John Bray (abt. 1782 - 1867)

Born about 1782 in Sussex (now Warren) Co, New Jersey [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Johannah (Swayze) Bray — married about 1829 in Beaver Dams, Thorold, Niagara, Upper Canada

Died 25 Nov 1867 at about age 85 in Troy, Beverly Twp., Ontario, Canada [uncertain]

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Biography

Parents: Thomas and Elizabeth (Bowlby) Bray

John Bray was b. 1783 in Warren (now Sussex) Co., NJ, and d. 25 NOV 1867 in Brantford, Ontario.

He m.1) ca. 1813 Joanna Kitchen (d/o John Kitchen and Susanna Bird) b. 07 AUG 1793 Sussex Co., NJ, d. before 1829;

He m.2) ca. 1829 Beaverdams, Ontario Co., Canada Johannah Swayze (d/o Israel Swayze and Abigail Coleman) b. 10 FEB 1796 Beaverdams, Ontario, d. 25 JUL 1854 MI;

Children:

1. Israel M Bray 1830–1890 • L5TH-6YW ​^[1]
2. Benjamin Corwin Bray 1832–1917 • LZLW-LRB ​^[2]
3. Joseph Corwin Bray 1832–1924 • LQ5F-JBL ​ ^[3]

Sargent John Bray served in the War of 1812
Service started:
Unit(s): 1st Regiment of Norfolk Militia, Canada
Service ended:

Marriage: about 1829 Beaver Dams, Thorold, Niagara, Ontario, Canada John Bray 1792–1867 • LQ5Y-81Y ​and Joanna Swayze 1793–1854 • LCPT-JST ​

John arrived in Ontario between 1805 and 1812 when he received a free land grant in Townsend, Norfolk, Ontario, Canada. He first went to Norfolk, Ontario ("Upper Canada"), where his future Kitchen brothers-in-law settled. John Bray filed his own land petition on 7 Apr 1812 requesting a grant of land as a settler. Source: Upper Canada Land Petition "B" Bundle 10, Doc. No. 71.

John Bray of Townsend Township was recorded as a surety for a lease of Aaron Collver in an Upper Canada Land Peittion of 13 Jun 1808. Source: Upper Canada Land Petition of Aaron Collver C Bundle "Leases 1798-1819), Doc. No. 6.

Bray received a Crown Grant dated 10 Apr 1816 of 200 acres, part of Lots 12 and 13, Concession 1, Woodhouse Twp, south of the River Lynn and sold it to Robert Nichol on May 1816. Source: Abstracts of Deeds Register of Woodhouse Twp, Vol. A 1797-1958, Ontario Archives GS 2653. (These 200 acres of Erie lakefront property is now the town of Port Dover along the Lynn River. Apparently, he didn't have the means to develop lakefront property - undesirable then - so he sold it to his commanding officer for 500 pounds.)

Bray received an assignment of a Crown Lease on Lot 12, Concession 3, Windham Twp. from John Bacon, Jr. on 18 May 1816. Source: Windham Township Papers OA RG 1, C-IV, MS 658, Reel 524, p. 754 (200 acres owned by Thomas Logan, Patrick Donohue, John Dunne and James Kelso in 1874).

John was born about 1782. He was the son of Thomas Bray and Elizabeth Bowlby. He passed away in 1867.

Sources

1. ↑ * Family Search - Isreal
2. ↑ * Family Search - Benjamin
3. ↑ * Family Search - Joseph

• Family Search

• Genealogy of Swasey Family By Benjamin Franklin Swasey 1910 (Includes Swayze Family) - See Page 223.

• Canada Genweb Cemetery Project

• Sweezy.Com

• Genealogy of all Waddell families

• Descendants of Richard Bray of New England

• "Canada, Upper Canada Census, 1842," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDRF-T1G : 11 March 2018), John Bray, Darlington, Newcastle, Durham, Ontario, Canada; citing reference MG 31 C1; Library and Archives Canada microfilm reel C-1344, Public Archives of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario; FHL microfilm 2,443,955.

• "Canada Census, 1851," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWRB-7D4 : 3 August 2016), John Bray, Dumfries, Brant County, Canada West (Ontario), Canada; citing p. 121, line 39; Library and Archives Canada film number C_11714, Public Archives, Ontario.

• "Ontario Census, 1861," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X3FX-RBX : 11 March 2018), Jno Bray, Agricultural Census, Brant, Ontario, Canada; citing p. 5, line 47; Library and Archives Canada film number C-1009 & C-1010, Public Archives, Toronto; FHL microfilm 349,250.

• Tribalpages

• Find A Grave: Memorial #33334586
• "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVK9-PG6L : 13 December 2015), John Bray, 1867; Burial, Troy, Hamilton Municipality, Ontario, Canada, Troy Cemetery; citing record ID 33334586, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.