79; d. 19 Jan 1865 at Penobscot, Hancock, Maine, at age 79; age 84 years.
• x. SARAH; b. 18 Oct 1782 at Sedgwick, Hancock, Maine; m. Archibald Haney, son of Archibald Haney and Margaret Howard, at Sedgwick, Hancock, Maine; d. after 1850.

Sources

1. ↑ "Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q28Q-L9FG : 22 July 2021), Rebuon, Birth 1743; multiple sources, Maine; FHL microfilm 10,598. * Brunswick Record; "Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921," Image
2. ↑ Gray, Almon A., and Walter A. Snow. 1987. The Gray family of Hancock County, Maine. Pub: 1976; https://archive.org/details/grayfamilyofhanc00gray/page/n15/mode/2up
3. ↑ Gray, Almon A., and Walter A. Snow. 1987. The Gray family of Hancock County, Maine. Pub: 1976; https://archive.org/details/grayfamilyofhanc00gray/page/44/mode/2up
4. ↑ "Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q21S-M3HH : 17 March 2018), Reuben Gray, Death 1832; citing Division of Vital Statistics, State Board of Health, Augusta; FHL microfilm 12,248.
5. ↑ "Maine, Faylene Hutton Cemetery Collection, ca. 1780-1990," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKM1-M29B : accessed 14 February 2016), Reuben Gray, 1832; citing Burial, Brooksville, Hancock, Maine, United States, Maine State Library, Augusta; FHL microfilm 1,769,712.
6. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/59289428/reuben-gray : accessed 27 September 2021), memorial page for Reuben Gray Sr. (7 May 1743–11 Mar 1832), Find A Grave: Memorial #59289428, citing Walker Cemetery, Brooksville, Hancock County, Maine, USA ; Maintained by AEM (contributor 47256472).

See also:

• The Family of Reuben Gray : "Town and vital records 1759-1930"
  Catalog: Town and vital records 1759-1930 Sedgwick Vital Records.
  Film number: 007724813 > image 202 of 553
  FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-C9BK-LW6L-5 (accessed 11 July 2023)
• Gray, Almon A., and Walter A. Snow. 1987. The Gray family of Hancock County, Maine. [Place of publication not identified]: [publisher not identified]. Person 3001 page 108