JOSEPH RAY FAMILY - Smith County, TX

Submitted by East Texas Genealogical Society
P. O. Box 6967, Tyler, TX 75711
18 January 2004

Copyright.  All rights reserved.
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East Texas Family Records, VOL. I, No. 1, pages 3-4

JOSEPH RAY FAMILY

BY Mildred McKnight Shamburger

Joseph Ray was born 1 March 1770 in North Carolina (1850 Smith County, 
Texas Census). A family history has that he was born in Virginia. He 
was the son of Samuel Ray and grandson of Isaac Ray who came to 
America from Ireland in 1730. He was reared South Carolina. In 1793 
he married Mary Phouts(Fouts) in Kentucky. She was born 2 July 1779 
in Pennsylvania, the  daughter of Leonard Phouts, a Revolutionary 
Soldier.

Joseph and Mary Ray raised a large family, eight sons and three 
daughters, each of whom reared a large family of their own.

Children of Joseph and Mary Ray:

Phoebe Ray, born 26 March 1795 in Kentucky, died 8 October 1370 in 
Texas.

Leonard Phouts Ray, born 24 September 1796 in Kentucky, died 
10 May 1894 in Texas. He married Mary ? 8 October 1813 in 
Tennessee. Mary was born 17 February 1796 in Virginia and died 
16 October 1870 in Texas.

David L. Ray, born 13 January 1800 in Kentucky, died 1835 in 
Texas. He was first married to Mary R. Evans, 13 June 1820 in 
Tennessee. Mary was born 16 September 1801 in Tennessee and died 
circa 1866 in Texas. His second marriage was to Mary Jane Smith, 
13 September 1868 in Texas. David's last marriage was to Margaret 
Clark, 13 June 1869.

William H. Ray, born 9 October 1802 in Kentucky, 
died 25 September 1875 in Texas. He married Nancy Herring 
22 December 1825. Nancy was born 19 February 1808 in South 
Carolina, and died 25 January 1880 in Texas.

Rachel Ray, born 21 June 1805 in Kentucky.

Anna B. Ray, born 14 June 10808 in Kentucky.

Manning Ray, born 10 September 1810 in Kentucky, died 
3 October 1880 in Alabama. He married Hannah Benson in 1830. 
She was born 1 January 1814 and died 10 September 1901 in 
Alabama.

Stephen Bird Ray, born 18 April 1813 in Tennessee, died 
3 May 1902 in Alabama. He married Mary Ann Suttle 
16 October 1839. She was born 9 July 1823 and died 
9 September 1899.

Moses Patrick Ray, born 22 December 1815 in Tennessee, 
died 25 July 1389. He married Ruth Ann Freshour 
19 September 1841. She was born 23 August 1824 and died 
15 February 1898.

Benjamin F. Ray, born 8 July 1818 in Tennessee.

Elijah Ray, born 18 January 1821 in Alabama, died 
12 June 1882 in Upshur County, Texas. He married 
Henrietta Denita Edwards 5 October 1842 in Alabama. 
She was born 16 October 1823 in Alabama and died 
5 September 1979 in Texas.

Even though Joseph and his wife were rather aged when 
they came to Texas, they hitched up their ox wagon and 
returned to Alabama after 1850. Joseph died 3 September 1857 
in Barbour County, Alabama and is buried at Mt. Pleasant 
Cemetery.  Mary died 7 October 1866 in Alabama. So sure that 
they had spent their remaining days in Texas their descendents 
placed a marker for them in Sandflat Cemetery, Smith C6unty, 
only to find out later they had returned to Alabama.

Information from Bible records; Obituary of Joseph Ray, 
South Western Baptist in the Archives of Sanford University, 
Birmingham, Alabama; newspaper clipping, August 14, 1895, 
Texas.