The Family of
GEORGE RAY & wife Unk.
of Columbia Co, Georgia
Page created by Sadie Greening Sparks
Copyright Oct. 18, 2000
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GEORGE RAY was born CA 1740, (Place Unk)
and died in 1804 Columbia Co.,
Georgia His Will was
Dated Dec. 19, 1803, Pro. October 19, 1804
Parents of George Ray are yet unproven, as well as the name of his first wife,
who was the mother of most of his children. Some researchers claim his
wife was Sarah "Sallie" Stewart and that he was originally from
Maryland. (See DAR Application below)
His 2nd wife was named Catherine, and was prob. Dtr of Elizabeth (___) ANDREWS, Walker who left will Columbia Co, Ga 1807.
He was a Rev. War Soldier, as is evidenced by the following:.
(Rev. Soldier's Receipts for Georgia Bounty Grants-George Ray, Cert. #686, 250
Ac).
Index to Ga Land Grants-(Lucas) George Ray 1786, 300 AC Wilkes Co, Vol KKK,
P 402
Georgia's Roster of the Revolution (Knight)
George Ray listed as certified by Col. Greenberry Lee Feb. 23, 1784 and
certified again by Col Lee on April 21, 1784
1805 Land Lottery, Columibia Co, Ga-
Benjamin Ray #167-BB
George Ray #172 BB
John Ray (s/o John) #215 BB
John Ray # 166 BB
Joseph Ray #195 BB
William Ray #169 BB
Note-all Marr/w family, all drew "blanks"
CHILDREN-RAY
(1) Benjamin Born Ca 1765 (M) Eady? Watson
(2) John Born CA 1767
(M) Elizabeth Jones Dec. 15, 1787 Columbia Co, Ga
(3) William G. Born CA 1774
Died 1836 Butts Co, Ga.
(M) Elizabeth "Betsy" Langston Nov. 24, 1793 Col. Co, Ga.
(Liv. 1860 Heard Co, Ga-Age 84 yrs.)
Dtr of Samuel Langston of Jackson Co, Ga.
(4) Elizabeth
(M) John Stith Aug 11, 1791 Columbia Co, Ga
(5) Annie
(M) William Ansley Feb 6, 1804 Warren Co, Ga.
(6) Rebecca
(M) Conrad Wall Nov. 19, 1798 Col. Co, Ga.
(7) Elleander "Nellie"
(M) William Stanford Feb.10, 1803 Warren Co, Ga.
(8) Mary "Polly" (M) #1 James Wright
(M) #2 Robert Wiseman Aug 27, 1803 Columbia Co, Ga.
(9) Sarah "Sallie" (M) John Hill
Children by Wife #2-Catherine
(10) George Washington Born Aug. 10, 1802 Died 1862 Warren Co, Ga
(M) Mary Ansley 1823 Warren Co, Ga. (See 1850, 1860 Census below)
(11) Unnamed DTR as of date of will of father (1803) Belinda/Verlinda
"Lenny"
(M) Thomas Culbertson
(Warren Co, Ga. Index to Adm., Exrs & Gdns, 1811-1836, P 83-"Lenny Ray,
child of George Ray,. Silas Burkhalter apptd. Guardian, Security John
Standford, Sept. 7, 1812)
----------------------------
Elizabeth Bugg Will, Oct. 6, 1799 Columbia Co., Ga.
Names: Dtr: Obedience Newsom, & Her children by James Martin & Dtr
Agnes Bugg
Sons: Sherwood Bugg, Nicholas Bugg
Gr/Dtrs: Mary Martin, Susannah Bonner, Martha Jones, Elizabeth Jones, Sarah K.
Jones
Refers to debt owed by Nicholas Fox
Wts: Zach. Ray & Daniel Ellis
Proved in Court by Zachariah Ray, etal
Columbia Co, Ga-Deeds
June 6, 1801 -George Ray, for love, goodwill, and affection, to son Benjamin
Ray, all tract of land on which said Benjamin now lives, on headwaters of
Greenbriar Creek and White Oak Creek, originally granted to Ezekial Offutt, in
1787.
July 8, 1802- George Ray, to William Ray, my son; for love and affection; that tract containing 100 acres on waters of Kiokee Creek, where said William now lives.
April 7, 1803- Deed of Trust, George Ray has entrusted to friend John Stith, 100 acres of land on Whiteoak Creek, for use and benefit of beloved daughter Sarah Hill, and husband, John Hill.
May 2, 1803 Deed of John Flourance & John Flourance (Admrs. of Est of John Flourance) to Richard G. & Edward Bowdre. Wts: William Ray, Jesse Offutt, & Saml. McGruder
1805 Tax List, Columbia Co, Ga
Capt Terrel C Harrison's Dist:
P 1 John Ray...Colu. Co.
as agent for Sarah Jones.....Green Co.
Lazarus Langston.....Colu. Co.
P 2-
Conrod Walls...Colu., Washington Co.
P 4-?s Ray...Colu. Co.
WILL of George Ray, Columbia Co, Ga.
Dated Dec 19, 1803, Prov. Oct 19, 1804
(Transcribed by Diane Ray)
I GEORGE RAY of the County of Columbia being low in body but of sound mind &
disposing memory do make & ordain this my last will & testament, and constitute & appoint BENJAMIN RAY & JOHN RAY my lawful Executors—
First I give and bequeath to my wife CATHERINE for & to her use during her widowhood all my stock of hogs & cattle household & kitchen furniture and
also the tract of land containing fifty acres whereon my house & plantation now is to be [laid] of by my executors agreeable to the agreement made &
entered into between myself & LAZARIUS LANGSTON for the other part of the tract to which the said fifty acres
belongeth, & on her marriage or death which ever may first take place It is my will and desire that the said fifty acres of Land together with the
personal property aforesaid be equally divided between my son GEORGE & little
DAUGHTER yet unnamed Children of the said CATHERINE To them & their heirs forever. It is also my will that my said wife have the use of my horse
during her widowhood, after which the said horse to be disposed of as the residue of my estate. It is my desire that my Executors attend to the
execution of an agreement made between myself & LAZARIUS LANGSTON for the Land above alluded to, when ever the said Langston comply on his part.
And it is my will & desire & I do give & bequeath severally & to each of them one
hundred dollars apiece. And it is my will & desire & I do give & bequeath
all of the rest & residue both real and personal of my estate together will all moneys & debts due me & all & every of my estate which is not herein
before otherwise disposed of to be divided as follows (that is after the
payments of my just debts (to wit) one ninth part severally & to each of my sons BENJAMIN RAY, JOHN RAY & WILLIAM RAY that is for each of them to have
one ninth part apiece & also one ninth part severally & to each of my following sons in law JOHN
STITH, WILLIAM ANSLEY, COONRAD WALL & WILLIAM STANDFORD that is for each of my said sons in law to have one ninth part
apiece & also one ninth part to be equally divided between my son in law Robert Wiseman & all of the children of JAMES WRIGHT by my daughter MARY and
also one ninth part to be equally divided between the heirs of the body of my daughter SARAH HILL that she hath or may have, And I do fully authorize &
impower my Executors to sell & dispose of at regular public Sale any real estate that I may die possessed of except such as is herein disposed of &
also to divide & settle with my legates as soon as may be except those my
children & grandchildren who are infants & it is my will that those moneys be
put out at interest, my Executors to sue their own discretion in laying out the annual interest of the infants money on & for them in proper proportion &
to pay them their respective shares as they marry or arrive at age.
Signed Sealed Published & acknowledged this twelve day of October in the year
of one thousand eight hundred & four in the presence of DAVID LANGSTON, ROBERT
LAZENBY, EDWARD FORBES
[Signed] GEORGE RAY (LS)
Proved & Recorded in open Court, 18th Dec., 1804. P 7-8
Benjamin & John Ray were sworn as Executors of the above will, and are to make a true & perfect inventory of goods and chattels and credits and exehibit (sic) the same to the Clerk of court in three months. Sig: John Foster, Esq. 19th Dec, 1804-P 9
The nine shares of the estate were received as follows:
(1) Benjamin Ray, listed as son
(2) John Ray, listed as son
(3) William Ray, listed as son
(4) John Stith, listed as son-in-law
(5) William Ansley, listed as son-in-law
(6) Coonrad Wall, listed as son-in-law
(7) William Standford, listed as son-in-law,
(8) The children of James Wright and Robert Wiseman, listed as sons-in-law.
After James Wright died, Mary Ray married Robert Wiseman
(9) John Hill, listed as son-in-law
George’s wife, Catherine received fifty acres and the stock, house, household
goods and the use of a horse.
Columbia Co, Ga. Court of Ordinary Minutes
Benjamin RAY [executor] on the estate of George RAY tendered his account.
p. 8---------06 Nov 1820
Columbia Co, Ga Court of Ordinary Minutes
06 Jun 1825
Receipt of John STITH of Warren Co., guardian of Rebecca S. WALL, heir of Conrad WALL late of Columbia Co. to Frances WALL, administratrix of the estate of Conrad WALL. Dated 30 May 1825.
06 Jun 1825 Receipt of Hezekiah YOUNG of Columbia Co., heir of Conrad WALL, to Frances WALL
administratrix of the estate of Conrad WALL. Dated 30 May 1825.
Receipt of William WRIGHT guardian of Coleman WALL heir of Conrad WALL to Frances WALL, admin. Dated 30 May 1825.
Receipt of Frances Wright to Frances WALL. William WRIGHT acting as agent for Frances WRIGHT. Dated 30 May 1825.
Frances WALL named guardian of William Wesley WALL and Thomas Anderson WALL
1827 Land Lottery, Columbia Co, Ga
Sect 3 Dist 5 Lot 290 Wall's, Conrad orphans Columbia County Capt Adams Dist Drew land in Troup County
1 21 65 Ray's, John orphans Columbia County Capt Boltons Dist Drew land in Lee County
--------------------------------------
The following has been taken from the DAR application #486670 of Mrs. Emily Jane Taylor of Dallas, Texas, May 31, 1960: (In Part)
George was born c1732 perhaps in Maryland or New Jersey. He may have married his first wife c1755 or so, and his second wife c1801.
As stated therein, from quoted family records: "My great great grandfather's name was George Ray and was of pure English lineage. After becoming an orphan and while still a young boy, he moved from the colony of Maryland to the colony of Virginia. He moved from the colony of Virginia to the colony of Georgia, where he married Miss Sallie Stewart, several years before the Revolutionary
War ."
(continuing from DAR application, left out family information of applicant)
"The following incident in the lives of George and Sallie Stewart Ray has been handed down: During the Revolutionary War, while he was at home on leave, the English soldiers came to his house late one night and knocked on the door. Mistress Sallie Ray asked what they wanted, and they demanded that she make a light and let them in. She told them that she did not have anything with which to make a light and to go away as there was no one there but herself and children. They threatened to break into the house if she did not make a light. She advised her husband to put on her dress over his clothes and try to escape in that manner, she telling the Tories that she would have to go and get some pine with which to make a light. George Ray escaped from the house in that way, but dropped the dress as he reached the smokehouse, when the Tories started firing at him but did not hit him, twelve shots going into the corner of the smokehouse. He escaped by outrunning them through a marsh, and later joined his company. He was said to have been a brave soldier and came near losing his life on several occasions."
The Revolutionary war service of George Ray can be substantiated independently. George Ray and John Ray, presumably his son, are listed in the USNA as serving in Lawson's Co. 1st Virginia. Regt. commanded by Col. James Hendricks. George is listed in the company payroll in Oct. 1777 as being payed 6 2/3 dollars (for one months service), and under casualties: "artifiaer". I don't know what the latter means. Both George and John were listed as privates.
"
Warren, GA 1850 Federal Census P 180 HH 818-818
Ray George W. 48 M . farmer 5,000 Ga. . . . . .
Ray Mary 46 F Ga.
Ray Mary 23 F Ga.
Ansley Sarah 40 F Ga.
Ray Shadrach E. 19 M Ga student
" Albert S. 16 M Ga Student
" Lucy A. L. 12 F Ga
" Eliza N (R?) 1 F Ga
" Virginia Victoria 8 F Ga
" Laura ? Antoinnette 5 F Ga
1860 Warren Co, Ga Williams Dist, Warrenton PO P 080 HH 581-111
George W. Ray 57 M Ga farmer $12,000/23,000
Mary " 56 F Ga
Mary C. " 33 F Ga
Shadrack " 29 M Ga
Albert " 26 M Ga farmer
Lucy " 23 F Ga
Eliza " 21 F Ga
Virginia " 16 F Ga
Laura " 14 F Ga & 1 boarder