Ralph Gray (1838 - 1917)

Born 9 Apr 1838 in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Knight) Gray — married 3 Aug 1858 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom

Died 27 Apr 1917 at age 79 in Sandy, Clearfield, Pennsylvania, United States

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Biography

Ralph Gray was born in Northumberland, England.

This profile is part of the Gray Name Study.

Ralph was born in 1838. He was the son of Robert Gray and Mary Barrass. He died in 1917.

Obituary

Daily papers in the mountain of Pennsylvania carried the brief biographical sketch of the life Ralph Gray, president of the Gray & Glass Co. of Falls Creek, Pa., who died at his home in that place on April 27 aged 80 years.

Mr Gray was one of the best glass men in the country and had a success of the plant at Falls Creek after a number of failures had scored by others. He was born in Newcastle, England April 9th 1838 . He came to this country in 1863. He commenced life as a glass worker at early age of 7 years and was a son one of the most prominent glass men in that part of England where he was born. When 16 years of age he was a full fledged glass worker at West Bromwich England working in the well known Chance's factory and making the celebrated crown glass.

In 1858 he was married to Miss Elizabeth Knight, who survives him, and came to the United States locating at Winstown, NJ., later moving to Point NY. Some time after Mr Gray located at Boston, Mass., he was one of the moving spirits in the building of the large Tuttle and factory where he remained for number of years. He also worked at trade as a glass blower in Pittsburg and LaSalle Ill. later locating at Ind.

In his prime Mr Gray was known as of the best big ring glass blowers in country. Back in the early nineties built at Anderson Ind a factory for manufacture of cathedral glass he operated for a number of years . Upon curtailment of the natural gas in that part of the country he to locate in a more productive and in 1897 he moved to Falls Pa where with his son, George Gray, he took over a small rough and plate glass factory and made a success. Until now it is one the largest and best equipped factories of its kind in the country.

Mr Gray was one of the promoters stockholders in the Columbia Plate Co of Blairsville, Pa and many his ideas were adopted which have the value of his technical of the glass business. He was inventor of many original devices of mechanical appliances that are now universal use in the manufacture of and was the first to advocate the of a lehr in the manufacture of plate which has been such a tremendous to the industry.

In the community where he lived for years he was known by every man and child and was very respected and dearly loved. He was known for his kindliness and numerous philanthropic and charitable contributions and no worthy cause ever rapped at his door without an answer.

Sources

• "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2NDP-6FQ : 1 October 2014), Ralph Grey, 1838; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Birth Registration, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northumberland, England, citing General Register Office, Southport, England.
• "England, Northumberland, Parish Registers, 1538-1950", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP3H-XDQ9 : 18 October 2019), Ralph Gray, 1838.
• "England and Wales Census, 1841," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7WN-7WZ : 25 May 2019), Ralph Gray in household of Robert Gray, All Saints, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England, United Kingdom; from "1841 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
• "1851 Scotland Census", online database, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.co.uk/ : accessed 1 Dec 2020), Lanarkshire, Glasgow Barony; Ralph Gray, age 12; citing General Register Office for Scotland; Parish: Barony; ED: 30; Page: 2; Line: 19; Roll: CSSCT1851_141; Year: 1851.
• "England, Warwickshire, Parish Registers, 1535-1963," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGDL-YLHX : 26 February 2019), Ralph Gray and Elizabeth Knight, 03 Aug 1858; Marriage; citing Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom, p. , Warwick County Record Office, England; FHL microfilm 919,789.
• "1861 England Census", database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.co.uk/ : accessed 1 Dec 2020), Staffordshire, Harborne St Paul, household of Ralph Gray, age 22; citing The National Archives of the United Kingdom, Class: RG 9; Piece: 2127; Folio: 102; Page: 16; GSU roll: 542922.
• "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M641-9BV : 19 March 2020), Ralph Gray, 1870.
• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWFD-39H : 13 November 2020), Ralph Gray, Fayette City, Fayette, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district ED 62, sheet 593B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,255,130.
• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M33S-P4N : accessed 1 December 2020), Ralph Gray, Washington Township, Lower & Falls Creek Precincts, Jefferson, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 82, sheet 8A, family 166, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,417.
• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MG4Z-6W1 : accessed 1 December 2020), Ralph Gray, Sandy, Clearfield, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 100, sheet 1A, family 7, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1332; FHL microfilm 1,375,345.
• "Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1967", database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/ : accessed 1 Dec 2020), Ralph Gray, age 79, born 9 Apr 1838, died 27 Apr 1917 in Sandy, Clearfield, Pennsylvania, USA; citing Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Harrisburg, PA; Pennsylvania (State). Death Certificates, 1906-1968; Certificate Number Range: 039911-043190.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 01 December 2020), memorial page for Ralph Gray (1838–1917), Find a Grave Memorial no. 130572283, citing Taylor Cemetery, Falls Creek, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, USA ; Maintained by Ken & Cecelia Heitzenrater (contributor 47198601).