Henry Gray Sr.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: Shipper, 4 Apr 1639, England. Evidence of the Grays being engaged in the shipping business is provided by two English Public Records Office entries, one on April 4-13, 1639 (PRO: E190/42/3) and another on April 10-20, 1639 (PRO: E190/43/6), which identifies Henry Gray as “shipper of goods” on a ship bound from London to New England [3].

Coldham, Peter Wilson, “The Complete Book of Emigrants, 1607-1660,” Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1987. p.204-205.

• Occupation: From Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, Vol 1, Page 84, 13 Apr 1643, Fairfield, Connecticut. [102] The Court of Election held the 13th of April 1643

[Deputyes:] Henry Gray

• Court Fine: From Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, Vol 1, Page 125, 10 Apr 1645, Fairfield, Connecticut. [140] The Court of Election the 10th of April 1645

Henry Gray of Uncowaue, for his many misdemeanors, is adjiugded to be imprysoned duereing the pleasure of the Court, and to be fyned ten pounds.

• Court Fine: From Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, Vol 1, Page 126, 25 Jun 1645, Fairfield, Connecticut. June the 25th 1645, The Prticular Court

In the action of slander of Tho: Sherwood the elder, pl, agaynst Henry Graye defent, the jury find for the plant, costs of court and damages, twenty pound.
In the 2d action of slander of Tho: Sherwood the elder, pl. agt. Henry Graye defent, the Jury find for the plant cost of Court and damages fower pound.

Also in Particular Court Records, Page 34

• Court: From the Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, Vol 1, 25 Jun 1645, Fairfield, Connecticut. Page 126

June the 25th 1645, The Prticular Court

In the action of slander of Tho: Sherwood the elder, pl, agaynst Henry Graye defent, the jury find for the plant, costs of court and damages, twenty pound.
In the 2d action of slander of Tho: Sherwood the elder, pl. agt. Henry Graye defent, the Jury find for the plant cost of Court and damages fower pound.

• Court: From the Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, Vol 1, 19 May 1647, Fairfield, Connecticut. Page 148

[159] May the 19th, 1647.

In the ac. of Henry Gree pl agt Sa: Marten deft, the Jury find for the pl. debte 15l. iis., damages ten pownd, and costs of Court.

May the 21st, 1647

Henry Gree acknowledgeth himselfe bownd to the Court, in a Regognizance of xl.

• Court: From the Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, Vol 1, 28 Dec 1648, Fairfield, Connecticut. Page 174

The Perticular Courte, in Hartford, this 28th Day of Decembr 1648.

[186] Thomas Newton of Fairfield: . . . Henry Grey and John Greene, both of Fairfield are his security in the like sum for his true performance thereof.

• Court: From the Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, Vol 1, 7 Jun 1649, Fairfield, Connecticut. Page 190

[199] A Perticular Courte in Hartford 7th June 1649

Henry Grey plt contra Jonas Wood defendt, in an action of defamation, to the damage of 50l.

• Court: From the Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, Vol 1, 21 May 1650, Fairfield, Connecticut. Page 209

[5] A Session of the General Courte, the 21st of May, 1650.

Henry Grey is fyned twenty shillings for abusing the courte.

• Occupation: Deputy, 1856, Fairfield, Connecticut. Page 282

A General Court Held at Hartford, Octobr 2nd, 1656.

Dep: Hen: Grey

Page 288

A General Court Called by the Governr & Magistrates, this 26th of Febr 1656.

Deputies: Henry Grey

Page 293

[78] An Adjournment of the Genll Court, April 9th, 1657.

Deputyes: Henry Grey

• Family History: From History and genealogy of the families of old Fairfield, by Jacobus, 1930 Volume I, Page 232. Henry Gray, (Sr.)

Deputy for Fairfield, Apr. 1643, Oct. 1656, Feb. 1657.

Of Fairfield by 1643

Married Lydia Frost, daughter of William, whose will of 1645 named her, her husband, and children Jacob and Mary.

Inventory Oct. 1658. Son Jacob chose John Cable for guardian, 1658.

On Dec. 9, 1734, Isaac, David and Samuel Gray; Thomas Disbrow and Abigail, his wife; John Nott and Martha, his wife; and Sarah Jackson, “Widow Woman,” all of Fairfield, and Christopher Sturges and wife, Mary, of Stamford; conveyed to Jacob Gray and Will Gray, Jr., of Fairfield, interest in land in West Parish laid out to said Jacob Gray, eldest son of Jacob Gray, late of Fairfield, who was eldest son of Henry Gray, one of the five Farmers of Maxamus**.

Children:
Jacob.
Mary.
Henry, (Jr.), b. abt. 1645
Daughter (Sarah*), m. Samuel Godwin of Eastchester.

* Name from Gray Genealogy, 1887

** This is believed to be a permutation of Machamux, an Indian name for the area that Henry Gray and four other farmers settled near Westport, Connecticut in the 1640s. Machamux means "The Beautiful Land." See the Friends of Sherwood Island history page for more details (http://friendsofsherwoodisland.org/history/colonial-greens-farms/).

• Family History: From Gray Genealogy, 1887, Pages 198, 199. Descendants of Henry Gray

Henry Gray married Lydia Frost, daughter of William Frost; died at Fairfield, Conn. about 1658.

Issue:

Jacob
Henry 2 (Jr.)
Levi
Mary
William
Sarah

• Family History: From The Genealogy of the Gray-Hort Family, 1969. Mr. Henry Gray, St., settled in Fairfield, Connecticut by 1643. He was appointed Deputy of Fairfield in April of 1643. Henry Gray married Linda Frost, daughter of William. William's will of 1645 named her, her husband and children one of the Five Farmers of Maxamus*. Their children were Henry, born about 1645, Jacob and Mary.

* This is believed to be a permutation of Machamux, an Indian name for the area that Henry Gray and four other farmers settled near Westport, Connecticut in the 1640s. Machamux means "The Beautiful Land." See the Friends of Sherwood Island history page for more details (http://friendsofsherwoodisland.org/history/colonial-greens-farms/).

• Family History: From Jeffrey J Gray. Henry Gray born about 1614 Hackney Parish, Middlesex, England, the Immigrant, and his wife Lydia Frost. Henry's father was William Gray who had 4 children that I know of. One was John Gray, who traveled to Massachusetts with Henry in the early 1630's and within a few years removed to Connecticut and founded the Town of Fairfield with about 10 other families. A few years later John crossed over Long Island Sound and settled there and raised a large family. The next generation began pushing south into NJ and PA, and also into DE and MD. That is a very large family which I don't think anyone has ever tried to compile. What I refer to as our Fairfield Grays seem to spread mainly to the west. In fact, another branch from Fairfield migrated to The Firelands of northern Ohio, specifically Huron County.

• Death: From Town and Land Records of Connecticut, Vol VI, page 282a, 1658, Fairfield, Connecticut. The record includes an inventory of the estate of Henry Gray dated 3 September 1658. Implies Henry Gray died shortly before 3 September 1658.

• Property: From Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, Vol 2, 9 May 1667, Fairfield, Connecticut. At a Court of Election Held at Hartford, May 9th, 1667

Page 58

This Court doth recomend it to ye Town of Fairefeild to settle ye land that hath been under ye improvemt of ye farmrs at Banckside to ym & yr heires for ever by a firme record.*

*A copy of articles of agreement between the “farmers of Maxamus alias called Bankside," and the town of Fairfield, executed June 29, 1666, is in Towns & Lands, Vol VI. Doc. 283. It provides for the union of the plantation at Bankside with the town, guaranteeing to the five farmers who first settled there, their right of possession to all the lands enclosed by them and equal shares in future allotments of town lands. The Farmers named were Tho. Newton. Danl. Frost, Henry Gray, John Green and Fras. Andrus. In a copy of the original agreement of 1648, (from the Fairfeld Records,) between the town and the planters, the name is written Machamux. [T. & Lands, I.52. eye.52]

• Inventory of Estate: From Town and Land Records of Connecticut, Vol VI, page 282a, 3 Sep 1658, Fairfield, Connecticut. An Inventory of ye Estate Goods and Chattels of Henry Gray Sept. 3, 1658 in Fairfield at ye bank side.

[left column]
In wearing cloaths 6 10 -
In buff coat 2 - -
In books - 10 -
In bedding 3 - -
in a chest - 10 -
in pewter - 10 -
in iron pots & brass kettle 1 - -
in a small pr scails & small brass weights - 5 -
in brass bason & skillet - 10 -
in wooden ware ?
in some small earthenware 1 10 -
in a saddle 1 5 -
in a saddle & pillion 1 - -
in spinning wheels - 8 -
In 20 ? of yarn 2 10 -
In a small table at two stools - 5 -
In a spit ? hangers a pair tongs ? iron - 14 -
In smoothing iron frying pan mortar and looking glass - 7 -
In working tools 1 3 -
In a bridle ? - 3 -
in a pair spurs - 1 6
in nails 1 3 4
in part of saddle - 14 -
in leather - 4 -
in 2 hides at tannery 1 - -

[right column]
____lems? 2 - -
in ? ? plow from a chaine 3 14 -
in 2 horses - 15 -
in 5 cows 17 10 -
in 2 oxen 14 - -
in 2 heifers 4 - -
in 2 steers 10 - -
in a bull 4 - -
in four calves 3 - -
in a red pide? calf - 15 -
in a case with 7 bottles of licq. 1 10 -
in a cross cut saw - 16 -
in swine 3? 3 - -
Taken by Andrew Ward & John Wheeler

To be added as part of ye Inventory for small things with a small bible 2:12.-
John Cable
Anthony Wilson

Att a Court held at Fairfield 20th October 1658 Henry Jackson and John Jackson Green are chosen Administrators & upon ye Estate of Henry Grey Dec'd. they are to pay out of ye Estate all due debts ye sd Estate Standeth Indebted they are to be Careful they do not pay any of Henry Greys Debts with ye Legacies

[page 282b]
of old Frost due to any of Henry Greys Children they owe to [?] of Children and Estate to ye best advantage both of Children and Estate according to ye best discretion.

William Hill Lec___?

A True Copy of Record Exmd. ? William Barr Clerk

[in margin] Show? the death of Henery Gray (8)

• Probate: From Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut Volume 2, Page 239, 8 Oct 1674, Hartford, Connecticut. A General Courte held at Hartford, October 8, 1674.

The petition of Major Nathan Gold, Mr. Wm. Hill and Mr. Jehu Burr, being duely considered, this Court see good reason to approue of what the County Court of Fayrefeild haue done, in setleing and passing over Henry Greye's farme, at Maxemus,* to Joseph Lockwood the heir of Robert Lockwood, it being the most prudent course in present veiw to reserve any estate for the children of the sayd Grey, and the onely way to pay those just debts which sayd Grey had contracted; and doe therefore hereby impower the administrators of the sayd Henry Greye's estate, by a firm deed of sale, to pass ouer the sayd Grey's farme at Maxemus to the sayd Joseph Lockwood the heir of Robt Lockwood; and their sayd deed being made, signed, sealed and deliuered according to law, shall be sufficient for the holding of the sayd farm to the sayd Lockwood, his heirs and assignes forever.

* Maxemus,—otherwise called, Bankside. Henry Gray was one of the first "five farmers" who settled there and enclosed lands.

Note: This court proceeding implies that Henry Gray Sr died without a will and that he was in debt to Robert Lockwood, father of Joseph Lockwood.

Henry married Lydia Frost, daughter of William Frost and Joyce Barker, before 1638. (Lydia Frost was born in 1618 in Nottingham, Nottingham, England and was christened on 27 Dec 1618 in Nottingham, Nottingham, England.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• Marriage: From The Frost Genealogy, Josephine C. Frost, Page 391, Bef 1638. Lydia, m. prior to 1638 Henry Gray, brother to John, and the Frost homestead became their property and was sold by their son Jacob to Rev. Samuel Wakeman

Elizabeth, who m., 1st, John Watson of Boston and had Luke, Susan and Johanna. She m., 2nd, prior to 1638, John Grey, a tailor of Boston. They must have moved to Lynn, Mass., for Jan. 6, 1639, they sell to Valentine Hill their home, etc., in Lynn, and cither followed or accompanied William Frost to Fairfield.

Supporting information: Elizabeth Frost was married to John Watson before she married John Gray. Baptism records for her three children with John Watson were found in Nottingham, England, but no marriage record was found for her with either husband. There isn't a death record for her husband John Watson in England but there is one for William Frost's wife, Joyce Barker, who died in 1634 in Nottingham. Also no marriage record was found for Lydia Frost with Henry Gray. A marriage record for William Frost's daughter Mary exists. She was married in 1636 in Radford, Nottingham, England. There are baptism records in Nottingham for two of Mary's children. The presence of death and marriage records for other Frosts around the time John and Henry would have married the Frost daughters tends to support them being married in America. Also, it seems likely that John Watson died in America.