HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY                              463

    John Bray was brought to the United States by his parents when ten
years of age and pursued his education in the public schools of New
Jersey. At the age of eighteen he became a miner in the iron fields of
New Jersey, and at the age of nineteen went to Maryland, where he
remained for about two years. He then came to Indiana, locating at
Brazil, being employed in the mines in this vicinity. He was afterwar
engaged in the liquor business for fifteen years and in 1903 was elected
sherfrf of Clay county, in which office he discharged his duties so promptly
and efficiently that he received public endorsement by the re-election in
1905. He therefore continued in the office until 1907, when at the end
of a four years’ incumbency he retired and accepted the position of pit
boss with the Progressive Coal & Mining Company.
    On the 20th of December, 1872, Mr. Bray was married to Miss
Pearl Romans, who was born in Kentucky May 19, 1848, a daughter of
Samuel and Emily (Nichols) Romans, who were likewise natives of the
Blue Grass state, but both are now deceased. The father was a Demo-
crat, and throughout his business career followed the occupation of farm-
ing in Kentucky. Unto him and his wife were born three children:
John, Mrs. Bray and Adaline.
    Mr. Bray is a member of Knightsville Lodge, No. 409, A. F. & A. M.,
Brazil Chapter, No. R. A. M., Brazil Council, No. 40, R. & S. M., and
Brazil Commandery, No. 47, K. T., while both he and his wife are
members of William Black Chapter, No. 8o, of the Order of the Eastern
Star. Mr. Bray is also connected with Brazil Lodge, No. 762, B. P. 0. E.,
and Brazil Lodge, No. 30, K. P. He has many friends among his
brethren of these fraternities and has also many warm admirers among
the Republicans as well as among the supporters of the Democratic party,
with which he has been allied since age conferred upon him the right of
franchise.

    JOHN W. WINN, who follows farming and stock raising in Jackson
township, Clay county, was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, September
30, 1847, and his parents, Andrew and Abigail (Raynor) Winn, wer
born in New Jersey and New York respectively, but both were reared
and married in Orange county, New York, of Scotch-Irish and Dutch
descent respectively. They moved from New York to Ohio soon after
their marriage, and in 1856 came to Clay county, Indiana, Where Mr.
Winn purchased from Samuel Weaver one hundred and sixty acres in
Dick Johnson township, paying two thousand dollars in gold for the
farm, and he cleared about one hundred acres of the tract and placed his
land under cultivation. He also owned one hundred and sixty acres in
another tract in Dick Johnson township, and they continued their resi-
dence on the former homestead until 1883, when Mr. Winn spent a short
time in the west and returning to Clay county bought another farm of
one hundred and forty acres. He became well known throughout the
county, and died at the age of seventy-eight years, a life-long supporter
of Democratic principles. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Winn were
eleven children, nine sons and two daughters.
    John W. Winn, the eighth born of the eleven children, received his
educational training in the Carter school of Dick Johnson township, and
after his marriage he rented land of his father for twelve years. He then
bought eighty acres from Elijah Smith, but in 1883 he left the farm and
went to. Worth county, Missouri, but in a short time returned and located

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