John Ray and Isabell Foster
Nathaniel Ray, father / Hix Jones Ray Page / Start Page
Dad's List
Locations: Virginia; Allen Co, KY; Wayne Co, TN; Jackson Purchase, KY; Barry Co, MO
Oklahoma ... and a whole lot more!
John Ray
was born in 1787, Virginia died: 1860-70 Barry Co., Missouri wife: Isabell Foster born in 1802, So Carolina
and died 1860-70 Barry Co, Mo. John Ray was born to Nathaniel Ray and his first wife - name unknown.
From Goodspeed Publishing, "History of Tennessee - Lawrence, Wayne, Perry, Hickman and Lewis
Counties", original copyright 1886, identifies John Ray as an earily settler to Lawrence County. Lawrence
County belongs to the natural division know as the Highland Rim, the higher lands lying from the ne to the
sw. The book states that the first settlements were on Big Buffalo River, near the crossing of that stream
near the Columbia and Waynesboro Turnpike, 1815. The settlers came chiefly from North Carolina and
among them was John Ray. I note this information because so many of you like me, think that some of the
Brunswick Co, Va Rays may have gone over the boarder to North Carolina. This book further states "that
several persons received either military grants or occupants' grants about 1820:...John Ray..."
Census Information:
John can be found on the Wayne Co, Tenn 1830 census, #288 ; 1840 Calloway Co., Ky census shows
(#55):10120001-110101., 1850 & 1860 Barry Co, Mo Census, National Archives record of Land Patent
22361, Springfield, Mo. Family record of the John Ray family passed down via Mary I Ray Porter to her
daughter Martha Ann Porter Bishop, through her son E Glen Bishop to Loyd M. Bishop.
Land Patents:
John Ray was granted a patent on 160 acres west of the Tennessee River, land described as teh NW1/4
S33, T4 R1E. This land is now located in Calloway Co, Ky on the Marshall County border. According to
the tax records, these Rays remained in Calloway Co from 1824 to 1848 when they moved to Missouri.
John & Isabell's oldest children (Nathaniel and Samuel Ray) both appear on the tax rolls the year that they
reached their majority. Isabell's name also appears in 1833 when she apparently acquired a horse that
was subject to taxation. After moving to Barry Co, Mo John Ray patented land in the NW part of the county
near a town called Gadfly. He patented 40 acres of land from the US Government on 13 May 1857,
described as the SW1/4 of the NW1/4 Section 24 Range 28 West. He is listed in the 1860 Barry Co, Mo
census but not the 1870.
Dorothy Thomas and Loyd Bishop are the authorities on this family
John and Isabelle's children:
Husband: JOHN RAY
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Birth: 1787 Place: VIRGINIA
Death: Circa 1868 Place: Barry Co, MO
Burial: Place: BARRY CO, MO
Father: NATHANIEL RAY JR (-1823)
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Wife: ISABELL FOSTER
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Birth: 1802 Place: SC
Death: Place: BARRY CO, MO
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Children...
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1. M Child: NATHANIEL Foster RAY
Birth: 6 Mar 1823 Place: KY
Death: 1855 Place: Barry Co, Mo
Spouse: Mary Ann FRAZIER
Marriage: 4 Feb 1855 Place: Barry Co, MO
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2. F Child: ELIZABETH AMY RAY
Birth: 21 Sep 1824 Place: KY
Spouse: Richard MURRY
Marriage: 11 Oct 1853 Place: Barry Co, MO
Spouse: Roland C. McGUFFEE
Marriage: 17 May 1843 Place: Calloway Co, KY
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3. M Child: SAMUEL C RAY
Birth: 16 May 1826 Place: KY
Death: 1870
Spouse: Caroline FOSTER
Marriage: 1845
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4. M Child: GEORGE W RAY
Birth: 15 Sep 1828 Place: Calloway Co, KY
Death: Circa 1862 Place: Springfield, Mo
Spouse: Elizabeth RUSSELL
Marriage: 1851
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5. F Child: NANCY HANEY RAY
Birth: 7 Jan 1830 Place: KY
Death: 23 Sep 1899 Place: HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
Spouse: Frances Marion HENSON
Marriage: 1849 Place: Marion Co, Arkansas
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6. M Child: JOHN CASEY RAY
Birth: 6 Jan 1836 Place: CALLOWAY, CO, KY
Death: 28 Aug 1915 Place: DRUMRIGHT CREEK, OK
Burial: Place: MARS HILL, POTTAWNAMIE, OK
Occupation: Co. "D" 1st Reg. Texas Cavalry.
Spouse: Mary Z STARKEY
Marriage: 20 Apr 1859
Divorced:
Spouse: Nancy Jane KING
Marriage: 10 May 1874 Place: Sherman, Grayson Co, Texas
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7. F Child: SARAH_'SALLY' GREEN RAY
Birth: 15 Dec 1837 Place: KY
Spouse: Unknown GREEN
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8. M Child: JAMES A RAY
Birth: 22 Apr 1849 Place: WASHBURN, Barry Co, MO
Death: 17 Feb 1910 Place: Granby, Newton Co, MO
Spouse: Mary Z STARKEY
Marriage: 2 Jan 1876 Place: Jasper, MO
Nathaniel F. Ray
b: 6 Mar 1823 Ky m: Mary A Frasure 4 Feb 1855 in Barry Co, Mo. Nathaniel was most probably born in Calloway
Co, Ky. Researcher Loyd Bishop has been unable to locate him on any census after 1840 when he is with his father
in KY. The Barry Co, Mo marriage records lists a marriage for him 1855. Nathaniel died the year he married. N. F.
Ray's name appears on family records belonging to Loyd..
Elizabeth Amy Ray
b:1825 Ky m: Sep 5, 1850 to William B Jameson. (According to researcher Dorothy Thomas). But Researcher
Loyd Bishop believes that Elizabeth married Roland C. McGuffee in Calloway Co, Ky. This Elizabeth is the dau of
John & Isabell because there is an Adeline McGuffee, age 16, living with the latter couple in the 1860 census. In
1850 there is an Elizabeth listed with the ray family in Barry County. John & Isabell's child, Elizabeth would be a
little older than the Elizabeth listed in the census. Therefore, Loyd believes that the Elizabeth listed is George W.
Ray's wife and not his sister. They were probably newly married. Elizabeth, dau to John & Isabell, married in
Callowy Co, Ky to Roland McGuffey on 17 Mar 1844. In the 1850 Barry Co census, listed with Samuel C. Ray and
Caroline Ray is Adaline ______, 6 years old. The last name is unreadable, but may be Mahaffy. In 1860 Adaline is
listed with John & Isabell Ray and is 16 years old. Roland and Elizabeth are not found in 1850 Calloway or Barry
Co census. Adeline's parents probably died and she moved to MO with her grandparents.
Samuel C Ray
b:1826 Ky m: Caroline Foster in 1845 d: 1870. Caroline Foster & Samuel Ray had children: John, Elizabeth &
Samuel
George W. Ray
b:1829 Callowy Co, Ky m: Elizabeth Russell 1851. Family legend says that George was killed during
the civil war activity in SW MO. Evidence was found that indicated that George was not a civilian when
he was killed, but rather a member of the Missouri State Guard and was killed in action during the Battle
of Wilson's Creek near Springfield, Mo. His name was mentioned in the United Confederate Vetern's
10th reunion in Joplin, Mo, 26-27 Sep 1906 as being a casualty ofthe war. There is some confusion
added to this story by a 1861 tax list which shows the Ray's as favoring the UNION. Most believe that
Ray's were Confederates. The youngest child was a baby when George died , since the children were
farmed out it is difficult to identify all of them. James M. Ray lived with Mary I and Franklin Porter in
1880, but what happened to him after that is uncertian. Loyd is searching for the marriage record of
George and Elizabeth. The record was not recorded in Barry Co, Mo. Records of Newton and
McDonald Co do not exist for the 1850 time period. There is also no record in Calloway Co, Ky.
Nancy Haney Ray
b:7 Jan 1830 Ky m: Francis Marion Henson 1849 Carroll Co, Arkansas d:Sep 23, 1899 Hot Springs, Arkansas
John Casey Ray
b:Jan 6, 1836 Calloway Co, Ky 1st m: Apr 20,1859 Mary Zilda Starkey (divorced) 2nd m: Nancy Jane King May
10,1874 Sherman,Grayson Co, Texas Co "D" 1st Reg. Texas Cavalry d:28 Aug 1915 Drumright Creek, Ok
Buried in Mars Hill Cem, Pottawatomie, OK
Sarah "Sally" Green Ray
b: 15 Dec 1837 Ky
James A. Ray
b: 22 Apr 1849 Barry Co, Mo m: 2 Jan 1876 in Jasper, Mo to Mary Z (Starkey) Ray - divorced wife of brother John.
d: Feb 17,1910 Granby, Newton Co, Mo. Pioneers of Six Bulls, LDS Microfiche #6019138, Vol 21 of the Grandy
Mo Cemetery records. Death certificate of James states that he was born in Washburn, MO, a town south of
Cassville in Barry Co, Mo. His parents are listed on the certificate as John X. Ray and Isbel Foster. His occupation
was listed as a miner, lived in Granby, Newton Co,Mo and married the divorced wife of his brother John Casey
Ray..
Researchers:
Dorothy Thomas, Loyd Bishop, Pat Scheele, ps53630@navix.net
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